Penna. hand gun registration

Question
Does a Penna. permit to carry allow me to carry a hand gun which I possess but as a family heirloom but has never been regestered through the state system which comes into play when a hand gun is purchases through an FFL dealer?

Answer
Bill,

Assuming you have a concealed carry permit from Pennsylvania, the answer is yes, you can carry your family heirloom.  The firearm does not have to be registered under PA state law.  I think what you are referring to is the BATF 4473 form that is filled out when you buy a gun through an FFL.  That is not gun registration, but simply a record of transfer.  It is also not a state requirement, but a federal one.

The other question that you might want to ask yourself is this.  How reliable is the 'heirloom' gun you have.  If you are going to depend on it to save your life in a self defense situation, this is a question you need to address.  If the gun is not 100% reliable, personally, I would not want to carry it for self defense.

Hope this helps you out...

Regards,

Doug