gun transfer

[butch1212]

my wifes dad died and i was wanting to know how to find out what guns he had registered in his name. he lived with someone and they wont tell us.

[HiredGoon]

Guns are not "registered" in PA. There is a database of gun sales and transfers that are done at a gun dealer...but it is not accessible by the public...only by law enforcement officers.

[cigarmanpa]

he had no guns "registered" to him since a registry is illegal in pa. there is a sales database but I have no idea how to/if you can find out what he owned. However if the person he lived with was not a child of his or a spouse and he owned handguns the person maybe illegally holding the hand guns

[biggs88]

my wifes dad died and i was wanting to know how to find out what guns he had registered in his name. he lived with someone and they wont tell us.

The Freedom of Information Act covers a lot.

But pop's collection is not covered.

Who has the guns now?

[butch1212]

his girl friend

[butch1212]

thank you I will contact the police and see what they have to say

[Xringshooter]

IANAL but, did he have a will? If the will said the guns are to go to someone other than who is holding them, that person is holding them illegally. You said GF, not spouse, so she has no right to his property (any of it) unless the will so states.

[tlgpa]

thank you I will contact the police and see what they have to say

DO NOT DO THAT

You have a 99% chance of losing his guns that way. Wait for others here to chime in. Or contact an attorney.
Your father in law could have legally transfered all his guns to your wife with no paperwork before he died. Does anyone know if he didn't actually do that?

[knight0334]

my wifes dad died and i was wanting to know how to find out what guns he had registered in his name. he lived with someone and they wont tell us.

You may need a lawyer that deals with estate holdings, which may need to file some sort of order or request with the magistrate's office to gain access to his possessions. You wont get any info from the "database" about what he owns because that data is statutorily confidential.

[knight0334]

DO NOT DO THAT

You have a 99% chance of losing his guns that way. Wait for others here to chime in. Or contact an attorney.
Your father in law could have legally transfered all his guns to your wife with no paperwork before he died. Does anyone know if he didn't actually do that?

If his dad was from the place where the OP's info says - I wouldn't worry too much about that. ..St. Mary's isn't Pittsburgh, Johnstown, or Philly.

If anything, I'd probably bet $10 that the officers would turn them over to the next lawful kin, which would be a parent or child.