Can you gift an AR lower in PA?

[Emptymag]

Just to complete the AR lower gifting circle here, can a PA reaident gift a AR15 carbine/rifle, upper receiver included, to another non-prohibited, 18 y.o. or older PA resident or must it be transferred through a sale?

Is "money changing hands" the actual factor in your question vs "is an FFL transfer required?"

[eatmydust]

Just money changing hands, no FFL involved.

[knight0334]

Just to complete the AR lower gifting circle here, can a PA reaident gift a AR15 carbine/rifle, upper receiver included, to another non-prohibited, 18 y.o. or older PA resident or must it be transferred through a sale?

Only pistols/revolvers with barrels less than 15", rifles with barrels less than 16", shotguns with barerels less than 18", and any pistol, revolver, rifle, or shotgun less than 26" overall length require a FFL transfer. The state could also construe that bare "handgun receivers" would also fall in that category(like a 1911 receiver, a 81%+ P90 receiver, etc).


A bare AR15 receiver, or an AR receiver with shoulder stock, doesn't require an FFL to a fellow PA resident.

[Emptymag]

I'll defer to Knight on the "age" portion, but so long as everything else is legal, $500 or a penny, or absolutely free should have no bearing on anything.

[knight0334]

You have to be 21yo for a FFL to transfer anything that meets the description of a PA defined "firearm".

A sheriff can transfer a "firearm" to someone that is 18yo, but I doubt there are any left in the state that will do transfers.


As a note, a FFL can only transfer rifles and shotguns to those in the 18yo to 20yo range.

Handguns, SBS, SBR, AOW, MG, Supressors, DD's, and "other firearms***" can only be transferred from a FFL to someone that is 21yo. The feds regulate the transfer more so than possession(although possession is regulated in some degree). The NFA and GCA's were originally written in regards to the Interstate Commerce Clause.

*** "other firearms" include bare(virgin) receivers, those "Shockwave" type and pistol grip only shotguns, and a few other things that don't meet the definitions of handguns, rifles, shotguns, and the range of NFA devices.

For guns that aren't "firearms" in PA, there is NO minimum age requirement. You can legally give an AR15 to a freshly squeezed-out baby in the birthing room of a hospital. PA sets the age of possession for minors for "firearms" at 18, some exceptions for certain activities. Now, if you were to give an AR to someone, regardless of age, and they do something stupid - you could be at the wrong end of a criminal and/or civil suit.

[eatmydust]

Thank you knight0334, I was fairly certain that there were no problems gifting a complete rifle or carbine AR receiver to a non-prohibited PA resident who was atleast 18 y.o., that clarifies any misunderstandings, IMO.

Should I choose to gift a AR lower receiver to a friend or relative in PA, I will simply gift the lower(non pistol) and later gift an upper receiver and/or other accessories at a later time, so as not to violate any laws.