Feeling Guilty - Bought a gun today for $10

D

DougB

New member
I was in a pawn shop today and a guy came in wanting to sell one of the little Phoenix Arms .22 pistols. The dealer pointed out that they aren't worth much - I think he said dealer cost was around $45 (I don't know if that's true or not). Anyway, the guy seems to just want to be rid of it regardless of the price. Say's he'll sell it for $10. The dealer wasn't interested because a local ban may make him unable to sell it in the near future anyway.

So I ask to see it. Its the short barreled version. Exposed hammer. Two safety levers. Looks very little used. Has original box and manual. I'm suspicious about it being stolen, but the dealer say's the guy's been in before and seems legit. He's Asian and has trouble with English. Seems to just want to get rid of it and buy a larger pistol. He has a gun magazine and was asking the dealer about different guns (obviously pretty new to firearms). He didn't SEEM like someone desperate to unload a stolen gun. Anyway, I took it. The dealer charged me $10 to do the transfer, plus the $15 fee for the state, so I wound up getting it for $35 cash "out the door."

If, during the waiting period, it doesn't come up as a stolen gun, and if it works when I get it, I think I'll send the guy another $15 or $20 so I don't feel so guilty. I know this is a cheap gun, but $10 is a little ridiculous. This whole deal was setting off my "too good to be true" alarm, so I hope it turns out okay. But I don't stand to lose much either way.

Doug

[This message has been edited by DougB (edited September 14, 2000).]
 
I have a similar story. A few years ago I was shooting the breeze in one of the local gun shops when a man came in wanting to sell two handguns. One an RG .22 revolver, the other a Raven .25 auto. After making sure the shop owner was not interested I asked the guy what he would take for the Raven. He said $20 I said $5. (I know I should be ashamed but I'm not :D) Immediately three of the other patrons began ridiculing me for purchasing the .25. I told them that any gun was worth five bucks! The seller than asked me to buy the RG for the same price of five dollars. I declined. When he said that I had just stated that any gun was worth five bucks I told him I had mispoke, the RG was over priced. :D
He left with the gun. Out of eight people in the shop none would pay his asking price.
I'd say you have payed enough for it now.
Why did the dealer charge you for a private sale?

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Gunslinger

I was promised a Shortycicle and I want a Shortycicle!
 
I picked up a RG 22 cal for 15 and sold it for 50.There is allways someone out ther ewho will pay 50 for a RG.

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Bob--- Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gunslinger:

Why did the dealer charge you for a private sale?[/quote]

Gunslinger,
Here in California, all gun sales need to be processed by a dealer. This includes some paperwork and a $15 fee to process a "Dealer Record of Sale" (DROS), which includes a background check. For a gun this cheap, I was tempted to say "step outside and I'll give you $20 for it," but, with my concerns about it possibly being stolen, and the fact that I'm doing my best to keep all my gun dealings 100% legal, I followed the law. This way, if it turns out to be stolen, I may lose my $35, but I won't be guilty of buying stolen merchandise. The dealer charged $10 for his trouble in handling the paperwork and submitting the DROS. I think that's fair.

Doug
 
Some years back I bought a RG 22 from a co-worker for $10. Then I took it a local gun buy-back program and traded it for $70 worth of grocery and gas gift certificates. Best gun deal I ever made. :D

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Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
 
Three bucks for a Rohm .22 short revolver. It didn't have a swing-out cylinder, as I recall. A reallllllly stupid kid could take .22 LR HP's, file the noses down a bit, and fit them in the cylinder, since shorts were a bit more scarce for me... I MEAN THE STUPID KID!! back then. He gave it to his older brother, who lost it in his sock drawer somehow. Bought legit from a cousin-in-law.
 
Grayfox,

Please tell me that you were very desperate at the time and had three starving children and a pregnant wife to feed. If that is your reason for turning the gun in to a "buyback program" then I will forgive you. Hey, most of us stumble upon hard times now and then. If you did it just to make a profit, who needs $60 so bad that they are willing to support the anti's cause?

BTW, why do they call it "BUY BACK". "Buy back" insinuates that they once owned the gun and now they want to buy it back from you. I guess it's just another play on words by the anti's to make their cause look righteous.

Good shooting.
 
Hmmm, sounds like a money-making prospect for the PROK.
Here in Vermont, we simply put an ad in the local classifieds. :D

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Panzerführer

Die Wahrheit ist eine Perle. Werfen sie nicht vor die Säue.

Those that beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those that don't.
 
Doug, if you're still guilty, consider sending that money to an organization that can really use it ... Mothers Arms comes to mind ( www.mothersarms.org ). I doubt the seller will appreciate it as much - he made his deal.

Congrats on your purchase. Regards from AZ
 
Mom T,
No I wasn't desperate, it was all part of the master plan. You see that RG POS was one of the "better" guns turned in that day. We had the "do-gooders" paying a fortune for nothing but junk. Many of us came with cash in our pockets to work the line. If anybody brought anything that was worth a darn to turn in, we would buy it on the spot for $70 cash money. But, as it turned out, very few guns were bought as all that people brought was total junk. So the gun grabbers spent a whole lot of money on nothing. Even the local media stated what a failure it really was. Works for me! :D
BTW: they tried the same thing a year later, but only offered $25 worth of certificates. They took in a total of 24 guns and all of them were junk. Also, a gun show that same weekend and only about 200 yards away brought in over 5000 people. Boy, did they come off looking like fools! :)

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Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
 
I once purchased a Ruger #1B in .280 in 98% condition for a NEF break open 12 guage and $200 cash! I felt guilty for months but eventually got over it!
 
About 6 months ago, a LE friend of mine was going through a tough divorce and he needed some fast cash. He sold me a 95% Sig 229 with 5 pre-ban factory 12 rounders and the original .40 barrel and an aftermarket .357 barrel. In the same deal, he sold me a Remington 700 in .300 magnum with a ton of accessories. The price for both guns was $200, we both felt good about the deal.

bt
 
If the item comes up 'as stolen', you are out your $$, and the transfer dealer owns the gun. There is a reason why it was cheap... What, do you think you were the first one he solicited? Very sad story, grandmother sick, wife left, kid in hospital... Oh, and did he say 'iamnotacop' and you said 'iamnotajohn'?
 
Grayfox,

I see what you are saying and in that case what you did is alright. It's just that they do those "buybacks" around here a lot and it always sickens me to think that there may actually be a few nice, maybe even collectible, guns going to their death. And all for a lousy $50 (that's the going rate around here).

Good shooting.
 
Tomorrow I'm buying a FM highpower in very good condition with one factory magazine and a Taurus pt22 in exellant condition. Both come with extra mags and holsters. Here's the best part,$100 for both. Do I feel guilty? Heck no this probably my best deal ever. Just happened to be at the right place and time.
 
Well I got a Remington single shot Target March rifle for $5. How's that?

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The best weapon for self defense is the one you have when the need arises!
 
This must be "Can you top this."
Well, I got a Winchester .22 (old) rifle for $)00.00. Does this qualify? "Course that was 55 years ago ... it was already 40 almost.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by 9x45:
If the item comes up 'as stolen', you are out your $$, and the transfer dealer owns the gun. There is a reason why it was cheap... What, do you think you were the first one he solicited? Very sad story, grandmother sick, wife left, kid in hospital... Oh, and did he say 'iamnotacop' and you said 'iamnotajohn'?[/quote]

9x45,
I think you are talking to me (this thread generated quite a few stories). I realize that if it turns out to be stolen, I'll be out my money. I can afford to risk $35. That's why I didn't just give him more money up front - thought I'd wait and make sure its on the up-and-up and then send him a few bucks more later (I didn't tell him this).

I guess I don't really follow your "iamnotacop/john" comments. I don't think there is any way what I did could be construed as illegal - I followed the law. I'd wouldn't care if he was a cop.

And he didn't solicit me - I approached him. He wanted to sell it to the dealer. He was very suspicious of me and reluctant to show it to me until the dealer explained how a private party transfer would work.

Of course, he could be a very clever con-man who was making the rounds with his gun trying to rip someone off for $10. Tough way to make a living.

Doug
 
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