Information about guns (Riverton: sales, fingerprints, crime)

[wyominggirl2011]

I am going to purchase a gun next month, yet there is still so much that I need to know. I have taken concealed weapon courses, and currently taking another one. The question I have is this, do I have to register my weapon? A very close friend offere to purchase me gun, and help me choose everything that I need, and said that we were not going to have it registered or anything. I do not want to get in troubkle, or do anything wrong and do not know what to do. I have tried to look up and see if it is illegal to have a non registere weapon, but I guess that I am looking in all the wrong places?!? Help? please

[sunsprit]

You do not need to "register" your firearm in Wyoming.

If you are of legal age to purchase the firearm, then do so in your name, not through another purchaser. A "straw" purchase is not advisable.

You will fill out a Federal form at the retail point of purchase which will be used to verify that you are legally able to purchase a firearm. The dealer will phone in the request and should be able to get Fed approval very quickly so you can complete your transaction.

Wyoming does not require a license for concealed carry. However, that extends only to Wyoming residents within Wyoming. As you are taking CC classes, you should go ahead and get a permit which will then be recognized by other states and allow you to carry there, too.

[Cloudfish]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

....Wyoming does not require a license for concealed carry. However, that extends only to Wyoming residents within Wyoming. As you are taking CC classes, you should go ahead and get a permit which will then be recognized by other states and allow you to carry there, too.

Just to add to that---the CC permit can be recognized by other states--but not all of them. It's called reciprocity, and changes from time to time as states pass different laws. Here are a couple of maps to help illustrate:

Concealed Carry Permit Reciprocity Maps

Handgunlaw.us : CCW Map

[Happy in Wyoming]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

You do not need to "register" your firearm in Wyoming.

If you are of legal age to purchase the firearm, then do so in your name, not through another purchaser. A "straw" purchase is not advisable.

You will fill out a Federal form at the retail point of purchase which will be used to verify that you are legally able to purchase a firearm. The dealer will phone in the request and should be able to get Fed approval very quickly so you can complete your transaction.

Wyoming does not require a license for concealed carry. However, that extends only to Wyoming residents within Wyoming. As you are taking CC classes, you should go ahead and get a permit which will then be recognized by other states and allow you to carry there, too.

State law prohibits either state or local governments from maintaining firearms registries.

Private sales are legal and unrecorded. The federal government began to put dealer records on computer some years ago. There's a big gun show Memorial Day weekend in Riverton. There'll be plenty of private sellers.

Wyoming requires fingerprints for a "concealed carry permit" which you don't need. It's insane to provide the government with your fingerprints voluntarily. You can carry a gun in your vehicle without any license in Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, and Montana. Few cops in Utah would care. I think you'd really need to go out of your way in Montana to have a problem carrying concealed on your person. Be discreet in Colorado and Nevada. I'm not familiar enough with other surrounding states to comment.

Knowledge is power. Therefore, if the government knows you own a gun...

[Rescue3]

Quick addition to what has been provided above - do not have a friend buy you a gun from a gun store. That's a (federal) felony - everywhere.

If your friend already owns a gun and wants to sell it, and you want to buy it, that's perfectly legal. This assumes the gun isn't stolen, he is a legal possessor of the gun and you may legally possess the gun after you buy it (ie, you're old enough, not a felon, etc). This sort of "arms length" sale between private parties is perfectly legal in almost every state. (Florida, Illinois and perhaps some others have some additional hoops to jump through.)

But if your friend purchases the gun from a federal firearm licensee (a gun store) in his name when he intends to immediately sell it to you is called a "straw purchase." Your friend and you both get in trouble if the transaction is detected. Pursuing "straw purchases" is what ATF does for a living.

If you are in your second CC course, you already know what makes you a legal possessor of a firearm. If you already fit the requirements to legally possess a gun, there is no need for a straw purchase. No sense committing a crime while on the way to legally owning a gun.

[CptnRn]

This is a really good source for learning about the gun laws in any state. Handgunlaw.us