Trading Guns

As a follow up to my last post. I have yet another story about trading a firearm.

To stay completely legal some details may be smudged or changed a little, but this is what happened.

Came into a long gun a few weeks ago. Went out and shot it. Realized it's not what I want and I have been toying with the idea of selling or trading it to fund other things. Have had a couple offers from people that I know personally here and there and wasn't really listening to any of them. So finally today I put an ad up for it at around 1400. Within the hour had a few hits. Two caught my interest. One was local one was out of town, about a two hour drive. Not a fan of hoping in the car and driving unless it's a sweet deal, with sugar on top.

After I posted the Ad I grabbed a friend and went to the local gun store. Looked at guns here and there, realized I'll never be able to afford what I really want and decided to leave. Still had the two people waiting for a meeting time.

Decided it can't hurt to go look at one of the ads. guy was just getting off work and wanted to meet. Gave the time and place. The AM/PM Gas station that is basically under the freeway in the middle of town.

Lets take a moment to love Arizona. It's legal here to Strap on a thigh holster with a fully loaded pistol, have a loaded sniper rifle across your back, a tactical carbine in your paws, a concealed gun somewhere on you, and as much ammo as you can carry and go walking around downtown. nobody says anything, or even looks at your weird.

So I get the call from the guy confirming the meeting, go change into my "gun buying outfit" which consists of Tac Pants and a T-shirt with either boots or running shoes and go load up my car with enough weaponry to hold off the Russians for a fair amount of time. (yes it is a sight to see.)

Go to the meeting and right in front of the gas station doors I meet this guy. Younger guy, knows whats he's doing so no worries. The lights are the best there. So I pull out my long gun and he pulls out the gun he is offering in the trade. After we show each other neither of us have loaded guns we show and tell. Waving, aiming, and dry firing guns in front of a gas station with people walking by. Not one person blinks. Some guy walking past even said something like "you guys going shooting?" (it's 9 at night). At least he didn't ask to hold one of the guns.

He agrees to the trade and I give it the OK. ATF is closed so I can't run the serial numbers, that will wait until the next day. We trade email, phone, Drivers numbers and pack up the car, shake hands and go about our separate ways. All in a days work.

My Gun Dealer Antics

If you work for ATF, FBI, or CIA please don't read any further, I don't want to be put on a watch list.

Over the past few months I have become quite the little weapons dealer. There is a local website specific to here in Tucson that is like the Craigslist of Guns. I frequent this page about every hour. Looking for new deals and always trying to buy sell and trade.

The way the website works is the gun ad comes up and you reply to the ad. So the guy that posted the ad can see your email address and whatever you put in the reply but you don't see any of his contact info. Giving the Seller some protection.

In today's world everyone gets email on there phone, so you send the reply and if you give your phone number you'll get a call almost right away. Do a little chit chat, talk about the gun, give the basic specs. If everyone is happy you agree to a meeting. obviously the more well lit, populated places are the safest. Your basically asking to get robbed if your not at a gun store or gas station (lots of cameras).

Looking through ads you can see pics and everything on the site. You see something you like you go to some other websites to check out the price, read reviews on the gun and decide if you want it or not. Decide to meet the guy set up time and place and boom. Trade phone numbers, driver license numbers and gun serial numbers, pay the agreed price and off you go.

On a average day I can move a gun in about 3 hours. Or that is the fastest I have ever done it. ad comes up, you run your checks and meet the guy and buy the gun. Get the gun home clean and lube it, test fire with the snap caps, clean and lube the mags and whatever else it came with, throw the gun back up and a different website with a slightly higher price and you'll have hits within the hour. Start the process over.

Making money isn't the end goal in my world, it's more about the self imposed challenge to trade up to eventually end up with something expensive, in good condition that you love.

Pretty sweet business if you have a knack for up selling stuff and can convince someone to see your side of it.