This might be a dumb question... but

**ironhorse** · October 10th, 2007, 10:12 AM

I know that you can not by a pistol for someone unless it is your spouse.. Can you by a shotgun or rifle (Like my Future son in law) Provide your personal info on the federal form and give it to him for Christmas? Or do you have to buy it with him present and have him provide his info for the fed. form????

**knight0334** · October 10th, 2007, 10:45 AM

Its legal to do that.

Since your future son-in-law isn't asking you to purchase a firearm for him or you aren't doing this so that he intentionally avoids the paperwork/background check, it isn't a strawbuy. You may buy a longarm and give it to him as a gift so long as he isn't a prohibited person.

**Frenchy** · October 10th, 2007, 11:00 AM

Many stores now have gift cads, you can give a gift card without being considered a "straw" purchaser. If your heart was set originally on a handgun, you could technically give him a gift card and offer it to him towards a handgun.

My understanding of the law is that a "straw" purchase is when you pay for a gun that some one buys and this gun is mean to come back to you. This is the reversed case here, you are paying for him to buy himself a gun.

Technicaly, you can't buy the gun then transfer it to them as a gift once it is in your name. or just "gift" it without a FFL, but there is nothing that says you cant go to the store with him and buy the gun as a gift to him. Meanig he will be the owner/keeper of the gun.

The other possiblility is if they are "married" not just engaged, you could buy the gun and "gift" it to your daughter. This is completely legal, and as your son in law lives in the same house and is married, he can use and even have gifted to him the gun from his wife.

Example here: Tyler my "Step" Son is not my real son, I have not addopted him, but he is my wife's son, I have a .357 S&W mod66 he simply loves, the gun is under my name. Although I can not directly gift him the gun, my wife can.

**Zef_66** · October 10th, 2007, 11:48 AM

I was thinking the same thing. My first pistol was a .22 revolver. My brother and I bought the same gun, along with a couple other people. Got a good deal.

But I was away at school at the time. He picked up the gun for me. So technically, it is in his name. I am not too worried about it, but would like to legally own it, just in case. Can he just legally transfer the gun to my name at a FFL? Is there any way to not have to go to the FFL, since we don't live near each other anymore?

**knight0334** · October 10th, 2007, 12:08 PM

The only paperless transfers that are legal of HANDGUNS in PA are:

1. Spouse to spouse
2. Parent to child and vice-versa
3. Grandparent to grandchild and vice-versa.

Siblings, cousins, friends, aunts, uncles, strangers, coworkers, etc - all must go through a FFL or Sheriff to transfer a handgun.

**Zef_66** · October 10th, 2007, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by knight0334

The only paperless transfers that are legal of HANDGUNS in PA are:

1. Spouse to spouse
2. Parent to child and vice-versa
3. Grandparent to grandchild and vice-versa.

Siblings, cousins, friends, aunts, uncles, strangers, coworkers, etc - all must go through a FFL or Sheriff to transfer a handgun.

So how does the paperless transfer work?

Can my brother give the gun to my dad and then my dad can give the gun to me?

**djturnz** · October 10th, 2007, 02:35 PM

Exactly!

**knight0334** · October 10th, 2007, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by Zef_66

So how does the paperless transfer work?

Can my brother give the gun to my dad and then my dad can give the gun to me?

Paperless transfer - just hand the gun to them, preferably empty. lol

bro-to-dad-to-you = yes... however it may need some serious explaining to be done with 3 matching stories should the possession of said pistol is questioned by a LEO.