Gun registration

**Walleye Hunter** · March 23rd, 2019, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by solrac7

Jennifer, While I understand that this may happen, my understanding is that there is no legal database or gun registry in pa ? is this not correct?

Legal? No. Database? Yes. About 40 years ago we had these family friends and we all liked shooting and appreciated guns. The father of the other family was a gun dealer (whatever that entailed back then) and had quite a collection. One of the guns 'registered' to him was found used in a crime. When he went to check his stash it turned out that one of his sons sold all of his guns on the streets of Phoenixville.

**Xringshooter** · March 23rd, 2019, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by solrac7

Jennifer, While I understand that this may happen, my understanding is that there is no legal database or gun registry in pa ? is this not correct?

That is and isn't correct. There is no "Registry" of fireamsin PA. There is, though, a legal sales database that the PSP maintains but since it is not complete (guns coming into the state do not have to be placed in the database, nor do long arms being sold at a dealer go into the database) so the PA Supreme Court said the database is not a registry. However, many police departments do use this database as a defacto registry and a person can get caught up in the web if they are carrying a handgun that does not show up in the database, even if it were legally bought (say when someone was living outside of PA) and to get it back will cost time and money.

As for the OP's situation, he and his son-in-law need to go to a FFL and have it properly transfer from SIL to FIL. If SIL does not live in PA, then to do it "legally", the gun still needs to get to a PA FFL so it can be properly transferred (the SIL can personally deliver it to the FFL).

**JenniferG** · March 23rd, 2019, 05:56 PM

Well, all I can say is this about the ROS (Record of Sale) is that it is an incomplete database of gun owners in the state. If at some point Governor Wolf decides in a State of Emergency that all privately owned firearms must be turned in or be confiscated they will use the Record of Sale database as list to go to each house or business to retrieve the now illegally owned firearms. That is what is happening in New Zealand as I write this. How much further are we from this scenario? The reason for gun registration is now readily apparent wouldn't you say?

**solrac7** · March 23rd, 2019, 06:09 PM

Roger that. I knew there was a data-base, but since it is incomplete, didn't realize that if your LEGAL handgun (say brought to this state when you moved here 20 years ago etc.) didn't show up in it that they could/would confiscate it. I know that the ones that I have bought here put me on the "naughty" list and that they will try and come for them one day... as always, thanks for the info.