Advice for private sales: location?

[Gronkzilla]

Morning all! I did some searching on the forum, but couldn't find an good answer to my question:

When making a private party sale, where do you find best to make the transfer? What locations work, what don't work, etc?

For example, it seems a little disingenuous to buy something from a private party in an FFL parking lot, but you can't exactly take out a shotgun and inspect it for purchase at a Perkins...

[Thunder71]

I usually meet in the parking lot of an American Legion or Cabelas... you don't have to have the wave the gun around in the open to inspect it.

[BemidjiDweller]

I always met in the far end of a Target parking lot, they've been close by to all but two of my past living locations and their cameras are top notch. I figure if anything goes wrong, there will be a better chance of identifying the bad guy.

[tenmilmag]

Garage (mine or theirs). Living room downstairs (mine or theirs). Gas station parking lots. Mall parking lots. Every which way but loose

[Ivan45]

Fleet Farm parking lot for me

[yuppiejr]

Anywhere you feel safe handling (usually) a reasonably large amount of cash and an item of equally high value with a complete stranger... It probably makes sense to consider locations in which the presence of a firearm is not totally out of place - a large sporting goods store parking lot is a good bet.

If you are uncomfortable with a straight-out person to person parking-lot sale I suggest working with a local FFL, let them know you would like to transfer a firearm to another private party and pay the appropriate fee (usually around $25) for the service. Going through an FFL is, in my opinion, well worth the fee for the peace of mind provided the buyer and seller; they usually run the SN to verify a gun isn't reported stolen which is good for the buyer, while verifying buyer eligibility via the background check for the seller. Working with an FFL to facilitate the transfer also provides a safe place to meet and perform a more thorough inspection than is possible while remaining inconspicuous in, for example, the Cabelas or Fleet Farm parking lot.

[LarryFlew]

Menards, Target, hotel lot and bus stop parking and even an occasional side of the street have all worked for me.

[IDPA Shooter]

Do any of the FFLs on the board run the serial number of a used gun they took on consignment or are transferring between private parties ? If so how do you do that ?

[wrench]

Same as everyone else-parking lots. I like big parking lots with lots of open space, able to park away from crowds. I'll leave the gun in the car or trunk, easy to inspect without waving it about.
Menards, Fleet Farm have worked well for me, and easy for people to find.

[Squib Joe]

they usually run the SN to verify a gun isn't reported stolen which is good for the buyer

It is a myth that gun dealers have access to the NCIC system and can check to see if a firearm is stolen. But we do somewhat encourage this myth to keep criminals out of the stores...

The other myth is that stolen guns end up in gun stores. This very, very rarely happens.

Many dealers will have a law enforcement contact they can call to run a check if something doesn't seem right.

[yuppiejr]

they usually run the SN to verify a gun isn't reported stolen which is good for the buyer

It is a myth that gun dealers have access to the NCIC system and can check to see if a firearm is stolen. But we do somewhat encourage this myth to keep criminals out of the stores...

The other myth is that stolen guns end up in gun stores. This very, very rarely happens.

Many dealers will have a law enforcement contact they can call to run a check if something doesn't seem right.

Interesting, the shop at which I am at least on a semi-regular (first name basis with a number of the staff, bring the wife & kids in often, 'frequent customer discounts, etc..') always calls someone and at least reads off the SN/description of a firearm being offered for sale-trade prior to buying anything from me or anyone else when I've been in the store. Could certainly be an "air-dial" scare tactic or local LEO contact they have on speed dial, I don't sell or trade much to stores so I assumed this was a matter of normal business for an FFL holder. I must look sketchier than I realize.

[Squib Joe]

NCIC Gun File checks are done on a LE agency terminal with an identifying ORI number. As far as I know, they can't be called in.

[Slayer_MN1]

When I worked for a firearm retailer in Maple Grove any used gun purchased by the store had to be called in to Maple Grove PD to have the S/N run as required by the city. Never run into this anywhere else.

[20mm]

Morning all! I did some searching on the forum, but couldn't find an good answer to my question:

When making a private party sale, where do you find best to make the transfer? What locations work, what don't work, etc?

For example, it seems a little disingenuous to buy something from a private party in an FFL parking lot, but you can't exactly take out a shotgun and inspect it for purchase at a Perkins...

That's why you do the deal in the bathroom at the Perkins! Duh...

[Vashjir]

My preference is to meet at a range like bvp, that way the purchaser can try it out, handle the firearm in a safe environment, and you get to go to the range! Plus, 3 people+ 2 guns are covered by one stamp on their shot card, so both parties can test out their new guns in a swap.