Attorney Gary B. Wells speaking to the Gun Club
Mike Moss
As we live out these “Active 55+” years of our lives and sometimes work through the bittersweet issues of our aging parents and family, we’re made mindful of issues and questions that we ourselves may need to work through. For members of the Robson Ranch Gun Club, most of whom are firearms owners, the complexity and seriousness of federal and state firearms statutes as they relate to ownership and the transfer of ownership and how these issues play to our personal goals and family situations are of obvious importance at this time in our lives.
Recently, your Gun Club was privileged to have an estate planning attorney who specializes in Firearms Law come speak with us about these issues. Gary B. Wells, located right next door in Argyle, has a unique practice that focuses on Estate Planning and, specifically, Firearms Laws as they pertain to Estates and Wills. Gary provided us an exceptional education on Firearms and Estate Planning and Firearms Trusts and the NFA (National Firearms Act). We’ve had a host of great speakers this last year, but no speaker had the audience taking notes the way this guy did!
Unlike the vast majority of personal possessions, firearms face the complexities of varying state laws, and with many families often outside of Texas, Mr. Wells addressed Out-of-State Resident Transfer Restrictions. There are also unique challenges of NFA items that become part of an Estate, and Gary addressed those challenges and the “Tax Stamp” issues for these restricted items. Additionally, in response to the specific interests of our Robson membership and our propensity to travel, he gave legal insights on the Dangers and Pitfalls of Traveling with Firearms, with helpful and practical suggestions for avoiding inadvertent mistakes. Finally, in light of last fall’s change in Texas firearms laws, he gave an update on the status of “Constitutional Carry” in Texas, which dovetailed perfectly with the talk we received from U.S. Law Shield in August of last year. If one of us wanted to sit down with a lawyer and get this solid, hour-plus rundown of legal issues related to our firearms and our Estates and Wills, Traveling, and Texas carry laws, it would have cost hundreds of dollars! But, the 60-plus attendees got it all for free and owe a big Robson Ranch “Thank You” to Mr. Wells for this excellent, educational, useful, and timely presentation.
The mission of our Robson Ranch Gun Club is to provide an opportunity and forum for our members to meet, share their interest in firearms, participate in various forms of shooting sports, and provide a learning environment for all skill levels of firearm ownership and uses. Our monthly meeting is the second Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. in the clubhouse. Safety is always our primary concern and is a shared responsibility of each member.
For more information, please contact Club President Larry Hampton at [email protected] or Vice President Mike Moss at [email protected].