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Question about legality of selling guns

scottw182scottw182 Member Posts: 8 ✭✭
edited October 2009 in Ask the Experts
Hi, I'm new here, and I'm a total gun newbie. I have a couple of guns that were given to me that I want to sell. What are the laws associated with selling firearms? Do I have to have some sort of permit? Does the person I sell to have to have a permit? Do the guns have to be registered (as of right now, they are not registered in my name, the person who gave them to me just bought them from somebody else, "under the table" so to speak) and then gave them to me. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.
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Comments

  • OLDCOPOLDCOP Member Posts: 629 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The last time I saw one of these "newbie" questions (another site), it was from a suspected drone from the Mayors Against Illegal Guns...apparently in an effort to test-the-waters and see what he could catch. If you are legitimate, I suggest you go to your local gun dealer and ask those questions of him. Whatever you do, do it legally! Good luck!
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  • scottw182scottw182 Member Posts: 8 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I don't know of any local gun dealers. I suppose I could find one, just thought it would be easier to get information online. How could I prove to you that I'm not the "drone" you mentioned?
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  • scottw182scottw182 Member Posts: 8 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Reading your reply again, I'm confused. I'm asking what is the legal way to go about doing this, how could you get in trouble for telling me the correct, legal way to sell a gun?
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  • TANK78ZTANK78Z Member Posts: 1,351 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    your question gives no idea of the municipality / state that you live in , nor does your profile. without at least this info , no answer other then to check with a local gun dealer FFL holder [use of the yellow pages should help ] or your local sheriff or p.d. is at all possible. there are probably hundreds of differing laws and regulations that vary through out the states and cities in the USA.
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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    each and ever state as well as cities within those states can have different laws MAY or MAY NOT require you to register your firearms. and then there are federal laws. I get a book about one inch thick with all the laws from BATFE the federal firearm enforcement people. You did not ask the question in a format that we can give you a short valid answer. Look in the phone book and call both your local police dept. and your local gun shop. LONG STORY short you can not by federal law sell a firearm to anyone from another state . but it might be against the law to even own or have in your house a handgun if you live in some parts of IL.
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  • beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by scottw182
    Hi, I'm new here, and I'm a total gun newbie. I have a couple of guns that were given to me that I want to sell. What are the laws associated with selling firearms? Do I have to have some sort of permit? Does the person I sell to have to have a permit? Do the guns have to be registered (as of right now, they are not registered in my name, the person who gave them to me just bought them from somebody else, "under the table" so to speak) and then gave them to me. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

    I'll help you with two pieces of sage advice that you should think over.

    -Possession of stolen merchandise is a crime.

    -Admitting to crimes in public forums generally isn't a good idea.

    As to how to legally sell/transfer guns, that entirely depends on what guns you are talking about and what jurisdiction you are in, and since you didn't specify these things, its impossible to answer your question.

    Consequently, there is no way for anyone reading this to have the foggiest idea if the guns you own are legal, or how you might legally transfer them to someone else.

    In some states you can legally transfer guns in face-to-face sales.
    In some states you can't.
    In some states you need a license to possess ANY gun.
    In some states you don't.
    In some states high capacity magazines are legal.
    In some states they aren't.

    Getting the picture?
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  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,453 ******
    edited November -1
    What state do you live in?Firearms laws are different in just about every state in the union so we need to know where you live before we can tell you what you can and cannot do. Topics here are locked after 10 replies and once again we have wasted more than half that number becasue we were not provide enough information to allow us to answer the question.

    WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
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  • kumatekumate Member Posts: 2,314 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sounds like a question from a D.C.troll to me
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  • scottw182scottw182 Member Posts: 8 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by beantownshootah

    I'll help you with two pieces of sage advice that you should think over.

    -Possession of stolen merchandise is a crime.

    -Admitting to crimes in public forums generally isn't a good idea.

    As to how to legally sell/transfer guns, that entirely depends on what guns you are talking about and what jurisdiction you are in, and since you didn't specify these things, its impossible to answer your question.

    Consequently, there is no way for anyone reading this to have the foggiest idea if the guns you own are legal, or how you might legally transfer them to someone else.

    In some states you can legally transfer guns in face-to-face sales.
    In some states you can't.
    In some states you need a license to possess ANY gun.
    In some states you don't.
    In some states high capacity magazines are legal.
    In some states they aren't.

    Getting the picture?



    The guns aren't stolen. By "under the table" I just meant the guns weren't registered to the seller or the buyer, so there is no official record of these guns being in my name, or the name of the person who gave them to me. I only specified that because one of my questions was whether or not they need to be registered in my name.

    Of course I'm not posting information about stolen goods. I don't deal with stolen goods, first of all, but even if I did, I'm smart enough to know better than to do that.

    Ok, so the consensus here is that I need to check locally because the laws can differ widely. I don't know why so many still asked where I live, when I need to just check for myself, surely you don't know the laws of every single state and every single city. Is there an internet resource where you can easily get the laws for your city/state?

    Well, there's only room for 1 reply now, not enough to accomplish anything. Guess I'll just start calling places and hope I 1) Get somebody helpful, and 2) Get somebody who actually knows what they're talking about. For all I know, they could just tell me wrong information.
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  • GashaulerGashauler Member Posts: 2,281 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Start a new thread with this basic information- where do you live, type of guns that you are wanting to sell, do you want to sell them locally or on gunbroker and any other info that you may think pertinent to the info that you want. I don't know jack but I do know from personal experience that the people here have a wealth of knowledge on this subject, and perhaps others, to rival any library. Odds are incredibly good that one of them will have the information that you are looking for, including but not limited to your state gun laws, i.e hi cap mags, face to face sales etc.

    One last bit of advice don't take it personal the only reason I know this is from reading everyone else ask the same questions to get the same responses. Without info no one can answer the questions with info you will be amazed how fast you get your answers.

    Hope this clears up some of your questions.
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  • hk-91hk-91 Member Posts: 10,050
    edited November -1
    just to make sure your legal and ship it to a receiving ffl dealer. then your covered.
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