Private party sales, what's the best way to conduct it.

[Sigma40]

I do not need anymore receipts than I currently have. If he looks like Marilyn Manson I won't sell or buy from him.

[Tyler_Ladd]

*Hand shake*

Buyer: Hi, I'm Tyler
Seller: Hi, I'm Bob
Buyer: Here's your money, you live in Ohio right?
Seller: Yup, here's the gun, you live here too?
Buyer: Yup. Everything work like it's supposed to?
Seller: Yup.
Buyer: Cool, see ya later.

*Hand shake*

[jacksnack]

*Hand shake*

Buyer: Hi, I'm Tyler
Seller: Hi, I'm Bob
Buyer: Here's your money, you live in Ohio right?
Seller: Yup, here's the gun, you live here too?
Buyer: Yup. Everything work like it's supposed to?
Seller: Yup.
Buyer: Cool, see ya later.

*Hand shake*

Piece of cake...as it should be.

[ArcherAce]

Somewhere in there you should be looking at each others DLs just to be sure they are residents of Ohio.

[P-chan]

So what happens if the gun you sold is used in a crime, and the police recover the weapon. They're going to trace the serial number to the gun shop that sold it, and look up the 4473 with your name on it, right*? I would certainly want to have a bill of sale with the purchaser's name in that scenario.

*Assuming you purchased the firearm from a gun shop, that is.

[DisgruntledCitizen]

So what happens if the gun you sold is used in a crime, and the police recover the weapon. They're going to trace the serial number to the gun shop that sold it, and look up the 4473 with your name on it, right*? I would certainly want to have a bill of sale with the purchaser's name in that scenario.

*Assuming you purchased the firearm from a gun shop, that is.

If the gun turns up in a shooting somewhere in Manitoba, Veracruz, or Nevada, I imagine I'll have ample alibi to show that I wasn't at the scene or anywhere near the scene.

"I sold the gun to somebody, I don't remember who, a while ago, I don't remember how long ago, and obviously I lost control over what happened with it when I sold it to them..."

If I sell a gun at a local gun show and then 24 months later it winds up at a crime scene in Vancouver, Regina, Reno, Los Angeles, or Tijuana, I really don't care. It's not my fault, it's not my problem, and I'm not responsible for it.

If I sold a car to somebody, they sell it to somebody, they sell it to somebody, and it changes hands a half-dozen times, and ultimately is used to run somebody over in a fit of rage, am I expected to shoulder any of the blame?

[McM]

So, how did the sale go?

[BobK]

So what happens if the gun you sold is used in a crime, . . . I would certainly want to have a bill of sale . . .

This is one of those cases where the seller's have an understandable interest in documenting the sale and buyer's have an understandable privacy interest in not documenting the sale.

In free markets, we have room for negotiation. Depends on how bad the seller wants to move the goods, how badly the buyer is lusting after the goods, or any other countless factors.

[P-chan]

So what happens if the gun you sold is used in a crime, and the police recover the weapon. They're going to trace the serial number to the gun shop that sold it, and look up the 4473 with your name on it, right*? I would certainly want to have a bill of sale with the purchaser's name in that scenario.

*Assuming you purchased the firearm from a gun shop, that is.

If the gun turns up in a shooting somewhere in Manitoba, Veracruz, or Nevada, I imagine I'll have ample alibi to show that I wasn't at the scene or anywhere near the scene.

"I sold the gun to somebody, I don't remember who, a while ago, I don't remember how long ago, and obviously I lost control over what happened with it when I sold it to them..."

If I sell a gun at a local gun show and then 24 months later it winds up at a crime scene in Vancouver, Regina, Reno, Los Angeles, or Tijuana, I really don't care. It's not my fault, it's not my problem, and I'm not responsible for it.

If I sold a car to somebody, they sell it to somebody, they sell it to somebody, and it changes hands a half-dozen times, and ultimately is used to run somebody over in a fit of rage, am I expected to shoulder any of the blame?

Whoa, nobody's saying the seller in this scenario would be at fault, or shouldering any of the blame - but regardless of that, you WOULD have the authorities knocking on your door, expecting you to be armed and possibly dangerous. Wouldn't it be nice to give them another name to track down, instead of telling them "I sold it, a while ago, to somebody...." and possibly having to be put into custody and answer a bunch of questions?

[charben]

P-chan: I don't have your concerns nor am I willing to guide the police to someone else. You are welcome to do whatever makes you comfortable, though. Just don't be surprised if someone refuses to do business with you. They might have different concerns.

[DisgruntledCitizen]

So what happens if the gun you sold is used in a crime, and the police recover the weapon. They're going to trace the serial number to the gun shop that sold it, and look up the 4473 with your name on it, right*? I would certainly want to have a bill of sale with the purchaser's name in that scenario.

*Assuming you purchased the firearm from a gun shop, that is.

If the gun turns up in a shooting somewhere in Manitoba, Veracruz, or Nevada, I imagine I'll have ample alibi to show that I wasn't at the scene or anywhere near the scene.

"I sold the gun to somebody, I don't remember who, a while ago, I don't remember how long ago, and obviously I lost control over what happened with it when I sold it to them..."

If I sell a gun at a local gun show and then 24 months later it winds up at a crime scene in Vancouver, Regina, Reno, Los Angeles, or Tijuana, I really don't care. It's not my fault, it's not my problem, and I'm not responsible for it.

If I sold a car to somebody, they sell it to somebody, they sell it to somebody, and it changes hands a half-dozen times, and ultimately is used to run somebody over in a fit of rage, am I expected to shoulder any of the blame?

Whoa, nobody's saying the seller in this scenario would be at fault, or shouldering any of the blame - but regardless of that, you WOULD have the authorities knocking on your door, expecting you to be armed and possibly dangerous. Wouldn't it be nice to give them another name to track down, instead of telling them "I sold it, a while ago, to somebody...." and possibly having to be put into custody and answer a bunch of questions?

I'm not going anywhere unless I am being arrested and charged or if they have a warrant for my arrest. I don't have to answer any questions.

Five words- "I have nothing to say."

If they ask, I might answer. If they tell me I have to answer, I'll tell them what they can do with themselves.

I've figured out, after all these years, dealing with law enforcement typically never results in anything positive. It's best to just tell them to buzz off before you give them enough rope with which they can hang you. Maybe it turns out that the guy at the flea market had a restraining order against him, or 20 years ago in Texas he had a felony on his record (how could you ever possibly know of either situation?) and thus it is best not to say a word to law enforcement.

They have the power, but not the right, to put me in custody and demand I answer questions, and I am not obligated to answer any questions. It would look really bad in a US District Court when it comes out during a civil rights violation trial that police held somebody for 3-4 days because they didn't remember who they sold a gun to, or they didn't want to talk about it, and they were held without being charged.

[dan dan the XD40 man]

So just how often is a gun found at the scene of a crime without the bad guy being there as well?

[DisgruntledCitizen]

So just how often is a gun found at the scene of a crime without the bad guy being there as well?

Probably not very often, eh?

[P-chan]

P-chan: I don't have your concerns nor am I willing to guide the police to someone else. You are welcome to do whatever makes you comfortable, though. Just don't be surprised if someone refuses to do business with you. They might have different concerns.

Hey, I'm with you, I'm just playing devil's advocate. I've already purchased a couple firearms at gun shows from private sellers where it was a glance at the Ohio DL, and that was it. I was just genuinely curious what people thought about the "paper trail".... Good answers so far

[dclaarjr]

If I sell a gun, if I know the person, say it is Charben, I don't worry about ID. If I do not know the person, I look at the persons CHL. I do not need any information other than that. If the gun is later used in a crime and LE comes calling, all I will say is I sold it, do not know the persons name, and I did see there CHL, so I knew they were legal to own a gun. IMO my back side is covered at this point.