permit

[raye608]

If I have a license to carry do I need an additional permit or registration for the handgun itself? I have a handgun I bought somtime in the 1970's at a dealer in Pa. but I dont have any paperwork on it.
My Father(passed away several years ago) brought a handgun back from WWII. can I legally carry it with a LTCF.

[priell3]

No extra permit required.

[BimmerJon]

No permit to purchase or registration in PA

Your dads gun.... Who did it go to. Will?
If it was willed to you, you're good to go.
If someone else, who?

[twency]

If I have a license to carry do I need an additional permit or registration for the handgun itself? I have a handgun I bought somtime in the 1970's at a dealer in Pa. but I dont have any paperwork on it.
My Father(passed away several years ago) brought a handgun back from WWII. can I legally carry it with a LTCF.

No, you do not need any other paperwork to legally carry it.

I will caution that because the WWII gun likely is not listed in the PSP Record of Sale database that there is a slight chance that if you come under investigation, a police officer might seize the weapon and be reluctant to return it without proof of ownership. While not lawful, there have been a number of stories posted here about similar things happening. Even if you get it back eventually, it may costly.

Because it is presumably valuable (WWII bring-back) and likely has sentimental value as well (dad's gun) you might want to carry a different, less valuable gun. But you wouldn't be breaking the law by carrying the WWII gun. (Assuming there's nothing unusual about it, like an obliterated serial number in which case if memory serves it's not legal even to possess.)

Your other firearm likely is in the Record of Sale database, so the above is unlikely to be an issue.

Both are legal to carry without additional paperwork.

[raye608]

It was willed to me. I do have his records of discharge papers from the Army at that time and I have come across a record of what he brought back with him and one of those was the Lugar and the serial #., would that be proof of ownership?

[gnbrotz]

I will caution that because the WWII gun likely is not listed in the PSP Record of Sale database that there is a slight chance that if you come under investigation, a police officer might seize the weapon and be reluctant to return it without proof of ownership. While not lawful, there have been a number of stories posted here about similar things happening. Even if you get it back eventually, it may costly.

Personally, I'd call it a "moderate risk". I think the risk of finding one's self in a situation where a 'numbers check' occurs is low (assuming non-habitual traffic violations), but if actually stopped, the odds of a confiscation based on a nonexistent/non-matching sales database entry are just under 50/50.

YMMV.

[DonM55]

It was willed to me. I do have his records of discharge papers from the Army at that time and I have come across a record of what he brought back with him and one of those was the Lugar and the serial #., would that be proof of ownership?

Being in the will and listed on a record from the military should be more than enough proof it belongs to you.

If it was mine I wouldn't carry it. It's a piece of your dad's history as well as this countries. Enjoy it, take it to the range, take extra care of it and pass it on in the family when the time comes.

As far as the cops disarming you and running the serial number the odds vary depending on the area. I have several handguns that do not appear on the sales registry. Twice I've had dealings with leo's while carrying. Niether time was my gun ran thru the registy nor was I disarmed.

[Greywolf]

More to the point on carrying an heirloom -- why do you carry a handgun? For self defense. What happens to that handgun if you have to actually use it to defend yourself? It becomes evidence, and is taken by the police. If the case is ultimately decided in your favor and you are not convicted of a crime, you'll probbaly get the gun back. This may be anywhere from six months to six years after the date of the shooting.

The police are not going to regard your gun as an heirloom or as a collector's item. They are going to regard it -- and handle it -- as evidence. They will not treat it especially gently, they will not clean it, they will not oil it, and they will most likely store it under especially favorable conditions. If/when you get it back, you may or may not recognize it.

All of which is a very long-winded way of saying that I second the suggestion that you buy a moderately-priced, modern handgun that has no sentimental or special monetary value and use that as your carry piece.

[twency]

More to the point on carrying an heirloom -- why do you carry a handgun? For self defense. What happens to that handgun if you have to actually use it to defend yourself? It becomes evidence, and is taken by the police. If the case is ultimately decided in your favor and you are not convicted of a crime, you'll probbaly get the gun back. This may be anywhere from six months to six years after the date of the shooting.

The police are not going to regard your gun as an heirloom or as a collector's item. They are going to regard it -- and handle it -- as evidence. They will not treat it especially gently, they will not clean it, they will not oil it, and they will most likely store it under especially favorable conditions. If/when you get it back, you may or may not recognize it.

All of which is a very long-winded way of saying that I second the suggestion that you buy a moderately-priced, modern handgun that has no sentimental or special monetary value and use that as your carry piece.

Agreed on all of this. As far as being treated as evidence, I can tell you from (past) personal experience working in a crime lab that how the firearm is handled will depend on number of factors including standard operating procedures as well as the personal preferences of those handling it, and it may be entirely proper (strictly from a procedural standpoint only) to essentially destroy the firearm in the process of testing it.

I don't know for sure how well a 60 year-old Luger (or whatever) would take to cyanoacrylate fuming followed by MBD staining (or whatever lab protocol dictates), but my guess is not well. At the very least some serious cleanup would be required after most methods of forensic processing for latent prints.

[John222]

I sometimes take my 1941 Walther PP to the range. So this is not recommended. My dad gave it to me in the 70's with no records. it's also a rare model, only 1100 were made.