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Selling a rifle thru classifieds

Okay Guys, I know if I sell a rifle thru our classifieds I must ship to an FFL holder. What proof do I need to know I'm shipping to a legit FFL? How long should I hold on to this proof?
Thanks, alton9
 
purty easy...follow link...be sure your buyer's FFL will accept from non

FFL owner...DL or CCW is valid info to X/fer firearm...

https://www.atfonline.gov/fflezcheck/
 
You need the ffl signed but you need the drivers license front and the back and it has to ledgible or the ffl will send it back as they cant accept it.Ask me how I know.
 
I have sold several guns on online sites and through the classifieds. The easiest and smartest way is to have your gunshop or gunsmith handle the transfer. It usually only costs between 20 and 40 dollars and makes all the grey areas go away. Then all the proper paper work is filled out, everything is legal, and you have no worries.
 
jonbearman said:
You need the ffl signed but you need the drivers license front and the back and it has to ledgible or the ffl will send it back as they cant accept it.Ask me how I know.

jonbearman, You need to clarify that statemet.

you need the drivers license front and the back

Don't you mean that the receiving FFL needs "Your" ( the senders) drivers license?

Actually guys there is no provision, that I ever heard of, of the sender who is a non FFL holder having to have copy of the receiving FFL license. The sender can only send to a current FFL holder granted but he doesn't need a copy for himself. I certainly wouldn't even consider sending without a verification of some sort that it was going to an actual FFL holder. But me having to have a copy of the license is not required.

My FFL guy does want ( read that "want") a copy of the sellers drivers license or some form of identification to log it in. However even that is not a deal killer, as this step is up to the receiving FFL.

I mean think about this this way. You buy a rifle from a guy here on Accurate Shooters in the classified's. You send him money and he ships the rifle to your FFL guy and forgets to include his ID. This same guy then takes your money and goes on vacation to Acapulco. You have no way of getting a hold of him. Are you out the Money and your FFL guy gets the rifle? Does your FFL ship it back to the seller, who may or may not accept it? And you are still without your Money?

This drivers license thing is up to each FFL holder. Mine would as I said like to have that ID information, but it is not a deal killer.

Roland
 
FFL to FFL is usually the easiest. I do understand some my not have an FFL close to them.

We just acquired our Haz Mat shipping license :)
 
waterdog said:
You need a signed copy of his FFL in your hand before you ship.

Not true.

You can actually get by with just the first and last few numbers, and run them through the FFL EZ-Check system on the BATF website. The dealer's info including address will pop up if it's a valid license.

Of course, if it makes somebody feel more secure, they can request a hard copy, but even then a faxed or emailed copy is now just as valid as the old wet-ink-signed hard copies.
 
Cold Bore said:
waterdog said:
You need a signed copy of his FFL in your hand before you ship.

Not true.

You can actually get by with just the first and last few numbers, and run them through the FFL EZ-Check system on the BATF website. The dealer's info including address will pop up if it's a valid license.

Of course, if it makes somebody feel more secure, they can request a hard copy, but even then a faxed or emailed copy is now just as valid as the old wet-ink-signed hard copies.

^^ This. I have done it both ways. Some people send me a signed copy of their FFL and others I have run through EZ check and printed the page. Then for my files I write what the gun was and the serial # on the gun. I keep one file in my file cabinet just for all the rifles I sell and will have that file forever. It's all much easier than it sounds.

The EZ check site is run by the BATFE, if they don't trust their own site then they shouldn't have one. I don't ever foresee a problem using printed EZ check pages instead of signed FFLs.
 
Gonzos said:
I have sold several guns on online sites and through the classifieds. The easiest and smartest way is to have your gunshop or gunsmith handle the transfer. It usually only costs between 20 and 40 dollars and makes all the grey areas go away. Then all the proper paper work is filled out, everything is legal, and you have no worries.

If it were only that easy and cheap here.....the only local Gun Shop that does Internet Tranfers charges $75 to receive plus State Sales Tax and if you send one out it's $75 plus $25 material and handling & then the shipping cost, much easier to check the FFL online, box/pack it yourself and off it goes!
 

If it were only that easy and cheap here.....the only local Gun Shop that does Internet Tranfers charges $75 to receive plus State Sales Tax and if you send one out it's $75 plus $25 material and handling & then the shipping cost, much easier to check the FFL online, box/pack it yourself and off it goes!
[/quote]

Wow that's terrible.
I have my FFL on speed dial, so my entire process from start to finish is.
I hit 014 on my phone and he answers.
I read off the fax # to him and he enters it while I'm on the phone with him.
He hits send and that's it.
I go pick up the rifle a few days later, he calls it in to FBI, and give him a crisp $20 bill for the transfer.
 
Gonzos said:
I have sold several guns on online sites and through the classifieds. The easiest and smartest way is to have your gunshop or gunsmith handle the transfer.

I disagree. The easiest way is to, upon receipt of the FFL, ship the rifle directly to the FFL.

Using an FFL on the seller's side is an unnecessary complication and expense, and in California some of these wankers will charge you $100 for such "service". As to you having sold "several", well, some of us have sold several dozen (or more) and we know what we're talking about. 8)
 
I'm sure to get what I need to keep it legal and then ship the firearm to the buyers FFL myself. I NEVER use an FFL to ship my firearms.

I don't know how you guys ship things, but I take up to 1 1/2 hours to carefully bundle and package up a $600-$2,000 rifle that I am shipping....especially if it has the tradtional stained-finshed wood stock. My rifle gets a hefty layer of white foam board in front of the barrel and in back of the buttstock, and often I cut and fit 1/2" thick wood barriers on the barrel side of the box so the rifle barrel doesn't poke through the box like a ramrod. The rifle gets foam and bubble wrap everywhere else it's needed, and loose items like magazines or bolts are wrapped and stuffed firm in the box so they don't slide around in the box and scratch or dent the rifle. The package then gets a protective outer cardboard box around it. I finally seal all box joints with brown paper glue tape. DO YOU THINK THE GUNSHOP THAT YOU WOULD HIRE TO SHIP YOUR VALUABLE RIFLE REALLY CARES LIKE YOU DO?!!
 
Someone told me about BATF's web site and the EZCheck . I didn't believe him and called the BATF . The agent explained it to me and why they have it . FFL's are to be used for dealer to dealer transactions and the BATF would rather a copy of an FFL not be in our hand where it could possibly be doctored up and used inappropriately . All we need is to go to their site ,click on the EZ check part , put in the 1'st 3 #'s and the last 5 #'s an it tells you that there is a FFL at that address by this business name & the expiration date . The agent walked me through it and it's as simple as that . I do business at the gunshop and they're friends so it's no problem . If anyone says you can't do this the Gov. says YES . Their site was made for us to know that we were sending a firearm to a dealer . They then log it in when you send ID so they know where it came from , and you the buyer deal with them .
 
VaniB said:
I'm sure to get what I need to keep it legal and then ship the firearm to the buyers FFL myself. I NEVER use an FFL to ship my firearms.

I don't know how you guys ship things, but I take up to 1 1/2 hours to carefully bundle and package up a $600-$2,000 rifle that I am shipping....especially if it has the tradtional stained-finshed wood stock. My rifle gets a hefty layer of white foam board in front of the barrel and in back of the buttstock, and often I cut and fit 1/2" thick wood barriers on the barrel side of the box so the rifle barrel doesn't poke through the box like a ramrod. The rifle gets foam and bubble wrap everywhere else it's needed, and loose items like magazines or bolts are wrapped and stuffed firm in the box so they don't slide around in the box and scratch or dent the rifle. The package then gets a protective outer cardboard box around it. I finally seal all box joints with brown paper glue tape. DO YOU THINK THE GUNSHOP THAT YOU WOULD HIRE TO SHIP YOUR VALUABLE RIFLE REALLY CARES LIKE YOU DO?!!

Big plus one.. I pride my self on my packing. I bought a Sako heavy barrel from an older gentleman thinning out his collection, he shipped it in the original box, nothing more, with two sheets of newspaper wrapped around the rifle. It arrived broken clean through at the wrist, a real heartbreaker. It worked out OK for me in the end, and his insurance covered him (!!), but to see a lovely old piece like that in that condition....why take a chance.
 
Not to hijack the thread, but VaniB really nailed the packaging angle as it pertains to shipping a rifle as the seller or using an FFL or other service. Sure, packing stuff takes time. As in the 35 minutes I just spent boxing up a JJ rest, or the hour (or more, like VaniB) that I'll spend on a rifle. There's no way an FFL or UPS store will do that.

My FFL received a $3k rifle on my behalf, that weighed 15 lbs without a scope or rings. It was simply inserted in a long box with styrofoam peanuts. The muzzle was poking out of the box on delivery. I received a Cowan rest some years back, direct from that fine (except for packaging, back then) program. In a box with styrofoam peanuts. Two of the legs had torn through the box during transit, buggering up the screws on both.

When I recently sold a Barnard/Robertson Palma rifle, I wrapped it up (sans bolt, packaged separately) and then put it in a plastic case and then put that case inside another plastic case and then put all of that in a box. Looked like Frankenstein. And nearly as strong for transit purposes. Sure, it took me a while. But compared to the hassle of a damaged rifle to the buyer, and filing an insurance claim, and phone calls and emails and waiting and the BUYER's DISAPPOINTMENT, it was time well spent.

Here's to all of you who go that extra step. We appreciate it! :D
 

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