Private pistol sales- FFL yes or no.

weird story: so a guy buys a pistol from a licensed dealer, goes shooting doesnt like it--trades it back in to the same dealer. About a month goes by and cops show up at work "detaining him" because the pistol he owned kill a cop in Houston. He was dumbfounded because he legitimately traded it in and got a different pistol. Well they investigate and the dealer did his part, it was just never registered to the new owner..ie paperwork didnt go through above the dealers head. They ended up getting the cop killer and the original owner was set free, because he was at work the time the shooting was and too far away.

 

FFL here. PM me if you need help in DFW

 

I'm in FL too. Bought, sold, and traded a lot of guns on Florida Gun Trader.

Only did a couple bill of sales. Usually just get a pic of each others carry permit.

 

If your goal is to someday end up on the ATF database of gun owners, then by all means use a FFL. If you think that the ATF/Feds don't/won't/can't create a database..... then read this: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-reg-gun-database-bill-20180601-story.html

"The Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act would strike a current federal prohibition on the creation of a searchable database of gun records. The ATF would be required to establish a database that includes records of the sale, importation, production, and shipment of firearms within three years under the bill."

 

Here's some introspective weekend reading for TW: https://www.breitbart.com/politics/...t-gun-ban-allows-government-to-dominate-them/

 

Always and the buyer pays the FFL not the seller.

 

Follow your state law. If it does not require face to face sales to go through an FFL, then don't, unless you just feel as though you have to. You are not liable for the actions of others if there was no reason for you to believe they were breaking the law.

My state allows face to face sales with no record keeping. Pretty sure I sold all my firearms that way some time back, can't recall to who though. That is the guns that I didn't lose in the fire or drop overboard.

 

This. All of my weapons were sank in a very unfortunate boating incident about 30 years ago.

 

If the buyer isn't a resident of the same state, the Feds require any transfer to go through a FFL in the state of the buyer's residence. If the buyer and seller are residents of the same state, then the laws of that state would determine whether or not an FFL is required.

If the buyer is a relative stranger to you and you want to ensure they're not prohibited, the highest percentage way to do that would be to use a FFL, although there have been a few notable "mass shooters" in the last few years who should have been prohibited and still passed the NICS checks because their info didn't get loaded into the database. In particular, DoD had a pretty abysmal record of their military courts reporting things like domestic violence convictions (and maybe the dishonorable discharges that often accompany those) to the FBI.

 

Unless you like being dragged through the "Just Us System" because of someone else's actions, go through an FFL regardless.

COA

 

Does this vary from state to state? I live in PA and that only appliesto long guns. All handguns must go threw a FFL if they leave you possession. I thought even being passed onto a family member they would also be obligated to transfer the handgun into their name before possession.

 

Yes, it varies from state to state. The communist type states have more restrictions when it comes to selling/buying guns.

 

Transfers between residents of the same state should be mainly covered by the laws of that state for an individual sale. CA requires FFL involved for any transfer that isn't within 2 generations of a direct line within a family (grandparent-grandchild or parent-child is OK, but uncle-nephew or first cousins would need to go through a FFL, I can't remember whether between siblings is OK or not) for any firearm (I think, but I can't remember for sure about "long" guns but handguns are definitely on those terms).

 

It looks to be the opposite here in PA. you can hand down a long gun to family or even do a private sale and not go through the FFL. Pistol on the other hand must be transfered through the FFL. Evreything really comes down to your local laws and you should research your state. The law could change from different parts of the state like Philly and Pittsburgh same state but totally different laws.

 

just because you morally feel compelled to have to use the state/ federal government to make a determination on your private assets, does not necessarily mean that if someone doesn't proscribe to that, that they are doing wrong.

Op, if your state law permits private sales, and you feel comfortable doing so, then do so. Just use common sense about it and know the applicable laws. When I do a private transfer, I always try and meet somewhere with cameras (gas stations, walmart, I have even sold firearms in the parking lot of police stations. I deal with paypal friends and family, or cash. I never sell ammunition with firearms, unless its to someone I know (that is a personal preference)

 

Unless the FFL goes out of business, then it gets forwarded to the ATF.

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/atf-national-firearms-act-handbook-chapter-14/download

 

True. I’m sure they have a large warehouse full of boxes of paperwork that have never been looked at or organized.

 

Not in any way did I mean that Non-FFL PPT is wrong.

We can go on and on about how to transfer firearms, but unless I have the means of determining if someone can legally own a firearm, I’m sticking with a FFL PPT.

That’s just plain common sense.

 

Im trying to understand whether you are implying that not using an ffl is not using common sense. I'm sure there has NEVER been an instance where the government made a wrong decision on a form 4473.