Where to FTF?

L

LinuxHack3r

New member
I am just curious, where do you guys meet strangers for FTF transactions? I am talking about those that perhaps you are buying or selling something through a forum like this, local classifieds, etc?

Generally, I meet in church parking lots, or parking lots to sporting/gun shops.

The concern here is twofold:

1) Find a public place for concerns of personal safety (in regards to theft of property/cash).

2) The public place should be a place in which bystanders do not become panicked at the sight of a gun.
 
This is super easy. I always meet across the street from a police station and try to schedule it during a shift change. My logic is that very few criminals are going to try to start something violent in front of a police station. If they do, response times should be pretty good, but that has yet to be a problem.

Oddly I have yet to have a police car stop and ask why we are looking at/ carrying guns around. Of course I have not lived in any of the whacko states (NY, NJ, CA, IL) so YMMV.
 
MTT TL said:
This is super easy. I always meet across the street from a police station and try to schedule it during a shift change. My logic is that very few criminals are going to try to start something violent in front of a police station. If they do, response times should be pretty good, but that has yet to be a problem.

Oddly I have yet to have a police car stop and ask why we are looking at/ carrying guns around. Of course I have not lived in any of the whacko states (NY, NJ, CA, IL) so YMMV.
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Hahaha. That would here last place I would think of. Perhaps I am over thinking it, but I imagine they would at minimum inquire about what is going on.

I live in TN, a pretty reasonable place were FTF transfers are perfectly legal and the only gun right that I can think of us being denied (besides obviously at the federal level) would be constitutional carry.
 
oneounceload said:
I like McDonald's or similar - always have a crowd and plenty to choose from
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Well I suppose my idea of having people there and your idea of the same are two totally different ideas.

Yours is easy, and easy to find, but I find it interesting that people take it so casually.
 
Any busy strip mall parking lot will do. As long as your state allows for a FTF transaction you are not braking the law so there is no need to worry about what bystander might think. What are they going to do? Call the police? If they do what are they going to do about it?
 
I like my favorite drive in restaurant because its on the highway, easy to find, most people know where it is, between 2 big restaurant 2 motels and a lumber yard. Across the street caddy corner is the gas station/truck stop where the local police, and state troopers gas up and take their breaks at. When I'm done with business I get a good meal and a gallon of good root beer to take home with me, it's all good.
 
Public and accessible ...

Generally I choose places that are very public, open and easy to locate by both parties. I agree with all previous postings. I might also add that I have done FTF at court house parking lots. I would shy away from large lots like WalMart and Malls. .... :mad:


Be Safe !!!
 
Walmart parking lot

Lots of people in hearing range and cameras on all parts of the property. If something bad goes down it will be on film. And take back up just in case.
 
I wish I had thought of the answer that MTT TL gave, but I have just picked parking lots with plenty of traffic in locations which we both knew. Park beside each other and meet at the back bumpers and you can size things up pretty quickly. You can be discreet about examining the merchandise inside a trunk or an open car door without fully turning your back on an armed stranger. I always bring someone with me, too - two people make it way more than twice as difficult to be surprised.
 
Wal-Mart parking lot. Lots of people, cameras. The police parking lot seems like a terrible idea to me, if something bad was to happen like the other party trying to jack you in the ensuing consternation that would erupt you stand a good chance of getting shot by a responding officer if you have your own firearm out. Besides that worst-case scenario, I wouldn't want an officer coming over to see what we were up to, and dealing with their reaction over a firearms transaction next to the police station.
 
For my trips, and trips I have been on when family was buying or selling a firearm, its usually been a local Wally World or Cal Ranch store.

I am not worried so much about getting robbed or killed while making the deal, more that I don't want a bunch strangers that know I own firearms to also know where I live.
 
Here is a link for a FTF transfer gone bad. It happened yesterday at a Sportsman Warehouse less than 3 miles from my place.

You can't be too careful.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/article_c9c29184-24e7-11e1-abcb-0019bb2963f4.html



I have only done one and that was at another LGS I frequent and two of the salesmen were present and armed when the transfer was made.

Although no one was hurt in this incident and there were security cameras rolling, it seems the cameras were too far away to be of any use.

The seller did pull a gun and fire 3 shots at the robber. I am not sure how that will play out either with the local police.

Geetarman:(
 
Well I suppose my idea of having people there and your idea of the same are two totally different ideas.

Yours is easy, and easy to find, but I find it interesting that people take it so casually.
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And what is wrong with casual? I used to list guns in the paper and had people come to my house for the deal - no big deal there either. This paranoia about making copies of everyone's ID and DNA, and that everyone needs 10,000 witnesses with them, all armed, to sell a gun is really out of control and sadly comical at the same time. Would you do the same if you were selling your lawnmower, or a set of kitchen knives or a car?
 
I go to a good known gun shop, they know me in there and I let em know what is going on. They will do the transfer too.
 
Usually I do a ftf at the local restraunt over breakfast.
If I go to the big city, I'll do it in the parking lot of a big box sporting store. Here in Tenn., folks are pretty much used to seeing this.
 
I usually FTF in a local gun shop parking lot. I usually pull down my truck tailgate and open up the gun box. That way picking it up & handling it isn't that big of a deal (as we may be going into the gun store).

Once someone had to run to the bank (which at the time I thought was odd and annoying, but after thinking about it made a lot of sense), so I followed them over there to make it more convenient. While I waited in my truck in a remote area of the parking lot, they went through the ATM. The other person seemed a little annoyed after they had the money that I pulled into an adjacent office building's parking lot, but I figured one of the last places I wanted to be pulling out a gun is near a bank. :D

It does always make me a little nervous though, but I always have a backup.
 
Would you do the same if you were selling your lawnmower, or a set of kitchen knives or a car?
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Cars that are listed for sale get stolen all the time. The thief comes to look at the car, asks for a test ride and drives off with the car. It is a pretty old trick really.

Lawnmowers are not often sought after by most violent criminals.

The used steak knife market is pretty thin. I imagine that most of the serious collectors all know each other by now.

Different stuff require different security measures.
 
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