"Buying" a gun to help a Friend?

I've bought guns from private parties before advertised as "need the money".

yes, but there are always strings attached. If that money matters to you or the gun matters to him it will get in the way of your friendship one day.

why not just "loan" him the money with piistol as "collateral".

I've been involved in similar transactions before - on both sides. I don't think there's anything at all wrong with it.

Just be sure your intention is really to help him out - as opposed to seeing it as an opportunity to score a sweet deal. If you're taking advantage of his predicament in order to benefit yourself - that would be pretty low of you. Only you can know your heart on the matter, and you're the only one who knows your friendship and can guage if it's appropriate.

I have sold guns to friends/family who made me offers when I was in a time of need, and wouldn't be offended in the least.

If it is a friend, I'd make the offer if I could. You would be essentially acting as an interest free pawn shop. But for a true friend, I would just make a $1000 "gift" to him and tell him to pay it back whenever he could fully expecting never to see the money again. That is why I used the term "gift" even though it would be technically a "loan".

I'm for just giving him the cash. Although, he may not want to take it. So you'll have to figure that out. You won't enjoy shooting that gun. I don't care what it is, or how much it's worth if it was your buddy's under the circumstances.

You guys have made me re-think my answer. I misunderstood the OP... I thought this was a gun offered for sale. No, I wouldn't offer to buy something from someone in their time of need, especially something they enjoyed having and using. The last thing the "buddy" needs is to lose something else that he enjoys to pay for his expenses.

I vote for give him the money and take him shooting. Don't take away something else for him. There is very slim chance he's ever going to be able to buy back the gun and you both will (or at least should) end up feeling worse about the situation down the road.

I've answered an ad before that was a "must sell need money" ad, it was for an almost brand new Ruger MKIII .22lr and for a fair price, so it wasn't like it was something that appeared to be very special to the owner.

yes, but there are always strings attached. If that money matters to you or the gun matters to him it will get in the way of your friendship one day.

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I agree with this. Do it if you aren't afraid of giving back a treasured keepsake one day and writing the money off as a "cost of friendship."

Sometimes, stuff like this will teach you who your real friends are. I did something similar when I was going through a divorce. My "friend" sold off the handgun that I sold him (under the agreement that I'd buy it back in about a year or or two. Since it was a transaction among friends and he "needed a 9mm for his father since he was suffering from arthritis" and I needed just a few hundred bucks because divorce is expensive, I sold it to him at a about %50 value thinking I'd buy it back within 12-24 months as we agreed. This was all clearly spoken amongst friends. 7 months later, I asked to buy it back. He had sold it. I knew the guy and talked to him to make an offer...and I was slightly upset. I was REALLY upset when I learned my "friend" sold it for double what I sold it to him for, within a week of my selling it to him. We aren't friends anymore.

We faced a similar situation with a friend also needing medical treatments. We gave her cash, which she really didn't want to accept, but we explained to her that we had been fortunate in our lives, and had the money and didn't need it, and wanted to share our blessings with her. We told her we really wanted to do this to help her out, and that it was a gift from the heart and we didn't expect, or wish, for her to repay it. It was a gift. She accepted and thanked us for it.

I think if he's a friend, and you offer the cash in this manner, he would accept it without feeling like it was charity, which it is not. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Having been in hard times of short cash myself, I would not have accepted cash gifts from friends.

If I really need financial resources to provide for the needs of my family - most of my guns are assets I can do without. The only exception are those guns that are kept specifically for the protection of myself and my family (which is, in fact, a need).

Sorry, but if I have unneeded things I can be selling, then I have no business accepting hand-outs. If I'm not willing to give up material possessions in those predicaments, then I may have some priority issues. That's just me.

Now if it was some sort of situation where I was completely hard pressed for cash and had assets that I could not readily liquidate, that may be another story.

I've acquired several guns this way....with a verbal agreement that if they EVER want the gun back, I'll sell it to them at a pre-determined price.

Some bought them back, some didn't...its not a problem as long as you make a clear deal and stick to it no matter what.

There's nothing wrong, so do it.

You could buy it from him and then give him the gun at christmas.

I'm all for helping out a friend in need, but the whole idea of asking to buy a gun he isn't actively trying to sell kinda sours me a little. If you offer to help with an interest free loan or a flat out gift of cash and he refuses, then I'd ask to buy the gun, maybe.

If your friend floats the idea of getting rid of some of his nicer extra guns to help with medical expenses, I see no problem on either side.

But if it's a close friend selling you his cherished carry piece because he has no other options, tread carefully.

What you might do is overpay him for it, as a way to really help him financially while letting him keep his dignity. And when he recovers medically and financially, you can figure out a way to get it back to him without wrecking the friendship.

If he's really your buddy, just give him the money. He should get you back. That is how me and my buddy do it, but we are more like brothers than anything else. I even named him as the beneficiary, or sucessor trustee, of my trust. He gets the whole collection, NFA stuff and all, in the event somthing happens to me and my wife. He didn't ask for it either, I just did it. Our family memebers would only sell it off anyway, and he'd probably use it.

If he had cancer, I'd more concerned about what I can do for my buddy rather than what I can get in return. Then again, if he isn't THAT close, then don't bother. I just care more for this guy than I do my own family for the most part, save my wife.

You may find out that if you help him out and it doesn't work out for him (ie, cancer wins) that he left you his collection, or part of it, as well.

I just wouldn't offer to buy it unless he's mentioned that he doesn't care for it or wants to get rid of it. I certainly wouldn't offer if it was his favorite.

+1 here for "neither a borrower nor a lender be".
If it's a friend, I'll just give him whatever money I'm able, as a GIFT.
I'm no pawnbroker. If he wants to sell me "blank" for "blank" amount, and it isn't something I know he'll regret, that's one thing. But "sell it to me now and you buy it back later when you can" is a bad idea, in my experience.
Floating loans and hocking valuables is bad news, ESPECIALLY among friends and family. If you can help, help. A gracious gift should be accepted graciously. No strings attatched.

i wouldnt do it quite as you stated.

i wouldnt specify the gun, (if he only has one, this is a moot point), i would just offer to loan "x" amount, and use the gun as collateral, with the understanding that if he later doesnt want it back, or still cant pay you back, there is no hard feelings on your part.

if your in a position to do so, i would gift it back on a birthday or christmas, however, you may not be in a position to do this.

also, keep something in mind, never ever loan money expecting it back. call it a loan to the other person if you wish, but to yourself consider it a gift. and make sure your comfortable with that. if they pay it back, great, they gave you "x" amount of money. if not, no big deal.

i loaned money a couple times before following this rule, back in high school and right after. one i got back, one i didnt. trust me, if you think of it as a loan, it will come between you two eventually.

when i broke my leg and ankle and was unable to walk or work for 6 months, a close friend loaned me $800. after a couple months, i felt something between us, didnt like it, but had no way to pay the loan back. christmas time came, i decided to get him something small with what money i had, then thought, what if it upsets him? i have money for a gift but not to pay back part of my loan? started dreaming about it. the day the doctor told me i could start walking on it with the assistance of a cast and crutches, he told me not to worry about the loan, that my door always being open to him, and my ears always willing to listen was payment enough. when i started working, i still tried to pay him back, he refused. no more issues between us.

i tell you that story so you understand what your getting into, from his point of view as well.

I'd just give him the money.
Why involve his gun at all if you just want to help out a sick friend?

I've been unemployed for the past year in a half. My father in law offered to buy a shotgun and two of my 1911s from me if we needed quick cash. I could then buy them back at a later time after I gained employment. Personally, if it got to that point I would rather sell the weapons to stranger than take that route for two reasons.

Pride.

The thought of those guns going to my brother in law when my father in law passes if I don't get them back sickens me.

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A long time ago my best freind God rest his soul was going through a tough time. I bought a rifle from him. Several years later I gave it back to him for his birthday.