I will be turning 21 this Aug. and I am curious about the ability to purchase a handgun before then. Since online gun purchases have to be done with an FFL holder (gun store), would I be able to purchase pistol and then have the gun store hold it for me till I turn 21? I'm asking this because if I see a pistol for a great price within a month of my birthday, I would like to be able to buy it , have the gun store hold it for me, then pick it up on my birthday rather then hope I am able to find that particular pistol with a good price on that day. I may check out a few stores in the area and if i see the pistol i like and the price before my birthday, I will ask them to hold it for me. But  I am not sure if this can apply to online purchases as well.

Why don't you see what kind of price your local gunshop will give you first? Maybe they would let you do a layaway type deal also. Try giving them some business first is what I'm trying to say.

Yeah, I stated that I would check out my local stores first, but I'm asking about the legality of purchasing a pistol online first and having the gun store hold it for me till I turn 21.

Right of the bat, I don't know if you can do that legally. I would say no,  but that's only from the "better safe than sorry" perspective.

Now,  that said, here's some food for thought,  if you're inclined.....

You've got tunnel vision and you're missing the big picture. (IMHO)
Say you found a handgun at a fair price. But you still have to factor in FFL fees as well as shipping. Also,  will your FFL even agree to letting you store it there for 2 months.  Hell I don't want my stuff lying around for more than 2 hours, let alone 2 months.  Who knows what can happen in that time.  Also,  with online sales,  they're typically an "all sales final" deal.  So if it's scratched,  missing the front sight (don't ask), or for some reason isn't too your liking or satisfaction,  you're usually stuck with it.  Plus,  some warranties require registration within 30 days,  but that's from the date of purchase,  not from date of pick up.

When you buy from a store,  if you don't like the one they bring out, you can simply ask "do you have any more of these? " and they'll bring more to choose from. Me, I'm picky with anything I buy.  Machine marks, swirl marks,  any rub marks from the box,  even unlucky serial numbers with to many 4's or a 666 or something.  In a store you can always walk away.  If you buy locally you can also take it home and register your product for warranty immediately. And of course the added bonus of keeping the money in PA, helping your local dealer out in this otherwise inhospitable market.

That is of course overlooking the obvious. A handgun should typically be handled before you decide to buy it.  Glocks fit perfectly in my hands,  other folks hate them. Some folks think Xd feels better.  M&P better yet.  I love my M9, my wife thinks it's too big.  You can do all the homework you want online deciding what the best gun is,  but if it feels like crap in your hand,  and/or doesn't "point" naturally,  you may end up really disliking it,  to the point you'll either sell it,  trade it or simply buy something else, and in all 3 scenarios you actually end up losing more that what you saved by buying online.

Just my opinion,  which is worth what you paid for it.

Thank you for your advice but you've got it a bit off. I've handled quite a few pistols and I have an idea of what I want (I narrowed it down to two choices). I myself am not too picky about the details as long as it is the model/make I want in good working order.

I am merely just asking about the legality of an online purchase in this scenario as I've seen deals online on store websites ( forgot to mention that I'm not including auction sites such as gun broker). I'm not searching at the moment as I've stated I would start looking more in depth a few weeks before my birthday, not more than a month. Thanks for the advice though

922(b)(1) says that a dealer cannot sell a handgun to anyone under 21. So technically it would not be lawful to buy one now, have it shipped to a dealer to hold for you, and then later have it transferred to you.

Wait until you are 21. Bottom line.  Not trying to be a dick, but wait until you are 21.

"922(b)(1) says that a dealer cannot sell a handgun to anyone under 21. So technically it would not be lawful to buy one now, have it shipped to a dealer to hold for you, and then later have it transferred to you."

That's all I needed to confirm. Thanks.