[DennyF]

I would not go to either police agency for guidance, without first contacting an attorney experienced in firearms law.

PA has no requirement for registering handguns, per se, although the PSP is getting away with keeping a record of handgun transfers anyway. The PA Supreme Court has already upheld the practice, despite a suit filed by ACSL and others.

What we do have, are state and federal laws on the transfer of hanguns. I don't know what the ramifications are for possessing a handgun transferred prior to these laws, if indeed that's what happened here? An attorney well-versed in such laws, should know.

 

[DennyF]

Yep, but that wouldn't apply to the OP's scenario of having obtained a handgun from someone he didn't know, possibly prior to all the later regs being enacted?

 

[DennyF]

All valid points.

Sportsmen's Permits no longer list specific guns/serial numbers either, as they once did.

My bud and I used to drive the people nuts in the Tioga Co. treasurer's office each year, because that's where we stopped to renew our Sportsmen's Permits, prior to getting our LTCFs. I would get two permits, my buddy would get 4 or 5 "weapon-specific" permits. One year the gal asked us if we knew where our own county courthouses were?

Said yep, but we drive right past this one every time we go to camp and we can park right in front of it, for free. She was not amused.