Send gun to my wife

[dvc4you]

Hi,

I live in IL and my wife recently moved to PA, I want to send her a pistol by mail. Can I do that or has to go through an FFL? I heard that someone mails pistols to himself when on the road (Michael Bane) Could I do that as I basically reside in both places?

Does it makes any difference to send the slide assembly in one package and the frame in another one?

Thanks for the advice

[tl_3237]

Any interstate transfers require an FFL. For handguns it must be an FFL in the recipient's state.

Only FFL's can send handguns via USPS. UPS and FedEx policies do not allow interstate shipments unless one of the principals is a licensee (FFL).

There is is a Federal exception for pre-positioning a firearm for yourself at an out-of-state destination for sporting purposes only but 1) your situation is not a sporting purpose and 2) you'll be hard put to find a legal shipper even if you overcame 1).

The frame is considered the firearm, the slide etc are parts. So there's no practical, legal way to send a frame from IL to PA without involving, at a minimum, a PA FFL except if you are moving to PA and include the handgun with the movement of your household goods.

[thundrr1]

^^^^ What he said........end of story.

[dvc4you]

thanks for the answer, any FFL that charges reasonably in the King of Prussia area?

[NRA Recruiter]

thanks for the answer, any FFL that charges reasonably in the King of Prussia area?

A couple more questions. Is your wife now an official Pennsylvania resident? Does she come back to Illinois on a regular basis?

[mauser]

Hi,

I live in IL and my wife recently moved to PA, I want to send her a pistol by mail. Can I do that or has to go through an FFL? I heard that someone mails pistols to himself when on the road (Michael Bane) Could I do that as I basically reside in both places?

Does it makes any difference to send the slide assembly in one package and the frame in another one?

Thanks for the advice

How do you basically live in both places?
If you're living in one state and are moving to another it should be fairly simple to take the pistol with you when you move your household goods.
If you're living in one state and working in another you could be looking at complications depending on technical and legal residency status.
Where is your mail delivered? How long will it be delivered there? Who do you pay state and local tax to? Will you soon start paying those taxes elsewhere, and if so, how soon?
You would be better served by asking more specific questions with more details, and best off by asking a lawyer instead of an Internet forum if there's any uncertainty.
With more specifics there may be someone here who can guide you to the proper, legal and safe way to do it.

[jerkin]

Sounds like a good excuse to add another gun to the collection to me. I'm not sure how familiar you are with PA law but this is not Illinois, lol. If your wife has a PA drivers license and is not a prohibited person she can walk into a gun shop and walk out with a pistol in 20 minutes.

[dvc4you]

My wife has been a resident of PA for the last 6 months, has a PA driving license and pretty soon a conceal carry permit.

I will move my households in May, in the meantime I wanted to send her a gun (which she likes) custom 1911 Commander in 38 Super.

[ErSwnn]

Sounds like a good excuse to add another gun to the collection to me. I'm not sure how familiar you are with PA law but this is not Illinois, lol. If your wife has a PA drivers license and is not a prohibited person she can walk into a gun shop and walk out with a pistol in 20 minutes.

Yep. By the time you spend a bunch of money on your own gun she can purchase a new addition to the family for a bit more. Come May her favorite will return and she will be reunited but in the meantime she'll have a new gun to learn to use. And around here there is no such thing as too many guns.

[mauser]

Yep. By the time you spend a bunch of money on your own gun she can purchase a new addition to the family for a bit more. Come May her favorite will return and she will be reunited but in the meantime she'll have a new gun to learn to use. And around here there is no such thing as too many guns.

You haven't met my wife!
She's not anti-gun but any more than a rifle, a shotgun and a handgun seems like unnecessary redundancy, with the possible exception of one hunting rifle and one .22 rifle for the kids to learn with.