What % of gun sales are private?

What % of gun sales are private?

  • 0% to 10%

    Votes: 28 36.8%
  • 10% to 25%

    Votes: 25 32.9%
  • 26% to 50%

    Votes: 14 18.4%
  • 51% to 75%

    Votes: 6 7.9%
  • 76% to 100%

    Votes: 3 3.9%

  • Total voters
    76
  • Poll closed .
Willie and I are the same. Out of all of the guns I own, only one was purchased new, and that one was purched in 1964.

My oldest is from 1903, my newest from 1991 (manufacturer date, not my ownership) I just prerfer older weapons.
 
I didn't think anyone was watching.,

You must have missed the black helicopter circling along with the "plumber's" van down the street! :D

As to where the numbers come from, I suppose it would be possible(but entirely inaccurate) to attempt to extrapolate from areas where registration is required. Or extrapolate entirely from CAs numbers(still inaccurate) where "all" transfers go through an FFL, assuming that all the PPTs there would count as undocumented in the rest of the country.
 
I answered 10-25% considering only the firearms that i personally purchased from individuals/non-FFL's, but i did not consider the firearms given to me in my youth that were purchased by my father. There are a few of them; i still have them in my safe. One of them was purchased by my father from an individual (quasi-relative).

The percentage would be a bit higher considering those gifts from my father.
 
The percentage would be a bit higher considering those gifts from my father.

... and those are ones that shouldn't be considered, I'm trying to focus only on arms-length transactions where money was exchanged or a trade was made.

My oldest is from 1903, my newest from 1991 (manufacturer date, not my ownership) I just prerfer older weapons.

hermannr, I'm right there with you. I have three Colt handguns older than 1925, and I enjoy shooting those more than most of the others. Old Colts are a delight.

However, the chance you would get an honest answer today is very low. Determining the sample would be a horror.

That's why the inquiry was about percentages, not absolute numbers, so that none of us have to admit how crazy we really are ;) In all honesty, I think the estimate we develop here would put an upper bound on the actual number in the general population given that TFL responders are pretty certain to be more comfortable with private sales than Average Joe firearm buyer.
 
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Between my wife and I, we now have 5.

1 revolver my Father gave me when I turned 13. It had been my grandfathers.
3 (2 Pistols and 1 Rifle) we purchased at a LGS with the background check
1 Rifle that I got from a F2F purchase.
 
I own four non-black powder guns, and all four were purchased through an FFL with a warranty attached to them.

I have owned two in the past that were private sales, but I do not have them now. Traded away for stereo and boating "stuff" over the years.
 
The firearms I currently own come in at more than 60% private-party acquisitions. However... All but one of those private-party sales were from known-legal sources; coming into possession of a known-legal person. So, it doesn't really change anything from a 'questionable transaction' standpoint.

If I were to take into account the firearms I've sold, or traded, to FFLs or private parties, it may change a bit. But, I don't feel like hurting my brain, by trying to figure all of that out.
 
A lot of that has to do with what state you live in. Here most go from person to person private transaction and its perfectly legal. I guess someplace of course the gun had to be bought new but Lord only knows how long ago or where. So I would have to say based on a lot of states being the same as Ky in that no FFL or background check is required for a private sale its higher than 40 percent.

That wouldnt be counting gang bangers etc that get their guns under the radar regardless.
 
I've not done a FFL transfer in 20 years, and in my circle of shooters I can't really think of anyone who does not try to buy used (meaning privately) long before dealing with a FFL.

Count me in as one of the people who was astonished by the 40% number being thrown around. I buy several guns every year. Year to year, probably around 4 per year. And I almost never buy them any other way than a transfer to my local FFL. I don't look in the newspaper for guns. Or any other local media. I buy my guns on gunbroker or from the Classified sections of the Ruger and S&W forums. All those get sent to my transfer FFL. (Or I buy C&R guns that ship straight to me.)

Every now and then... some gun friend offers me one of their guns for a good price and I buy it. One happened this year actually. But that can't account for more than 1 in 10 of my guns. So put me in the less than 10% category.

Gregg
 
After 63 votes, the weighted average is staying very consistent at 24%, and this among a crowd we would I think all agree is more comfortable with private sales than Average Joe.
 
I am in the 26-50%.

I have had two come to me as gifts, have given two as gifts, and have purchased 6 from family members. I have only sold two guns in my life to non-family members, one to a dealer, and one private party to a known ccw holder.
 
This is just a BOGUS stat thats being thrown around as a propaganda campaign to try and demonise gun shows The anti-gun crowd wants to make ALL private gun sales illegal. They want to force people to go through an FFL for EVERY gun transaction to they can get a permanent record of it.
It's the same old BS as the "gunshow loophole".
There is NO such thing. There are private sales that the liberals can't regulate or control and it drives them crazy.
 
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