Purchasing Face to Face

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Shipman515

New member
Just curious to those of you who have purchased face to face (especially in Georgia), what is required?

Do I need to get a bill of sale?

Thanks.
 
It's never a bad idea to have proof that the gun is not in your possession. This is particularly true if you don't know the buyer.

On a side note, if you don't know the buyer, it's a good idea to set up the transaction point somewhere that gives you a compromise between not drawing undue notice, but also the possibility of assistance or witnesses should the buyer turn out to be shady.

I won't do FTF with people I don't know. I prefer to have my LGS transfer and ship the gun to their FFL for $40, or else have the buyer come to the LGS for transfer with 4473 in a place where I know the armed staff.

Edit: Oops, my focus was on selling. Yours is on purchasing.

The only FTF I've done with a stranger was with another TFL member. No special paperwork is required in GA, but the seller may want a bill of sale signed. If the seller is not from GA, you will need to work the transfer via an FFL in order to comply with Federal law.
 
I've done several face-to-face transactions at gunshows where I've sold some guns I no longer wanted. I ask to look at the guy's license to make sure he an instate resident and legal age. Other than that I keep no records of the transaction.
 
Just curious to those of you who have purchased face to face (especially in Georgia), what is required?
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What is required is a "meeting of the minds" - that is, one party has something to offer and a second party has something to offer in return. If agreeable to both sides, good to go - at least in MOST states where guns aren't the enemy
 
It is also required that the seller not have reason to believe the buyer is a prohibited person. It is unlawful to sell a firearm to anyone whom you KNOW to be prohibited, but the law does not stipulate how you acquire your belief that the person isn't prohibited.

A prudent seller might ask to see a carry permit or hunting license, or you might be satisfied with just asking "Are you legal to buy this?" The seller is NOT required to run any sort of formal background check. Don't be surprised if a seller asks to see some documentation. However, the seller is not required to keep a record of your name and other personal information ... although many do so for their future protection.
 
On a side note, if you don't know the buyer, it's a good idea to set up the transaction point somewhere that gives you a compromise between not drawing undue notice, but also the possibility of assistance or witnesses should the buyer turn out to be shady.
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+1

A tip I'd gotten from someone who I've purchased FTF from a few times is to meet at a gun range. We'll meet in the parking lot of a Fish & Game that's mid way. So there are people around, but they aren't bothered by the sight of us looking over a few guns.
 
i would get a bill of sale if purchasing. when selling, i always offer the purchaser one. what's to stop him from saying you took it from him without paying him if you dont have a bill of sale?
 
Do all my face to face selling at gun shows. I use a generic sales book with two copies give them one and keep the other and have there drivers license number as well as name for my records. When buying also request proof of sale. Do this to cover my own backside, if for some reason the law comes looking for something I bought or want to know were something I bought then sold is I can give them some info.
 
Guy gives me the cash, I give him the gun. We part our separate ways. Thats how it goes down. No tax, no bill of sale, no FFL.
 
If I am selling, I do keep a record of the guys name and how much he paid for it. I also give him a bill of sale. (If he decides to throw it away that is up to him.)


I have a log book with all my guns in it. Besides listing the obvious, I list where I got it from and how much I paid for it. When I sell it, I list who it went to and what I got for it.

I realize none of it is required in my state, but I like to just cover my butt. If in ten years from now the police show up and say "Hey you had this gun back in 2011, what ever happened to it?" I can tell them. If I did not keep records, my answer would be "Shucks, just do not remember that one."
 
I've purchased eight to ten guns face-to-face here in Virginia, mostly from TFL members. One seller insisted we go through a local gun shop, which cost an additional $20 at that time. None of the others did. We met in public parking lots, I examined the weapon, made small talk, exchanged money and, in most cases, signed a bill of sale for the seller's peace of mind.

Nothing to it.
 
We met in public parking lots, I examined the weapon, made small talk, exchanged money and, in most cases, signed a bill of sale for the seller's peace of mind.
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I have only bought one like that, but it went pretty much the same. The good part about it is gun people are usually good folk. If you get a bad feeling, you can walk away.
 
I've sold two guns FTF here in GA, met both buyers in parking lots and traded for cash, no bill of sale.

No paperwork at all is required in GA, the only stipulation is that the seller can't know that the person purchasing the firearm is illegal to do so.

For me, it's cash only unless you're a personal friend, don't bring strangers to your home to buy or sell guns, meet them in a neutral place, I'll be happy to sign a bill of sale if you like, or give you a peek at my drivers license, but you're not copying it or keeping any information other than my name and phone number if you want it.

Both sales were arraigned through the Georgia Outdoor Network Marketplace. Both went well, though in both cases I had a bit of difficulty contacting the buyers after they had agreed to the purchase.
 
We met in public parking lots, I examined the weapon, made small talk, exchanged money and, in most cases, signed a bill of sale for the seller's peace of mind.
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This is usually how I do it. Only, I make sure both buyer and seller get a bill of sale .... for my sake. And both the other party and myself sign both copies. If I'm selling, I want a paper trail to establish that the gun left my possession. If I'm buying, I want a paper trail to show where the gun came from. I also require he show me his driver's license just so I know he's a resident.
 
Yes, atlantis, with one or two exceptions, this is how it went down. In one case, I proffered a copy of my DL, and the guy said, "hell, I don't need that." But we'd been corresponding about the deal for a while (he thought he had it sold, then the deal fell through), so I guess he was comfortable with me.

Since I don't sell :D, I've always been on the purchasing end.
 
Required? Cash. I rarely sell anything, but when I buy usually no one asks for anything. If they want my name I'll give it, and show my CHL, but one seller wanted a COPY of my DL and I refused to close the deal. He doesn't need that, the law doesn't require it, and frankly, I don't want someone I don't know to be walking around with all my personal information in his pocket.

In the event a firearm is used in the commission of a crime down the road and you are the last known owner, and the police come knocking, all you need to do is tell them you sold it back in '44 or whenever. End of story. They know guns get bought and sold all the time.
 
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