Buying firearms in PA as a weekend/summer resident of PA

[tl_3237]

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I understand that it is an individual decision of every FFL what kind of transactions they are willing to execute. They are perfectly within their right to decide not to deal with weekend/summer residents of PA. It is possible that this decision is rationalized by the consideration that a relatively small number of such firearms buyers would not justify the extra effort associated with learning rarely used provisions of the law.

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OP - your first post was absolutely correct - assuming you maintain a "home" for yourself in Pa then, for the narrow purposes of the FEDERAL firearms laws (18 USC Ch 44), you are indeed considered as a Pa resident while you are in residence there. Additionally there is no Pa impediment for your purchase regardless of your legal out-of-state residency.

That said, your closing statement above aptly states the conundrum in that few FFLs are willing to risk engaging in such a transaction for fear of later disapproval of the transaction by his licensing authorities. Assuming you are intent on purchasing a handgun then you are pretty much forced into using an FFL under Pa law (18 Pa CS 6111(c)). FWIW private party sale of longarms between Pa residents while in Pa are not prohibited by either Federal or state law.