What % of gun sales are private?
- Thread starter spacecoast
- Start date
sigcurious
New member
You must have missed the black helicopter circling along with the "plumber's" van down the street!
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.
spacecoast
New member
... 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.
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.
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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spacecoast
New member
With 52 votes (thanks everyone) we're holding steady at a 23.7% weighted average.
mrbatchelor
New member
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.
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.
FrankenMauser
New member
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.
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.
That wouldnt be counting gang bangers etc that get their guns under the radar regardless.
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
spacecoast
New member
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.
Crankylove
New member
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.
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.
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.