View Full Version : Selling a pistol on arms list and just got a call from sheriff deputy
I bought a pistol on a local forum at least 1 yr ago probably more like 2-3 years but I can't exactly remember when I purchased it. I do feel confident however that I bought it before the time in question.
If it is stolen I have every intention of returning the pistol, but how can I make sure I don't get hosed.
Do they go by descriptions of the gun or do they match serial numbers?
I have never had this happen and I cannot resolve this until tomorrow due to being out of town.
I did post it on arms list and I have heard of scams and I am looking for suggestions on how to protect myself and my property.
Can you elaborate just a bit more?
Is the sheriff's department claiming you are selling a stolen gun? They'd have to prove it.
Averageman
03-28-16, 17:30
Serial Number.
Well, I suppose if they have the legal paperwork to prove it, that would be one thing. If somebody just called them up and said, "hey, that's my gun!" I assume they would need more than that.
Averageman
03-28-16, 17:34
Well, I suppose if they have the legal paperwork to prove it, that would be one thing. If somebody just called them up and said, "hey, that's my gun!" I assume they would need more than that.
I would guess they would have to have the serial number, or more likely the serial number and some paperwork would be best. A Police report when their gun was stolen and the serial number of the gun on that report would be the cherry on top.
Anything less is just malarky.
I just checked here and I have a thread asking about the value in December 2013 way before it was reported stolen. Don't know if that is worth anything.
A man in KY had his home robbed and among the guns stolen is a similar one to the one I am selling. A detective from KY called a Wilkes county sheriff deputy who called me when he was outside my house.( I suppose he did a search on my number when I gave it to the potential buyer) I am currently with my grandfather in the hospital due to bypass surgery.
I am almost positive I have a bill of sale or at least the name of the guy I bought it from unless it was lost with other items when I renovated last year.
FromMyColdDeadHand
03-28-16, 19:25
I guess a good reason to obscure serial numbers in for sale pics?
Isn't that a rather proactive search for a stolen gun? I half expect a recovered gun would have a hard time getting back to its rightful owner.
If the guy who had the gun stolen is swat-Ing every one who lists a similar gun, that will get old quick.
Either they have a serial number of F off. I'm not going to go out of my way to prove that I'm innocent.
So out of curiosity would you take the firearm for the sheriff to verify or ask for them to give you the serial number to verify?
Also I did obscure the serial number in the add. It was a pic of the side without the number actually.
Sounds like someone is fishing. Can't blame them, I'd probably do the same if I got robbed, cause that would send me through the roof.
Did they inquire or accuse you? Big difference imo.
FromMyColdDeadHand
03-28-16, 19:54
The good news is, you have a possible buyer... ;)
If this was legit, they would either ask for you to come in person to the SO.
You could, if your conscience so dictated, take it upon yourself to go to the SO and request they run it on NCIC.
But a cold call? I would need to know who at least two of that deputy's supervisors were and would need to be able to reach them directly via the Sheriff Office non-emergency number.
I would also need a cross-referenceable case number.
Because if they have no serial number then I don't see how they can just randomly call to say your stuff is stolen.
Even then, there is a log kept of every NCIC trace.
If you pursued this and dude says he's UC or plain clothes....no.
Me. I'd ignore it until they called me back and again with verifiable chain of command. Even then, until they have a warrant, any cooperation is voluntary.
I did contact via email and then exchanged numbers and that is the only way I could see how the sheriff got my address.
I sent images with a piece of paper over the serial numbers hearing about scams like this before.
Sitting in the hospital cafeteria I found posts here asking about the value of this gun which is fairly rare from 2013 putting the purchase date way before the robbery.
I guess I would be proactive if I were robbed too.
I do think I am going to ask for the sheriff deputy to verify the serial number so I can check before I go in to their station tomorrow.
Also I did obscure the serial number in the add. It was a pic of the side without the number actually.
That sounds really iffy.
Unless you have verified that you actually spoke to a deputy, I would call the Sheriff Office directly myself and say I had concerns about a weapon and was bring it in.
I would not deal with this random ass guy on the phone
Unless you have verified that you actually spoke to a deputy, I would call the Sheriff Office directly myself and say I had concerns about a weapon and was bring it in.
I would not deal with this random ass guy on the phone
No kidding.
I did volunteer to go to the SO and I did pull up my security camera on the phone and it was a deputy in my driveway. I think I will ask for the case file and serial number before I walk in with the gun. I don't want invite the man into my life unnecessarily.
I also believe I was contacted via arms list add by the individual posing as a buyer who may or may not have had a similar pistol stolen in November last year or year before. We exchanged texts and I sent pics as per his request in which I obscured the serial number.
Next day (today) I received a call from sheriffs deputy who said he got a call from a detective in KY about the gun.
I did volunteer to go to the SO and I did pull up my security camera on the phone and it was a deputy in my driveway. I think I will ask for the case file and serial number before I walk in with the gun. I don't want invite the man into my life unnecessarily.
I also believe I was contacted via arms list add by the individual posing as a buyer who may or may not have had a similar pistol stolen in November last year or year before. We exchanged texts and I sent pics as per his request in which I obscured the serial number.
Next day (today) I received a call from sheriffs deputy who said he got a call from a detective in KY about the gun.
You bought a gun before it was reported stolen? You can prove you bought it? Have these sheriffs never heard the term Bona Fide Purchaser? I'm not sure what the gun laws are in your state, but shouldn't they just change the status of the firearm in NCIC and start tracking down the person that sold it to you?
I am not positive I have a bill of sale due to moving and house renovations if I do it is in one of the netbooks in my safe. However I am fairly certain that I at least wrote the name down of the guy I traded for it.
I have been trying to sell the gun for a while on a local forum and I have an add that predates the report as well as a post here asking for more info for what that's worth.
Lawyer up. Guns are involved.
Lawyer up. Guns are involved.
^This. I'd contact an attorney before I proceeded further. Situation is fishy for sure.
Honestly this situation has me really concerned I just hope I have the bill of sale in my notebook.
If the deputy is forthcoming with info then I will cooperate otherwise I will call my attorney.
Get a lawyer.
Don't wait.
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This sounds pretty straight forward really.
Dude gets rare gun stolen. Searches Internet and finds you are selling the same gun. Contacts you and gets pics but the serial is covered. Contacts police.
Most likely the officer will ask for the serial number and when it doesn't match, the lead in the case is dead. If the guy didn't have a serial number and you have evidence showing you had it prior to the burglary, then the lead is dead.
polydeuces
03-28-16, 23:37
There are SO many lessons inhis thread.
How many of us do FTF sales, and keep meticulous records....
FromMyColdDeadHand
03-28-16, 23:59
How rare are we talking?
It is a unique model 52 .22lr pistol worth about $200.
Also if the deputy doesn't have the serial number can I more or less tell him to get bent because there is no way to verify a mass imported gun?
Without a serial number they have no case.
Back to update:
Met with the deputy and he was professional and courteous.
They did not have a serial number and I did not allow them to run mine
I haven't found a bill of sale yet but I will search through old documents
I did show him a thread I started here in 2013 about purchasing the gun which predates the robbery by 2yrs
The deputy in KY will probably contact me to screenshot the thread to verify and I will hopefully have a bill of sale.
Lessons learned:
Keep bill of sale for all guns from now on
Meticulously document and run serial numbers before any purchases
Again this place really puts out and I couldn't be happier with the wealth of information that is M4.
I would probably try to thank the guy who accused you of being a thief. I would take it up the chain of your Sheriff, his LEO, and the website.
What gives him the right to try to F over anyone selling a gun like the one he had stolen? And waste LE time when he can't prove the anything with a serial #... You know that really gets me now that I think about it, cops have real crimes to deal with. $200 gun he doesn't know the serial # to, unbelievable.
I don't have a problem with the sheriffs deputy, but I will be having a conversation with the detective when or if he calls me. I cooperated with local Leo and they seemed satisfied but I am getting angrier as well. I have a grandfather who just had bypass surgery, I slept maybe 2hrs last night while I helped take care of him, I stressed about this situation, and left early and drove an hour to resolve it this am.
I'll forgive him if he decides to buy it:).
Otherwise I am done with this and I learned a valuable lesson.
What C-grunt said. If they have the serial of the stolen gun, and it matches yours, it's his gun. If they don't have the serial or it doesn't match, it's yours. Not complicated.
-john
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Eurodriver
03-29-16, 11:26
What C-grunt said. If they have the serial of the stolen gun, and it matches yours, it's his gun. If they don't have the serial or it doesn't match, it's yours. Not complicated.
-john
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This has already been covered.
titsonritz
03-29-16, 16:40
Also I did obscure the serial number in the add. It was a pic of the side without the number actually.
Sounds like a possible scam. I'd tell them to piss off and get a warrant.
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