Free advice.......

S

sasquatch

New member
When you sell a handgun, it is wise to prepare a bill of sale showing when, and to whom, you sold the gun. Tuck it away in a safe place for future reference. I always do that, and it apparently saved me a bit of grief today.

I just had the local law enforcement agency call and inquire about a Glock which I sold 10 years ago. They said it was recovered along with a lot of stolen property, and I was the last known owner.

Here in the state of Washington, if you buy a handgun and a background check is done, that gun is in effect registered to you. The Washington State Patrol keeps a database of all such transactions, and they know who owns a particular handgun if it was purchased from other than a private party. Shouldn't be legal, IMO, but it is.

So, if this handgun had been used to commit a crime, and I didn't have that bill of sale, I may have had a bit of explaining to do.
 
R

Ranger325

New member
Good advise.
Please, don't tell my wife you can sell guns.................I have her convinced I can only buy them!! ;)

Regards,
 
K

k8do

New member
Bought a 380 the day I turned 21 yo... After a while I traded off the 380 for a 22 target revolver I had my eye on... About 6 months later the sheriff shows up at my door one night asking to see my 380... I tell him it is long gone and why would he want to see it anyway... Turns out the gun had been traded to a third party who used it to kill his wifes lover at a bar one night... Neither of ther two partys had registered the gun (agin the law)... I did have the handwritten bill of sale and that was that... The shooter went to the slammer for life...

denny
 
L

leadcounsel

Moderator
As much as we pretend that guns are just like any other tools (like a hammer or a knife), they are not. For the same reasons we use them for self defense (efficienty at killing) so do bad guys.

I don't want to take someone else's rap. I always get a bill of sale to create a paper trail. If you consider what a nefarious person could do you would be wise to get a bill of sale too.

If you're the seller you want to create a record distancing yourself from that weapon because once you sell it it can be used for any number of crimes and left at the scene. If all the police have is your word that you sold it, you may find yourself on trial.

If you're the buyer, the seller may report the gun stolen. That could someday come back to bite you. Say you use the gun in a self defense shoot 10 years later. The police run the serial and find the gun reported stolen. This could also create serious legal problems for you.

It only takes a moment to do it and if the other party is reluctant then that's reason enough to walk from the transaction.
 
S

ShipWreck

New member
Yes, whenever I sell a gun, I make the following bill of sale, and I keep a copy, and give them a copy. I then keep it forever in my safe deposit box. (remember, everything would be centered and in nice text on the original - I can't work the spacing too well on the forum - but you get the idea):

On February ____, 2007, I, __________ received the sum of $615.00 from: __________________________________________ towards the purchase of Glock 34 9mm handgun, Serial # __________. The pistol also includes six 17-round magazines, a Glock Tactical light, and the plastic case.

It is being sold as is with no warranty expressed or implied. The owners manual is also being supplied to familiarize the purchaser with the safe operation of said handgun.

It is also being sold with the understanding that the purchaser is not prevented by any Local, State, or Federal laws from purchasing or owning a handgun.


______________________________________
Seller/CHL #



______________________________________
Buyer/DL(or CHL) #
 
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