private party sale with unregistered Armslist seller

[hi-impact]

I'm surprised there are as many people doing Armslist transactions as there are. The potential danger is there, but maybe not anymore than buying a pair of sneakers or cell phone off of Craigslist. Maybe there was a time when you could do it and not have to worry about it. But, times change. There are so many other ways to acquire/purchase a gun. Consider yourself lucky if you have not a victim of a scam/crime?

Criminals spend all day thinking about how to commit crimes and how they are going try to get away with it, that is their job. It's always the law-abiding citizens and law enforcement trying to play catch up. Law enforcement many times consult with criminals to determine how they think and the techniques they use to commit crimes. It's unbelievable how many things criminals can do with numbers and names.

I only buy firearms through a LGS FFL or online FFL. I always have done it this way and always will. I'm not the gambler that some of you guys are. I don't need to take any more risks than I need to. But, if you are comfortable with doing those type of Armslist transactions, then you take your chances. My advice, don't push your luck.

 

[coloradokevin]

If it's a scam you'll likely figure it out on the front end, because the scam will most likely involve some kind of credit card game. This could be completely legitimate, but you never really know with any deal until you get there. Just use the normal caution you would with any stranger you're meeting from the internet with cash in your pocket (public area during daylight hours, and things of that nature). I'd suggest meeting at a police station, and asking if the desk officer will run the serial number. Most will be happy to oblige, but if the gun is stolen they'll be keeping it (for obvious reasons).

 

[kmw1954]

An FFL has no way of determining whether a gun they’re transferring is stolen or not. So unless you live in a state where law enforcement is involved with the transfer, doing a private transfer through an FFL won’t help you determine if the gun is stolen.

That is correct, but it does create a paper trail that I can go back to that proves the gun was purchased by me and when. And that is not just a hand written Bill-of-Sale.

 

[Elkins45]

.....

I have sold several handguns via Armslist in the last couple of years. I am an unregistered seller. I am not scary , except to my daughter's high school friends , which is ok by me. Each of the meetings and exchanges I have had for gun sales has been a good experience for both parties. I do not put stock in who is/who is not registered on Armslist - a lot of the registered sellers are commercial businesses that clutter up the listings with way too many ads of new guns at full retail , which is a pia. I look to Armslist for an alternative to retail listings.

But I digress.

The main thing about being a registered user is that it gives you some indication of how long the person has been on Armslist. It would be a very patient scammer who registered an account and then waited three years to use it. If a guy has been registered a few years then (assuming the account hasn’t been hacked) it’s likely no one has reported him as a scammer.

 

[Elkins45]

I used to trade a lot. The easiest way to decide on a deal is to check a persons Facebook or put their name into google and add the city they live in. If the phone number is out of state then add that state after the name. There will be pictures pop up, likely a news story or obituary will mention the name. Use that information to make a decision.

I have a dedicated Yahoo account for just Armslist and Craigslist. It lists my name as “Name Withheld.” When I was new to this I used my ‘real’ account with my name. I stopped that when some guy threatened me because I sold a $50 water heater to someone else. You won’t find much if you google me!

 

[bearcreek]

Anytime I buy a gun FTF from someone I don't know, I ask to see a picture ID and then take a pic of it with my cell phone. I also ask for a bill of sale and verify the signature is the same as on the picture ID. Doesn't matter iffin it's Armslist or a local newspaper ad or the friend of a friend. Scammers and con-men all over out there. Any legitimate person is not going to mind doing these things to get the price they are asking.

I'm not sure exactly what a "legitimate" person is but apparently you don't consider me to be one. There are lots of people who don't want strangers making copies of personal documents and information.

I'm surprised there are as many people doing Armslist transactions as there are. The potential danger is there, but maybe not anymore than buying a pair of sneakers or cell phone off of Craigslist. Maybe there was a time when you could do it and not have to worry about it. But, times change. There are so many other ways to acquire/purchase a gun. Consider yourself lucky if you have not a victim of a scam/crime?

Lucky? I suppose you could say that. I've done well over a dozen transactions on Armslist and never had a bit of a problem with actual buyers or sellers. The stats might be hard to come by but I'll wager that you're in more danger in your vehicle while driving to meet a buyer or seller than you are during the transaction. I've dealt with scammers of course but to be honest, a person has to be pretty naive or just an idiot to fall for their games in the first place.

 

[Elkins45]

Scammers aren’t really the worry unless you do something stupendously idiotic like ship a gun to a fake FFL. Robbers and murderers are what you need to be concerned about in a FTF transaction.

The scams are easy to avoid.