Question, I am assigning a couple stripped lowers to my NFA trust (guntrustguru.com) to form 1 them into an SBR. Since WA state has every individual transferee do a 4473 NICS check when a transfer is involved (i594). How does this affect me who personally owns these lowers, assigns them to a trust that is an entity and not an individual? I am the only responsible person on this trust but plan to add another co-trustee once I get my tax stamps back. Thanks!

Well, your question is one that I don't think you'll find a good and clear answer to . . . except for this.

Washington state law requires that you do a background check for "firearms." If you look at the Washington definition of a firearm, a stripped lower does not qualify.

Thus, no transfer is required for stripped lowers. And I am not a lawyer, of course.

Yeah, I just found this:

"RCW 9.41.010 wrote:
(9) "Firearm" means a weapon or device from which a projectile or projectiles may be fired by an explosive such as gunpowder. Source: Revised Code of Washington"


I bought these lowers myself from Rainier Arms and it wouldn't make sense to do another check on them when I assign them to my trust, when I'm the only person on the trust but what do I know about these crazy WA state laws.

Indeed, you cannot let logic be your guide to the law.

Like Madpick said, there's no clear answer on this, and logic is increasingly useless when applied to firearm laws. I agree with his interpretation of the RCW definition of firearm as it applies to stripped lowers (that it doesn't apply to them), but I know others disagree.

Having said that, I asked an attorney about this (after 594 passed, but prior to it going into effect), and he said that when you form a trust, you have to assign it assets, but that it doesn't necessarily have to be monetary (could be anything of value). There was no reason that non-NFA firearms couldn't be those assets of value.

Bottom line, I think that no matter how you do it, I doubt it's ever going to be an issue. That may or may not be good enough for you, so YMMV.

Good information there. Thank you.