Open carrying a rifle

[4theConstitution]

Hello everyone, I am here to ask if in the state of Pennsylvania, am I allowed to open carry an assault rifle such as a semi-automatic AR-15 Considering I am 18 years of age and without anything prohibiting me from owning a firearm.

Also I have read on http://paopencarry.org/ that persons 18 years of age and older whom are not prohibited by law from owning firearms may openly carry a handgun in plain sight with no license except in vehicles. I am confused about this because I thought that in all 50 states, you must be atleast 21 years of age to own a handgun, can someone explain this better to me as well as post a link, it will be appreciated.

[cigarmanpa]

you can't carry something that doesn't exsist.


but yes one can carry an ar however i'm not sure on age requirements so I can't speak to that. However, I believe you have the be 21 to buy a hand gun

[Steve in PA]

Legally, yes you can openly carry a rifle, but where will you be carrying it?? I don't think walking around town or carrying it into the mall is a good idea. Legal, yes. Smart, no so much.

For the most part, in PA a person must be 21 yoa to purchase a handgun......and 18 yoa to "own" it........and 18 yoa to carry in in certain conditions.

The 18yoa thing may not apply to all states, but it does in PA.

[kcr121]

Also I have read on http://paopencarry.org/ that persons 18 years of age and older whom are not prohibited by law from owning firearms may openly carry a handgun in plain sight with no license except in vehicles. I am confused about this because I thought that in all 50 states, you must be atleast 21 years of age to own a handgun, can someone explain this better to me as well as post a link, it will be appreciated.

You must be at least 21 to purchase a handgun, but 18 to own one. A handgun can legally be gifted by parents, grandparents, and spouses to 18-20 year olds who are not otherwise prohibited from ownership. You are correct that you do not need a Pennsylvania license to carry firearms (PA LTCF) to open carry outside of a vehicle and outside a city of the first class. Pennsylvania currently has only one city of the first class - Philadelphia.

I'm looking for the legal citation now.

[jahwarrior72]

you can't carry an assault rifle in PA, because there are no assault rifles to carry.

[Pa. Patriot]

STOP

Wrong answers above.

You CAN buy a handgun at 18 in Pa.

Per Pa. law You must be 18 to buy a handgun in Pa.

You must have the transfer done at an FFL (*see below) or a sheriff's office unless you meet one of the exemptions to 18Pa.C.S.6111 such as (c) parent/spouse/child/grandparent/grandchild. In which case the sale (transfer) can be done without

*Per federal law FFL's can not sell or transfer a handgun to persons under 21

Tat leaves you with transfer via sheriff or exempt transfer as I cited above.

HTH Short on time, cya

[tl_3237]

You cannot carry longarms:

1. in Phila;
2. within 1000 feet of school property unless in a locked case;
3. where prohibited (courts, school, etc);

You must be 21 to buy from an FFL by Federal law. There are other legal ways to obtain a handgun (inheritance, gifting within certain lineage, etc) for 18 yoa.

You can open carry a handgun except:

1. in Phila
2. where prohibited (courts, school, etc);
3. in a vehicle;
4. within 1000 feet of school property unless in a locked case.

You can transport unloaded longarms in a vehicle.

Note that there is a Game law that presumes longarm possession as prima facie evidence of hunting so carrying a longarm near hunting areas can be problematic.

All of the above assumes you are not a prohibited person.

[kcr121]

This isn't an "official" citation, but it's good enough for me...from the NRA-ILA website:

Age Restrictions On The Purchase And Possession Of Firearms

Federal law imposes the following restrictions aimed at younger persons:

A person must be 21 years of age to purchase a handgun or handgun ammunition, and 18 years of age to buy a rifle or shotgun or ammunition, from a retail firearm dealer. (GCA, 1968)

A person under age 18 may not possess a handgun or handgun ammunition, and it is illegal for a person to provide a handgun or handgun ammunition to a person under age 18, except for target shooting, hunting, or certain other exempted purposes. (Youth Handgun Safety Act, 1994)

Pennsylvania - No seller may deliver a handgun to any person under 18.

[Evan]

I thought a rifle was considered to be an assault rifle if it was manufactured in another country, with a high cap mag and had less than three US made parts. I had concerns about this when I owned a Saiga. I bought a 30 rd mag, Belarus made mount and a chinese scope.

[kcr121]

STOP

Wrong answers above.

You CAN buy a handgun at 18 in Pa.

Per Pa. law You must be 18 to buy a handgun in Pa.

You must have the transfer done at an FFL (*see below) or a sheriff's office unless you meet one of the exemptions to 18Pa.C.S.6111 such as (c) parent/spouse/child/grandparent/grandchild. In which case the sale (transfer) can be done without

*Per federal law FFL's can not sell or transfer a handgun to persons under 21

Tat leaves you with transfer via sheriff or exempt transfer as I cited above.

HTH Short on time, cya

Yep, Pa. Patriot is right - I forgot about the sheriff transfer...probably because I've never heard of anyone actually doing it. That's the only way to buy a handgun at 18 that I've heard of.