Can You Give a Gun as a Gift this Holiday Season?

Because we live in the midwest, and boy do we love our guns, you might be wondering if you can give one as a gift. I have some answers for you.

Rachael Goldman, whose family owns Goldman's Pawnshop (where she works and helps manage), took to Facebook to answer the question of gifting a firearm. There are definitely rules that you should abide by when gifting a firearm to make sure that you don't end up on the wrong side of the law.

The absolutely wrong and irresponsible thing to do is buy a gun in your name, get it registered in your name, and then just wrap that bad boy up and give it away. That's going to make you a whole lot of liable to a certain degree for whatever happens with that gun. Dont. Do. That.

Here is what Rachael had to say about the act of gifting guns:

Okay, let's talk about gift-giving and firearms...

I work for a federally licensed firearms dealer and I have sold guns for the past ten years.

This post is not meant to host a political discussion. I will not entertain any form of judgement or ridicule, from any side of the gun control debate, in the comments.

Today, I will talk about one thing and one thing only:

Buying a firearm as a gift is a terrible idea.

While not- strictly speaking- illegal, the process is subject to any number of regulations at the state and federal level. The U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives recommends AGAINST purchasing firearms as gifts.

It is illegal to transfer a firearm to anyone you know or have REASONABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE is prohibited from owning a firearm. Reasons for this include being convicted of/ under indictment for a felony, being convicted of a misdemeanor of domestic violence, being an unlawful user of marijuana and many, many more.

Now, does this mean it is impossible to buy a firearm as a gift?

No. As far as I can tell, you have two safe options that keep firearms out of the hands of people who are not legally allowed to own them and keep you clear of breaking the law- and states like California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington State and the District of Columbia make these the law, rather than recommendations:

1. Pay for a firearm and leave it at the store until the person you have purchased said gift for can make it down to fill out a federal back-round check themselves. Once the transaction has been approved by the U.S. Department of Justice, that person can take their gift home.

2. Give someone a gift card to a federally licensed firearms dealer. Again, this ensures that the individual will have to show up, in person, to fill out a 4473 and get approved before they take possession of a firearm.

It is EASY to stay on the right side of the law with regard to firearm purchases. Do not make a mistake that breaks the law.

If you have any questions, you can send me a private message.

Happy holidays, Everyone. Stay safe out there.

Like with most things, sometimes it is just easier to get a gift card. Hopefully, this should help clear up any confusion before going out and buying that hard-to-buy-for relative or friend a gun. Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Get more info on Goldman's Pawnshop here and check out Rachael's original post.