Handgun from the past haunting me!!

[excalibur1]

My question is about a handgun that I purchased in 1985 and sold or traded in on another firearm in 1986-1987 time frame (not sure exactly because all of my records were lost in a house fire in 1999).I recently discovered through an ATF trace that this gun is still registered in my name. I contacted the local police,Pa.state police,ATF,and all the local gun dealers to ask how to get this out of my name and the only answer I got was I don't know! Does anyone have any idea what the sale and transfer laws of handguns in Pa. were in the 1985-87 years? also how do I get this out of my name? any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[HiredGoon]

Could you give more details?

Why did ATF trace the gun and how was this done?

Did you sell or trade it at a licensed dealer?

Do you know the person you sold or traded it to?

[PisnNapalm]

There is no gun registration in PA. You don't have it, it's not your problem. Forget about it.

[excalibur1]

There is no gun registration in PA. You don't have it, it's not your problem. Forget about it.

I should have said it was never transfered out of my name which is a problem!

[excalibur1]

Could you give more details?

Why did ATF trace the gun and how was this done?

Did you sell or trade it at a licensed dealer?

Do you know the person you sold or traded it to?

It was so long ago I really don't remember.Thats why I would like to know what the transfer laws were at that time.

[RoyJackson]

Why was the handgun traced? Was it involved in a crime?
I've purchased all my firearms through an FFL since 1987 (when I moved to PA). So, as far as the laws then..or the federal requirements...sorry, can't help.

However, I do emphasize to tell the truth straight down the lne. If you're really worried, talk to a lawyer.

[Seneca Arms Co. Inc.]

Let me give you a hand. This just happened to me last month! In 1991 when I turned 21 I bought my 1st semi and it was a SW 3913. I owned it for 5 years and sold it to a friend; we transferred it at the gunshop I worked at the time. Fast forward Dec 2008...

I get a call from a sheriff’s dept in New York stating that this pistol was used in a crime and the ATF trace comes back to me. I explain the events of my ownership and transfer and he starts giving me shit about how the ATF trace shows it in my name an not the other guy. Well little did this officer know that I own a gunshop and I am pretty up on the way ATF traces work and I then told him what I do for a living and how he needs to do some more homework before he threatens me any more about criminal behavior.

The ATF traces the gun from the manufacturer, it goes to the distributor and they trace that record to the gunshop that bought it, they go to the dealer's 4473 and find the first owner. That is the trace right there. That is about as far as the ATF is going to go if it is not a federal case. It is up to the detectives to pursue it further.

So I ask this officer if he bothered to call the Pa State police firearms unit to see if I was the last owner of this and of course this guy was lazy and did not bother. So in order to clear my good name I did the leg work and made some contacts with the PSP and my local PD and I found the trace of this gun from me, to my friend, he sold it to a store in Horsham, it went from there to a guy in Phila, then transferred to another guy in Phila and that was the last owner per the PSP (non registration) although they had all the info.

So I called back the officer in NY and gave him all the correct info. He was amazed at the fact that I got all that in about 20 minutes. I told him that someone competent had to do it or it was obviously not going to get done.

[excalibur1]

Why was the handgun traced? Was it involved in a crime?
I've purchased all my firearms through an FFL since 1987 (when I moved to PA). So, as far as the laws then..or the federal requirements...sorry, can't help.

However, I do emphasize to tell the truth straight down the lne. If you're really worried, talk to a lawyer.

Roy the police did an ATF trace on all handguns in my name due to a recent altercation at my house,every handgun I own was accounted for except for the one in question,It was not involved in a crime.but the ATF trace still shows me as the owner meaning it was never transfered out of my name.I did speak to my lawyer and he does not even know how to handle this!

[jerkin]

I think that Seneca Arms just told you that the ATF trace only shows the original owner, you would have to go through the PSP to trace it down the line from there. I'm curious as to why they would run your name for what guns you may have purchased before though, I never heard of that before. No registry my ass, damn commies!

[excalibur1]

Let me give you a hand. This just happened to me last month! In 1991 when I turned 21 I bought my 1st semi and it was a SW 3913. I owned it for 5 years and sold it to a friend; we transferred it at the gunshop I worked at the time. Fast forward Dec 2008...

I get a call from a sheriff’s dept in New York stating that this pistol was used in a crime and the ATF trace comes back to me. I explain the events of my ownership and transfer and he starts giving me shit about how the ATF trace shows it in my name an not the other guy. Well little did this officer know that I own a gunshop and I am pretty up on the way ATF traces work and I then told him what I do for a living and how he needs to do some more homework before he threatens me any more about criminal behavior.

The ATF traces the gun from the manufacturer, it goes to the distributor and they trace that record to the gunshop that bought it, they go to the dealer's 4473 and find the first owner. That is the trace right there. That is about as far as the ATF is going to go if it is not a federal case. It is up to the detectives to pursue it further.

So I ask this officer if he bothered to call the Pa State police firearms unit to see if I was the last owner of this and of course this guy was lazy and did not bother. So in order to clear my good name I did the leg work and made some contacts with the PSP and my local PD and I found the trace of this gun from me, to my friend, he sold it to a store in Horsham, it went from there to a guy in Phila, then transferred to another guy in Phila and that was the last owner per the PSP (non registration) although they had all the info.

So I called back the officer in NY and gave him all the correct info. He was amazed at the fact that I got all that in about 20 minutes. I told him that someone competent had to do it or it was obviously not going to get done.

Thanks for the info, I talked to the PSP in Dublin but they told me good luck that they couldn't help.Where did you call?