Armslist-percent who respond?

[grampajack]

In Wisconsin there aren't firearm laws more prohibitive than federal law, and private party sales are totally unrestricted as long as the seller believes the buyer to be over 18 and a Wisconsin resident. Armslist is great to facilitate transactions once you accept a certain amount of idiocy with both buyers and sellers.

When sellers on armslist impose their own restrictions, it makes me question their regard for the Second Amendment. Lots of private sellers will only sell handguns to those over 21. Many require a carry permit. Maybe a drivers license. Some even wish to take a photo of the IDs.

Most bizarre was a seller of a single shot 12 gauge I wanted for a project who insisted on my full name and birthdate to run his own background check using the state's open court records website! I have a carry permit, but that wasn't good enough because those can be faked or I could've been convicted of a crime in the months since renewal! I passed on that gun.

When I sell, I am specific and clear. I don't ask for anything but the buyer's acknowledgment he is a wisconsin resident and not prohibited. We meet in public at a place with cameras, cash only, no trades unless it's worth more than what I'm selling.

I would suspect an identity thief at that point. You did the right thing.

 

[Wisco]

I would suspect an identity thief at that point. You did the right thing.

In a free state, when someone needs to be that sure and wants that much info...just pretend you're not in a free state and meet at an FFL and do a check.

 

[brasscollector]

I would venture to guess that someone added your e-mail address to a spam list. The inquiries you're sending out are ending up in other peoples spam folders. Not too many people will 'unmark' spam e-mail, even if it looks legit.

 

[kemikos]

It's not real money. I've gotten those too and one even went so far as to send the address of his buddy the "FFL" to send the gun too. First FFL I know of operating his shop out of a single wide trailer, based on Google maps.

Those "certified funds" they want to send you aren't worth the paper they are printed on.

No, I'm aware of that. I used to work in a bank and handled all of the fraud cases the customers brought in. I've seen more "lottery prizes", "Nigerian inheritances", and "secret shopper reimbursements" than I care to remember; I have no interest in taking a fake check of my own. No, I had buyers offering to send me CASH. Through the mail.

 

[rskent]

If selling a gun , I.D required , Carry Permit preferred.

What does carry permit preferred actually mean? You ether need to see a permit or you don’t.

The few times I sold a gun, I wanted to see ID and a permit. Just having ID doesn’t mean that they are not prohibited. I guess having a permit in hand is no guarantee, but It’s as close as I need to insure I am not doing anything that I would regret later.

Armslist = cash, public place, ID and permit.

 

[rskent]

When sellers on armslist impose their own restrictions, it makes me question their regard for the Second Amendment.

I hold the second amendment in high regard. The public at large, not so much.

It’s my stuff for sale, it’s my choice. Just like it’s your choice not to buy my stuff. It’s all good.

 

[MidRoad]

Ive had alot of good luck with arms list. But thats because the safe act require all private sales to have background checks. So both buyer and seller have to meet at a ffl ,and have background checks done. Not much of a rule breaker,so i fallow the rules. Hell I cant even buy ammo online unless its shipped to an ffl.....Thanks cuomo!

 

[MachIVshooter]

Huh? I would ONLY do an Armslist transaction locally. Any Armslist transaction involving shipping a gun is automatically a scam as far as I am concerned. At least with GunBroker you have some idea that at least GB has checked them out a little.

I've shipped a few that I've sold on Armslist. I treat it the same as I would selling here or anywhere else; all good contact info, electronic payment or USPS money orders only, gun ships after I receive payment. I've also taken Paypal and direct credit card payment through my business and shipped stuff I sold on CL, although that's pretty rare.

Just employ your BS meter, as you should with any sale on a free posting site where you have no recourse if things go south.

 

[Wisco]

I hold the second amendment in high regard. The public at large, not so much.

It’s my stuff for sale, it’s my choice. Just like it’s your choice not to buy my stuff. It’s all good.

Gosh, you're so right. I make choices not to deal with sellers like you all the time - plus I get to come to the internet and pass on the fun stories!

I understand the Second Amendment means to limit infringement by the government, but private parties are clearly free to do as they wish.

Low regard for others is how states like California and cities like New York come to be - people making choices to restrict things because they have little regard for the rest of the public.

 

[hdwhit]

Elkins45 wrote:
I have a Yahoo account dedicated to use on Armslist and Craigslist ... and don't use my "real" email,...

Same here.

In fact, all publicly-facing e-mail addresses that I use are "@gmail" or "@yahoo" throwaways for the reasons you stated.

I also have a credit card that is used exclusively for on-line transactions. That way if the card is compromised, it is easy to cancel it and replace it without inconveniencing other parts of my on-line life.

 

[rskent]

I understand the Second Amendment means to limit infringement by the government, but private parties are clearly free to do as they wish.

Low regard for others is how states like California and cities like New York come to be - people making choices to restrict things because they have little regard for the rest of the public.

Sorry, I don’t see the connection between a state legislature making a law and private citizen making a personal choice.

 

[Wisco]

Sorry, I don’t see the connection between a state legislature making a law and private citizen making a personal choice.

If enough people think the same way, they elect someone with similar ideals. Others from other districts do the same. The statehouse sometimes becomes full of them. They pass laws.

If enough people want something or aren't opposed to something, sometimes the legislature acts on it.

By all means, if you want to research your buyers, you should. Just don't be surprised when people don't play along.

I'm saying it is a waste of my time to do a check of any kind where the law doesn't require it. It's also ridiculous to deal with someone who won't accept my carry permit and state ID as evidence I'm not prohibited and they insist on running their own check via google or whatever, but won't meet at an FFL to do a NICS.

 

[Dragon breath]

I have bought and sold on Armslist several times. Always in a public place that has security cameras during daylight hours. I always show up early and observe the area. If anything looks out of place, I cancel the meeting.
As Far as responding to ad's go, I always respond unless the message is ridiculous ( like I have a gun listed for $500, and they offer $300 ).

 

[justice06rr]

I have done several transactions on Armslist as both a buyer and a seller. Armslist is like Craigslist in that it is definitely a buyer beware environment, but dealing with established members and avoiding the $400 NIB Python ads goes a long way toward avoiding the scams.

I have developed the self-amusing habit of sending a question email to any listing I am even remotely interested in. I ask a legitimate question about things like magazine capacity, accessories, number of rounds, etc. What I have seen is that only about 20-30% of my emails ever receive a response. That leads me to wonder if that means 80% of the listings are just ploys to harvest email addresses, scams of another type, or what? I have a Yahoo account dedicated to use on Armslist and Craigslist (after a particularly unpleasant exchange years ago with a nut over a $50 water heater sale) and don't use my "real" email, but for guns I'm really interested in I have occasionally sent inquiries from multiple accounts with no responses.

Can there really be that high a percentage of scams? Or are there really that many bad salesmen?

Yes, I find that this is true for that website.

The last time I saw a good deal on a rifle I wanted to buy, the seller never responded to my multiple inquiries. Luckily my state has a bigger online site for firearms sales that is way better than Armslist.

 

[CoalTrain49]

I tried Armslist once. Seemed to me to attract a lot of bottom feeders.

Had one guy insist that I had to legally sell him a pistol. I realized I was dealing with some gangbanger who couldn't walk into a LGS and buy a pistol.

They come out of the woodwork like roaches.

 

[stchman]

I tried Armslist once. Seemed to me to attract a lot of bottom feeders.

Had one guy insist that I had to legally sell him a pistol. I realized I was dealing with some gangbanger who couldn't walk into a LGS and buy a pistol.

They come out of the woodwork like roaches.

If I suspect anything, I tell the buyer to meet me at the police station near me to buy the firearm. This usually stops people up to no good.

 

[Ignition Override]

Among my ten-twelve deals near Memphis, or as far east as Waverly, nothing seemed odd about anybody.

Maybe selling or trading Garands, Enfields, Mausers or handguns in 9x18 Mak never appealed to the questionable people who might highly prefer a large caliber handgun or an AR/AK type?

Back in '07, the Nashville guy who sold me my first SKS had first told restaurant employees (he managed) about the rifle. Then soon afterwards a total stranger, appearing to be a "gangbanger" (the seller's words) offered him about $100 more than he was even asking! The suspicious person seemed to believe that the generic 10-rd. SKS was an AK.

 

[19&41]

I've sold a rifle and have purchased a pistol using Armslist. Both went well. It is a useful resource and it requires reasonable caution.

 

[glocking26]

I bought and sold guns on Armslist as long as you do a FTF your fine. Never do anything that involves shipping.

 

[Ignition Override]

If you've dealt (as a visitor) with both visitors and vendors at gun shows for several years, you already should have enough experience to sense what is normal when communicating with people regarding guns and components.

Caution for Some millennials: this requires some non-digital communication.

 

[jdc1244]

I don’t see the connection between a state legislature making a law and private citizen making a personal choice.

That’s because there isn’t a connection.