Holding onto a friend's handgun while he's overseas?

[smpsmp]

I was curious to know is it legal to hold onto two handguns that belong to a friend of mine in the military while he goes to Germany for 3 years? I am 20 years old now (will be 21 in Feb.) and he is obviously over 21 (he's 22), he has one for CC, and the other he purchased for use in combat in Iraq and since he's back in the states again, both are here with him, but he needs to leave them here. He can't leave them with his parents since they don't want them in the house on account of his little brother (I know if they just stayed locked and out of site, but it's besides the point). Basically the question at hand is, with that information, can he leave them with me till he returns home for good in a few years? And FYI, in Feb. I am planning on getting my CCW anyway, and was looking at buying a different handgun, so the most I would be doing with there two is taking them to the range occasionally.

[Curmudgeon]

I am not a lawyer, but it is my understanding you two can only pull this off once you have turned 21 and have your LTCF...

18 Pa.C.S. § 6115: Loans on, or lending or giving firearms prohibited
(a) Offense defined.--No person shall make any loan secured by mortgage, deposit or pledge of a firearm, nor, except as provided in subsection (b), shall any person lend or give a firearm to another or otherwise deliver a firearm contrary to the provisions of this sub-chapter.
(b) Exception.--
(1) Subsection (a) shall not apply if any of the following apply:
(i) The person who receives the firearm is licensed to carry a firearm under section 6109 (relating to licenses).

[smpsmp]

I was thinking the same thing myself from reading other posts, but just figured to keep things "hush, hush" till that day considering he leaves for Germany Feb. 2, and will be here for a few days before that. And I figured worst came to worst, and I wanted to do it completely right I was just going to have him do a transfer to my dad, and then we would transfer them back when the time comes. And I have been debating, and I know he doesn't mind, since I am looking at the police academy within the next year (have to supply your own handgun at the one at HACC where I would go), I am either buying a Kimber, or using his Five Seven. Just debating there.

[PaBimmerGuy]

if the guns were stored so that you cant get to them easily atf wouldnt care. just like you can ship your guns to a hotel and as long as no one there opens the box your okay.

put them in a box with some desicant. mark it with his name and seal it up tight. leave them there. dont touch them.

[Curmudgeon]

Just though of something, is your friend a resident of PA?

[smpsmp]

He is a resident of PA and has a CCW for PA. He is only stationed in Georgia for now, until he leaves for Germany. And so far (since I just joined, but have read different articles on here), I wanted to thank you guys for your responses and taking the time to answer these questions.

[smpsmp]

And I forgot to say that the dessicant would be a worry, I have a safe with a safe dri container, and I could package and leave them in there. I would rather put them in there anyways, since it protects against theft, fire, and besides I paid enough for the thing, I should get my monies worth out of it.

[Iraqvetwpb]

I was curious to know is it legal to hold onto two handguns that belong to a friend of mine in the military while he goes to Germany for 3 years? I am 20 years old now (will be 21 in Feb.) and he is obviously over 21 (he's 22), he has one for CC, and the other he purchased for use in combat in Iraq and since he's back in the states again, both are here with him, but he needs to leave them here. He can't leave them with his parents since they don't want them in the house on account of his little brother (I know if they just stayed locked and out of site, but it's besides the point). Basically the question at hand is, with that information, can he leave them with me till he returns home for good in a few years? And FYI, in Feb. I am planning on getting my CCW anyway, and was looking at buying a different handgun, so the most I would be doing with there two is taking them to the range occasionally.

Yes you can hang on to them, just keep them locked up. However I do question your statement that your friend had purchased a handgun for use in Iraq combat operations.

As an 18 year military veteran, with a 15 month tour in Iraq from 2003 to 2004, I can tell you that there is no way your friend bought a handgun and took it to Iraq for use. Not only that, if he was able to get one while he was there, he would have had to hide it in pieces and hope it wasn't found when he and his bags were searched prior to returning to the states.

Most weapons are locked in conex boxes, and verified by SSN# prior to transport. Any weapons carried by troops are verified by SSN# against the company roster.

Any solider caught with a non-military weapon returning to the states from Iraq would be in the brig and would be facing a number of charges.

Also, as far as combat in Iraq, There hasn't really been any combat with US troops there for awhile. For the last two years, the main focus has been turning operations over to the Iraq military and escorting US units out of the country.

My former unit (infantry) which was one of the first units into Iraq, has been providing escorts out of the country for other units for the past year. They just returned a week ago. My son was in the unit.

As for your friend, it sounds like he is trying to add some extra to the stories he has told you about Iraq. If he did indeed sneak a weapon both on the plane to and from Iraq. He not only was able to get through ALL of the searches, done both in country and out, but he can still face charges. Not only him, but his squad leader, his team leader, his PLt. Sgt and his PLt. Lt.

Because it is the responsibility of his leaders to check his equipment prior to, during and after every mission. There is no way his Squad Leader and team leader would put their necks on the line by allowing a solider to carry a non authorized weapon in combat.

Iraqvetwpb
USMC I Co. 3rd Blt. 8th Mar (Lebanon)
US Army 1/124th Inf. (Iraq)

[smpsmp]

He didn't sneak it in, he had it sent through the conex boxes, cause I know the two things he had to wait on when he got home was a handgun (he complained constantly of trying to find .45 ammo over there, and a Benchmade AFO II). When I went down to Georgia with him the one time I did get to meet a few of the guys he was working with at Ft. Benning, and after just just sitting around talking had found out pretty much all of them had purchased the same sidearm for use in Iraq either when on leave or before they had started there tour. And I did get a chance to talk to him before he left to come home, and he said they were cleaning all the weapons, and waiting on, for lack of a better term, a customs official to check everything and make sure it was in order.

[TaePo]

By not fully controlling weapons and ammunition in (and out of) a war zone, it is quite easy for the U.S. to run afoul of International Laws on the rules of warfare. This could lead to criminal charges.

Hollowpoints, for example, are considered too cruel and illegal. Therefore we have ball ammo that tends to go through.

Like any laws trying to regulate violent actions (including self-defense) it winds up getting quite silly, very fast.

If only we could rid ourselves of the violence...then we would have that Star Trek episode where people would be chosen by a computer sim to show up at the extermination room as their patriotic duty...

And let's not forget the logistical nightmare as well.

This is not to say there might not be exceptions for spooks and ghosts. But I am sure that would be classified and denied anyway, for the same reasons.