Handgun purchase in PA

[tripldubl]

I am wondering if I will ever be able to purchase guns again. About 5 years ago I was convicted of sinple assult(M2) while i was in college. dumb fight over a girl. will this stop me from being able to purchase a gun in Pennsylvania? Thanks

 

[Crunker1337]

Where you an adult at that time?

 

[tripldubl]

yes 18

 

[22-rimfire]

If it was classified a felony, you will likely not be able to purchase a handgun or any gun for that matter.

 

[Crunker1337]

Yeah, if it was a felony and you were an adult you can not legally purchase a firearm in any state in the US.

 

[tripldubl]

no its not a felony is a misdeminor. Simple Assult

 

[Brian Williams]

Call your local sheriff and check there, the Sheriff is the Law Enforcement arm in PA that supports the courts, if you can obtain a License to Carry Concealed then you can purchase a firearm.

Call them and explain the charge and the penalty served and they will be able to tell you yes or no.

 

[johnnytang24]

Would it be illegal to try buying a gun (with the background check)?

 

[Crunker1337]

Certainly not!

 

[jonnyc]

Pretty sure it is a crime for a "convicted felon" to even try to buy a gun, so be sure of the particulars before even trying. Talk to your county LEOs first.

 

[kingpin008]

Would it be illegal to try buying a gun (with the background check)?

Very possibly. Don't forget - the Federal Form 4473 is a legal affadavit, and lying or otherwise providing false info is indeed a crime. If you're in any way unsure of your legal status, visit a gun shop and let them know that you have a previous misdemeanor conviction for simple assault, and ask them if that would prevent you from buying a gun. They might not know 100% for sure whether you're good to go or not, but they can also point you in the right direction as far as who to contact to find out without a doubt.

 

[devilc]

Simple Assault is not a felony.
You can even have it expunged from your record.
Get a good lawyer and be prepared to spend.

 

[MartinBrody]

I'm not a lawyer but a couple quick google searches revealed this.

1) Form 4473 which you will be required to complete asks if you have ever been convicted of a felony or any other crime for which the judge could have imprisoned you for more than one year. The important part here is could have, it doesn't matter if you only got a fine.

2) In PA an M2 could get you up to 2 years in jail.

Put these 2 together and it looks like you could not legally purchase a gun in PA, I don't know about expunging though, but it might be worth checking out.

 

[9mmHP]

Yes, simple assault in PA is one of those situations where state law considers it a misdemeanor but GCA '68 considers it a felony because you could have gotten more than a year in prison. Sorry, screwed on this one.