It’s the first time I’m selling a gun FTF. How can I make sure everything goes smoothly?

These are some of the concerns I have:

-What do I need to do to make sure the transaction is safe and smooth
-What’s the best payment method? I suppose cash, but would like confirmation
-How can I make sure people don’t freak out if I show an AR15 to a seller in a parking lot? I don’t want them to think I’m some sort of a mass shooter…

Any sort of advice would be highly appreciated.

Thanks

Well you need to make 2 bills of sale one for you and one for the person buying the gun. It needs to include the brand of gun, caliber, serial number. You sign it and have the person buying the rifle sign it as well. As far as people looking at you there's really nothing you can do about that. Here is a Bill of sale to use if you want. Its a pdf file. As far as payment cash or money order work well. I would be hesitant to take a check unless you know the person. If you need any more help just ask.

www.weapontrader.org/billofsale.pdf

Take the gun and say out loud,make sure everyone can hear ya, "LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME" lol. Just find the corner of a large parking lot somewhere and park where you can both stay behind the open door. Keep the ammo away from the gun, just in case. That always weirds me out a bit. Pull the bolt if that makes you feel better, if it's a rifle. Get proof of who they are. Just in case someone knocks on your front door at 2 am asking about the gun(cops)

-What do I need to do to make sure the transaction is safe and smooth

Work out every detail before you meet.


-What’s the best payment method? I suppose cash, but would like confirmation

Cash only




-How can I make sure people don’t freak out if I show an AR15 to a seller in a parking lot? I don’t want them to think I’m some sort of a mass shooter…


Meet at a Cabelas, BPS, Academy, gun store or range.

Tell the buyer you want cash. Tell the buyer you require him to sign a bill of sale, and need to see either a CHL or driver's license. Meet at the end of a populated parking lot. A shooting range is always the best, but Lowes, Walmart, Academy work too. Keep the firearm in the back of your vehicle, and let the buyer inspect it. Have him fill out his BOS, while you fill out yours. Then inspect his license, and make sure it matches what he wrote down. Swap gun for cash, and you're done.

I make sales or trade all the time FTF. work out everything before tell each what ares you are in

Cash only. Well populated parking lot. I've never had a bad deal with any member here, but if something doesn't feel right, chances are it's not.

Follow your instincts.

Like others said, cash only, bill of sale, meet in a very well populated area. My preference is always a place that sells guns, nobody cares if you examine a gun in the parking lot of a gun store.

cash only

and

http://www.staples.com/Dri-Mark-Counterfeit-Money-Detector-Pen/product_450130?cid=PS:GooglePLAs:450130&KPID=450130

$5 can save you some grief down the road.

The drivers license and bill of sale is fine if that makes you feel good. None of it will keep you from being prosecuted if the guy has a bogus license though. There are plenty of illegal aliens running around with real TX DLs.

http://www.infowars.com/feds-convict-tex...rivers-license/

Cash only

A Bill of sale does not protect you. It can hurt you.

I prefer gun ranges, during the day. I like to See a DL or CHL, but I don't want them having my DL number, home address, and DOB, why should I expect that of them.

^^This

Gun friendly store preferred. If it's a long gun with long case, a golf course parking lot works too. Show it in the back of a pickup, or in your trunk. (don't pull it out and start walking around, ect)

All the members here have been great

Thanks for your inputs. It addresses all my initial concerns. The Counterfeit Money Detector Pen and the guns store/shooting range parking lots are great ideas.

Now let me run the following by you guys:

I need to:
-Check the DL to make sure the person is a Tx resident and that he’s old enough
-If I get the feeling that something is not right (maybe an illegal immigrant or convicted felon) I won’t make the sell
-Not use a bill of sell to not provide the buyer with my personal information (like my address)



Basically, it boils down to this:

-Do I risk persecution if I had no way of knowing that the person isn’t allowed to buy a gun? I mean if you’re convicted for domestic violence, it’s not written on your face.
-My gun was purchased through a dealer after I cleared the background check. Any risk associated with this?


Sorry to ask all these questions, but since it’s my first time, I want to make sure I’m covering all the basics.

you got it.

Other options are: sell it via gunbroker and ship it to a dealer, or trade it in at Cabelas.

A lot of folks will cry out that Cabelas will "screw you" on the price. But the difference in top dollar used price and what they give you will make up for your peace of mind, and the speed of the transaction. And you wont have to deal with any jacklegs PMing you with crazy offers, or wanting to meet somewhere 50mi away.

It’s a long gun. How about if I also accept to ship the gun directly to buyer in Texas?
I’ll ask for a scan of his DL, a money order or PayPal, and just ship it directly to him?

Do you guys see any issues with this?

If you ship it, it has to get shipped to an FFL. Also, if you're the original owner of the gun, then you absolutely need the buyer to fill out a bill of sale. If the buyer takes the gun and goes on a shooting spree and you're the original owner, then the cops will come knocking on your door. You will need a bill of sale to show them who you sold it to. If you're not the original owner, then don't worry about the BOS.

It's hard to get a read on a guy when he won't meet you in person.

I've shipped a few guns, and I always ship them to the FFL of the buyers choice. This leaves the buyer out $10-$20 for a backround check, but leaves me with peace of mind. Ten/Twenty dollars shouldn't be a dealbreaker for the buyer, especially if he wants it bad enough to pay for shipping IMO

No bill of sale... NO DL scanning... you have to remember this guy doesnt know you either. Im not handing over my personal info to anyone... neither should you.

A person may sell a firearm to an unlicensed resident of his State, if he does not know or have reasonable cause to believe the person is prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms under Federal law.

You walk up to said person he looks old enough, he hands you money, you hand him gun. DONE DEAL.

In Texas (as long as both of you are residents) you can ship the long gun straight to him through the USPS. You walk in with it boxed up, labeled and ready to go. they ask you if its hazardous, you say no. Go on about your way.

If Im shipping to someone I dont know I wait for money to clear and then send firearm. SIMPLE. If I trust them I let the two cross paths in the mail.

This is absolutelty INCORRECT... on both counts.... Let me go to the ATF website for you...

Q: May a nonlicensee ship a firearm through the U.S. Postal Service?

A nonlicensee may not transfer a firearm to a non-licensed resident of another State. A nonlicensee may mail a shotgun or rifle to a resident of his or her own State or to a licensee in any State. The Postal Service recommends that long guns be sent by registered mail and that no marking of any kind which would indicate the nature of the contents be placed on the outside of any parcel containing firearms. Handguns are not mailable. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun.

Simply if you are both residents of the same state you can ship it DIRECTLY to him.

If One of you is a resident of another state it must go through an FFL.

I can ship you my long gun or shotgun ALL day long, and you can ship it back WITH NO FFL REQUIRED.

Furthermore to the "Bill of Sale" and the use of an FFL:

Q: What record-keeping procedures should be followed when two private individuals want to engage in a firearms transaction?

When a transaction takes place between private (unlicensed) persons who reside in the same State, the Gun Control Act (GCA) does not require any record keeping. A private person may sell a firearm to another private individual in his or her State of residence and, similarly, a private individual may buy a firearm from another private person who resides in the same State. It is not necessary under Federal law for a Federal firearms licensee (FFL) to assist in the sale or transfer when the buyer and seller are “same-State” residents. Of course, the transferor/seller may not knowingly transfer a firearm to someone who falls within any of the categories of prohibited persons contained in the GCA. See 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g) and (n). However, as stated above, there are no GCA-required records to be completed by either party to the transfer.

Cash.

Last one I did was inside a police station. Felt ok about it. Did two handguns in the academy lot on the toll road. Handed them over in an American Girl shopping bag.

And I never go unarmed and unprepared. If someone is just planning to lift it off me and run it will be my fault if I'm not prepared.

Allow me to retort. If you're shipping a firearm to someone you have never met, and do not know, always, always, always, ship to an FFL. Otherwise, you might be shipping it to a felon, a kid, a mentally unstable person. Never ship directly to a person unless you know them.

Secondly, if you're the original owner of a firearm, and make a FTF transaction, it is critical to get as much personal information from the buyer. Let's say you're the original owner of a Ruger pistol, you bought at Rubadub Gun Store, and you sell it to Bubba in a Walmart parking lot. Later that night, Bubba kills three people and tosses the gun next to them. The police will collect the gun, contact Ruger, and run the serial number. Ruger will then tell the police the gun was originally shipped from them to Rubadub Gun Store. The police then go to Rubabdubs and say, "who did you originally sell this to?" Rubadubs will tell them they sold it to you. The police will then knock on your door, and tell you they recovered your gun in a triple homicide, and then ask you to kindly come down for an interview. If you have a bill of sale with the buyers information, it will make things much easier.

Your original post said it HAS to be....

NO IT DOESNT HAVE TO BE.

If you WANT it to be, thats your right. BUT telling the guy it HAS to be done a certain way (your way) and stating it as fact is INCORRECT.

THE LETTER OF THE LAW says you dont have to do EITHER one of those... In fact "BILL of SALES" have shown time and time again to be WORTHLESS.

In your "Bubba Rubadub" Scenario you will still have to show an ALIBI of where you where when the event took place, that little piece of paper is not legal, has no binding in court, and is ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS.

Man, there's a lot of good info here. I haven't thought of a lot of these points.