How do I check to see if a gun is stolen or used in a crime?

[digdug18]

So wife's father died about 10 years ago and was a shady character, shady as in when they found him, they also found 2 cases of live grenades, and a couple full auto M1 carbine's, nothing registered of course. They also found a s&w .357 mag revolver. All we have left is the revolver from his estate.

I was going to register it to myself, but before I do How do I find out if it was used in a crime or is a stolen gun? Should I call the ATF and explain the situation, let them take it from there.

Andrew

[mjfletcher]

I'll only hit one part of this. There's no gun registration in PA, see this thread: http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/414...nsfers-pa.html

[knight0334]

There is no way to see if the gun is stolen or had been used in a crime other than having a LEO look up the gun in one of the databases. I suggest that you NOT do that.

[chivvalry]

http://www.hotgunz.com/

http://www.stolenweapon.com/Stolen-G...artsearch.html

Oh, and,

http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/231...ck-page-2.html

[customloaded]

Because of your IGNORANCE, do me a favor, find me a law that says whatever the man possessed was Illegal?

Now, keep in mind, if the ole man possessed these items prior to 1968, they ain't illegal. Its especially true if he was a veteran and brought back these items as war trophies.

It pisses me off further that you judge a man whose been dead for years, whom you might not have even met. Whats the probability that his "Daughter" knew anything about the man? I doubt he'd be the first older deceased veteran who didn't speak about military service to their kid, much less a chick kid.

Register a gun? Call the ATF? Please do and the local PD because I would like to see you arrested for the statements you make against a dead man.

CL

[cakeshooter]

If it would make you feel better, you can just go to a gun shop and have them transfer the gun into your name. Tell them you got it from your father in law who is dead.

That way if the cops ever run the numbers for some reason, it will be in your name and nothing bad should come up, at least I wouldn't think so (I could be wrong)

We recently had to do that with a gun that was given to us and the giver is dead and we had to do it to establish "ownership" (long story) and I can give you the name of the shop who did it if you message me. They keep it for 48 hours and do a background check and then put it in your name.

However technically since you got it from a father in law, I think that's legal anyway (legal as in, does not have to be transferred), to get it in an estate...so its not like you'd have to get it put in your name...you should be fine as-is...I was just saying the above if it would make you feel better. *shrug*

[Christ]

I'm not actually going to look, but I believe that active incendiary devices/explosives are illegal without an explosives license.

The automatic weapons are a matter of ban status. If he owned them before the ban went into effect, he was effectively "grandfathered" into ownership, afaik. However, you would not have been able to own them without a class 3 license issued by BATF, as I understand it. I could be wrong, and probably am. I have no interest in actually owning FA weapons, so I don't really keep a running memory of the rules.

It is fairly rude to call someone "shady" based solely on what you perceive without any actual evidence, though.

Completely disregard this post. After some light reading, I realize I was mistaken about those assertions.

[JayBell]

I could be wrong, and probably am.

to keep it short, you are completely and totally wrong.

we have NFA FAQs on this site, I> suggest you go read them...please, cuz really really wrong posts like yours make my head asplode

[Christ]

to keep it short, you are completely and totally wrong.

we have NFA FAQs on this site, I> suggest you go read them...please, cuz really really wrong posts like yours make my head asplode

I just read some things about it lightly, and while I don't intend to actually research it, I did see that my thoughts were incorrect. Thank you.

EDIT:

I did, however, find your NFA FAQ, and in it, I read:

Explosive destructive devices may not be made or posessed in PA by civilians(non DD dealers/MFGs) regardless of registration status.

Soo... I wasn't completely wrong, I suppose. According to what you've said there, a non licensed PA resident can't legally own explosives, right?

Would that include incendiary devices, or does the definition of "explosive destructive device" not include incendiaries?

[Storm88000]

Yikes, if I were you, assuming you do in fact own it, I'd leave it at home at all times (secured in a safe of course) and keep it as a home-gun only. I'd be a bit worried, despite the contradictory information, of running into a LEO with it if you did happen to find yourself in that situation.

If you want a legal firearm to carry, I suggest going out and purchasing a new/used one at licensed FFL.

There just seems to be too much ambiguity with this PA State Police handgun registration business, and frankly, I wouldn't want to find out.