Private party sale opinion

Hard to say. People are paranoid about things like the serial #, your asking for it may have put his defenses up. You've seen people here blank out the number when they show a photo of a gun, same with license plates when people show a photo of a car or motorcycle on those types of sites.

But, trust your Spidey senses. If it doesn't feel right to you, go with your intuition. Another deal can always come along.

JO JO said:

......
1, Not original buyer So?.........I'll bet there are untold thousands of used guns available for sale in your state. Anyone who ever bought a used gun, isn't the original buyer.
2. Traded into it unknown past It's a used gun. Like any used gun you don't really know anything about it do you?
3. No factory box or factory stuff that came in box Maybe that's why it was at a price that interested you huh?
4. Refused to give me the SN# before we meet up on a gun I was going to buy ? I sure as heck wouldn't give some anonymous guy on the internet my serial #'s either....it ain't your gun!
What say you guys am I just paranoid ? something did not feel right to me so I backed out
I normally am good with private gun sales but for some reason this on kind of felt strange ?
would you all of made the deal or questioned the guns history first as well ?

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I think you are overthinking this.

Just offer to meet at the local PD and have a officer run it for you before you buy.

You weren't comfortable with it and you backed out. What more is there to say?

If I were asked for a serial, I would assume I was about to be falsely accused of selling a stolen gun. There's no way I would talk to you after that request.

Seems like you passed on a good deal, but that is your prerogative.

Englishmn said:

Just offer to meet at the local PD and have a officer run it for you before you buy.

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A police officer who uses the NCIC for anything not official business will lose his access rights. (if not his job)

JO JO

Hey if something seemed a little "off" about the deal then by all means walk away; no harm in that. Maybe the guy was legit, maybe he wasn't. Chalk it up to experience and move on to the next deal.

To much speculation with no evidence that anything is out of the ordinary.
I bet there are many of us right here that have a gun or two that has no
paperwork, no box or anything like that. It does not make it an illegal
gun or a stolen gun.

JO JO said:

so I found a handgun I was interested in at a price I like G17 gen 4 on a local forum to me,
but the seller did not have the original box,or the back straps, or the 3 mags gust the gun, he also is on the opposite side of the state them me but said he was going to be in my area this weekend,
so I was going to do this but I also asked him if he was the original owner/buyer he said no he traded for it, OK so I asked him if he could give me the SN# before he came down to meet up so I can maybe have the SN# checked out to ensure this is a clean gun, he replied NO I dont give out the SN# , I did not feel good about this and backed out of the deal !!
1, Not original buyer
2. Traded into it unknown past
3. No factory box or factory stuff that came in box
4. Refused to give me the SN# before we meet up on a gun I was going to buy ?
What say you guys am I just paranoid ? something did not feel right to me so I backed out
I normally am good with private gun sales but for some reason this on kind of felt strange ?
would you all of made the deal or questioned the guns history first as well ?

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I would walk away from deal like that especially when handguns are concerned. If your state allows private sales w/o background checks exchanging valid ID and recording info is an option open to you.

Simply call local Sheriff or City Pd. And here they will run the numbers if they're not too busy while you are inspecting it. If it's hot they will be glad to come confiscate it and you will still have your money and a sad seller or the weapon you want including peace of mind.
Good luck

You may or may not be able to do anything with a gun's serial number if you actually get it. YOU can't check it via NCIC. In most places a police officer isn't going to simply run the number on a gun through NCIC because you ask. And on a gun that's not in his possession... not even in YOUR possession? Seems really unlikely.

Now if that is something you know your local officers will do for you, perhaps that makes things a little different.

edwardware said:

If I were asked for a serial, I would assume I was about to be falsely accused of selling a stolen gun. There's no way I would talk to you after that request.

Seems like you passed on a good deal, but that is your prerogative.

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If the buyer doesn't know you from adam then why would you get all upset him wanting to make sure the guns not stolen. I found a few good deals and i want to have the PD run them and the person didn't like that because the guns were purchased from a local news paper buy and sell add-aka pawn without a license. when someone calls a buy and sell add and wants to "pawn" or sell a gun my gut and a lot of my LE friends say its hot. Call your PD or sheriffs office and ask them if they even do that. Make the seller meet in the parking lot, go in and ask and have an officer come out and check the numbers themselves or call ATF. I called ATF about a sporting goods store telling me that i needed to drive an hour back to them because they had two people check over the computer generated paperwork and there was an added letter in the city name because it was fat fingered. I declined and was told i was in violation of federal law if i did not come back and fix the paperwork a week later. ATF was awesome in answering all my questions.

I wouldn't give out a serial number by phone or email on a gun I was selling, especially if I wasn't the original purchaser. All the other person would have to do is claim it was stolen and give LE your contact info. With no proof of purchase, could very well end up accused of stealing the firearm you're selling. I actually had a guy try to pull that with a truck I was selling 8 years ago. Unfortunately for that retard, I had a free & clear title, so county sheriff read him the riot act and threatened him with charges of fraud and false reporting. But that could have been real interesting if I had no documentation.

If you think an individual might be selling something they didn't legally acquire, just ask them to do a bill of sale using driver licenses. Info for both parties on it, both get a copy. I've never had anyone balk at that, and it's protection for everyone; seller can prove he disposed of the firearm should he ever need to, and you can prove that you acquired it in a sale that was legit to the best of your knowledge, which is how the law reads.

if the buyer doesn't know you from adam then why would you get all upset him wanting to make sure the guns not stolen. I found a few good deals and i want to have the PD run them and the person didn't like that because the guns were purchased from a local news paper buy and sell add-aka pawn without a license. when someone calls a buy and sell add and wants to "pawn" or sell a gun my gut and a lot of my LE friends say its hot.

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I don't think "pawn" is what you mean here. Pawning is a specific function which involves giving over a piece of property as collateral for a loan.

I've never heard of anyone taking out a classified ad to pawn an item. It's simply buying and selling directly between individuals. No need to give it some other name or overtones of shady "without a license" behavior.

Just do a google search . There are websites that you can search. I doubt the ATF will be of much use to us not in law enforcement for this particular bunch of speculation.

Sam1911 said:

I don't think "pawn" is what you mean here. Pawning is a specific function which involves giving over a piece of property as collateral for a loan.

I've never heard of anyone taking out a classified ad to pawn an item. It's simply buying and selling directly between individuals. No need to give it some other name or overtones of shady "without a license" behavior.

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No, i used to know a guy who had a buy and sell ad in the paper but would actually accept stuff on pawn. pawn-meaning-the person sells or gives him the item, he gives them $100 and when they come back they owe him $120. some people come back and some don't. Illegal as all get out cause he wasn't licensed but he did it. I haven't seen that guy in awhile but he was always selling stuff. I wouldn't even touch a gun with bare hands that he had. Here, look at this-hell no im not touching that. When your getting people selling you firearms for $100 they are stolen.

Even so who calls a buy and sell ad in the news paper to sell a gun. someone who's not participating in illegal activity would go to a gun store and sell the gun, probably for much more then the news paper guy would give.

Even so who calls a buy and sell ad in the news paper to sell a gun. someone who's not participating in illegal activity would go to a gun store and sell the gun, probably for much more then the news paper guy would give.

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What? No way. A gun shop is buying your used gun to turn a profit on it. There's no way they'll pay you more than a portion of it's current market value. Person-to-person sales are always the best way to get good money out of a gun.

Example: A used Glock is, let's say $400 in the local dealer's case. You walk in with your identical used Glock, he's going to offer you between $200-300 for it because he's got no interest in it beyond selling it to the next guy and pocketing the difference between what he paid and what he sold it for. Not worth it if he's going to give you market price and sell it for market price.

Your neighbor sees he could buy a used Glock for $400 from that dealer, plus pay transfer fees and sales tax, so call it $450. But he could buy yours for $375 or even $400 and get a much better deal while you pocket maybe twice as much cash.


NOBODY goes to a gun shop to sell a used gun and expects to get a good price for it. Private sales are the only way to go unless you're trading it on something else or you really just don't care about the money.

People horse trade for guns all the time. If you worry about every used gun you buy being stolen, maybe you should stick with new guns. Virtually ANYTHING you buy used could be stolen property.

Call your PD or sheriffs office and ask them if they even do that. Make the seller meet in the parking lot, go in and ask and have an officer come out and check the numbers themselves

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I'd still like to know how many members here actually live in a place where the local police WILL call in an NCIC check on a gun you're thinking of buying. Lots of people mention it, but I don't think that's as common as we're lead to believe.

... or call ATF.

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Calling the ATF isn't going to do anybody any good. They don't run the checks, the FBI does. And neither one is going to do anything at all (of this sort) for a private individual.

Sam1911 said:

NOBODY goes to a gun shop to sell a used gun and expects to get a good price for it. Private sales are the only way to go unless you're trading it on something else or you really just don't care about the money.

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Exactly. The ONLY way I have gotten a decent price for a gun in a gun store is to sell it on consignment. Around here they take 10% on the sale as commission. If you sell it to them, they will offer about 1/2 of the price they expect to sell it for.

I would never give a serial number over the phone or over the Internet. At least here there is not much a person can use that for that would benefit me. Cops here cannot run NCIC checks unless it is tied to a case number (well, they are not supposed to.) If they are serious about buying, they can see the serial in person...after I see their CWP.

The internet age has certainly atrophied the ability of some humans to barter and haggle face to face. I do not blame the seller for getting a bit suspicious of you. I have bought and sold tons of firearms face to face private sale. I always get an email address, a cell phone, and I do a bill of sale - and I check ID - preferably the seller or buyer has a CHL. I always communicate via the cell or the email just to document that we indeed communicated - this also verifies that the person uses those means of communication. IF I happened to ever get a stolen gun, so what? All the info is turned into the authorities and they go on their own way to locate the seller. I am out a gun. It has never happened after 30 years of swapping around. I have driven away from deals that did not look or feel right. I have also had people meet me and lowball me after we had already agreed on a price.

The first place I look for a firearm I am interested in is the private sale market. Do not drink the Kool Aid that the .gov is going to protect you from being taken advantage of. The less interaction with background checks and police involvement in things that are legally just fine, the better.

In Texas, it is common to travel between cities on business, I live in San Antonio and have bought, sold and traded firearms in Houston, Dallas, Midland, and Austin, all because I was there on business or for pleasure.