# How do I sell a gun? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 15, 2019, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262 "2019-09-15T12:36:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/21 "2019-09-15T14:53:43Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/22 "2019-09-15T15:08:15Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![CoastalMaineiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/23 "2019-09-15T15:13:42Z")
> [@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: [Pennsylvania State Gun Laws and Regulations Explained | NRA-ILA](https://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/state-gun-laws/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. ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/24 "2019-09-15T15:15:20Z")
Dig a really, really deep hole in your backyard? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/25 "2019-09-15T15:28:03Z")
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](https://hips.hearstapps.com/pop.h-cdn.co/assets/16/49/1280x914/gallery-1480973418-cutting-up-guns.png) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/26 "2019-09-15T15:45:40Z")
Pawn shop. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/27 "2019-09-15T16:08:08Z")
> [@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. > [@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. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/28 "2019-09-15T16:20:55Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > Dig a really, really deep hole in your backyard? I showed this to my gf and we are both had a good laugh. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/29 "2019-09-15T16:37:56Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/30 "2019-09-15T17:05:58Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/31 "2019-09-15T17:18:05Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I showed this to my gf and we are both had a good laugh. > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![shh1313](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shh1313/32/8020_2.png) [@shh1313](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shh1313)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/32 "2019-09-15T17:21:48Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/33 "2019-09-15T17:22:16Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/34 "2019-09-15T18:00:52Z")
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.](https://www.airgundepot.com/benjamin-marauder-pump-combo-wood.html#jmui=f%3A1349%3A305781994%3A0TJ.r%40yFl9ZfTxBvE%2CfnOT%2CL) 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. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/35 "2019-09-15T19:17:53Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/36 "2019-09-15T19:36:03Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/37 "2019-09-15T19:39:43Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![DrForrester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@DrForrester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrForrester)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/38 "2019-09-15T21:00:08Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/39 "2019-09-15T21:15:41Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262/40 "2019-09-15T21:17:23Z")
> [@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. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sell-a-gun/840262.md?page=3)