Selling your firearms

[Three Bars]

It's been quite a few years since I've sold any firearms to anyone that I don't know.
After joining up here I browsed the buy and sell forums and noticed that some members here insist on the buyer having a Or. CHL or Wa. counterpart, and some sellers only selling to residents of his/her own state.
One seller went as far as to have the sale brokered by a FFL holder.

My question is that have laws changed governing the private firearms sales? or are private firearms sales drawing LE scrutiny when advertised in public classified media?
Or is this being cautious just in case because of the current political climate?

I'm not planning on selling anything in the near future, but I'm suffering from a giant case of curiosity.
Any body care to shine some light on this?

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[Certaindeaf]

Don't sell any of your firearms. lol

 

[nwo]

Ok.

 

[Bill Siegle]

Some folks are more cautious than others. As a seller you need to be reasonably sure the buyer is from your state and of legal age to buy. Beyond that, there is not much else you need to be concerned with.

 

[PDXSparky]

Wait, people SELL their guns? What kind of madness is this? How will I ever justify buying a second, larger safe if I don't keep buying?

Seriously, some people are just a little more cautious about selling firearms. In addition to being a resident of your state and of legal age, the seller has to reasonably believe that the buyer is not prohibited from buy a gun. Some people go a little farther that others in making sure the last is true, hence the request for a CHL or background check thru a FFL. Other sellers just accept the buyers statement, implied or spoken, that they are legally allowed to own a gun.

 

[mkwerx]

When I sell a gun I list a preference for CHL / LEO credentials because these are good indicators of a person's clean back ground. I don't demand a paper trail for these transactions. If a person doesn't have one of these little cards, I won't sell without a bill of sale - on the small but pain-in-the-bubblegum-causing chance that the gun winds up being used in a crime after it leaves my possession.

I also won't sell out of state because I don't want to futz with shipping a gun - which must be shipped to an FFL for out of state transfers. When I sell a gun, I want instant gratification and no headaches. Cash (or traded gun/item) in hand, a handshake, a few minutes of shooting the shat, and then we part ways. I don't want o worry about checks or money orders bouncing/being faked, I don't want to fart around with packaging up a gun and driving to UPS and paying for shipping.

In the age of litigation and the loonies running the asylum I just want to cover my bases.

 

[RVTECH]

In the age of litigation and the loonies running the asylum I just want to cover my bases.

Yep - while I firmly support FTF transactions I vehemently support a cautious approach for anyone selling to someone they do not know. Personally when I sell a gun and have someone local who is interested I offer to bring it to their house - kind of a subtle way of 'profiling' the potential buyer. If it is going to be a meetup due to distance I intentionally drag the emails and phone calls out a bit again to develop some kind of relationship before selling. I am NEVER in that much of a hurry or interested in selling to where I will overlook any 'tell tale' negative signals, no matter how slight, from anyone. Buying is no different - you want to know you are buying a legal gun and not one that might be stolen.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Yep - while I firmly support FTF transactions I vehemently support a cautious approach for anyone selling to someone they do not know. Personally when I sell a gun and have someone local who is interested I offer to bring it to their house - kind of a subtle way of 'profiling' the potential buyer. If it is going to be a meetup due to distance I intentionally drag the emails and phone calls out a bit again to develop some kind of relationship before selling. I am NEVER in that much of a hurry or interested in selling to where I will overlook any 'tell tale' negative signals, no matter how slight, from anyone. Buying is no different - you want to know you are buying a legal gun and not one that might be stolen.

While most of your post was reasonable, RV, neither a buyer or a seller is ever going to see my home! Guess I'm just paranoid!

 

[The Heretic]

I used to think I would insist on a background check, but then I found out that in Oregon that included giving the state the serial number and other info about the firearm - which for the most part serves no useful purpose except maybe to detect stolen firearms, but more likely to build a DB of transferred firearms.

On the internet the person you talk to can be anybody - including someone who buys firearms to then sell them to gang bangers/et. al.

So yes, I do want to be cautious about who I am selling to.

And I don't want them coming to my house and I don't necessarily want to go to their house either. I don't blame them for not inviting me there. The reasons are the same either way - I don't want them casing my house and I am sure they don't want me to be doing the same.

The only time I have ever visited a sellers house was when I already knew them, and once when I was buying a rifle from a deputy sheriff (and still I was surprised he invited me into his house).

 

[RVTECH]

neither a buyer or a seller is ever going to see my home!

Mine either but if someone agrees to let me bring it to them I will - but it's not a deal breaker if they don't. Heck I on two occasions I was asked to come over to a seller's house years ago to look at a guns that I ultimately bought. These guns and owners however were outside of the black rifle/tactical arena so the attitude was more sporting/collecting based than defensive/high-cap in nature.

 

[dobeman]

dang just about sold all mine.. got a couple last ones listed

 

[thorborg]

Pants are for covering your A$$. No guarantees what ever you do. If the district attorney is a shrew, they'll chew you up and spit you out whether your right or wrong. If it's a private deal, it ought to be private!

 

[RicInOR]

Re post #9

On the internet the person you talk to can be anybody - including someone who buys firearms to then sell them to gang bangers/et. al.

Including the BATFE, which has no morals.

 

[The Heretic]

Re post #9


Including the BATFE, which has no morals.

Or worse, the media, who can show up either on the internet or at your house and record the transaction. which is yet another reason to cover your posterior (with bill of sale, etc.) so when they put a spin on the transaction (i.e., flat out lie) you can produce docs and/or other data to show that they are leaving out important facts.