Straight Dope Message Board

[kayaker]

I own some guns, but do not consider myself a "gun owner". That is, living in the country I sometimes need to shoot an animal for humane reasons, but philosophically I've reached the point where I'd like to see most guns gone. Then there's the situation that as a Medical Marijuana patient, owning a gun is a violation of federal law. I gave my gf my shotgun, but she wants no parts of my handgun, and I can do without.

It looks like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are out of the question. What about the Marketplace forum here? I purchased the S&W .357 Magnum from a local sporting goods store years ago. I still have most of the .38 & .357 bullets I purchased at the same store. The last time I fired the gun was when I was teaching my son gun safety when he was 13. Today he's a prison corrections officer who knows way more about guns than his dad.

So, how do I sell my handgun? If a neighbor hears of my plight, can I sell it to him/her? Would a buyer want to "test drive" the gun? Also, how do I determine the gun's value? I have no recollection of what I paid (I'm guessing two something). 1

[Alessan]

Originally Posted by kayaker

? I have no recollection of what I paid (I'm guessing two something).

Two something? Two what? Two hundred dollars? Two gold pieces? Two chickens? 2

[kayaker]

Originally Posted by Alessan

Two something? Two what? Two hundred dollars? Two gold pieces? Two chickens?

$237.00 (as a guess) I thought people reading this thread would understand.

ETA: depending on the weight of your gold pieces, we may have a deal. 3

[Darren Garrison]

Originally Posted by kayaker

philosophically I've reached the point where I'd like to see most guns gone.

You paid a couple of hundred bucks years ago. Destroy it. Don't let a few bucks dilute your moral stance. 4

[Joey P]

There are online marketplaces specifically for selling guns. You could probably check those out.
IIRC, when/if you ship it, you'll have to send it to a FFL (gun store) for them to hand off to the new owner. I think, years ago when I was looking at those sites, most gun store owners would charge something like $50 to take care of that.

Do you have to register guns in your area? That is, short of actually seeing/finding it, does any entity that knows you have the MMJ card also know you have the gun? 5

[kayaker]

Originally Posted by Darren Garrison

You paid a couple of hundred bucks years ago. Destroy it. Don't let a few bucks dilute your moral stance.

Hmmm, that's a thought. Disassemble and throw out the parts? 6

[Bayaker]

There are frequently guns for sale in the classifieds in my local newspaper. I've seen some for sale on a couple of fishing message boards that I frequent, so I imagine hunting/gun - oriented sites would have more.

Most likely the easiest way would be to take it to a local gun show. You might not get as much for it as from a private sale since it would probably be a dealer who buys it, but it's a relatively hassle-free way of doing it.

BTW, $200 is what I thought. Even though I know next to nothing about guns, I didn't figure somebody who just 'owns some guns' would plunk down $2K for a handgun. 7

[dflower]

Your local gun store will help you out on this. 8

[kayaker]

Originally Posted by Joey P

Do you have to register guns in your area? That is, short of actually seeing/finding it, does any entity that knows you have the MMJ card also know you have the gun?

I don't remember any kind of registration. I did have a background check when I purchased it.

I've sold kayaks, canoes, and pontoon boats but I'm not 100% comfortable placing a gun ad in a newspaper. 9

[Darren Garrison]

Originally Posted by kayaker

Hmmm, that's a thought. Disassemble and throw out the parts?

Two words: diamond chainsaw. 10

[kayaker]

Originally Posted by Darren Garrison

Two words: diamond chainsaw.

OMG. I own several chainsaws. The idea of allowing a chain to touch stone/concrete.... 11

[rbroome]

Originally Posted by Darren Garrison

Two words: diamond chainsaw.

I'm impressed!
Though I don't own a chainsaw, a diamond cutting chain sounds way cool. 12

[FairyChatMom]

Originally Posted by kayaker

Hmmm, that's a thought. Disassemble and throw out the parts?

Do you have a drill press? Turn it into swiss cheese, mount it on a plaque, give it an artsy-fartsy name, and sell it as art! You're welcome! 13

[Eva Luna]

Ask your local police department? 14

[kayaker]

Originally Posted by Eva Luna

Ask your local police department?

Heh. I shy away from any interactions with law control in general, our local police force even more so. A few years ago our police chief was tried and convicted of selling guns he'd confiscated. Can you blame me? 15

[Chefguy]

Originally Posted by dflower

Your local gun store will help you out on this.

Yup. I got rid of a shotgun and an old over/under by selling them to a local gun dealer. If the OP is opposed to his gun being resold, then a hacksaw may be the answer. 16

[Inigo Montoya]

I picked up a new S&W .357 Magnum just over a year ago for $700. How much you'd get for yours would depend on how much you've used it, how much the buyer trusts your candor about that, and how exactly you feel about handguns. If you're cool with them but just don't want yours anymore, then decide how much joy you've gotten from yours in the last couple years, equate that to weed, dinner dates with your sweetie, or whatever else you like to do, and call that the price of the gun. If you think handguns should be gone period, then destroy yours and that's that. Giving it to the cops only ensures it won't be YOUR problem anymore, but it does not ensure they won't lose it, "lose" it, use it, or turn it over to the feds who will funnel it to the CIA and thence some US-backed insurgent who will use it as God intended.

The actual mechanics of a private sale are likely going to vary from state to state--some states want you to register your firearms, Colorado officials don't even know what that means. In any event I would be shy about selling it to a stranger because you don't know what that stranger has in mind. If they do some criming with it, then potentially someone could work out where they got it from and accuse you of mischievous skullduggery, mopery, or both. But $200 new many years ago? That's not even a scar on your current budget--it may as well not exist. Chuck it in the ocean. 17

[Joey P]

Originally Posted by kayaker

I don't remember any kind of registration. I did have a background check when I purchased it.

I don't know if you want to keep it or not, I was just curious if the government knows you have it. If they don't, it's not that they'll be knocking at your door asking you to forfeit either your gun or your MMJ card. Of course, if you get caught with either, you'll probably lose both, so there's that.
I understand your GF doesn't want the handgun, but does she actually have to take possession of it? Come to think of it, what does it mean that you gave her your shotgun? Like, did you just move it over to her side of the bed? Or does she have her own property and it stays there. Again, if nothing was registered and no sale recorded, it's not like the government knows you had the gun and now she has the gun.

I've sold kayaks, canoes, and pontoon boats but I'm not 100% comfortable placing a gun ad in a newspaper.

I wouldn't do it in the newspaper, but like I said earlier, there's craigslist/ebay type websites dedicated to gun sales and since (at least if it goes over state lines) you have to mail it to a gun shop I'd assume you'd be in the clear should anything go wrong.
At the very least, you could check out these sites just to get an idea for what yours is worth.

So, how do I sell my handgun? If a neighbor hears of my plight, can I sell it to him/her? Would a buyer want to "test drive" the gun? Also, how do I determine the gun's value? I have no recollection of what I paid (I'm guessing two something).

I would imagine test driving a gun is going to be a a case by case basis. If someone is far enough away, of course that's not going to happen, but I could certainly see someone asking to meet at a range to try it out and possibly make the transaction there. If one of you has property large enough to shoot it there, that would work also.


Having said all that, my big question is, do you want to keep it or do you want it gone? 18

[Joey P]

Originally Posted by Inigo Montoya

Chuck it in the ocean.

Or say that you did...I'm not advocating that kayaker go to the police and file a report stating that he was kayaking and his gun slipped out of his holster and into water at some point, but it's been done. Years ago I recall reading that people in states that require you to register your gun would claim it was stolen or lost (usually in the water) so they had a way to own the gun but not have a gun registered to them.
Of course it seems like an easier way to do that would be to buy it in a private sale and not register it to begin with. 19

[Bone]

If you want to sell at market prices, gunbroker is a place you can do that. They have their own rules you'd have to comply with. If you sell locally in PN, to another PN resident who is not prohibited, you can do that via any private advertising. Selling out of state will require you to transfer the firearms through an FFL.

If you simply want them gone and not to be used by anyone else, that's only limited by your imagination. 20

[Inigo Montoya]

Naw, I mean ferreals chuck it in the ocean. And if the gungrabbers come looking for it, he can tell them quite honestly, "I chucked it in the ocean because I decided it was too evil to let live." And if they get super curious about it, he can tell them approximately where to look for a couple pounds of corroded steel. Might bring down a $6,000 ticket for littering, but hey sometimes making the world a better place comes at a personal cost.

ETA: at Joey P 21

[ZonexandScout]

As others have mentioned, finding a buyer is a lot different from actually selling it legally. In NC, for example, you must receive a permit to purchase a handgun that was issued by the sheriff of the county in which the buyer resides. (Yes, even for private sales. And it's a good idea for you to put that permit in a safe place for possible future display to LE.) Or, you can sell it to someone who has a permit to carry a concealed handgun. (In which case you better make a photocopy of the permit.) In CT, OTOH, it's a royal pain to transfer ANY handgun, even through inheritance.

In ALL cases, the best way is probably to sell it or transfer it through an FFL holder. I've been involved in several investigations having to do with legally transferred handguns that were later used in crimes or recovered through a criminal investigation. 22

[CoastalMaineiac]

Originally Posted by kayaker

I own some guns, but do not consider myself a "gun owner". That is, living in the country I sometimes need to shoot an animal for humane reasons, but philosophically I've reached the point where I'd like to see most guns gone. Then there's the situation that as a Medical Marijuana patient, owning a gun is a violation of federal law. I gave my gf my shotgun, but she wants no parts of my handgun, and I can do without.

It looks like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are out of the question. What about the Marketplace forum here? I purchased the S&W .357 Magnum from a local sporting goods store years ago. I still have most of the .38 & .357 bullets I purchased at the same store. The last time I fired the gun was when I was teaching my son gun safety when he was 13. Today he's a prison corrections officer who knows way more about guns than his dad.

So, how do I sell my handgun? If a neighbor hears of my plight, can I sell it to him/her? Would a buyer want to "test drive" the gun? Also, how do I determine the gun's value? I have no recollection of what I paid (I'm guessing two something).

You might want to read this from the NRA: https://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/stat.../pennsylvania/

Purchase

Any individual or dealer selling a handgun is required to sell or transfer it at the place of business of a licensed dealer or county sheriff’s office. Transfers of all firearms (handguns, rifles and shotguns) by a licensed dealer are subject to an instant records check of the purchaser. The purchaser must sign a transfer application/record of sale for the purchase of a handgun. No transfer application/record is necessary to transfer a rifle or shotgun. There is a $2 fee for the instant check and a $3 firearm sale surcharge to cover telephone costs. Transfers of handguns between spouses, parent and child, grandparent and grandchild or between active law enforcement officers are exempt from the above requirements. Rifles and shotguns may be transferred between unlicensed individuals. Antique firearms are exempt from the requirements regarding transfer of firearms through dealers.

So it sounds like you either have to go through a licensed gun store or your local sheriff's office in order to sell a handgun in Pennsylvania. 23

[Emiliana]

Dig a really, really deep hole in your backyard? 24

[DPRK]

Do you want to sell it, or is it just a crappy, rusty handgun you want to get rid of while making sure some kid doesn't dig it out of the trash and use it? The official way to destroy it is to cut it into 3-4 pieces, like this 25

[Beckdawrek]

Pawn shop. 26

[kayaker]

Originally Posted by Joey P

I understand your GF doesn't want the handgun, but does she actually have to take possession of it? Come to think of it, what does it mean that you gave her your shotgun? Like, did you just move it over to her side of the bed? Or does she have her own property and it stays there. Again, if nothing was registered and no sale recorded, it's not like the government knows you had the gun and now she has the gun.

The shottie was purchased from a guy I knew who got it from a dead relative. There has never been any paperwork tying it to me. I gave it to my gf and she accepted the gift. It's hers now, although she continues to store it under my side of the bed.

Originally Posted by Beckdawrek

Pawn shop.

Interesting. I've never been in a pawn shop. Hell, I don't even remember seeing one in the wild. They've always been a tv/movie thing to me. 27

[kayaker]

Originally Posted by Emiliana

Dig a really, really deep hole in your backyard?

I showed this to my gf and we are both had a good laugh.

SPOILER:

Traditionally it has been my duty to dig the holes that become the final resting spots for our pets. The problem is "pets" include not just our beloved cats and dogs, but also dozens of elderly hens, a few geese, and an 18 year old koi. I contracted out the hole digging for the three horses buried on our land. I've dug many deep holes, and I mark each hole with a handful of daffodil bulbs. Each spring visitors exclaim about the beautiful yellow and white splendor, which just makes us sad.

28

[Bone]

Originally Posted by Bone

If you sell locally in PN, to another PN resident who is not prohibited, you can do that via any private advertising.

I see that CoastalMaineiac said this in post #23, but I was mistaken here. All private party transfers would need to go through an FFL, even among residents. 29

[Beckdawrek]

Originally Posted by kayaker

The shottie was purchased from a guy I knew who got it from a dead relative. There has never been any paperwork tying it to me. I gave it to my gf and she accepted the gift. It's hers now, although she continues to store it under my side of the bed.



Interesting. I've never been in a pawn shop. Hell, I don't even remember seeing one in the wild. They've always been a tv/movie thing to me.

Oh, you're missing a treat. All kinda goodies in a pawn shop. They will buy a gun or just about anything. You don't have to hock it. Just tell the person you want it gone. He'll try to determine if its stolen or hot. You'll have show valid DL. You won't get top dollar. But you can get it gone. 30

[Emiliana]

Originally Posted by kayaker

I showed this to my gf and we are both had a good laugh.

SPOILER:

Traditionally it has been my duty to dig the holes that become the final resting spots for our pets. The problem is "pets" include not just our beloved cats and dogs, but also dozens of elderly hens, a few geese, and an 18 year old koi. I contracted out the hole digging for the three horses buried on our land. I've dug many deep holes, and I mark each hole with a handful of daffodil bulbs. Each spring visitors exclaim about the beautiful yellow and white splendor, which just makes us sad.

Ah, that's beautiful. 31

[shh1313]

When my husband passed I took his guns to the police department and told I didn't want them.They took them no questions asked. 32

[Pantastic]

The laws for selling a handgun are extremely dependent on what state you're in. A local gun store should be able to tell you what to do to legally sell it to someone, and may be willing to do a consignment sale for you (where they put it in their display case, sell it to a person, and give you the proceeds minus a cut for them). 33

[enipla]

Sort of the same position as Kayaker the OP. I have 10 guns, but do need to keep a few. All of them have been handed down to me through the family.

We live very remote, so I will keep a 12ga, and the .356 336ER Marlin. And, the .357.

I bought this for fun in .22. Great fun, and way more accurate than I could ever hope to be. It's an air rifle. Ended buying a special compressor to fill it to the 3000psi. What can I say, I like target shooting. Always have. That rifle challenges me plenty. It's nearly silent and costs pennies to shoot.

I would guess that a sledge hammer would quickly make the SW .357 pretty unusable. It has to be obvious that it is destroyed though. Don't want anyone firing it if it's destroyed or otherwise unsafe. 34

[silenus]

See if your local gun store will take it on consignment. They make a little, you make a little and the gun is legally transferred to the purchaser. That's the way I got rid of a bunch of my Mausers when we moved. 35

[Lare]

If you decide to transfer it (i.e. not destroy) the gun, please make sure to CYA by getting something that serves as a receipt/bill of sale. There is a non-zero chance that somewhere down its line of existence the serial number could be associated with you and it would be in your best interest to be able to prove you haven't had it since [date of receipt].


I'm personally against throwing it in a body of water* unless it's (a) far from shore and (b) unwitnessed as you wouldn't want someone to come across it while it was still a viable firearm.


*= I would expect that, from his username, kayaker might easily be able to make those conditions happen. 36

[Isosleepy]

My understanding is that making it unusable doesn’t make it not a gun. Unless you destroy the frame, it is still a gun - if you cannot legally own a gun, you cannot legally own a receiver or a frame.
Highest return, highest hassle is thru gunbroker or gunauction. A handgun must transfer through an FFL holder (effectively a gun shop, though there are non-gun store FFL holders) In my opinion, long guns, including Curio and Relic arms) should go through an FFL as well, though exceptions currently exist.
Next highest return is through a gun store. Much less hassle, but it likely takes much longer (it will typically go through consignment)
Quickest, least hassle, lowest return is through a pawn broker.
Zero return: destruction. Cutting the frame into parts Throwing it in a body of water, burying it, anything like that is irresponsible. 37

[DrForrester]

When my father died, I inherited many guns. I don't know how many, but it was over two dozen. When my father-in-law died, I inherited another ~20 more. Some of these were antiques. Some had been in the family for generations & treasured.

I know *nothing* about guns. So, I paid a friend $20 to verify that they were all unloaded. (Many, as it turns out, were loaded.) Then, we hauled them all down to the local police dept. They took them & didn't ask me to fill out any forms or anything.

No idea what they did with them, but at least they're not in my home. 38

[DrDeth]

Originally Posted by Darren Garrison

You paid a couple of hundred bucks years ago. Destroy it. Don't let a few bucks dilute your moral stance.

if your moral stance is the issue, wait until the local police have a gun turn in deal, with gift cards or $ as a reward. win-win.

Or find a cop you know and like and offer to donate it to the police gun range. Better trained cops is a plus!

The other thing is to take it to a gunstore and sell it. 39

[DrDeth]

Originally Posted by Beckdawrek

Oh, you're missing a treat. All kinda goodies in a pawn shop. They will buy a gun or just about anything. You don't have to hock it. Just tell the person you want it gone. He'll try to determine if its stolen or hot. You'll have show valid DL. You won't get top dollar. But you can get it gone.

Yep, this works also. 40

[ExTank]

Pawn shop or local gun store is your best bet, as both will have FFLs in order to buy/sell firearms, and will know state laws regarding firearm transfers.

You may be able to list locally (Craigslist), and perhaps the local gun store can facilitate the transaction for a fee, maybe $20-$40, depending on the amount of paperwork necessary.

Doing it this way ensures that the buyer is at least legally able to purchase/possess a firearm. 41

[kopek]

Originally Posted by kayaker

So, how do I sell my handgun? If a neighbor hears of my plight, can I sell it to him/her? Would a buyer want to "test drive" the gun? Also, how do I determine the gun's value? I have no recollection of what I paid (I'm guessing two something).

Originally Posted by kayaker

$237.00 (as a guess) I thought people reading this thread would understand.

ETA: depending on the weight of your gold pieces, we may have a deal.

I"LL TAKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously - I am interested. Smiths are my weakness. And your price is way cheap depending on the model. At the least kinda cheap if its a common model and well used.

Now all that aside since it is a handgun registration does come into play. If you do sell it to me we would meet at a licensed gun shop and you would sign as previous owner and I would sign as the person receiving it. The background check would be done and I would have to clear it. (I always have.) Once that process is done most people consider their role, in terms of morality, done.

Option two if you do have qualms about selling it to a stranger or someone you know; wholesale it to a dealer and put all the moral weight on him/her.

Originally Posted by kayaker

I don't remember any kind of registration. I did have a background check when I purchased it.

Then it is registered as we define it in this country. People confuse what we have with what some other countries have; there is no master list out there of every firearm you have purchased through channels. If your house is robbed and you do not have a list of serial numbers, the police can't call one up. After the fact they can sometimes determine if the gun was legally transferred as outlined above but that is after a trip to the dealer and some leg work. 42

[ThisSpaceForRent]

Why not "gift " it to your son. As he is very versed in weapons and this is the FIRST weapon he was exposed to/and fired...he may want it.

I own no weapons other than Wustof and Henckel knives.

trust me on this...ask him, your a good Pop, it might mean a lot to him. 43

[kopek]

Originally Posted by DrDeth

if your moral stance is the issue, wait until the local police have a gun turn in deal, with gift cards or $ as a reward. win-win.

I was going to stay apart from this kind of option but --------- The Doctor is right. If you want destruction let the professionals handle it and the holiday buy-backs are the best route.

DO NOT bury it; sooner or later it could be found and getting it back into service may not be a big deal. I helped a friend track down a pistol his mom had his dad bury when he was born; say 1956? All the stars came into alignment and after a good cleaning it was shooting again.

DON'T DRILL PRESS the hell out of it; if you don't have access to a milling machine where you can go totally nuts and slot the hell out of it, I could get it back into service for at least a few shots. You would be surprised how many "deactivated war souvenirs" get put back into shooting form.

If you want it made bye-bye let the professionals handle it; they really are the best at that option. 44

[pkbites]

Originally Posted by Eva Luna

Ask your local police department?

No.

Do not ask the police for legal advice.

Officer Peter K. Beitz 45

[Paul in Qatar]

Many people face this problem. I wanted to get rid of my guns after Newtown. I ended up giving them away, which was not the entire effect I hoped for. I think there would be a market for a chemical kit of some sort that would destroy a handgun at home. Maybe a corrosive or a powerful adhesive. Maybe the little guy who sharpens knives at the farmer’s market could also drill holes in the breach for you. 46

[pkbites]

Originally Posted by Paul in Qatar

Many people face this problem. I wanted to get rid of my guns after Newtown. I ended up giving them away, which was not the entire effect I hoped for. I think there would be a market for a chemical kit of some sort that would destroy a handgun at home. Maybe a corrosive or a powerful adhesive. Maybe the little guy who sharpens knives at the farmer’s market could also drill holes in the breach for you.

How about duct taping it to a railroad track and letting a freight train do the work. Don't try this with any of the Ruger P-series pistols. Train wrecks are ugly.

I own a gun dealership. He could just ship them to me and I'll take them off his hands. For a slight fee, of course.

In states where a private seller doesn't need a dealer Arms List is another decent way to sell just to people in your area. 47

[kayaker]

Originally Posted by Lare

There is a non-zero chance that somewhere down its line of existence the serial number could be associated with you and it would be in your best interest to be able to prove you haven't had it since [date of receipt].

I bought a little .25 semiautomatic handgun when I was 19 and very naive. I heard that this guy had a used 8-track player for sale and I was looking for one for my VW. The guy opened the trunk of his car and there were 3 eight-tracks to choose from, as well as a gun!

Naive me, I thought he was legit. He gave me a deal on an 8track and a gun. The first time I fired the gun I tore up the skin between my thumb and first finger of my hand. A friend helped me install the 8track and pointed out that it was obviously stolen (short wires). I showed him the gun and he pointed out the serial number had been made illegible. I gave the gun away, but kept the player.

Originally Posted by ThisSpaceForRent

Why not "gift " it to your son. As he is very versed in weapons and this is the FIRST weapon he was exposed to/and fired...he may want it.

I own no weapons other than Wustof and Henckel knives.

trust me on this...ask him, your a good Pop, it might mean a lot to him.

Of course, this was my first thought. Turns out he has all the firepower he needs currently, and with a baby on the way he doesn't want to expand his arsenal. He did point out that there is a video on YouTube of him firing the gun, and that he's shown it to friends. It's my video on my channel and I'd forgotten all about it! 48

[GaryM]

Originally Posted by Joey P

There are online marketplaces specifically for selling guns. You could probably check those out.
IIRC, when/if you ship it, you'll have to send it to a FFL (gun store) for them to hand off to the new owner. I think, years ago when I was looking at those sites, most gun store owners would charge something like $50 to take care of that.

An individual without a FFL is prohibited from sending handguns via US Mail. That leaves either commercial carrier, FEDEX, UPS, or having your local gun shop send it via mail to the receiving FFL. Of course he will charge a fee for this service, but it will still probably be cheaper than commercial carrier because they require it to be sent overnight and that's in the $70-$80 range. 49

[Orwell]

You seriously came to SDMB to ask how to sell a gun? I was not the least bit surprised you got responses to bury it, disassemble it, give it to the police.

I live in PA and am familiar with state laws. PA does NOT have gun registration, but you DO have to transfer a handgun through an FFL. You don't have to go through an FFL to transfer a shotgun or rifle, but you do for a handgun.

As far as finding a buyer, you can market the handgun on local classified ad options (online or otherwise), but you and the buyer will have to meet at a gun store (or pawn shop that has an FFL) to do the transfer. A S&W .357 is a fairly valuable firearm, as S&W revolvers are generally highly regarded. What exact model do you have, and do you know how old it is?

The easy option is to simply take it to a couple local gun stores and sell it to them. You will get quick money with no hassle. You will get a lot more money if you sell it on GunBroker.com or GunsAmerica.com, but then you will have to figure out how to ship it (not easy or cheap with handguns), and you MUST ship it to an FFL, not directly to the buyer. 50