I found the following at
http://www.atf.gov/publications/downloa ... 5300-4.pdf : "Where a person purchases a firearm with the intent of making a gift of the firearm to another person, the person making the purchase is indeed the true purchaser. There is no straw purchaser in these instances." p.165
And this from the Don't Lie for the Other Guy website:
"What is a straw purchase?
A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her. It is highly illegal and punishable by a $250,000 fine and 10 years in prison."
http://www.dontlie.org/FAQ.cfm
My take is this: a straw purchaser is acting on behalf of another person. A purchaser buying with the intent of making a gift is not acting on behalf of the donee, so it should not be considered a straw purchase. The next time I'm at the local gun shop I'll ask the owner how he interprets it.