About Gun "Registration" or Transfers in PA

[GunLawyer001]

. . .

Neither Pennsylvania nor Maryland has handgun registration, but the police may not realize that.

It's sort of like the fact that a pair of pliers is not the same as a box-end wrench. But if enough people use them to loosen nuts, and it usually sort of works, then that distinction gets lost. The fact that there's a list that mostly corresponds to legal ownership is enough to convince a lot of cops that "guns are registered", and the relatively few guns that DON'T match up to the person stopped are a red flag. I'd expect that most of the guns possessed by criminals are in this category, because a lot of those are stolen, or purchased by the skanks who associate with thugs.

So you have most of the lawfully possessed guns matching up, and most of the unlawfully possessed guns not matching up in the Record of Sale Database. Cops will naturally pick up the erroneous idea that guns are registered, and any unregistered gun can be confiscated until the courts sort it out.

It's understandable, but it's also a primary reason for never volunteering that you have an LTCF and a gun on you when encountering police. Even that gun that you know for sure you bought from a dealer, may be entered incorrectly in the Database. A mistake in entering the serial number, typing in the name of the guy from the previous form with the serial number of your gun, putting in the wrong make or model. Things happen, human make mistakes, databases get corrupted and data is lost.

I worked at a place where every day's computer activity changed the database in real time. A backup system was updated every night, to reflect all of the changes over the course of the day, so that if the system crashed, they'd have a backup as of the end of the previous business day. Every night, they overwrote backup B with the complete data from main system A; except that one they overwrote main system A with the contents of backup B, effectively erasing everything that had been done that entire work day. Could the PSP Database lose every transaction statewide on a business day, making hundreds or thousands of gun entries incorrect? I dunno. Maybe.

[919]

I have searched and read through several different posts and have not been able to find an answer to a question I have. Sorry if it has been answered but I would appreciate some help.

At a recent traffic stop I volunteered that I had a LTCF and was armed (I know mistake). The Officer disarmed me of the 2 pistols that I carry and ran a check on both weapons. One is registered bought in my name. The other that was bought 10 years ago by my wife came back to the officer as “rejected” not in the database. I have the receipt and a copy of the background check on her from that purchase. He returned both pistols to me but I understand that it is possible that some Officers may not return weapons that are not in the database immediately. The weapon is my main carry firearm. I do not want to go through the trouble of having to prove ownership if out of town or carry a copy of the receipt with me at all times.

So how do I get the weapon listed in the database to avoid the hassle? Is there anything that the FFL from the original purchase can do? Should I have it transferred from her name to mine and hope that the PSP record the transaction? Thanks for any help.

[QuackXP]

So how do I get the weapon listed in the database to avoid the hassle? Is there anything that the FFL from the original purchase can do? Should I have it transferred from her name to mine and hope that the PSP record the transaction? Thanks for any help.

Consider it a $20 life long insurance policy of this coming and biting you in the ass in the future.

Have it transferred into your name and put in the database.

Or just wait. There is legislation in the works to get rid of PICS and its database and use NICS for purchases. This is not guaranteed to pass so you may wait for nothing.

[GunLawyer001]

Have it transferred into your name and put in the database.

Or just wait. There is legislation in the works to get rid of PICS and its database and use NICS for purchases. This is not guaranteed to pass so you may wait for nothing.

PICS has nothing to do with the Record of Sale forms used to compile the database. I've pointed this out to folks before, that the annoyance of the misuse of the Database is NOT a reason to eliminate the local control of your firearm purchase and hand it to the FBI. They are two separate issues. The legislature could eliminate the Databse, or hand control of the Federally-mandated background check over to the people responsible for Waco and Ruby Ridge, or neither, or both.

Lumping them together is deceptive, like saying that we need to reduce speed limits because burglaries are on the rise.

As for the recent question, yes, a cooperative FFL can take a handgun, put it into his bound book, run PICS and "transfer" the gun from you to you, for a fee ranging from $5 to $50. He then fills out the Record of Sale form, mails it to the State Police, and they update the Database.

[919]

Thank you both for the help.

[Kandoo]

I have a stupid ? I live in pa my first hand gun I brought was in pa from my cousin and we did not do the proper paper work ie did not go to dealer and transfer all we did was a bill of sale I want to sell it to get a new one but since we did not do it the proper paper work I'm afraid I'll don't want to go to jail or anything any help would be great

[GunLawyer001]

I have a stupid ? I live in pa my first hand gun I brought was in pa from my cousin and we did not do the proper paper work ie did not go to dealer and transfer all we did was a bill of sale I want to sell it to get a new one but since we did not do it the proper paper work I'm afraid I'll don't want to go to jail or anything any help would be great

Sell it through a gun store, provide your correct information, and there should be no problem. The PA statutes are aimed at the transferor (the seller), not so much the transferee. And there's a statute of limitations that applies to prosecuting the seller.

In the absence of a crime committed with the gun, or a prohibited person in possession, that type of older transfer is not high on the investigational list of any PD. They want to keep track of it (despite the UFA), so you selling it and using PICS is viewed as a step up to them.

[Kandoo]

Thank you gunlawyer001

[HARLEY]

I just bought a Mossberg 500 Cruiser 12ga. 18.5" Barrel 6shot from a friend. Do I need to go through a FFL dealer or Is Private sale legal in PA.?

[WWGunslinger]

Long guns (rifles and shotguns) do not need FFL in PA. Only handguns.

Unless it's like father/father to son/daughter or grandfather/grandmother to grandson/granddaughter or vice versa, then handguns don't need to go to FFL. I think spouse to spouse is ok too.