When firearms are part of an estate, the executor inherits a second job: securing the guns, valuing them, moving them to heirs legally, and documenting everything. I do this for Colorado families every week.

I'm a licensed FFL holder running Gun Legacy in Parker, Colorado. Estate firearm transfers — done legally, documented cleanly, and valued honestly — are a core part of my business.

What the Executor Is Responsible For

As personal representative, the firearms are estate property until legally transferred, and you're accountable for them: keep them secure, inventory them, value them for the records, and transfer them through proper legal channels with documentation. The two mistakes I see most are rushing a sale and leaving money on the table, or handing guns to relatives with no paperwork.

The Transfer Process

Colorado requires private firearm transfers to go through a licensed dealer (FFL) with a Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) background check. For estate firearms, I recommend running heir transfers through an FFL — the paper trail protects the executor, the estate, and the heir.

Here's how it works: we secure and inventory every firearm — make, model, serial number, photographs — and I check for NFA items (fully automatic, short-barreled, suppressors), which need special handling. I provide written valuations for the estate inventory. Each heir transfer goes through the FFL process with the CBI background check, and I keep a transfer log — who received which firearm, when, through which dealer — for the estate's records.

SB25-003 and Estates

Colorado's SB25-003 took effect August 1, 2026. It requires buyers of "specified semiautomatic firearms" — generally semiautomatic rifles or shotguns with detachable magazines, and gas-operated semiautomatic handguns with detachable magazines — to hold a Firearms Safety Course Eligibility Card from their county sheriff and complete a verified safety course.

Two exemptions matter for estates: transfers to heirs upon the owner's death are exempt, and transfers to licensed dealers are exempt. So an estate can move covered firearms to heirs or to me without the card process; a later buyer's eligibility is verified at the point of sale. This is general information, not legal advice — for complicated situations, talk to a probate attorney. I coordinate with attorneys regularly.

Valuations for the Estate Record

Executors need defensible fair market values for the inventory, probate filings, and dividing assets among heirs. I value each firearm from real sales data, in writing — when heirs see the same independent numbers, it keeps things fair. Valuations are part of my free consultation.

Selling Estate Firearms

When the estate needs to sell, consignment is usually the right call: my 20 percent commission means the estate keeps roughly 80 percent of each sale, versus a gun shop's typical 20 to 30 percent of market value. Across a collection, that's often thousands of dollars more for the heirs — and under SB25-003, it's the most practical way to sell covered semiautomatics.

Start With a Conversation

Every estate is different. Call (720) 998-4776 or email info@gunlegacy.com for a free consultation — tell me what you're dealing with, and I'll lay out exactly what to do, in what order. I'm by appointment, Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, serving Parker, Castle Rock, Lone Tree, Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Littleton, and the Denver metro.