Here is a quick guide to buying and selling guns safely on online message boards. This article assumes that you live in a free state where private firearms sales between residents of the same state are allowed.
- Set up an inventory list on an encrypted spreadsheet and include the following fields.
- Make
- Model
- Serial Number
- Gun Type
- Sold or Owned?
- Dealing with Buyers
- I personally prefer a state-specific board over Armslist, since it keeps the out-of-staters who don’t know the rules from wasting your time.
- I know Virginians who post on Armslist and have their time wasted with contacts who forget/neglect to tell them they are Maryland residents.
- Check their profile on the sale board
- Virginia Gun Trader has a profile and feedback system and good moderators that keep foolishness at a minimum.
- Don’t get upset when people try to haggle over private message (PM).
- That is just part of the game. 🙂
- People are much more open to barter transactions than they are to straight up cash transactions.
- Agree upon the price via private message
- I suggest walking away if they try to haggle in person after agreeing to a set price online
- Do not accept checks.
- I have found that the lower the quality/cost of the gun, the more of a pain the buyer may be to deal with.
- Some buyers may “forget” the price agreed upon or show up $20-$40 short on cash
- Either walk away or politely remind them of the agreed upon price.
- Ask to see his driver’s license or photo ID
- This is what establishes your knowledge of the other party’s residence of a particular state.
- If he is antsy about it, then politely decline the sale.
- Draft up a bill of sale
- Most firearm sale boards will have a model bill of sale for you to use.
- Offer to exchange cell phone snapshots of each other’s concealed carry permits
- I personally prefer a state-specific board over Armslist, since it keeps the out-of-staters who don’t know the rules from wasting your time.
“It’s a trap!”
-Admiral Ackbar
- Interstate Sales Traps
- This means you are in one state and the other guy is in another state. You have to go through an FFL!
- Anyone who makes an offer to drive over to you from out of state to buy a gun directly from without going through an FFL is most likely an undercover agent looking for an easy bust or someone even worse.
- Notice how they make their offer in a written private message to display as an exhibit at trial!
- Prohibited Persons Traps
- Get the other party’s name and check your county and surrounding county court websites for any criminal cases.
- Watch out if the other guy mentions anything about not being in the USA legally, having done jail time, using drugs, or smacking his girlfriend.
- Those are federal disqualifiers that make it illegal for such a person to own, possess, buy, or sell a firearm or ammunition.
- If the other guy smells like weed, then don’t sell to him.
- Straw Purchase Traps
- This trap happens more often to FFLs but is not unheard to happen to private parties
- If there are two people at the sale unexpectedly, then that should raise a red flag.
- The way this trap works is that one party will admit to something that legally disqualifies them from having a gun or have an issue with their driver’s license (it is from out of state) then their partner/”buddy”/significant other will conveniently have a clean record and an instate driver’s license and be able to buy the gun from you for his friend!
- Politely decline the sale and leave the area.
- If the other guy gives you a bad feeling or just seems “creepy” then don’t sell him anything.
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Reblogged this on and commented:
I simply say up front that I am from New York, and will need them to ship to an FFL in New York. Then I ask for their fax number and other information, and give them the local gun shop’s information so whatever paperwork there is between FFL people, is their obligation.
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