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Sheriff transfers

derhammer

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2012
Messages
66
Location
Pennsylvania
Alright, so, under PA law, an 18-year-old can purchase a handgun from a private seller if he/she can find a sheriff who'll do the transfer. Now, the two problems I've seen seem to be this:

1. The sheriff is an idiot and doesn't know the law of the state he's in, and thinks only 21-year-olds can own handguns, or

2. The sheriff doesn't believe 18-year-olds should be allowed handguns and thus denies the transfer based on his personal convictions instead of what the law actually says.

Now, there's no hope if it's number two, but for number one, I'm thinking I could just print out the law that refers to the fact that an 18-year-old can, in fact, own a handgun, and show it to the sheriff if he mistakenly thinks they can't.

My question is, is it REALLY that difficult in PA to find a sheriff who'll do the transfer, or at least, who would do it if you showed him proof it was legal?

-derhammer
 

badey

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2012
Messages
86
Location
Pennsylvania
you'll need to do a little more research, but I also believe it is legal for a parent to give am 18 y.o. child a handgun, so if finding a sheriff that will do the transfer is a problem, I believe that it would be legal to have a parent gift you a handgun (I don't know your situation, but just thought it wouldn't hurt to share this option).

To answer your original question, it depends on where you live. Several sheriffs in my neck of the woods are very pro 2A, and would likely have no problem with doing the transfer.
 

derhammer

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2012
Messages
66
Location
Pennsylvania
Of course, my mother could and would gift me a handgun in a hearbeat. My problem is that I do not trust this government or judicial system. What is the exact definition of a "straw purchase?" I don't think there is a concrete one. If I say "hey ma, this is the handgun I'd like," and she buys it for me, is that a straw purchase (assuming I don't give her the money)? Could some corrupt judge say "she knew it was hard for an 18 year old to find a sheriff to do a transfer, so she bought it for you so you wouldn't have that trouble?"

I don't know. It seems like it should be legal as long as I'm not giving her the money to buy it with, and in every other situation on Earth, everyone tells people what it is that they'd like as a gift (obviously, a person would have to know you waned a handgun, and what handgun you wanted!), but I have little confidence in the "justice" of our justice system.

-derhammer
 

JoeSparky

Centurion
Joined
Jun 20, 2008
Messages
3,621
Location
Pleasant Grove, Utah, USA
Of course, my mother could and would gift me a handgun in a hearbeat. My problem is that I do not trust this government or judicial system. What is the exact definition of a "straw purchase?" I don't think there is a concrete one. If I say "hey ma, this is the handgun I'd like," and she buys it for me, is that a straw purchase (assuming I don't give her the money)? Could some corrupt judge say "she knew it was hard for an 18 year old to find a sheriff to do a transfer, so she bought it for you so you wouldn't have that trouble?"

I don't know. It seems like it should be legal as long as I'm not giving her the money to buy it with, and in every other situation on Earth, everyone tells people what it is that they'd like as a gift (obviously, a person would have to know you waned a handgun, and what handgun you wanted!), but I have little confidence in the "justice" of our justice system.

-derhammer

The comments/instructions on the form 4473 used to make a purchase from an FFL specifically states that a person make the purchase as a legitimate gift for another is to mark the form as "Yes" on the question asking if they are the actual buyer.

Here is the copy and paste from the most recent version of the form 4473 that I found using a google search and the link...

http://www.atf.gov/forms/download/a... a juvenile is someone UNDER 18 years of age.
 
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