PHILADELPHIA FIREARMS LAWYERS

Any arrest or criminal charge becomes more serious if a gun or firearm was involve, including domestic violence, robbery, and sex crimes. A charge of simple assault can be upgraded to aggravated assault or even attempted murder, due to the involvement of a firearm. Additional weapon and firearm charges often accompany the initial charges in cases such as; assault, battery, robbery, sex crimes, theft crimes and drug crimes.

Pennsylvania’s laws regarding Firearms and the penalties for violations are contained in a set of statutes called The Uniform Firearms Act (UFA) These laws cover the use of force in self-defense, and the specific categories of citizens that are ineligible to purchase or possess firearms, among others. The penalties outlined for violating the UFA are called Violation of the Uniform Firearms Act (VUFA). These penalties vary depending upon the severity of the violation.

Pennsylvania requires a permit to carry a concealed weapon, denies convicted felon’s the right to own a firearm, and has strict regulation over the sale of firearms.  Some firearms are not permitted at all, such as, machine guns, sawed off shotguns and silencers for firearms, among others.

Examples of firearm crimes include:

• Possession of a firearm by a convicted Felon
• Illegal sale of a firearm
• Illegal discharge of a firearm
• Possession of an illegal weapon
• Carrying a loaded concealed firearm in a vehicle
• Brandishing a firearm
• Carrying a concealed weapon
• Trafficking Firearms — A Federal Charge