When did handgun registration begin?

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  • Bertfish

    Throw bread on me
    Mar 13, 2013
    17,606
    White Marsh, MD
    I know it's been discussed before but I can't find the thread.

    When did registration of handguns begin in the state? Did some Googling but I swear someone here posted a long write up or article on the history of the state gun laws in the recent past.

    What is the penalty for transfer of a regulated firearm without registration?

    I have a friend who was giving out "knowledge" on this topic which sounded like BS to me. Trying to fight ignorance with facts.
     

    rseymorejr

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 28, 2011
    26,007
    Harford County
    Private party sales were sometime in the mid 90's I think. Registration through a dealer purchase has been since at least the mid 70's (probably a lot earlier than that)
     

    TheOriginalMexicanBob

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 2, 2017
    32,151
    Sun City West, AZ
    I'm not positive but I believe the seven day wait in MD began in the mid-'60s. Technically MD is a "voluntary" registration state but if you don't "volunteer" to register your gun when buying it you don't get it.
     

    Bertfish

    Throw bread on me
    Mar 13, 2013
    17,606
    White Marsh, MD
    The "voluntary" registration always throws me for a loop too. So if you refuse to "voluntarily" register they just deny the transfer. So what crime do you commit if you take possession anyways? It's not theft. Possession of an unregistered firearm? It is registered just not to you.

    I was born after all this crap went in to affect so to me it's just always been part of the process and BS.
     

    bryan9905

    Member
    May 18, 2014
    16
    This thread gives me a headache. When GCA 68 was passed, forbidding interstate sales of handguns between individuals, Maryland already had a waiting period/background check. Until 1995/97 (not sure which) private handgun sales between individuals were not restricted. After that date individuals selling handguns to each other were supposed to go through a dealer or meet at a state police barracks to facilitate the sale. Slowly but surely our handguns are being registered but older handguns are not required to be registered; but we're getting there. Look at what happened to legal buyers of BATF approved bump stocks(which I don't like). Registration means confiscation.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    7 Day * Cooling Off Period * that happened to also have MSP background check , for sales from Dealers - 1966

    Private party secondary sales outlawed, hence requiring all sales/ transfers/ gifts/ etc to go thru a Md Regulated Weapons Dealer - Oct 1, 1996

    The relevant factiod not asked , but of equal interest-

    EBR's treated to 21yo, 7 day, MSP background - 1994 . At this time the former Md Pistol & Revolver Dealer Licensing scheme had a name change to Regulated Weapons Dealer Lic . Dealers who had FFL , but not P&R ( yes, this was not uncommon at the time ) , could then no longer sell EBR . This eventually made FFL only gun dealers mostly a non-viable business model .
     

    Bertfish

    Throw bread on me
    Mar 13, 2013
    17,606
    White Marsh, MD
    Private sales of handguns ended Oct 1, 1996. If you have an unregistered handgun, remember that you bought it before that date (and hopefully it was manufactured before that date) :)

    For sure, this goes without saying. Some of us were born in 1991 though and can never use that as an excuse :D
     

    Dingo3

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 4, 2013
    2,777
    Fredneck
    Moved back to Marylandistan in 2001 after college. As registration was voluntary, never saw a need to tie up a civil servant’s precious time with needless paperwork.
     

    Bertfish

    Throw bread on me
    Mar 13, 2013
    17,606
    White Marsh, MD
    Back to my OP. Does anyone actually know what the crime is if you fail to transfer it and register in your name? No one has ever been able to answer this for me and I'm not a lawyer
     

    Postell

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Nov 5, 2018
    291
    7 Day * Cooling Off Period * that happened to also have MSP background check , for sales from Dealers - 1966

    It never was a cooling off period, Handgun paperwork used to be mailed from each FFL dealer to the nearest State Police Barrack where a background check was done and it was mailed back to the FFL dealer. Thats why the 7 day wait.
    Then it changed to where background checks were done at the Pikesville Barrack but was still done n the mail, Then it went to being faxed in.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    In the '60s and '70s the public discourse , legislative intent, and testimony was ALL about Cooling Off . It's in the Bill File , and a cpl years ago one of our members had several long threads posting contemporary newspaper stories surrounding all the significant gun legislation in Maryland .
     

    Postell

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Nov 5, 2018
    291
    In the '60s and '70s the public discourse , legislative intent, and testimony was ALL about Cooling Off . It's in the Bill File , and a cpl years ago one of our members had several long threads posting contemporary newspaper stories surrounding all the significant gun legislation in Maryland .

    I know whats been said for decades now, You gotta remember then, everything was done with snail mail.
    There was no faxs, email or internet. Mail took time.
    Stop in a gunstore that has been in business more than 50 years and ask one of the owners or long time employees why there was a 7 day wait, it wasen't for cooling off, it was the amount of time it took for a letter to be delivered and then a background check to be done and the letter to be returned to the FFL dealer through the mail. Ask one of the Schneider brothers at Atlantic, all three of them were around the stores 40+ years ago.
     

    Mark75H

    MD Wear&Carry Instructor
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 25, 2011
    17,172
    Outside the Gates
    True, but "cooling off" is mentioned in the Sun and News American articles when the bill was introduced - before passage.
     

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