The son of a woman my girlfriend works with is getting his things together to get his pistol permit. He needs to take the course and to get fingerprinted. He went to look a pistols at a capital region shop and they told him even though he doesn't have his permit that he should put the pistol he wants (a Kahr 9mm) on layaway because they're hard to come by. Now, is it just me or is what they're doing illegal? How can you take ANY money for something that someone can't legally own? They told him they have a guy who's had a pistol on layaway for two years waiting for something to come off of his license. It just doesn't make sense.  And are Kahr 9mm's REALLY that hard to come by?

I have heard the same thing, you can put money down on a pistol you want to get and they will keep it till you get the permit. I think what the guy is saying is to put down what pistol he wants on the application. I am not familiar with the application but I believe you can put down the make and model before you even purchase the pistol.

In order to get the pistol permit you have to own a handgun. In order to own a handgun you need to have a pistol permit. You go to the store, purchase handgun, get receipt, after X months you get your permit with handgun listed. Then you take purchase coupon back to pick up handgun. Everyone with a pistol permit owned(paid for) a gun they couldn't legally own yet. Exception to the rule if your co-owning or if it's being gifted. But you still can't take possession till permit is issued.

uh, what? IDK how they run this upstate, but down here you can have a permit and not even ever own a gun. Its not a requirement.

It is a county by county thing. I have friends in Schenectady county that had to purchase a pistol before they could get their permit. In Albany county it is not necessary. I did not buy my first pistol in 2012 until several weeks after I got my permit. I then had to wait two weeks for the judge to sign so that I could pick it up.

The fact that the pistol permit process is so different in each county drives me nuts.

In response to the question:
I don't believe it is illegal to pay for a gun without a permit. It is illegal to take possession of the pistol without a permit.

I also don't believe that that pistol is hard to find. Sounds like they are just trying to sell a gun. It does sound a little deceitful though.

Not true for all counties.

In NYC, you must buy a handgun within 30 days of getting your pistol permit approval...or the permit is voided, you lose $340 +$99, and you lose the 7 months you waited, and you have to start over from scratch.

In Monroe county, you can have a blank permit forever if you want.

Columbia, Greene, and Albany counties aren't like this either.

Why a Kahr? Glocks exist.

Holy six degrees of separation batman.

Jefferson County requires you have a handgun listed on the application, a couple of the local Dealers will allow you to buy/make payments and hold it for you until you get your Licenses (within reason)
If you're under an instructors tutelage, then you can "hold" the handgun because you're being "trained", but most places, certainly the Chain/Box stores won't.
Some Counties treat the whole idea of having a handgun as a Court proclaimed privilege, worthy only of the highest station in life, others think it's a bunch of bullshit and will issue just so their residents don't get in trouble.

In Westchester (At least when I got my permit, which was so long ago it was originally a stone tablet with my picture chiseled on it) you had to buy a gun first and have the store hold it until your permit came thru.