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Do you have to register guns in PA?

FishingBack

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I read that the gym-shooter had guns registered to him, and one news report that said at least one gun was registered to him.

Do firearms have to be registered in PA?
 

Steve in PA

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No, there is no "registry" of firearms in PA.

There is a "database" of firearms transfers that is often used and refered to, especially by law enforcement as a "registry".
 

FishingBack

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Steve in PA wrote:
No, there is no "registry" of firearms in PA.

There is a "database" of firearms transfers that is often used and refered to, especially by law enforcement as a "registry".

So this applies to all states, right?

So all it really means is that he bought the gun that was in his possession. What a stroke of genius.
 

Mike

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FishingBack wrote:
Steve in PA wrote:
No, there is no "registry" of firearms in PA.

There is a "database" of firearms transfers that is often used and refered to, especially by law enforcement as a "registry".

So this applies to all states, right?
No - in PA handguns transferred thru dealers end up on a transfer database - it means nothing. Police who take guns for not being on the database should be promptly sued and arebeing sued in the Dickson City litigation. There is no gun registration in PA.
 

Statkowski

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So this applies to all states, right?
No, it just applies to Pennsylvania, and many other states, but not all states.
So all it really means is that he bought the gun that was in his possession. What a stroke of genius.
The Pennsylvania Record of Sales/Transfers database is just that, and nothing more. If you moved into Pennsylvania and owned firearms, Pennsylvania has no idea that you own such. If you receive a firearm from your parent, or your child, or your grandchild/grandparent, there is no record of transfer required, and again Pennsylvania has no idea that you own such.

Local police (and possibly the State Police) attempt to use the record of sales/transfers database as a default registry, but that goes against the purpose of the database (which obviously doesn't stop them from doing such). They, in turn, tell the ever-alert media that the firearm was or was not "registered" to the individual, who, in turn, puts such misinformation out over the airwaves or in the print media.

If, for some such reason, the police conducted such an illegal search on my handguns (they would need probable cause to suspect they were stolen, elsewise the search is illegal), they would find one handgun in my name, but not the other. The other was a gift from my son, and such transfers require no interaction with a firearms dealer.
 

Farmer Troy

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Speaking of misinformation, I listened to the news conference yesterday, and the head of the Allegheny County Police said the shooter had a "permit to carry."

Once again, this is a common mistake, as PA has no such thing. It is called a License to carry firearms (LTCF).

Even the authorities don't use the correct terminology.

In reality it should be a license to CONCEAL firearms, since we need no license to carry, just to conceal.
 

Springfield45

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Farmer Troy wrote:
Speaking of misinformation, I listened to the news conference yesterday, and the head of the Allegheny County Police said the shooter had a "permit to carry."

Once again, this is a common mistake, as PA has no such thing. It is called a License to carry firearms (LTCF).

Even the authorities don't use the correct terminology.

In reality it should be a license to CONCEAL firearms, since we need no license to carry, just to conceal.
The license is needed to carry in a vehicle and philly, regardless of carry method. ;)
just FYI .... but I'm sure you knew that.

~~Springfield
 

Farmer Troy

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Thanks Springfield, yes, I know that.
I think most of us here know that too, but it's always good to keep on educating.
 
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