Madcap_Magician
Member
I don't feel an obligation to run a background check (even if I could), but I certainly have both a legal and more importantly a moral obligation to do my part to avoid selling guns to someone who cannot legally possess them.
I am up front that a buyer must have a permit to purchase or carry (required for handgun purchases from dealers in my state). I usually spend a few minutes chatting, both because it's nice to talk to other gun enthusiasts and to get a feeling for the buyer.
I have turned down two sales in my life, one to a young man at a gun show who A. Appeared to be extremely interested in buying my gun before he even knew what gun it was, B. Claimed he left his driver's license and permit "at home in my car," C. Was extremely fidgety, refusing to look me in the eye at any point in the conversation and repeatedly glancing at the St. Paul police officers working security, and D. Offered me more than my asking price if I would sell to him anyway.
The other was to a fellow local to me who met me to look at a Beretta I was selling on Armslist. I had e-mailed him and let him know I needed to see his permit to purchase or carry and his driver's license. He said that was OK.
When we met he had a nylon duty belt rig with empty OC, baton, flashlight, and cuff cases. I asked him casually if he was a cop or a competition shooter, and he said he worked for Homeland Security and couldn't tell me what he did. He then rambled on about how he wanted my Beretta as a new duty gun.
At this point my alarm bells started going off, but the alarm was for "Probable mall ninja tactifool wannabe, but mostly harmless" instead of "Dangerous person/criminal."
Because I'm not sure that DHS has any sworn and armed agents, and if they do, they probably work for another agency and are certainly not allowed to just buy their own handguns as if DHS was a local Sheriff's Office or PD instead of a gigantic federal behemoth with a big procurement office. Even if such a thing existed, the "I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you" line is just pure mall ninja.
Well, he then said "My permit is at home in my tactical vest."
OK, boss. Why don't you just go get it, and I will either wait or we can meet again.
Then he stuttered something about not having time to do that.
So I shrugged and told him we could meet some other time when he had it.
The next night I got some rambling foolishness in an e-mail from him to the effect of "I am a federal LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERZ AND U NEED 2 SELL 2 MEEEE. I don't need a permit to buy gunsss you should no that!!!"
At which point I just rolled my eyes and told him to stop wasting my time.
I am up front that a buyer must have a permit to purchase or carry (required for handgun purchases from dealers in my state). I usually spend a few minutes chatting, both because it's nice to talk to other gun enthusiasts and to get a feeling for the buyer.
I have turned down two sales in my life, one to a young man at a gun show who A. Appeared to be extremely interested in buying my gun before he even knew what gun it was, B. Claimed he left his driver's license and permit "at home in my car," C. Was extremely fidgety, refusing to look me in the eye at any point in the conversation and repeatedly glancing at the St. Paul police officers working security, and D. Offered me more than my asking price if I would sell to him anyway.
The other was to a fellow local to me who met me to look at a Beretta I was selling on Armslist. I had e-mailed him and let him know I needed to see his permit to purchase or carry and his driver's license. He said that was OK.
When we met he had a nylon duty belt rig with empty OC, baton, flashlight, and cuff cases. I asked him casually if he was a cop or a competition shooter, and he said he worked for Homeland Security and couldn't tell me what he did. He then rambled on about how he wanted my Beretta as a new duty gun.
At this point my alarm bells started going off, but the alarm was for "Probable mall ninja tactifool wannabe, but mostly harmless" instead of "Dangerous person/criminal."
Because I'm not sure that DHS has any sworn and armed agents, and if they do, they probably work for another agency and are certainly not allowed to just buy their own handguns as if DHS was a local Sheriff's Office or PD instead of a gigantic federal behemoth with a big procurement office. Even if such a thing existed, the "I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you" line is just pure mall ninja.
Well, he then said "My permit is at home in my tactical vest."
OK, boss. Why don't you just go get it, and I will either wait or we can meet again.
Then he stuttered something about not having time to do that.
So I shrugged and told him we could meet some other time when he had it.
The next night I got some rambling foolishness in an e-mail from him to the effect of "I am a federal LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERZ AND U NEED 2 SELL 2 MEEEE. I don't need a permit to buy gunsss you should no that!!!"
At which point I just rolled my eyes and told him to stop wasting my time.