Have you ever let a buddy borrow a hunting rifle to take on a trip? There are some rules that vary per the state you are in, but federal law is pretty clear on this subject.
For example, in a state like Texas it’s perfectly legal to lend a friend your firearm as long as you are both in the clear to legally own one. In another state, Pennsylvania, it’s legal to loan out a shotgun or rifle, but you can’t let someone borrow a handgun.
So what does the federal law declare about the lending of firearms? Here are the details.
The Federal Law is 18 USC 922
The federal law is pretty clear. You cannot lend someone a firearm unless it’s for the specific purpose of hunting or shooting sports. You both don’t have to live in the same state for some reason either. So if you have a buddy that lives right over the state border from you, and you want to lend them your gun for a hunt, it’s legal.
You can also lend someone your gun if you go on a hunting trip with them. That makes logical sense that it would be legal to share shotguns and rifles on a hunting trip.
Who Can Legally Possess a Gun
According to the federal law, the person that you lend the gun to must not be a fugitive, have not committed a crime with the punishment of more than a year in jail, be addicted to drugs, have a mental defect, or be an illegal alien. Those are just a few of the rules that can prohibit someone from legally possessing a firearm. As a gun owner, you are probably already aware of this fact.
Check Your State Laws
Even if it’s federally allowed to loan out your firearm to someone for the purpose of hunting, it makes sense to check out your state laws. Each state has their own laws on the books about this subject, so it’s easy to do a quick Google search to find out if it’s okay to do where you live.
Some States’ Rules
Here’s an interesting piece of information about Hawaii. You can’t loan someone your gun unless you have a specific permit from the police department, unless it’s for hunting. Then you can lend out your firearm for 15 days only.
In Massachusetts, you can only lend your gun to someone who has a concealed carry permit or firearm identification card.
For Oregon residents, you have to make the transfer for lending your firearm in the presence of a licensed gun dealer so they can do a background check. There is also a weird loophole that if the lending period is going to be less than seven days, you can do this background check over the phone with a gun dealer.
So you can see the laws are pretty different in these examples of states around the country. Checking with your own state laws can make sure that you aren’t breaking them, no matter how random and weird they are when pertaining to lending out your firearm.
Too much government! Let’s vote these people out!
This does present one of the issues with Federalism, in that States each have the responsibility of laws for their own people, but unless we decide that Big Brother is better, then we work with each state’s laws. I’m ok with that… as long as each state upholds our 2nd Amendment right & privilege to carry…
Big Brother can take a long walk on a short pier; government is all wet anyway since their true goal is to take away our guns in order to turn Our Country into a communist dictatorship. The DemonRats don’t care who knows that.
This is no surprise, anytime you put morons in charge of running things, you get this kind of STUPID rules and laws.
Never loaned a firearm of any kind. PERIOD! I’ve had a lot of people ask for one but there’s entirely too much at stake.
The issue is moot, since the Demoncrap liberal, MARXISTS want to trash the
2nd amendment and what can stop them if they control both houses ?