Giving a pistol as a gift

T

tommypotatoes

New member
I'm planning on giving my son in law a pistol as a gift this summer and I'm trying to decide which gun to give.

He's an inexperienced shooter and this would be his first gun. I'm torn between giving him a Ruger MKII or a Bersa Thunder .380.

The Ruger would be a great trainer, accurate and cheap to shoot. (I know that he probably would probably not want to spend much money on ammo.)

The Bersa has defensive capability, but once again, if he doesn't spend money on ammo, at around 30 cents a round, he may never get to be a decent shooter.

I am also insisting on my daughter and him taking a good pistol safety course, in addition to taking them to a range myself, when I visit this summer.

Any thoughts on this?
 
If he justs wants to shoot at paper for the time being to gain experience, I would suggest getting him a nice 22 cal. semi-auto. Lots of good choices out there. At 3 cents a shot it is by far the cheapest.
If it would be a carry gun, then 9mm is cheap ammo, & decent to learn with.
Good luck to you all.
 
I agree with (missoak) a 22 pistol would good to learn with, ruger has some nice ones.Kel-tec makes a grat 9mm pistol, not to much money and easy to carry. good luck on your choice.
 
The last straw?

Just be careful - if you buy a firearm, and then give it to someone else, that is technically a "straw purchase" and is in violation of federal law.

Obviously the law was meant to stop people from purchasing firearms and giving them to criminals or other ineligible persons. But it's theoretically possible to get screwed by it.

My advice: Take the guy gun-shopping. Let him pick out a firearm and pay for it (putting all the paperwork in his name) - then give him a cash equivalent. This keeps you out of legal trouble.
 
phillip gain said:
just be careful - if you buy a firearm, and then give it to someone else, that is technically a "straw purchase" and is in violation of federal law.

Obviously the law was meant to stop people from purchasing firearms and giving them to criminals or other ineligible persons. But it's theoretically possible to get screwed by it.

My advice: Take the guy gun-shopping. Let him pick out a firearm and pay for it (putting all the paperwork in his name) - then give him a cash equivalent. This keeps you out of legal trouble.
Click to expand...

absolutely positively incorrect and false information. <I tried all CAPS letters but the forum won't allow it. Phillip - go to a gun shop and read the instructions on the form 4473 and come back and tell us what you learn.

Actually, Phillip, let's just put it up here so others can see too:

Link Removed

Now... for the gift to remain legal, without being transferred through an FFL, both the father and son must be residents of the same state. But that has nothing to do with "straw purchasing".
 
Navy is correct. This clause in the Form 4473 is why I keep trying to illustrate to LAC's that if they ever get accused of a straw purchase they need to sue for BIG $$. The Form 4473 clearly indicates that a so-called "straw purchase" is an impossibility in Q11's information, as long as you answer Yes to being the actual transferee. That said, if your State requires that you go through the FFL holder for your son in law to take ownership, do so within the law.

On to the OP.

The 22 is a great option. Since you're caught in the dilemma, how about this. Explore 22 kits for pistols. See if what they fit is an applicable pistol for your gift. If so, get the kit and the pistol that mates to it so your son in law has the best of both worlds. Still, the Ruger 22 is a nice option.

Example: Glock 9mm w/ Advantage Arms kit. 1911 w/ Advantage Arms kit. Or a Tanfoglio 9mm w/ the Kadet kit.

Here's a Tanfo package on gunbroker that would be just right. EAA Tanfoglio Witness Pistol 9mm / .22 LR - NIB : Semi-auto at GunBroker.com
 
Horkos said:
Desert Eagle .50AE
Click to expand...
Ya, Always bigger in Texas. BUT would also go along with the .22. Get a S&W (Product: Model 48)
or similar revolver. It's safer then Auto's and if he likes it after while he (they) can upgrade to something a little more powerful. I say S&W because you'll get a better trade in. Just my 2¢.
 
I believe that a .22 pistol is the way to go for a novice shooter. He can shoot 1000 rounds for cheap. It's low recoil and report is great for teaching basics of shooting. The Ruger .22's are solid and reliable.
 
NavyLCDR said:
absolutely positively incorrect and false information. <I tried all CAPS letters but the forum won't allow it. Phillip - go to a gun shop and read the instructions on the form 4473 and come back and tell us what you learn.

Actually, Phillip, let's just put it up here so others can see too:

Link Removed

Now... for the gift to remain legal, without being transferred through an FFL, both the father and son must be residents of the same state. But that has nothing to do with "straw purchasing".
Click to expand...

All right. I stand corrected. As a matter of discussion, I live in Massachusetts and was looking into ways to purchase a shotgun for my daughter (who lives in Georgia). The erroneous information came from a gun dealer in Georgia, who sort of freaked out and started going on about "straw purchasing" when I called him to get information about that kind of transaction.
 
Well, I think it'll be the MKII, which I have owned for over thirty years, thus eliminating any "straw purchase" arguments, although I am familiar with that question on the form. I'll be flying out there soon, and it will be a face to face gift.

My daughter controls the budget, and she knows how to stretch a nickle. When she figures out that they can shoot almost twice on that nickle with a .22, versus spending six of 'em to get a bang out of the Bersa, she'll be on the side of the Ruger, for sure. Practice is what it's all about, and the more bangs for the buck will make them both better shooters. Although my usual carry gun is a .44 Bulldog, I may decide to carry the Bersa when I go, just in case I decide to toss it in, too..
 
tommypotatoes said:
Well, I think it'll be the MKII, which I have owned for over thirty years, thus eliminating any "straw purchase" arguments, although I am familiar with that question on the form. I'll be flying out there soon, and it will be a face to face gift.
Click to expand...

So, you and your daughter are residents of the same state? Otherwise the face to face gift would be illegal (and that has nothing to do with straw purchase).
 
The MKII is a good choice (I've had one for many years). Another alternative that I gifted my daughter a couple of weeks ago is the Sig Mosquito. I've been breaking it in for her and it has been a blast (no problems at all). The ergos are like the bigger Sigs and will allow her to carry that she learns to larger Sigs when she is ready.
 
as much as I would appreciate the gift, I might want to pick my own model and caliber

There are good arguments all around. A weapon is a personal item which needs to fill the users needs. From what I read, you are not in close proximity to your recipient. If possible, I would take the person to a place where they might try several weapons and let them decide which one they want to own. I'll stay out of the straw purchase argument. I think making the choice together would be a great bonding experience and if he is present to receive the weapon from the dealer with a background check potential issues resolve themselves.

Receiving a firearm that needs to be returned might create additional issues. Perhaps daughter and husband might consider attending the safety course before your visit. Some things are best learned before a firearm gift is received.
 
NavyLCDR said:
So, you and your daughter are residents of the same state? Otherwise the face to face gift would be illegal (and that has nothing to do with straw purchase).
Click to expand...

+1000!

If you're going out of State (OOS), you MUST go through a current FFL holder and have it transferred. Otherwise it could be construed as an attempt at firearms trafficking, which is clearly acceptible for the BATFE to do just not you and I.

The only way around that type of OOS issue is if you passed away and the firearm were inherited. In-State shouldn't be a problem...unless your State has rules governing private sales.

BTW, that Ruger MKII will be a nice gift. If you'd like, you can send it to me and I'll put say 1000 rounds through it to make sure it shoots true. I'll even send it back dirty so you can verify I did actually shoot it.
 
Bersa Thunder 9 UC its bigger than the .380 but is way more reliable and 9mm is cheaper to shoot. I own the 380 the 9 and the 45 in the Bersa and love them all but the 9 is the one I trust my life to.
 
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