Transferring a rifle from owner to owner?

[Bubba19056]

I am buying a rifle from my boss, I was under the impression that I didn't need to fill out transfer of ownership paperwork, someone later told me I need to fill out paperwork, can someone please help, do I need transfer of ownership papers to complete this sale? thank you!

[ruggerio]

read the stickeys in the classified section


http://forum.pafoa.org/firearms-6/24...g-selling.html

[bac0nfat]

No FFL required for private transfer of long guns in PA, but it's good to make up a bill of sale just for your records.

[LarryD1130]

No FFL required for private transfer of long guns in PA, but it's good to make up a bill of sale just for your records.

+1. He's right.

[tl_3237]

As stated above (no paperwork/FFL) PROVIDED:

1. buyer and seller are Pa residents;
2. physical transfer occurs in Pa;
3. buyer is non-prohibited.

[Cherokee60]

OP, there's a bill of sale posted here:

http://forum.pafoa.org/firearms-6/3241-firearm-bill-sale-free-use.html#post31058

(Sorry, can't figure out how to make the link active...copy and paste...)

Thanks to LorDiego01 for the bill of sale!

[DC2.2GSR]

I've contacted forum members in the past about buying rifles and shotguns and a few have insisted that I "pay for the transfer at a shop". Why is it so hard for some people to understand that rifles don't get transferred? I mean, these are people who have experience with firearms and should know better (I don't mean a relatively new guy or someone just asking a question before a first time transfer like the OP).

If you walk into a shop saying that you were there to do a rifle transfer, wouldn't they just look at you and say "okay... and what's your point? Have at it. Trade money for rifle and leave."

[gnbrotz]

I've contacted forum members in the past about buying rifles and shotguns and a few have insisted that I "pay for the transfer at a shop". Why is it so hard for some people to understand that rifles don't get transferred? I mean, these are people who have experience with firearms and should know better (I don't mean a relatively new guy or someone just asking a question before a first time transfer like the OP).

If you walk into a shop saying that you were there to do a rifle transfer, wouldn't they just look at you and say "okay... and what's your point? Have at it. Trade money for rifle and leave."

Some do this as a 'comfort' that they will not be liable should something bad happen in the future with said rifle/shotgun. While PA's "database that's not a registry" will not reflect the transfer, the dealer's bound book will provide a record of the ownership change should the previous owner wish (or be somehow compelled) to prove it.

[tl_3237]

I've contacted forum members in the past about buying rifles and shotguns and a few have insisted that I "pay for the transfer at a shop". Why is it so hard for some people to understand that rifles don't get transferred? I mean, these are people who have experience with firearms and should know better (I don't mean a relatively new guy or someone just asking a question before a first time transfer like the OP).

If you walk into a shop saying that you were there to do a rifle transfer, wouldn't most look at you and say "okay... and what's your point? Have at it. Trade money for rifle and leave."

Many sellers understandably are wary of selling a firearm to a stranger. By using the services of an FFL they have more than met any due diligence responsibility to ascertain whether the buyer is prohibited. In addition, by doing it through a third party at their place of business, there is little chance that the buyer would attempt a strong-arm robbery that could occur when the transfer occurs somewhere more private.

[DC2.2GSR]

Some do this as a 'comfort' that they will not be liable should something bad happen in the future with said rifle/shotgun. While PA's "database that's not a registry" will not reflect the transfer, the dealer's bound book will provide a record of the ownership change should the previous owner wish (or be somehow compelled) to prove it.

Many sellers understandably are wary of selling a firearm to a stranger. By using the services of an FFL they have more than met any due diligence responsibility to ascertain whether the buyer is prohibited. In addition, by doing it through a third party at their place of business, there is little chance that the buyer would attempt a strong-arm robbery that could occur when the transfer occurs somewhere more private.

These are all great points and I understand them, but I'm mostly talking about paying for a transfer. Do dealers even offer the service for rifle sales between two private parties? What's being paid for and what services are being provided? Are you paying a standard firearm transfer fee even though the shop is doing nothing but witnessing the transaction, or is the dealer actually running PICS and doing paperwork and everything?

If there's no paper work or anything, it just seems to me that it's a pointless step in the process other than obviously deterring any number of potentially bad situations that may arise by selling to a random in a parking lot.