“...bought several valuable guns that would have otherwise been destroyed, including what is believed to be an antique flintlock pistol.”
Do flintlock pistol purchases require an FFL transfer and background check? Or does their manufacture precede that law? Just wondering.
Apparently, pre-1899 firearms are exempt from the paperwork, via the Gun Control Act of 1968 (which modified Title 18, U.S. Code) that exempted pre-1899 guns from the Federal Firearms License paperwork requirements administered by the BATFE.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antique_gun#United_States