It's generally legal to buy a gun as a gift, assuming the recipient is not prohibited from owning a gun. That's apparently the scenario here...? My wife has bought me guns, and I have bought her one. No problems, though we don't have "gun registration" in the free state of Arizona.

I have bought guns as gifts and flat out told the dealer it was a gift. No problem, I am still the "actual purchaser" of the gun, which the 4473 asks. If I was buying a gun for a prohibited person with his money, however, I would be making an illegal straw purchase.

My wife shoots with me and she knows what I have my eye on. She has bought me several guns over the years as I have her.

Maybe I am confusing registering a gun with the background check. I am not really sure what happens behind the scenes when purchasing, but I am pretty sure they read the serial number off when doing the phone call.

I am pretty sure I don't have to register guns either... I don't know.

The gun dealer for every gun I've bought recently drags out paperwork to register the gun. The paperwork asks me to testify that I am not buying the gun for someone else.

Sometimes the friend/spouse pays for the gun, then finds an excuse to drag the new ownder into the gun store, and the suprise happens at the counter.

Not as romantic, but legal, and the gun gets into the right hands under the correct name.

WM

Depending on your state only the sale of the firearm from a FFL is "regsistered". What you do with it is your business again depending on your state. I have given firearms as presents and recieved firearms as presents.

In FL, Texas, and a few other states, there is no gun registration, and lots of face to face deals. As long as the buyer is legal (from the store) and the transfer/gift is clearly documented, you're fine.

I can buy a gun, if I'm legal, then transfer it to anyone.

That said, I do FBI background checks on the serial number of any gun I buy used. To check they are not listed as stolen.

Jeff