Private sale?

[cinok]

Private sales ar legal here in OK and AR but my question how do I make sure the gun has a clean history if I buy on this way. I fiqure the less papertrail the better

[walls0stone]

Pay cash and don't show john law your rifle. As far as ol' mr law know...I don't own a gun. ;)

[cinok]

Im thing more along the lines if I have to use for self defense and dont feel like burying the body mysef.(The neighbors would hear the shot) I just dont want to own a gun that traces back to a sore killer or something like that.

[RangerRick]

Make sure you get a "witten bill of sale" with the sellers "signature" and "safekeep it". Down the road it may well be you're "get outta jail free" card.

Rick

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

Cinok, as we're both in the same 'neck of the woods'...
I really don't worry too much about it. I buy only from folks that I know or, if out of the Classifieds in the paper, I usually have to go to thier home to see it. If someone want's you to meet them at 10 pm on a gravel road, that should raise a red flag. See where I'm going?

A lot also depends on what you're buying. For example, an old Win 94 lever action from an old guy with arthritis in his shoulder is a safe bet. So are things like a Rem 742 in ought six. Estate sales are 99.9999999% safe!
That's not to say that you won't ocassionally run across a person trying to (legit) sell a Jennings .22 pistol or another "Saturday Night Special" but, those are probably not what you're in the market for. If it is, be careful (wary) of the seller. Is it just the arm or, do they also have the original box, owners manual and such? That's a safer bet.
A good question to pose to a (suspicious) seller goes something like this.. "Oh, man! This is just what I've been looking for! I can't believe that you want to get rid of it. Is there something about it that you don't like?"
If they reply with anything short of sincere regret of having to sell because they need the money, be cautious. That's a good time to ease on out by saying something like "I want this but, I have to run it by the wife first. She thinks I have too many, already. How big of a hurry are you in to sell?"

If they drop the price drastically to entice you to buy NOW, that's another red flag. If they don't budge on the price and are in no hurry, that's the time to make an offer, like, "Well, I've got $X on me that I call my 'mad money' that the wife won't miss. Will you take that?"

Wanna buy an Uzi? *8)

Edited to add... Make sure you get a "witten bill of sale" with the sellers "signature" and "safekeep it". Down the road it may well be you're "get outta jail free" card.

Rick
Good advice.

[cinok]

Thanks for the advice. I'm just north of Roland Ok

[rice paddy daddy]

Here in Florida, anyone with a computer can run a serial number check with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to see if the weapon has ever been reported stolen. I have used this more than once. ;)
Your state may offer the same service. If you know a cop, he may run it for you.
If you've already paid for the gun, your money is gone, but it beats jail time for posetion of a stolen weapon.

[walls0stone]

I think know people who have purchased stolen goods with out knowing it. *They didn't go to jail... they did however loose the money and had the trouble of seeing themselves in the paper in relation to the crime. *That wasn't a gun however...it was a 6 man airplane, a D9 and a set of golf clubs... not all the same person ;) ;D

[rAcErRicK]

Yea, agreed on all points. Stolen is important, but if the piece in question has taken a human life, you may very well pay the price for that. Like several have said, be damn sure you can prove where, and when you became it's owner. There are many throw aways out there floating around, and they will most assuredly be a bargain.... Maybe. :o

[cinok]

I think I'll stick with the dealer's unless some I know is selling one. It's easy to track serial numbers but Ballistics are harder. I also noticed on rugers web site that you are given a test fired round in case your state requires it for permitting I guess they are building databases of all new weapons

[MissouriFree]

Devil, great advice .. Thanks much. I am now in one of the commie states in he east until this job is over, but misses is at the lake in Camden county. any suggestions on CCW classes in that area ?

[sethwyo]

Private sales of handguns and longguns are ok in TX. OK. KS.
NEB. SD. ND. MT. ID. OR. WYO. CO. ARZ. NM. UTA. and NEV.
I dont know about WA. Or east of the missippi .

Technicaly it OK anywhere, Some laws arnt right.

A state trooper can run the make cal and number and find out if its hot or not. BUT most stolden guns dont have the numbers reported so no one can know. Everyone write the numbers down on everything thay own.

A person stole a 30-06 rifle from my dad a few weeks ago, He dosent have the serial number, So nothing can be done.

[rivahmom]

We just keep all receipts in a locked safe. We only buy from private individuals because I prefer not to have an extensive background check done everytime we buy and I don't like the guvmint knowing what I've got. I'm not overly worried about purchaseing guns that are used for former crimes becuse we collect old military rifles and you rarely hear about them being used for robberys and such.