[James K]

And in some states where there is no requirement for registration of handguns per se there is a permit or sales approval process that amounts to the same thing, since the state authorities keep a record of the gun and the person to whom it was sold. In MD, for example, both handguns and guns defined as "assault rifles" are in fact registered at purchase.

That question, incidentally, is often asked by naive persons ignorant of both guns and the law. They may have heard or read that guns should be or must be "registered" and they sometimes believe that anyone with an unregistered gun is a dangerous criminal or plans to become one. It is often difficult to explain to those folks about the law or lack of it on the subject. Similar beliefs are that machineguns or suppressors ("silencers") are illegal and used only by criminals. Again, explanations are needed, though surprisingly often they are useless - the person simply believes what he or she believes and there is no way to change that person's mind.

Jim