Selling a Gun Private Party versus to an FFL Dealer

There are many reasons why you may be in the process of selling your firearm. A new baby on the way, a little extra money is needed, or maybe you inherited a collection from a relative and really have no use for them. Whatever the reasoning, it is important you know the responsibilities of gun ownership and resale before you begin the process.antique-guns

For most gun owners selling a gun to a private party can be a liability. When you begin the process a few questions arise, “Do I need a license to do this?” “Is this legal?” “Do I need to inform someone of this sale?” The list goes on.

As a general rule of thumb, it’s the seller’s responsibility to make sure they are selling the firearm legally and if you choose to sell a firearm “private party” make sure you are complying with your local and federal laws.


Dangers of Selling Private Party

Robbery and Violence

There are have been multiple instances where gun owners have met potential buyers and the situation has quickly escalated into robbery and violence. Here’s an article where a man tries to sell his gun to an individual in a private party sale; unfortunately he was robbed and shot during the transaction. (http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2017/04/man_tries_to_sell_gun_in_cleve.html)

If you are unsure of the laws, the person you’re selling to, or you have any other uncertainty it is best to not go through with the sale. You’re in control here. Use a company like CashMyGuns.com to safely and legally sell your gun.

Legal Action

While private gun sales are legal in most states, some states have restrictions. Not all states allow private sales of firearms and if yours does not and you are caught, legal action will be taken. In some states private gun sales must be completed through a licensed firearm dealer. Some states even require a person to make the gun transfer by getting an authorization number before the sale can even be completed, and further, bars the transfer of long guns unless specific criteria is met perfectly.

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Make sure you have checked your local laws thoroughly if you choose to sell your gun to a private party. It is illegal to sell a firearm to a resident of another state without the use of a Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) dealer. If you are selling to a convicted felon, minor or someone from out of state, you will be held liable and could face jail time.

Why risk this? If you use CashMyGuns.com you can rest assured you are selling your firearm to a Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) dealer who’s been authorized to help people transfer and sell firearms. We help make the process easy, safe, and 100% legal.


Selling through a Licensed Dealer

Most people feel more comfortable selling through a licensed dealer, and that’s where Cash My Guns comes in. All sales of pistols, shotguns and rifles are done through our resident Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder. We make sure the proper documentation and records are kept ensuring the sale has happened legally.

Cash My Guns works like this:

  1. We appraise your gun.  You tell us what type of firearm you have and what model it is. Send us pictures to help make sure our appraisal is accurate. We’ll send you an offer on what we can pay you for your firearm based on current market sales data.
  2. If we agree to a price we’ll cover your shipping costs and guide you through safely shipping/packaging your firearm.
  3. Once we receive your firearm, we inspect it and send you and official bill of sale along with a check payment. We do this as quickly, securely, and discretely as possible.

We understand that selling firearms can be confusing and difficult to navigate. It’s our goal is to educate, inform and take the guesswork out of the process. We offer free shipping on all orders and donate 5%  to promote gun safety and education. We take quite a bit of pride in our fair and honest appraisals, and of course, we are also a licensed FFL.

If you do not feel comfortable selling your gun private party, give Cash My Guns a call. We are happy to answer your questions and walk you through the process of selling your firearm the right way.