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elvis_1

TTAG reader FO writes: “I enjoyed reading your article Irresponsible Gun Owner of the Day: Elvis Presley. I am the owner of the Elvis Presley Signed Application document for the gun purchased Dec. 2, 1970 which was executed at Frontier Gun Store in Palm Springs, CA. The shop is no longer in business.

“I’m writing relative to the actual Astra handgun which I am attempting to locate. It would be my intention to join the document with the gun so I thought I would reach out to you and see if you have any knowledge as to where the weapon might be, or who might own it at the present time?

“Attached is a copy of the document…any information you might have would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your anticipated assistance.”

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29 COMMENTS

  1. It would be interesting to know how he came to possess such a document. When a FFL goes out of bidness, aren’t they supposed to forward the forms to ATF? Is there a limit on the time the FFL is supposed to keep the forms if they remain in bidness? Just askin’. Not sure I’d be making it known that I possessed such a form without knowing the answers to those questions.

    • Yes and no. I believe it’s 20 years. If the form is over 20 years old they no longer have to keep the form. When the business closes they are required to send the forms they do have to the ATF.

      • So in theory, data on forms for guns bought at a big box stores that are in business 20 years from now will never see the inside of a ATF building?

        • There’s a big difference between “not required to keep” and “required to discard/destroy.” It will depend on exactly how the law is written, and if the former meaning, the choice the store itself makes.

    • Back then the retention period for 4473 was 5 years. But it was Elvis, you know that is a souvenir for sure.

      No ID – “Is personally known to me” those were the days.

  2. When the Frontier Gun Store in Palm Springs, CA. closed, shouldn’t this document by law been given to the ATF? The ownership of this could prove interesting legally.

    • It depends on when the store closed. The requirement to have the records turned over to the ATF was part of the FOPA law from 1986.

    • Col. Tom Parker kept Elvis on a tight leash — and pocketed 50 percent of everything Elvis earned. The King did not die a very wealthy man. What’s more, the terms of his will banned his estate from borrowing money. So Graceland remained a third rate attraction (in terms of revenue generation) for many, many years.

      It’s also true that Elvis had rather simple you-might-say common tastes. The Graceland you see today — a relatively modest pile — was redecorated by Pricilla after his death. Elvis’s last girlfriend had it decorated like a whorehouse in bright red.

      In short, Elvis was not the kind of guy to worry about getting the best gun possible.

      • While I seem to have your attention. What’s up with ttag moderators? Got the N word popping up on Deans open carry post from the 8th and it was still there today. Got a schizo troll stalking people and contributing nothing to the conversation cept things like the N word.

        Are you stepping back and letting the inmates run things?

        • Dan. Wait a minute. I thought you, personally, read every comment. I thought there was at any given moment at least one guy huddled over a MacBook reading all these comments.

          Also, can’t you guys whip out one of your administrative tools and just search for “key” words?

      • Elvis was a plain guy – not an elitist like most of the music performers of today! He loved life and enjoyed it but didn’t have to have the very best of everything….his house looks like something out of the 60’s……and lines line up every day to see it. Too bad he couldn’t have someone to really support him. He agonized over many things and it led to his death! TOO BAD – what a singer. Compare him to todays rappers! UGH to them!

  3. I thought Astra had very well made revolvers?
    And Elvis’ 9 shot Cadix 22 was kind of interesting. Are those illegal in NY now?

  4. I visited Graceland 30 years ago. I was surprised by the size of his gun collection. He also had a very big police badge collection from cities from all over the USA.

  5. “Is known to me” As I remember it that was when there was a hint of common sense in most people.
    I have told young people that was once an acceptable means of Identification on a 4473.,
    and they laughed in disbelief. What the hell happened to the world???

  6. I remember seeing Elvis’ 1911 in a case at Graceland some 25 years ago. I seem to recollect that it had ivory grips. There was also some script about target practice on the grounds using some shed/lean-to as a backstop, but details are fuzzy.

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