is there any way i cna own a pistol?  i am 18 and live on long island in new york.  My uncle is a NYC Cop so he would be able to purchase the gun for me.  VCan he legally transfer it to me or give it to me as a gift for it to be legal?  i know that you have to be 21 to buy and only 18 to shoot.  any help you can provide will be appreciated

thanks
CFC

if u need a pistol permit or somethiing the area u live in then no ive always wondered about that also becouse i am 19 and theres some handguns i want i know i can recive them as a gift or a inheritance as long as i obey all local laws etc dont know about NY tho

According to the ATF, 18 USC 922(b)(1) and 18 USC 922(x) address this question in regards to federal law.  Federal law says that no FFL may not sell a firearm other than a rifle or shotgun or ammunition not used in a shotgun or rifle to anyone under 21.  They make .45acp, 9mm, .38spcl, .357mag, etc carbines/lever action rifles, so you might find a dealer to sell you ammo if you happen to have a rifle in that caliber.  Handguns and handgun ammo can be bought from private persons, as long as you are over 18.  Local laws, especially in NY, can prohibit this practice, so be careful.

Kharn

I started a thread just this afternoon on this very subject. I have read in lots of places that yes, it is legal on the federal level for anyone over 18 to own, yes own, not just shoot a rifle shotgun OR a handgun. The government has decided that a gun dealer may NOT sell handgun or handgun ammunition to folks under 21, but you can still own them, be in posession of them, and buy them from other sources. Go figure.

NY is a whole other ball game. STATE law may say no posession of handguns until 21, so be sure to check that. You might be legal in federal court, but state court might still be able to put you away if NY says it's illegal.