Selling firearms on the internet.... pointers?

[Great-Kazoo]

This is exactly what i am worried about. being a responsible and safe gun owner, I dont want to go down for illegally selling a firearm to a felon.

Having met some of the guys on the site at the recent shoots I have attended, I am pretty confident with the "trust factor" of members on this board.

I am pretty comfortable with just asking for a colo. DL, and ccw's are definite assurance, but theres always that chance... Maybe im just too paranoid....

you are not liable for selling to someone. Do you ask for a DL and proof of ins before you sell someone your car??
I ask if they are a felon and they tell me no, how do i know if they are being honest? I am not a dealer nor posses a FFL of any sort. As long as the deal did not originate at a gun show, 3 or more people present discussing the sale of a gun etc you should be GTG.
BUT if you decide to sell with all the requirements of a FFL be prepared to catch flak

[WellHungSmurf]

I'm fairly new here and I have sold 3 guns to people from this forum. All seemed like good guys, and I never had any doubts. My thinking is, if they are on this forum, and own guns they normally arn't "gang bangers."

I wouldn't sell a gun to anyone on the street, but here as long as they don't creep me out I hand them the gun, and say good day!

[leatherneck448]

ok, so say that I sell a firearm registered in my name to someone, and consequently ask for a colorado drivers license to prove they are of age, then I am basically waived from the so-called "nightmare scenario" if something like that ever happens?

[gcrookston]

you are not liable for selling to someone. Do you ask for a DL and proof of ins before you sell someone your car??
I ask if they are a felon and they tell me no, how do i know if they are being honest? I am not a dealer nor posses a FFL of any sort. As long as the deal did not originate at a gun show, 3 or more people present discussing the sale of a gun etc you should be GTG.
BUT if you decide to sell with all the requirements of a FFL be prepared to catch flak

The way the law reads in most states (including co) is the seller is not required to verify the buyer is eligible to purchase, but the seller is also held accountable for providing a firearm to someone if the seller knows they are not eligible under the law. That being clear, I follow these simple rules:

1. If shipping, ship only to an FFL and only after the check has cleared.
2. If meeting locally for the first time meet in a public place, like a sporting goods store parking lot.
3. On face to face transactions ask "Is there anything that prevents you from legally purchasing and possessing this firearm." -- by asking this, you have gone beyond what the law requires.
4. Cash only.
5. When in doubt, walk away.

[DFBrews]

ok, so say that I sell a firearm registered in my name to someone, and consequently ask for a colorado drivers license to prove they are of age, then I am basically waived from the so-called "nightmare scenario" if something like that ever happens?

Someone else will probably have a better explanation theoretically yes but I could see where this would be an issue which is why i ask get the first and last name just so i can direct them in the proper direction if a firearm i ever possessed was used in a crime. this very issue is why some people are starting to ask for a bill of sale.

[SAnd]

State any terms or sales requirements up front at the beginning. If you decide you are going to want see a drivers license or cash only or anything let the buyer know first thing. Be clear about how the sale is going to happen.

My 2 cents worth.

[alxone]

feed back helps but really its up to you and your comfort level . i have a few rules that help seem to help me (mostly for safety). if someone gives you a bad vibe get out as the saying goes "if there is a doubt, then there is no doubt ". 99% of the dealings i have had here (CoAr15) have been great .if you do find a thug or any shady folks just tell a mod and give appropriate feedback so everyone else can stay away . but what it all comes down to if you dont want to do a deal you dont have to .
i only do face to face transactions . if i have never delt with you then i take a look at your dl but have never felt the need to copy anything down . if its a firearm that is registered to you and your really concerned then you can meet at a gun shop and have them check up for ya. Im not sure how it is here but in maryland you can go to the sheriffs office and get it done for 10 bucks.
the big thing everyone will tell you is stay in your comfort zone . hope that helps

[cstone]

ok, so say that I sell a firearm registered in my name to someone, and consequently ask for a colorado drivers license to prove they are of age, then I am basically waived from the so-called "nightmare scenario" if something like that ever happens?

No adult is ever waived from anything. Given the scenario I posted, you sold to good person whose home was robbed and the gun was used by thug to commit homicide. If you bear a striking resemblance to said thug and you live around the corner from the stop and rob, you have no alibi, and you have blood spatter on your shirt, you will need OJ's lawyers to get you off.

If you are a multi-millionaire you can assume that someone who was traumatized by the gun you once owned will file a civil suit against you.

The detectives investigating will be looking for suspects and tracing a murder weapon is par for the course. You are not responsible for providing documentation or names of the party you sold the gun to when they ask. If the victim is unlucky Joe Jones with no fixed address, and you can prove you were nowhere near the crime scene, the questioning will probably be brief. If the victim is the President of the United States, you will enjoy many hours of intimate conversations with people who like to ask the same questions over and over, regardless of where you were on the night in question.

If you are very lucky, the good guy you sold the gun to here on the board will file a police report with a description of the firearm. It may be enough to tie the weapon to the murder and the detectives will skip you completely and go to that board member who can then explain once more to the nice officers how his home was burglarized and the same police department did not stop or solve that crime.

Generally once a firearm is sold in a private transaction, tracing it becomes a game of chance. The police sometimes do better tracing shell casings to batches of ammunition sold and checking surveillance video at the store where it was sold.

You have to decide what risk you are willing to live with. Using good judgment and reading the feedback forum are helpful. Nothing is fool proof.

[pickenup]

Maybe im just too paranoid....

Maybe so........


Cash and a handshake works for me, both buying and selling.
If I worried about every firearm I have sold over the years ending up in the wrong hands.......sometime......I would go crazy. Any idea how many times a firearms can change hands in 6 months.....how about in 20 years, 30, 40?

I go by gut instinct. And yes, I have walked away from selling a firearm, as well as buying them. If the seller insists on going beyond "the law" in this state. The key word is "knowingly"

I have a CCW, I had a FFL, I have been checked out. I am willing to "show" my CCW (no copies) to ease a sellers mind, but I'll be damn if I am jumping through any other hoops for a PRIVATE sale.

Do what you are comfortable with, but as stated above, list your terms in your ad. I don't want to waste your time or mine, only to find out you intend to drag me into some shop to fill out a 4473, etc. for a PRIVATE sale.

[hip55]

ok, so say that I sell a firearm registered in my name to someone, and consequently ask for a colorado drivers license to prove they are of age, then I am basically waived from the so-called "nightmare scenario" if something like that ever happens?

Where and why did you register a firearm in Colorado?