Pennsylvania
Permanent URL for this collectionhttps://dspace.firearmsresearchcenter.org/id/frc0001/5079
Pennsylvania
This jurisdictional hub aggregates FRC holdings related to Pennsylvania. It supports research on the state’s firearms history, technology, law, policy, and culture from the colonial and provincial periods through statehood to the present.
- Legal sources: statutes and session laws, administrative code, attorney general opinions, appellate decisions, and select municipal ordinances.
- Historical materials: newspapers, photographs, maps, catalogs, frontier and militia records, armory and manufacturing archives (e.g., gunmaking traditions), and oral histories tied to Pennsylvania people and places.
- Research outputs: technical reports, academic studies, training manuals, and curated datasets relevant to the state.
Cite the Firearms Research Center and the item’s handle/DOI when using materials. Rights and licensing vary by item.
Browse
25 results
Filters
Advanced Search
Filter by
Settings
Search Results
Item type:Item, 14 Stat. at Large of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1801, at 457-58 (1909)(1793)And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That in order that the militia may be properly armed, equipped and accoutred, every citizen enrolled and notified of this enrollment in manner aforesaid, except as is hereinbefore excepted, shall, within six months after receiving such notice, provide himself with the arms, ammunition and accoutrement hereinafter mentioned, viz.: Every non-commissioned officer and private of the infantry (including grenadiers and light infantry and of the artillery) shall have a good musket or firelock, a sufficient bayonet and belt, two spare flints and a knapsack, a pouch with a box therein, to contain not less than twenty-four cartridges suited to the bore of his musket or firelock, each cartridge to contain a proper quantity of powder and ball, or with a good rifle, knapsack, shot-pouch and powder horn, twenty balls suited to the bore of his rifle and a quarter of a pound of powder; the commissioned officers of infantry shall be armed with a sword or hanger and an espontoon, and those of artillery with a sword or hanger, a fuzee, bayonet and belt, and a cartridge box to contain twelve cartridges. The commissioned officers of the several troops of horse shall furnish themselves with good horses, of at least fourteen hands and an half high, and shall be armed with a sword and a pair of pistols, the holsters of which shall be covered with bearskin caps; each light-horseman or dragoon shall furnish himself with a serviceable horse, of at least fourteen hands and an half high, a good saddle, bridle, mail pillion and valise holsters, and a breast plate and crupper, a pair of boots and spurs, a pair of pistols, a sabre and a cartouch box, to contain twelve cartridges for pistols; the artillery and horse shall be uniformly clothed in regimentals, to be furnished at their own expense, the color and fashion to be determined by the brigadier commanding the brigade to which they belong; every militiaman shall appear so armed, accoutred and provided when called out to exercise or into service (except that when called out on company days to exercise only he may appear without a knapsack) and every man so enrolled as aforesaid, and providing himself with the arms, ammunition and accoutrements required as aforesaid, shall hold the same exempted from all suits, distresses, executions, or sales for debt or the payment of taxes. Each battalion and regiment shall be provided with the state and regimental colors by the field officers, and each company with a drum and fife or bugle horn by the commissioned officers of the company; the expenses of such colors, drums, fifes or bugle horns to be repaid to the officers out of the fines incurred by this act.Item type:Item, 10 Stat. at Large of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1801, at 191 (1904)(1780)Every militia company had to "provide or hire one able-bodied man not less than eighteen or more than forty-five years of age" to serve in the Pennsylvania Volunteers.Item type:Item, 16 The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1801, at 297 (1911)(1799)Explicitly allowed "sons who are not subject to the militia law may be admitted as substitutes for their fathers."Item type:Item, 14 The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1801, at 456 (1909)(1793)"[A]ll young men under the age of twenty-one years, and all servants purchased bona fide and for a valuable consideration," had to enroll in the militia. But "during such minority or servitude," they were exempt from training and from fines for not having the requisite equipment. The exception did not apply "in cases of rebellion, or an actual or threatened invasion of this or any of the neighboring states."Item type:Item, 10 The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1801, at 191 (1904)(1780)Every militia company had to "provide or hire one able-bodied man not less than eighteen or more than forty-five years of age" to serve in the Pennsylvania Volunteers.Item type:Item, An Act for Erecting the Town of Reading, in the County of Berks, into a Borough, ch. LXXVI, § XLII, 1783 Pa. Laws 211(1783)Restricted the transport of gunpowder to a maximum of thirty pounds in weight and secured in a "good bag or bags." Violators fined twenty pounds.Item type:Item, 1791 Pa. Laws 105, ch. 1573, § 1, in 14 Stat. at Large of Pa. from 1682 to 1801 (1791)(1791)That it shall and may be lawful for the owners of gun-powder not deposited , or to be deposited, in the said magazine, the square to the south of Vine street, to remove and deposit the same in the said new magazine; and all gun-powder brought into the city of Philadelphia, from and after the first day of July next, shall be deposited and kept in the said new magazine subject to the regulation contained in the said first recited act.Item type:Item, By-Laws and Ordinances of the City of Pittsburgh 28-29 (1828)(1774)Ch. 703, § 1 : Prohibited on any thirty-first day of December, or first or second day of January, in every year, wantonly, and without reasonable occasion, discharge and fire off any hand-gun, pistol or other fire-arms, or shall cast, throw or fire any squibs, rockets or other fire-works, within the inhabited parts of this province, to the disturbance of any of his majesty's subjects there inhabiting and beingItem type:Item, The Acts of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at 365-66, ch. 167, § 57 (Mar. 20, 1780)(1780)Prohibited members of the militia from parading in unfit, drunk, or disobedient condition, use abusive language, or to quarrel with himself or other during parade of the Milita.Item type:Item, Laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at 240-41, ch. 1846, § 1 (vol. 3, 1810)(1795)§all gun-powder manufactured within this state, with intent to sell the same within the city or county of Philadelphia, shall be put in good and tight kegs or casks of twenty-five, fifty, or one hundred pounds neat weight , each made of well seasoned timber, bound together with at least twelve loops, and having a hole bored in each head with the diameter of one fourth part of an inch, well stopped with corks and having the tare weight (weight of the actual keg or cask) of each cask marked thereon, and that all such gun-powder, and all other gun-powder, wheresoever manufactured imported into the port of Philadelphia, or brought into the city or county of Philadelphia for sale, shall be deposited, forthwith on such importation or bringing by land or by water, in the public magazine in in the said city, and delivered to the care of the keeper the same, who shall give his receipt for the same, deliverable to the order of him or them who shall deposit the same.Item type:Item, 1794 Pa. Laws 764, An Act Providing For The Inspection of Gunpowder chap. 337(1794)Required gunpowder intended for sale in Philadelphia to be sold in "good and tight" kegs of varying weights, quality timber,at least twelve hoops, a hole bored, and marked on the barrel. Powder shall be inspected using a pendulum powder proof.Item type:Item, 33 THE DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION 739 (John Kaminski et al. eds., 2019).(1787)Ordered the collection of all public arms to have them repaired in Philadelphia.Item type:Item, 11 Stat. at Large of Pa. 209, ch. 1059, §§ 1-2 (1782)(1783)all gun-powder brought into the port of Philadelphia should be deposited in a certain powder house therein described, under the penalty of ten pounds for every offense: And Whereas another powder house or magazine hath been erected in the said city in the public square on the south side of Vine street, between the Sixth and Seventh streets from Delaware at the public expenseItem type:Item, A Digest of the Acts of Assembly, and the Ordinances, of the Commissioners and Inhabitants of the Kensington District of the Northern Liberties: for the Government of that District, at 45-47, Gunpowder § 2 (1832)(1787)No person shall keep in any house, store, shop, cellar or other place within the city of Philadelphia, nor the country adjacent, within two miles of the said city, any greater quantity of gunpowder, at one time, than thirty pounds weight thereof, under the penalty of forfeiture of the whole quantity so over and above stored or kept, together with the sum of twenty pounds for every such offenseItem type:Item, 9 Stat. at Large of Pa. 336-37, ch. 833, § 9 (1903)(1779)That if any person within this commonwealth shall challenge the person of another to fight at sword, pistol, rapier or other dangerous weapon, such person so challenging shall forfeit and pay for every such offense (being lawfully convicted by the testimony of one or more credible witnesses, or by the confession of the party offending,) the sum of five hundred pounds, or suffer twelve months imprisonment without bail or mainpriseItem type:Item, An Act for the Regulation of the Militia of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (20 March, 1780), § 57, Penalty on Officers Misbehaving while on Parade; § 60, Rules and regulations, 12th rule.(1780)§ 57 "...and if any non-commissioned officer or private shall, on any occasion of parading the company to which he belongs, appear with his arms and accoutrements in an unfit condition, or be found drunk or shall disobey orders or use any reproachful or abusive language to his officers or any of them ; or shall quarrel himself, or promote any quarrel among his fellow soldiers, he shall be disarmed and put under guard, by order of the commanding officer present, until the company is dismissed, and shall be fined in any sum not exceeding the price of ten day's [sic] labour, nor less than one day's labour.Item type:Item, 9 Stat. at Large of Pa. 348, ch. 836 (1903)(1777)Required an oath of allegiance; refusal of which punishable by disarming.Item type:Item, 9 Stat. at Large of Pa. 347-8, ch. 836 (1903)(1779)Prohibited firearm possession for people "disaffected to the liberty and independence" of the state, empowered officers to disarm any person who did not take an oath."Item type:Item, 1776 PA. CONST., Declaration of Rights, § XIII(1776)Declared a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the state.Item type:Item, 11 Pennsylvania Statutes at Large ch. 1059 at 209-12 (1906)(1782)prohibited storing more than 30 pounds of gunpowder in Philadelphia or within two miles, except in the public powder magazineItem type:Item, Resolution of the Pennsylvania Committee on Safety, Oct. 27, 1775, Col. Rec. Penn. 10:383.(1775)Requiring that all muskets be "proved" prior to purchaseItem type:Item, 1782 Pa. Acts 193, ch. 101, § 5(1779)Authorized the liutenant or sub-liutenant to disarm those who have not taken an oath of allegianceItem type:Item, 9 Stat. at Large of Pa. 91, ch. 750, § 32, pt. 9 (1903)(1777)Any officer or private man found drunk when under arms, shall be suspended from doing duty in the battalion, company or troop on that day, and be fined at the discretion of a General or Regimental Court-Martial.Item type:Item, 1776 Pa. Laws 11, An Ordinance Respecting the Arms of Non-Associators, § 1(1776)Authorized officers to collect all arms in the hands of "non associators". -Item type:Item, 8 Stat. at Large of Pa. 410-12, ch. 705, § 1 (1902)(1774)Restricted the firing of handgun, pistol, or other firearms, as well as squibs, rockets, or other fireworks on New Years Eve or the two days following. Violators fined ten shillings.