where should you meet to buy a gun from private sale (VA)

[Rail Driver]

Walmart parking lot is a good one... I've used the bank parking lot several times. A rest stop out on I-10 once or twice... Usually I just handle it in my livingroom.

 

[jhco50]

Coffee shop...seller buys.

 

[IcemanUnlimited]

At the front door of my apartment building in view of the security camera. This is where I do any face-to-face transactions of any kind, might as well do firearms as well.

 

[NMGonzo]

Sporting goods parking lot with plenty traffic around.

 

[GLOOB]

I have no problem having a prospective buyer/seller in my home after having email and phone contact. But the first order of business on arrival is seeing ID. I happen to think it would be rare for someone to try to rob a guy they know is probably armed and alert. And if you get burgled later... well, you have the guy's phone number, email, and driver's license info, right?

If a guy is industrious enough to fake an email, phone, and ID, he probably has better things to do than steal my measly possessions.

Parking lots are fine for me, but technically you could be breaking the law (brandishing) if you are in city limits.

 

[oneounceload]

In one location, then tell them when you meet them that you are both driving to another location so you can make sure no one is following!

No thanks...if you pulled that, you just lost a sale - way too paranoid for me

 

[scythefwd]

david, I generally use a mutually public place. If I'm headed down to richmond, bass pro and gren top are excellent places. I use the parking lot. It's public enoungh for witnesses and gun friendly enough that people won't freak out.

alexander, proof of residency is easy, felon isn't that hard. A ccw is good enough for a ffl, it's good enough for me. Barring a ccw, a CAC works for me.... You aren't likely to find someone with an actice CAC that's a felon. Hell, a voter registration card is all that most private selleres require.
as to your business intent, it doesn't meet that requirement. Law provides that a private entity can sell guns as long as it is for any reason but for profit business. Selling off the guns you bought to shoot becayse you no longer want them is not considered business. If you do that same turn around frequently or in a very short period of time then you may be suspect.

 

[rondog]

Dark alleys behind seedy bars.....

Heh, I bought a Winchester once, just meeting a guy at his office. Turned out he was an FBI agent, and it was the local FBI field office! Wasn't expecting that.....Nice .44 Trapper though, at a good price.

 

[Six]

In one location, then tell them when you meet them that you are both driving to another location so you can make sure no one is following!

Hah, hell no.

My thinking if you suggested that would be that either I'm gonna get robbed, or you don't want to be seen making a deal.

 

[Owen Sparks]

This is why "closing the gun show loop hole" will never work. People will just meet in a parking lot down the street somewhere and trade without involving a dealer, the police or the federal government.

 

[22-rimfire]

I've done them outside places like Burger King. If someone is late, it as a good place to sip on coffee or whatever until they show up. Plus you usually have a good view of the parking lot for arrivals.

 

[Specs]

This is why "closing the gun show loop hole" will never work. People will just meet in a parking lot down the street somewhere and trade without involving a dealer, the police or the federal government.

If it becomes illegal to conduct a private sale, and then a private deal is made, it will probably be a felony. Think about private sales across state lines. I don't do it, and I would guess that most on this forum do not as well.

 

[kimberkid]

I've done the face-to-face before in a parking lot and was not comfortable with it ... just didn't feel right but I never had any problems.

Now I only sell at a to a friend, at a gunshow or on Gunbroker.

 

[Hocka Louis]

A Shooting Range, Of Course

Used to be a gunshow if u had a table. Even sold an old but unused rifle and a book on Teddy Roosevelt to someone interested -- met him in a gas station parking lot.

I think a Shooting Range "clubhouse" is the best place -- public and no-one will freak out -- that's where guns belong. Just don't surprise anyone who works there that you sre showing someone a gun off of the firing line.

 

[writerinmo]

I meet in the parking lot of a LGS that also has an indoor range and CCW classes, the parking lot always has people in it, they have camera's on the parking lot, and about half the time when I sell on, they know exactly where the place is because they are members! I've passed on a lot of sales for a lot of reasons, sometimes gut feelings, sometimes even what their email address says about them.

 

[Ignition Override]

My first was buying the SKS, about 1100 behind a McDonalds near I-40, in a small town in April '08.

The next was about 1300 in front of a Kroger, on the edge of the parking lot.
In that town, nobody would worry about, or really see a Mini 14 shielded by two people.
The last was the parking lot between Walmart and Sam's, in a fairly empty area.
These small towns are full of guns and criminals know it.

These were all day time, cars went by slowly by slowly, now and then.
This is down south, but I would be much more careful in the northeast.
There I would me at a gun range or gun store/show parking lot.

 

[stickhauler]

I don't know that Wal Mart lots are all that safe. Anyone who thinks so can tell that to the family of the lady killed in the Wally World right beside my employer. By a yet to be apprehended criminal who shot and robbed her of her purse, and took her car. She was left to bleed out in that parking lot, with security cameras, and a roving mobile security guard. In broad daylight, during Christmas shopping season, with loads of people coming and going.

Maybe that's why I'm super vigilant when I come into the yard with my truck, day or night, until I retrieve my firearm out of the locked gun safe mounted in my car trunk. I feel much more secure when I return to the yard armed, as I do carry in the truck if I'm driving in the states. I secure it in my car if I have to run a Canada load.

And this is in a fairly "safe" neighborhood considering it's a more suburban than urban area. If our yard were in a more dangerous neighborhood, I would have quit years ago.

I worked for a guy years ago in a very dangerous neighborhood, and often came into the yard at any hour of the day, and never considered myself in any danger. But, all the professional criminals (and the ones in training) knew my boss, and knew full well that if they messed with his property or employees, their future would be severely impacted. No, the boss wasn't a crook, but he had a reputation in that part of town as someone NOBODY messed with. He had "friends", if you know what I mean. Very serious friends.

 

[littlebubba]

Think like a criminal for a moment...

Nothing disturbing about it. Why invite a complete stranger into your home for the purpose of selling a firearm? If you have one firearm to sell, it's a pretty good guess that you have more, right? All you have before the person walks into your home is the name they gave you. Phone numbers and email addresses are easily gotten these days.

Perform the transaction at the local range with people around where guns won't make 'em nervous. Heck, this way, you might even be able to shoot the thing before you buy something that has problems.

As for some quiet corner of a parking lot...er, I don't think so.

I concur. You can get to know someone only so well from emails, phone conversations, etc. I am very protective of my family and my privacy and would certainly not want anyone I hardly knew to know where I live. I believe I would be equally uncomfortable entering the other person's house (call it paranoia, I call it erring on the side of caution). A well lit, populated area would seem the most logical choice.

 

[billib]

Now Bloomy and his cohorts will be wanting all parking lots to have a way overpaid union government employee to run background checks. I've bought at a gunstore parking lot by chance and met a complete stranger at a local carwash for a trade. My thoughts are both parties are most likely armed in addition to the transaction piece. I do prefer not having strangers at the house, would rather meet somewhere. Same with anything else i might sell as well.

 

[HammerheadSSN663]

I NEVER do private sales.

I ALWAYS do an FFL transfer at the counter in a gun shop.

Not even to relative would I private sale.

I want my name nowhere near that gun if it gets lost or stolen and is used in a felony.

Yeh, I know you can get a 'transaction receipt' from the person you sold it to but still, you don't really know anything about that person. Plus (knowing me) there's always the possibility of losing that little piece of notebook paper you drafted up. And even if you do retain that piece of paper 20 years down the road, pretty much gaurantee that lawyer is gonna add your name to that wrongful death lawsuit.

No thanks. Full FFL transfer for me always.

 

[Ignition Override]

Hammerhead:
That is smart advice.

A very serious injury resulted last spring when a seller with a table (and a visitor) at the Bloomington IL gun show forgot to check his Mini 14''s chamber or magazine.
The rifle's owner is being sued, but it seems very unlikely that the rifle's previous owner would be included.

There seem to be very few Mini 14s or Mosin Nagant rifles (types I've sold) used to rob liquor stores or in muggings etc, at least in the US.

 

[AWorthyOpponent]

I sold one at a McDonalds because of the distance we lived apart, but I usually (the other like 2 times) like to go to a public range. I'll bring a box of ammo and a target. Also makes him fill out the liability form at the range of there ever was a problem. They usually keep them on file for a while.

 

[ZeroJunk]

I had a guy come to the house and pick one up this week. I could tell by talking to him that he was a middle aged man. Seemed pretty normal to me when he showed up. If he had sounded off or made me uncomfortable for any reason I just wouldn't have sold him the gun rather than go through a bunch of contortions.

But, if a man feels uncomfortable about me coming to his house I understand completely. I have bought other merchandise off eBay that was not gun related at all and the seller didn't want anyone coming to his house.

 

[Six]

I NEVER do private sales.

This seems to be a variation of hoplophobia.

The fear of the liability of firearms.

 

[RyanAnchors]

I have to say it -- this whole thread sounds vaguely disturbing. What you all are saying is that this has to be some sort of furtive exchange, almost like a drug deal, and that you're worried about getting ripped off. Further, these start to look like "public" sales as opposed to "private" sales where the parties at least know each other. Now look -- if you can't trust the buyer to come pick up the gun at your home, how would you trust him with a gun in the first place? Or are you saying that you don't care what sort of person gets your gun, and that only the cash is important? It seems to me that this is a sort of moral abdication.

Furthermore, there has to be a little backstory leading up to a gun transaction between total strangers. How did the parties get together? Ad in local newspaper? Meeting at a gun show? These are things that show "business intent." Just another argument, it seems to me, that "car trunk dealers" should be licensed and have to run background checks.

I'm not trying to be offensive, but I disagree with almost your entire post.

Umm. In some places it is something that must be concealed because the general population is very anti-gun or at least not knowledgeable about firearms. Go to Tempe, AZ. Very pro-gun culture...then go near ASU campus and things change. Two guys doing a cash gun sale is bound to make idiots feel afraid even more so than just open carrying.

Sorry, but it sounds like you are blaming firearms for the things people choose to do with them. Would you sell a car to a guy you didn't fully know and trust because you're afraid he could drive down the boardwalk with it and kill 20x more people than any mass shooter ever has? I'm sure you would.
A gun has no mind of its own and while I wouldn't sell one to an obvious "gang banger" wearing his gang colors, I'm not going to turn a guy down just because I don't trust him. I don't trust a lot of people, especially strangers.

"Car trunk dealers"?
Are you joking? If you engage in the business of buying and selling firearms for profit, then you do need an FFL. Period. If ATF finds out you're buying (and later selling) 10 handguns of the same model without an FFL they are going to come down pretty hard on you.
If you can't see the difference between that and me posting a "Glock 19 for sale" ad here or in the paper, then I don't know what to tell you.

As far as background checks, I'm opposed to them in general, so I guess we won't get into that.
You don't need a background check to buy a bat, knife, car (you can legally buy one without registering it), explosive making materials, poison, etc. I think you get my point.
People who want to kill other people are going to do it no matter what. People who want to shoot other people are going to get a gun one way or another.
Out of all the sales stopped by NCIS that they claim, I think something like over 90% of them were later approved after something was cleared up (DV arrest, no conviction. Old felon had rights restored. Mistaken identity).

NCIS isn't doing anything. Even if you ended all private sales it wouldn't change anything. Here in CA all private transfers must go through an FFL, background check, 10 day wait...I assure you there is no shortage of illegal guns in Los Angeles being used by idiot gangsters as I type.