Buying a handgun through private sale — how worried should I be about it being stolen?
Hey everyone, first-time private sale buyer here. I found a decent deal on a firearm through a private seller and I’m seriously considering it, but one thing is making me hesitate — what if the gun has a stolen history? The seller has the original case, manuals, and accessories, which to me feels like a good sign that it’s legitimately theirs — but I know that’s not exactly foolproof.
Is there a reliable way to run the serial number before buying to check if it’s reported stolen?
Do most of you bother checking, or do you just trust the seller?
Have any of you unknowingly bought a stolen firearm and had to deal with the fallout? What happened?
Is this even a common problem or am I overthinking it?
I want to do this the right way and not end up holding something that causes me legal headaches down the road. Any advice or personal experience is appreciated. Thanks.