Dad wants to buy me a pistol for my 20th bday.... Questions

[thenorm037]

First off, this is legal, right? From what I understand after reading through the laws it is okay for him to purchase the handgun and then give it to me as a gift, correct? For example there shouldnt be any problem with me going to the dealer and picking out the gun as long as he buys it and transfers it to me?

Once he gives me the gun I am able to possess it (not CC) legally? So if I go to the range I can have it locked in my trunk unloaded, correct?

Sorry for all the stupid questions, I am a total noob when it comes to pistols .

Also curious what would be a good brand and caliber to start with? I have been looking at springfield, taurus, and a few others, and was thinking about a 9mm or .45. I am a little on the bigger side 6'2", 230 lbs, if that matters at all. Thanks again!

[jahwarrior72]

if your dad has a handgun or two, it might be a good idea to go with him to the range and see what you're comfortable with. body size does play a part in what may be comfortable, but i know tiny little women who love to carry and shoot full size 1911s, and i know one or two guys your size who'd rather carry subcompact 9MMs.

as far as carry is concerned, you can, but you can only open carry, and you'd have to walk everywhere. and, you can't carry at all in Philly; you need a LTCF for both OC/CC. you are correct about range trips; unloaded, locked in container (doesn't have to be the trunk; a safe will do), and ammo separate. i'm not sure about the transfer between parent and child; i'm postive someone who knows better than me will chime in soon enough.

[zackattack784]

if your dad has a handgun or two, it might be a good idea to go with him to the range and see what you're comfortable with. body size does play a part in what may be comfortable, but i know tiny little women who love to carry and shoot full size 1911s, and i know one or two guys your size who'd rather carry subcompact 9MMs.

as far as carry is concerned, you can, but you can only open carry, and you'd have to walk everywhere. and, you can't carry at all in Philly; you need a LTCF for both OC/CC. you are correct about range trips; unloaded, locked in container (doesn't have to be the trunk; a safe will do), and ammo separate. i'm not sure about the transfer between parent and child; i'm postive someone who knows better than me will chime in soon enough.

All correct except being in a locked container. Provided the gun is unloaded (and be careful to follow the 'legal' definition of unloaded) you can keep it on your hip if you want. Hell, you can even conceal it if you so desire. Just make sure to not make any other stops on your way to or from the range.

ETA: Figured it couldn't hurt:

"Loaded." A firearm is loaded if the firing chamber, the nondetachable magazine or in the case of a revolver, any of the chambers of the cylinder contain ammunition capable of being fired. In the case of a firearm which utilizes a detachable magazine, the term shall mean a magazine suitable for use in said firearm which magazine contains such ammunition and has been inserted in the firearm or is in the same container or, where the container has multiple compartments, the same compartment thereof as the firearm.

[West Chester]

§6111. Sale or transfer of firearms.
(b) Duty of seller.--No licensed importer, licensed manufacturer or licensed dealer shall sell or deliver any firearm to another person, other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer or licensed collector, until the conditions of subsection (a) have been satisfied and until he has:

(1) For purposes of a firearm as defined in section 6102 (relating to definitions), obtained a completed application/record of sale from the potential buyer or transferee to be filled out in triplicate, the original copy to be sent to the Pennsylvania State Police, postmarked via first class mail, within 14 days of the sale, one copy to be retained by the licensed importer, licensed manufacturer or licensed dealer for a period of 20 years and one copy to be provided to the purchaser or transferee. The form of this application/record of sale shall be no more than one page in length and shall be promulgated by the Pennsylvania State Police and provided by the licensed importer, licensed manufacturer or licensed dealer. The application/record of sale shall include the name, address, birthdate, gender, race, physical description and Social Security number of the purchaser or transferee, the date of the application and the caliber, length of barrel, make, model and manufacturer's number of the firearm to be purchased or transferred. The application/record of sale shall also contain the following question:



Are you the actual buyer of the firearm(s), as defined under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6102 (relating to definitions), listed on this application/record of sale? Warning:You are not the actual buyer if you are acquiring the firearm(s) on behalf of another person, unless you are legitimately acquiring the firearm as a gift for any of the following individuals who are legally eligible to own a firearm:



(1) spouse;

(2) parent;

(3) child;

(4) grandparent; or

(5) grandchild.

[zackattack784]

^^^ In other words, yes it is legal for your dad to purchase it for you .

Jah, it's as simple as dad buying the gun, wrapping it up and saying "here you go son." Transfer complete .

[Hokkmike]

Congrats on have a great dad.

Your set up is entirely legal.

Picking a model and caliber has much to do with personal preference. I have fired everything from a .22 Beretta to a .45 Springfield. Right now I shoot a .40 Walthers.

My ideal gun (haven't found it yet) will be a 9mm 04 .40 S&W high capacity DA/SA pistol with a postive safe and decocker. Meanwhile I am loving my PPS .40 which is an entirely different animal. It is a "sexy" thoroughbred of a gun.

I can highly recommend Beretta and Ruger as two of my favorite reliable brand names. I prefer the Beretta. Sadly, their grips tend to be a little large for my "smallish" hands.

Go, look, see, and try out (at least handle) as many as you can. That is a great part of the fun....

Good luck.

[jahwarrior72]

^^^ In other words, yes it is legal for your dad to purchase it for you .

Jah, it's as simple as dad buying the gun, wrapping it up and saying "here you go son." Transfer complete .

that's what i thought, but i wasn't 100% sure. more like 96%. i didn't want to come out and give a definitive yes, and then look like a moron later. i do that enough as it is.

[ByAnyMeans]

Since the question of your dad transfering a pistol to you has been answered I'll take a stab at a good first gun.

As said if you dad has a few handguns try them out and see what you like. If not try going to a range and renting a few to find what you prefer.

Then it's also going to be a question of caliber. When I went for my first handgun I chose 9mm because their was no one such as your dad who might reload giving me access to cheaper ammo and 9mm was the most economical. If your dad also does not have a 22lr handgun you may want to look for something that has a conversion kit you could pick up yourself even at 20. I know kits are made for 1911, Hipowers, Glocks and CZ. These are all fine guns and I know own all except a CZ which will be quickly remedied.

These are good reliable places to start but you have to feel what's right for you and as stated size doesn't always matter. I'm 6-4 260 and a Glock 26 subcompact is my favorite and my much smaller fiance is in love with our 1991 .45acp so you never know.

[zackattack784]

that's what i thought, but i wasn't 100% sure. more like 96%. i didn't want to come out and give a definitive yes, and then look like a moron later. i do that enough as it is.

Haha with that statement alone you're probably already smarter than 96% of the people on the interwebs .

[zackattack784]

As far the the second part of the OP's question....

Do you want a full size gun, a subcompact, or something in between?
Do you want a polymer frame or a metal frame?
Internal striker or hammer fired?
Do you want a SAO?

If you can answer all of those questions with a definitive answer I'm sure we can narrow things down pretty quickly.

Can't go wrong with either 9mm or .45 and you should be able to handle the recoil of both with ease. I personally chose a 9mm as my first handgun simply because ammunition is cheaper. My second handgun was a .45 .