When a married person buys a gun in WA, does it automatically become community property, or does the person filling out the 4473 (or Bill of Sale if it was not bought through a FFL) become the sole owner?

I'm thinking it's automatically community property unless it is assigned as separate property through some written agreement . . . .

Im the farthest thing from a lawyer but im gonna bet its community property if bought during the marriage. If you can prove or document that it was yours before the union then you may have a chance to show its not a common asset

Actually, I'm updating my Will and just want to make sure she's already an owner even though I bought them (as far as the 4473's are concerned) during the marriage.

What made me wonder was that the way the WA Pistol form is set up, joint ownership doesn't seem to be an option . . . .
http://www.dol.wa.gov/forms/652004.pdf

I would say its similar to any other item including titled or liscensed items. Because our hobbies include several powersports i go through a few titled atv's and jet skiis. To avoid having the wife need to sign or be present for the paperwork i go through i just put them in my name. Ill guarantee that if anything happens to me they will be hers to deal with since she has a marriage liscense where whats hers is hers and whats mine is hers

I think the marriage certificate is legally all inclusive of all the other items in anyones name including contracts. Default on a credit card thats just in your name and see who they come after

The easiest way to make sure she gets everything if something happens to you is a community property agreement. It is a notarized document that tells the court: if one spouse dies, the other spouse gets everything to do with what they wish.
My parents did this to make it easier for the living spouse to decide who gets what.

No need to make it complicated. Guns are property and in WA State no community property agreements are necessary. If you are bringing property or assets into a marriage and want to keep it separate then you enter into a Pre-Nuptial Agreement. Even at that, given enough time in the marriage many of these "assets" are considered co-mingled and part of the Community.

If your spouse is a prohibited person then you have a problem. First of all you had to make sure they never had control of he weapons by securing them in a safe that they had no access to. Upon your death the weapons will have to be transferred to another heir that isn't prohibited from possessing them or disposed of.

IANAL but have a little experience with Community Property, Divorce, and recently had a similar discussion with my Attorney when getting my will prepared.

Washington State is pretty simple when it comes to Community Property. Like my wife says, "Half of what's your's is mine and so is the other half"

So what are they going to do if you die and that isn't the case? Arrest you???

Very true.

But if there is something else after this life, it would just piss me off no end thinking that the Government might seize my firearms

Bad enough that some are going after them in THIS lifetime