Instead of selling them back to an FFL you could sell them through an FFL and that way you're less likely to lose as much money as selling to the FFL.
A felon tries to buy your gun
- Thread starter Wisco
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Wisco
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As for carry licenses, I hate to be that guy, because there’s so many people who might want, for instance, an 870 who just don’t want or have a carry permit. Really limits the pool of buyers.
But, I’ll probably require it in my listings from now on or include the price of an FFL transfer in my price - which I have done on some pistols and rifles in the past. It really does weed out some of the animals. It just never made financial sense on a $200-500 gun.
But, I’ll probably require it in my listings from now on or include the price of an FFL transfer in my price - which I have done on some pistols and rifles in the past. It really does weed out some of the animals. It just never made financial sense on a $200-500 gun.
herrwalther
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There are a quite a few ways to decline a sale if you find out you are dealing with a felon, or otherwise prohibited person. The best of which being someone gave you a better offer.
Vast majority of the time, attempting to buy a weapon as a felon is not a crime a police department is going to run with. Give them the information. Whether they run a case will be up to them and the courts.
Vast majority of the time, attempting to buy a weapon as a felon is not a crime a police department is going to run with. Give them the information. Whether they run a case will be up to them and the courts.
alsaqr
Member
Several years ago i received a call in response to a firearm i had advertised. The man was articulate and seemed OK. He showed up reeking of meth: No sale.
The felon would be informed the gun was sold. The sheriff would get a call.
i'm presently involved in selling off numerous firearms.
The felon would be informed the gun was sold. The sheriff would get a call.
i'm presently involved in selling off numerous firearms.
GBExpat
Member
Huh. First I have heard of there being a distinctive meth smell. Makes perfect sense, but I must confess that I have never really thought about it.
Decades ago, I knew the smell of pot smoke (be nice, now
). I wonder if I smelled it again if my brain could still identify it ...... but I digress .... Sorry.
FL-NC
Member
A personal threat, by someone who has the ability (knowledge of who I am, etc.) to carry it out? Probably alert the authorities. Not cause I'm scared- but to cover me if he tries to follow up on the threat.
The POs that come into the jail seem to always be interested in what their clients are up to. Though the PO I see the most is a former deputy that used to work for us so she might be a bit more engaged. It was just a thought.
Zaydok Allen
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I have the same policy if I don't know the person I'm selling to.
personally, I've only sold to people I already knew. If I was to sell to a stranger I would try to get a NICS check. It might, or might not, be a felon but it sure could be a terrorist. I am very proficient at social media but I would rather leave it to the authorities if possible.
George P
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Not here in FL; and I sure don't want a bunch of anonymous folks being able to access MY background - it's NOYDB; if you don't get warm fuzzies, run it through the FFL and add that cost into the transaction accordingly.
The LAST thing we need is MORE gov't intrusion
Blue Thunder
Member
I am not in the selling business for any of my guns ever. Only had one stolen from my car in 1969. I am in acquisition mode all the time for the right thing that I see and want.
CoalTrain49
Member
I voted to do nothing regarding the cops. They aren't going to investigate something that happened on the internet. They won't even investigate theft anymore.
I've had this happen to me. Before we got a UBC here I advertised a gun on Armslist. I got a guy who insisted I had to sell him a pistol without a carry permit because he had a right to protect himself and his family.
I wouldn't waste the time looking up criminal records. When someone starts dictating to me the terms of a sale they get the the bums rush. I might have a phone number or email listed but generally that isn't going to give them an address. Even if they were smart enough to figure it out I doubt that someone is going to go after a person who may be armed. That's just plain stupid right there.
You're dealing with a gang banger. That's their MO. The smart one's have a few computer skills. Just tell the person the firearm isn't for sale unless they can produce the documents required. Ask them to send a PDF of their carry permit and DL before you commit to a FTF. No ticky, no laundry.
I've had this happen to me. Before we got a UBC here I advertised a gun on Armslist. I got a guy who insisted I had to sell him a pistol without a carry permit because he had a right to protect himself and his family.
I wouldn't waste the time looking up criminal records. When someone starts dictating to me the terms of a sale they get the the bums rush. I might have a phone number or email listed but generally that isn't going to give them an address. Even if they were smart enough to figure it out I doubt that someone is going to go after a person who may be armed. That's just plain stupid right there.
You're dealing with a gang banger. That's their MO. The smart one's have a few computer skills. Just tell the person the firearm isn't for sale unless they can produce the documents required. Ask them to send a PDF of their carry permit and DL before you commit to a FTF. No ticky, no laundry.
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somethingbenign
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As others have said my confidence in the local PD following up would be minimal. We had 7 break-ins on a job site in 4 months accumulating to more than $50,000 worth of lost property. Even after presenting craigslist ads with matching serial numbers and the company logo all visible the best they ever came back with was, and I quote, "working in this part of town you should expect this sort of thing." This is actually the reason I started carrying at work, being the first guy on site I wasn't willing to get in the way of a guy who most likely is looking to fund his next high.
Couple their enthusiasm for non violent crime and the stats Browning sourced I almost feel like reporting it would get in the way of more "important" things. I still would report though if only to create the paper trail in case the threats got more physical. Hope things work out for you.
Couple their enthusiasm for non violent crime and the stats Browning sourced I almost feel like reporting it would get in the way of more "important" things. I still would report though if only to create the paper trail in case the threats got more physical. Hope things work out for you.
bikemutt
Member
It's non sequitur in WA now that all sales must go through a gun dealer. Back in the good old days I insisted on seeing a current concealed pistol license as a condition of sale. A few complained they don't need a CPL to buy a rifle, fine, go buy the rifle at a store.The one time I was concerned I agreed to meet in the parking lot of the local PD, turned out my concern was unfounded.
Maybe because I've always laid out the terms of the sale in advance, it's never occured to me to believe a buyer is a felon, or to check on it. That said, I know prospective gun buyers who really didn't know they were prohibited until they tried. I'm not LE, don't play one on TV. I'll stick to my job.
Maybe because I've always laid out the terms of the sale in advance, it's never occured to me to believe a buyer is a felon, or to check on it. That said, I know prospective gun buyers who really didn't know they were prohibited until they tried. I'm not LE, don't play one on TV. I'll stick to my job.
Forward info to the cops. If they don't do anything about it, you could contact local TV or newspaper. They could do a story on how a law abiding gun owner stopped a felon from getting a gun and the cops didn't prosecute him for the crime. Could help make gun owners look better and show the stupidity of passing more laws when we won't even enforce current laws.
I don't doubt that this happens, but it is absolutely beyond me why anyone would open a negotiation with that type of behavior. If I were to get that email, negotiations would end. "Sorry, the item is no longer available. Thank you for your interest, though." If it ended there, I can't see going to look anything up. That said, if contact continued for whatever reason (maybe he contacts me again because the online sale keep running, for example), and I discovered that I had a probable felon on my hands, I'd notify the police or a parole/probation officer. I'm a little more adept than most at running public records to see who I'm dealing with. I've spent my share of time over the years complaining about how we need to enforce the laws rather than enact new ones. It just wouldn't be consistent of me to complain that "we need to enforce existing laws," but then fail to report the guy against whom they really need to be enforced.
I had a Remington 870 for sale and advertised it online once. I was contacted by someone who wanted me to disassemble it so that it would fit into several small boxes and ship it directly to him across state lines. Before I responded, I contacted BATFE, and I was absolutely prepared to cooperate in an investigation if they launched one. (I was actually pretty mad that the person had even asked me to break the law like that.) They weren't interested, plain and simple. The conversation went something like this:
OO: This is Special Agent Ollie Ollieoxenfree. Can I help you?
SM: Good morning. My name is Spats McGee. I'm a local attorney, and I've got a little situation that I'd like to report.
OO: Ok. What's going on?
SM: Well, I'm trying to sell a Remington 870, and I've had a guy ask me to ship it directly to him across state lines.
OO: (perks up) What kind of gun did you say?
SM: It's a Remington 870 Wingmaster. That's not the issue here. A guy who wants to buy it is asking me to put it into several small boxes and ship it across state lines without going through a dealer.
OO: (settles down) Oh. Unless its less than 26 inches overall or has a barrel of less than 18 inches, it's legal.
SM: Yes, I know that. That's not why I called.
OO: So, where did you ship it again?
SM: (blood pressure rising) Excuse me? I didn't. Because that would violate federal law.
OO: Yeah, you can't do that. If you sell it across state lines, you have to go through an FFL.
SM: I know that. That's why I called you. I have a guy asking me to violate federal law, and I think he's contacted a number of sellers, asking for the same thing. I'm telling you that he might be running guns across state lines. I still have the private messages, and I'd be happy to provide them.
OO: Well, no crime's been committed yet.
SM: ............ Ok. Have a nice day, Agent Ollieoxenfree.
No. I don't know what information runs from NCIC (National Crime Information Center) to NICS, but I read ACIC (Arkansas Crime Information Center) histories every day. ACIC gets its information (at least in part) from NCIC. If I run Will Wifebeater's history, not only do I get his history, I get the identity and a variety of descriptors of anybody who has a protective order against him, I get whether he's a registered sex offender (which may or may not involve a felony or violence), I get court records that have been sealed, . . . . . There is most assuredly information in there that should not be disseminated to private citizens. Yes, we could write programs that would weed out that information, or reduce it to a pass/deny kind of situation, but the more variables we introduce into that equation, the more potential for errors we introduce.
Spats McGee:
Maybe the "buyer" in your case was an ATF agent or informant trying to get someone who is not knowledgeable on interstate firearms transfers to violate federal law so they can prosecute them. Ya know, prosecute the otherwise law-abiding seller who made a mistake instead of going after the buyer who is knowingly breaking the law. Seems to be how they would do things. Gov always seems to target the suppliers of illegal items rather than the end-users.
Maybe the "buyer" in your case was an ATF agent or informant trying to get someone who is not knowledgeable on interstate firearms transfers to violate federal law so they can prosecute them. Ya know, prosecute the otherwise law-abiding seller who made a mistake instead of going after the buyer who is knowingly breaking the law. Seems to be how they would do things. Gov always seems to target the suppliers of illegal items rather than the end-users.
RETG
Member
If someone lowballs my selling price, insults me and threatens me on the same email, I would contact them and simply tell them the price is what it is, and if they want to continue the purchase it will be via a FFL. You can report it to local authorities or Federal but I doubt if anything will ever be done. The return email with your statement about purchase only via an FFL should be enough to cover your butt.
But for someone to just lowball and insult and threaten on the same email sounds like a stretch.
But for someone to just lowball and insult and threaten on the same email sounds like a stretch.
buck460XVR
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I'd have to have more info on what was actually said in the initial e-mail to determine exactly how much you were threatened. Did you respond at all to him? Why the threats if you were not dickering over price or had refused to sell? What you did was basically a poor man's background check, yet so many pro-gun folks are against any form of background checks. Your experience shows why they can be a positive influence on gun ownership.
No gun for you Mr Felon, not from me! Probably would not call the police if the person just went away, but as the OP states about threats and such via email. You bet I would call the police and turn over the emails. I would do this even if I knew the guy was not a felon with regards to threats made.
Sav .250
Member
With that scenario, the would be buyer hasn`t done much other than peek your interest.
He hasn`t bought anything. So, for my money, turn the page and move on. J s/n.
He hasn`t bought anything. So, for my money, turn the page and move on. J s/n.
I considered that possibility, but I can see no way that the BATFE agent could have known that. He would have had to have additional information such as my online name, the forum, the other guy's location, . . . . something. He didn't even ask about those things.
It's not gov't intrusion. It's giving citizens the option to find out whether the person who wants to buy your gun is a prohibited person
The only thing the system needs to spit out is pass or deny. When gun stores run a background check do they get court records that have been sealed? I'm guessing not.
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