Private Gun Sale Goes Bad

[gun sane]

Man robbed at gunpoint in Knoxville while meeting to sell gun (wate.com)

[FUJIMO]

I've heard this story regurgitated all weekend on the local news and find the lack of details suspicious. Not to mention the details that "set the scene". 

[runco]

Always an elevated risk when dealing with the general public, selling guns, selling cars, etc.  Transaction location is important, and never never ever do the deed at your own place.  I wonder how the initial connection was made and assuming not a throw away phone, just how smart the thieves were.  I wonder if there were really two guns, or just maybe one gun, and the seller thought he tag on an extra gun for his troubles in case they were caught.  You got to be smart in today's times.

[krunchnik]

This has always been a worry-

I have sold a few guns to people mostly from TGO-

But you just never fully know what the next fella has in mind-

[Wheelgunner]

Glad the seller was not injured.  Hopefully the seller has now learned to use the buddy system.  Evidently it worked for the "buyer."

[BigK]

TGO is the ONLY way I'd arrange to meet a stranger to buy or sell a gun. If there's not a lot of witnesses, I get leery when I see trash in the parking lot, oil stains at EVERY parking spot, and if the MSRP on all the cars looks lower than average.

[Luckyforward]

So everyone throw out your best guidance for all.  What is the safest way to buy a firearm from someone you don't know?

I will certainly benefit from all the knowledge that will be shared here.

[TGO David]

4 minutes ago, Luckyforward said:

So everyone throw out your best guidance for all.  What is the safest way to buy a firearm from someone you don't know?

I will certainly benefit from all the knowledge that will be shared here.

1. Vet them through buyer/seller feedback here on TGO.
    
2. Never meet after dark, if you can at all avoid it.
    
3. Always meet at a well populated, well trafficked location.  Most police stations and sheriff's departments are perfectly fine with you using their parking lot for this.  Some even have designated parking spots FOR online sales handoffs.
    
4. Discuss with the buyer/selller ahead of time if anyone else will be present so that there are no surprises.
    
5. GO ARMED.  Be ready to use it if you have to.  Don't leave it in the car, in the glovebox.  Keep it on you.
    
6. LISTEN TO YOUR GUT INSTINCTS.  Be willing to drive away if ANYTHING feels off about the setting or the situation at all.  The possibility of resulting negative feedback or hurt feelings are completely inconsequential.  Your instincts exist for a reason, so trust them.

And one last tactic:

I have, in the past, gone to a rendezvous and taken my own backup with me.  Another person who I knew I could trust to handle the situation if it went sideways.  They were armed and as skilled or more so than I am.  I circled the lot and let them out nearby so that they could monitor and quickly respond if things got ugly, but far enough away from the rendezvous point that they weren't easily spotted.
 

Basically, learn to think like a predator.  Think like a bad guy.  Think about what you would do if you were up to no good, and then think about how to circumvent that.

 

[TGO David]

I forgot one more important point:

7.  Never get in their car.  Never let them get into your car.  If it's cold, rainy, sweltering hot or otherwise ####ty weather outside, it should make for a quick transaction.

 

Dr. William Aprill of Aprill Risk Consulting used to say that you had to know ahead of time what lines you weren't going to cross so that you knew when to start fighting.  For him, being put into another car or having someone enter his car was where the line was drawn.

I agree with him 100%.

 

[10-Ring]

I don't NEED to buy or sell anything.  I only deal with established TGO members with good feedback ratings.  Exceptions can be made if I get a good vibe on someone.  I've had exceptionally good luck here.  

[bubbadavis]

Great advice from David. I've had great luck dealing with TGO'ers over the years. 

I have had a couple of potential deals with new members where things just "felt off" and so we didn't agree to terms. In every one of those cases, they were soon on a permanent vacation from TGO. Trust your instincts!

[DJTC45]

I've sold and have drove almost 2hrs one way to make a deal. I always carry a gun daily and especially when meeting. Knock on wood every deal I've made through here has been great, if I have to drive a long distance then I usually get one of my nephews to go with me, and I always text or call my wife when I'm there and when I leave. 

[Whisper]

I've done many gun deals, with folks from TGO and elsewhere, with no problems. 

Some tips:  Check the reputation of the buyer, be extremely cautious if the other party arrives with someone else, meet to do the transaction in the parking lot of a police station or a gun store.  In case there's a problem, gun store parking lots have good potential witnesses who are likely to be armed.

Be safe,

Whisper

[Erik88]

The same thing happened to one of our members in East Knoxville. @Spots I think. 

[bubbadavis]

36 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

The same thing happened to one of our members in East Knoxville. @Spots I think. 

None of us want to admit it, but it could happen to any of us.

[Erik88]

53 minutes ago, bubbadavis said:

None of us want to admit it, but it could happen to any of us.

True. He actually got the guys that tried to rip him off.

 

 

[monkeylizard]

I only buy/sell with personal friends or TGOers. For TGO I only deal with people with solid iTrader ratings and they can't all be from the same 3 or 4 people pumping up one another's scores. I'll check the people giving feedback to the potential buyer/seller if it's not one of our regular posters. Fortunately, some of ya'll are also prolific traders I'll usually see feedback on a buyer or seller from a screen name or 3 that I recognize or may have done business with in the past. If not, I move on.

Other than that, +1 to what David said.

[hipower]

I just read all this again. I realize just how foolish I have been in the past. Done a few buys that I really shouldn't have, in locations I had absolutely no business going. Worse yet, some at dusk, even dark. I have been watched over for a long time. I've done some really stupid things.

More recent years, David's advice has been a guide.

TGO first, Daylight, Known people and area. And I've done my last long distance trip for a deal. Done Memphis once and Knoxville twice. However, in my defense, I did have a rider/guard along(Does wife count?)

I'm getting too old to do this stuff anymore.

Which is why I like this place and people.

Edited April 5, 2023 by hipower

[Defender]

7 hours ago, hipower said:

I just read all this again. I realize just how foolish I have been in the past. Done a few buys that I really shouldn't have, in locations I had absolutely no business going. Worse yet, some at dusk, even dark. I have been watched over for a long time. I've done some really stupid things.

More recent years, David's advice has been a guide.

TGO first, Daylight, Known people and area. And I've done my last long distance trip for a deal. Done Memphis once and Knoxville twice. However, in my defense, I did have a rider/guard along(Does wife count?)

I'm getting too old to do this stuff anymore.

Which is why I like this place and people.

Me too, brother!  While Im aware and am smarter now, I've made a few that I was just lucky.  My favorite place is the Goodlettsville PD/City Hall parking lot. Daytime and cameras.  

[hipower]

Of late, my sale/buy source is TGO. If I know you, just about anyplace is cool. 

Otherwise, local PD parking lot is my choice.

Interesting, at least it was to me, side comment. Several years ago I called the PIO at local station and asked about "meets" there. I was told some had designated areas, others just asked you to park in high visibility area that could be seen.

Aside from the trepidation many of us had fearing cameras and recordings of people selling, it's really not a bad idea.

Edited April 6, 2023 by hipower

[Rambo84]

There's a lot of good information here. Also, with a few internet memberships and some Master level Googlery (I should patent that term), you can find out a lot of info about who you're going to meet before you ever leave the house.