Safety in private FTF gun purchases

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Even in NYS, where you must have a license to possess a handgun, face to face private sales are legal (you still have to get a purchase document before, and bring the pistol and doc to the Licensing Bureau, but there need be no 4473 involved (which, considering that the hoops one jumps through for a pistol permit are more stringent, makes sense).

and even in Newyawkistan, a long gun private sale requires no more than a hand shake.

Personallly, I prefer to conduct my transactions in abandoned wrecking yards, disused waterfront docks, and sometimes seedy bucket o' blood barrooms on the wrong side of the tracks.

I'm a tradtionalist like that. :)
 
It really comes down to common sense. If I am going to meet someone to purchase an item advertised on a local classifieds site I will ask "Where do you live?" Can we meet where you work? Let's meet at the Nowhere KY police station parking lot. I try to get a grip on the seller, and will often mention that my buddy, wife, or son will be with. I will also get the seller's phone number, then attempt to match it up in a directory. Let's face it, if you are carrying $900.00 in cash to buy a rifle from a stranger you better be sure about the seller. What a potential for a scam ; run a juicy classified ad, agree on a price, meet somewhere, and OH NO the guy is robbing me!
 
I always have someone who stays a short distance away that is armed "just in case". I never do a deal with total strangers alone. Though I have got to meet a few decent people I have also met some people I refused to sell the gun to, or refused to buy the gun because something just didn't feel right. I do it politely because for all I know I have an upset stomach and its just me, so I don't want to upset them. I have also met a few people from this forum by accident selling and buying.
 
Nearly all of the FTFs I have been involved in (both buying and selling) have been with fellow CHL holders. I always ask in preliminary negotiations, and if he has one and I have one, it's all goiing to work out fine.

I generally meet him at Bass Pro's indoor range. That way, whichever of us is the buyer can test drive it right then and there before committing to purchase.

I was going by what i knew when i was a dealer.
ALL handgun transactions then required a legal FFL transfer AND thr gun was held by the FFL holder for 3 days and or until the buyers background check cleared.
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:rolleyes:
Okay, on the bright side, at least one member is now a bit more educated on the law.
 
I've done a few, I just always do it at my work parking lot, I see their id and show mine, give my money and shake hands, so far nothing but great deals!!
 
In a perfect world, gun range at a gun shop. That way, there are folks around and you get to see the gun in action (by the owner) or even test drive if the owner is generous.
 
The guys who said to use instinct and common sense put it in a nutshell.

Avoid being in a hurry during phone calls or the rendezvouz.
Keeping cellphones, radios etc off, and blocking any potential distractions during the meeting should help you notice any inner warnings from the subconscious.
 
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I like to hop on somebody else secure, Walmart, Target, gas stations, fast food joints all have good video systems, course most of mine I either did the FTF at their home or mine.
 
I have never had a problem either buying or selling firearms or for that matter anything. As stated doing a FTF transaction in a spot that has security cameras and during broad daylight is essential to safety IMHO. Having someone else as backup either with you or as a watcher from the distance is prudent in some areas but not a deal breaker around here. I might trust people too much but I have faith most are honest. You always have the option of not completing the deal if it feels wrong. YMMV
 
Another vote for the WalMart lot. There's a large one just off the turnpike locally with about 2 dozen stores around it. There's a spot with a shade tree that is visible from traffic, shoppers, Buffalo Wild wings and a bank. It is far enough from the security cameras to be private. Been working for about 15 years. Joe
 
I've bought and sold privately across fifteen separate transactions and never had a problem. Pick a retail chain parking lot, tell people where you're going. People here in AZ are pretty good about it.
 
Here in Ga. we do the FTF thing. I always deal only with CCW holders. At least a feeling that the person is legal. Never go unarmed and alone. Shooting range for locals or meeting places in public, during daylight. Just my way of keeping everything safe. As has been said, trust the hairs on your neck, you can always walk away.
 
Even in NYS, where you must have a license to possess a handgun, face to face private sales are legal (you still have to get a purchase document before, and bring the pistol and doc to the Licensing Bureau, but there need be no 4473 involved (which, considering that the hoops one jumps through for a pistol permit are more stringent, makes sense).

and even in Newyawkistan, a long gun private sale requires no more than a hand shake.
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That's exactly right. Even with handguns, private sales do not require a 4473 in NY State. You have to do the paperwork to transfer the registration, and the buyer has to sign a form saying he/she hasn't been convicted of a felony recently :)scrutiny:), but no NICS is required. In theory, anything that would cause you to fail NICS should have been flagged and caused your permit to be revoked anyway. Valid permit = good to go.
 
sgtstryker said:
Here in Ga. we do the FTF thing. I always deal only with CCW holders. At least a feeling that the person is legal. Never go unarmed and alone. Shooting range for locals or meeting places in public, during daylight. Just my way of keeping everything safe. As has been said, trust the hairs on your neck, you can always walk away.
Click to expand...

Minor technicality: It's a "Georgia Weapon Carry License" in GA now. It used to be a "Georgia Weapons License", and before that a "Georgia Firearms License". The word concealed has never been part of it. ;)
 
To my understanding, but do not rely on this, FTF is allowed even in NJ at least for a long gun purchase.

However, the buyer needs to have the Firearms purchasers card and fill out a New Jersey Certificate of eligibility, which the seller has to file with the loal police department with about 7 days, or maybe 10.

Not sure if a buyer with a permit to purchase a handgun can purchase FTF from a non-FFL.

Personally, I would be spooked to do a FTF with someone I did not know AND I would not want to put myself in the position of having to comply with all the NJ requirements.

I would take the gun to a NJ FFL for a transfer that would include a NICS check and we could split the transfer charge.
 
I won't bring anyone to my home. Justified or not, I have a fear of someone "casing" it or knowing where I live so they can come back later to steal the rest of my guns.

I've sold a number of guns FTF at gun shows. I just fashion a sign and walk around the show, and presto! someone buys it. The longest it has ever taken me is ~30 minutes. The only disadvantage is that you have to pay to get in.
 
I've done two FTF sales, both in a Costco parking lot near the gas pumps. But I park so we can do the show-and-tell without flashing the gun. I also carry during the transaction. I provide two or three snap caps so they can see it eject and feed. I have a bill of sale ready with spaces for full name, driver's license numbers, etc. I also state in the BoS that both the buyer and seller represent that we are legally eligible to buy/sell a gun as private citizens of the USA and the state we are in. When I have the cash, I go to the Costco and hang out near the entrance for a while (no guns allowed inside). When I leave Costco, I am on full alert. No use in getting involved in a stick up just in case the buyer brought a few JHPs and a bad attitude.

No issues so far. Smooth transactions. But I do want to avoid any problems.
 
I've only done like three face to face deals and two were fine. The third was a very creepy old guy I met at a gun show. I met him at work in the parking lot, he didn't know I worked there, and had two friends who were working there, just in case he was a flake, which he was. We were security guards there He pulls up in an amazingly bad pickup truck, almost to the point it was falling apart. It was covered with bumper stickers, some of which were just bizarre stuff like "STOP!", with no explanation of what he wanted to stop, and he had a huge, very mean black German Shepherd was in the cab with him. I was trading him an old 50% S&W Model 10 straight up for a nice Winchester .22. He smelled BAD, and if he wasn't on coke or meth, I would be shocked. He was kind of aggressive until one of my friends made himself visible, in uniform. He didn't say anything, he just looked at the creep and the guy instantly got friendly. After we exchanged the guns, he took off. The next day, I asked a cop I knew about him, and he said he was a well known "pill head" who had a long record of DUI and drunk in public stuff, but no felonies. He ran the rifle for me, and it came back clean, and I have to admit, I was surprised. A couple of years later, he decided to break into a house, and didn't know the owner and his dog were home. When the dog and owner came out of the bedroom, he tried to run and fell down the stairs, injuring himself badly. They searched his house and he had a ton of stolen items in it, including a few guns, along with a nice amount of crack. He went to jail for a long time, so I guess I had reason to be leery of him.
 
^^^ Did you have phone contact prior to the FTF to perhaps get some sense of what this guy was like?
 
Hemiram: Sounds like description of when NOT to go through with the transaction.

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