OK, I know there are a lot of ways to actually sell a hand gun; but I want to do it properly and not get into trouble, or put myself in danger.
For example could I sell it on EBAY? Craigslist?
What are the pluses and drawbacks of that?
Are there rules for sending a weapon through the mail?
What do I do about the serial number? How do change the registration?
A pawn shop would probably be easy and they would cross the Ts and dot the Is so to speak, but I suspect I’ll lose a good deal of money as compared to other methods.
What about gun dealers? The few I’ve been too sell on consignment; I would guess they buy outright too? I sense that would be similar to the above pawn shop route, though.
EBay and Craigslist have restrictions on guns/ammo, IIRC. The last time I sold a weapon, I told a few people in my circle of friends, and within a few days I had a reasonable offer.
You can list on gunbroker.com, the gun friendly alternative to ebay & craigslist. If you want to ship a handgun across state lines (legally), it has to be shipped from one FFL holder to another, each of whom will charge a fee. IIRC, the site has a list of FFLs who are willing to do so.
If you sell it in state, check your own state laws for what has to be done for private transfers.
The shipper does NOT has to have an FFL. But the recipient does. Cite.
I’ve used gunbroker’s FFL-holders list to find a local FFL holder who received guns for me. It would be the recipient’s responsibility to arrange the transaction with his dealer, and to pay him his fee (usually around $25 - $35). The sender should receive a copy of the dealer’s FFL. Alternatively, the dealer could send the sender his FFL number and a link to a database where the dealer’s bona fides can be verified.
ETA: Handguns cannot be shipped via USPS. You’ll need to go through UPS or FedEx or another common carrier.
While I have sold a couple of guns on Gun Trader or similar, it’s just easier in person.
Since you’re here in Atlanta, you’ll find gun shows abound. Eastmans is a large show, and checking their website, I see they’ll be in my neighborhood next month.
Look up Ebang, do a search for your gun, and get an average price from the various sites you see. Come to the gun show - c’mon, you need something - and make a sign.
You actually wear a sign with the gun info and someone will ask you about it.
You can make a deal with them and sell it - OMFG! The Dreaded Gunshow Loophole!
Or, you can grab any nearby dealer and give him 20 bucks or so to transfer it. Buyer goes through a background check then, so you can have a clear conscience and The Brady Bunch is slightly less perturbed with us all.
Which, honestly, I think all us responsible gun [del]nuts[/del] owners prefer.
It’s illegal to transfer a firearm to anyone legally forbidden to possess one (convicted felon, etc.), though only firearms dealers are actively required to do a background search. If you have any doubts, go through a dealer who can do the background check.
No. eBay in particular is a big no-no. They’ll take your listing down and may suspend your account. They won’t even process a payment through PayPal if they find out it’s for a gun.
You cannot ship a handgun via the United States Postal Service. It’s that simple. You can ship it FedEx or UPS, but they have requirements that you must be sure to abide by. Also, it must be shipped to an FFL holder, not directly to the purchaser. That is a big no-no.
I don’t understand the question. Very few places have a requirement for registration, and the serial number is nothing more than the number stamped on the weapon that must be entered into a blank on a BATFE 4473 by the FFL holder running the check on the purchaser. None of those are your responsibility. You need only ship it to the FFL holder of the purchaser’s choice. Make sure they send you a copy of the FFL so you don’t get caught sending it to someone’s house instead of a dealer.
Pawning or consigning the weapon will indeed reduce the money you will receive, but they’re doing business and have to make money as well. It’s a trade-off. They’ll do the work and save you the trouble for a fee, or you can go through the process yourself and make more. A face-to-face sale would be ideal for your purposes.
Yes. It would be almost exactly the same.
It’s important that you get it right, but all the same it’s not a big deal. It’s a fairly straightforward procedure.