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Gun Sale Gone Weird

12K views 33 replies 13 participants last post by  morcey2 
#1 ·
I put my XD45 up on a local site to sell it last week.

Someone texted me, stating they were highly interested and that his name was "Jonathan" from West Valley. We agree on a public location with good visibility to effect the transaction. I show up and text Jonathan that I am at the location. No response. I call his cell. No answer. I text him once more, ask "Are you here?" No response.

At this point my hackles are raised and I'm getting a bad feeling. I give the guy 15 minutes to respond and keep an extra vigilant eye out for anything nefarious. Then I take off, running a fairly circuitous route to my home, ensuring that nobody has followed me.

Has this ever happened to you?

As I was leaving the location I immediately call my wife to let her know what had happened. I was so proud of her when she responded "Make sure nobody's following you!" :crown: So proud! I have tried to train her mindset over the past several years to be more conscious of her surroundings, so it was good to hear her say this to me.

I'll always tell people to follow their gut and I try to do the same. Nothing bad came of this, but it sure was weird.
 
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#2 ·
I had a guy that I was going to buy a gun from. At set up a time and location. When the time was nearing I tried to contact him multiple times. He wouldn't ever answer or reply to texts. I noticed on his ad that he had people "not shot up" and the sale "fell through". I'm pretty sure he never had the gun and just wanted to make people mad. At the time it was a hard gun to find.

I haven't been on your side of it though.
 
#5 ·
Creepy! I wonder what, if anything the dashcam would be able to pick up, or even a scanner.

I've never gone alone for several reasons.

This brings up an interesting point. Perhaps two separate vehicles going with one "flying wingman" to provide countersurviellance countermeasures or counter-countersurviellance countermeasures?

Reminds me of something along the lines of the trailer from "A Walk Among the Tombstones" where Liam Neeson encounters a perp in the cemetery and the perp draws down on him. Liam's response is "...I don't care if you shoot me. Maybe there is a rifle pointed at your head..."

Rhetorical questions:

When arranging a transaction, is it best to pick the time and place or let the seller pick the time and place?

Should the place of the transaction be an open, public place, where the presence of firearms does not cause alarm, e.g., not outside of a bank or credit union or federal building?

What about arranging for the transaction to take place at your local law enforcement office (police, sheriff, UHP)? Instant background check?

Food for thought...
 
#6 ·
I've always had it in a public location, and this is one of the times I always OC. I don't care if it freaks people out. If I can buy an ar-15 and walk out of wal mart with it, I don't mind inspecting a firearm in the (xyz) parking lot so long as the owner doesn't prohibit firearms.

I suppose an LEO facility could make sense, but I just pick a place that is public, unless the other party has a public place to meet at already.
 
#7 ·
I've bought in parking lots of grocery stores, sportsman's, cabela's, wal mart, and even at personal residence. The personal residence the guy must have been having a fire sale because as I pulled up a guy was walking out with a sig556 I made my transaction and as I was leaving there was another man walking up the walk to purchase a 22WMR rifle I seen in the living room, it was kind of an interesting situation . The guy was super nice with kids running around, and you could tell he just must have ran into some unforeseen bills. Put that house on the other side of town take away the mini van and you would easily wonder if you were buying stolen firearms from a gun runner. I usually get at least one good conversation with the person after initial contact just to get a sense of the person. I've been stood up by a seller with a bogus story as well, I just trust my gut and never go to an arms sale unarmed, but I don't go to the grocery store unarmed. I've always been alone, and try to make the meeting point mutual. I think if you have a bad feeling about it there's probably a good reason. Having a second set of eyes isn't something that's necessary but wouldn't hurt either especially if you have any doubts and don't want to totally abort the transaction.

I do know that there's something about purchasing a firearm out of some guys trunk at the local albertsons that gives you a sense of freedom that is great. :thumbsup:
 
#8 ·
I've only bought or traded for used guns a couple of times, both forum members. Once in the parking garage at his work, and one in Walgreens parking lot. I must admit Snurdly probably had some reservations, but my spidey senses were cool both times.

Oh, I have bought some new guns from kind of a shady character though. :ROFL: Sorry Paul, couldn't resist.

Mel
 
#9 ·
:nilly: Oh no!!! He got you too, Mel???

I should have known something was up when that shady character wanted me to meet him in a dark, dank, basement below a cabinet/countertop maker's showroom. I should have known better... and to think he lured me there not once, but at least 3 times!!!
:lolbang:
:wink:
 
#10 ·
quychang said:
I've only bought or traded for used guns a couple of times, both forum members. Once in the parking garage at his work, and one in Walgreens parking lot. I must admit Snurdly probably had some reservations, but my spidey senses were cool both times.

Oh, I have bought some new guns from kind of a shady character though. :ROFL: Sorry Paul, couldn't resist.

Mel
Yeah but you didnt know about the snipers I had covering you while you were meeting me in the parking garage :swat:
 
#11 ·
gravedancer said:
quychang said:
I've only bought or traded for used guns a couple of times, both forum members. Once in the parking garage at his work, and one in Walgreens parking lot. I must admit Snurdly probably had some reservations, but my spidey senses were cool both times.

Oh, I have bought some new guns from kind of a shady character though. :ROFL: Sorry Paul, couldn't resist.

Mel
Yeah but you didnt know about the snipers I had covering you while you were meeting me in the parking garage :swat:
Nor did you notice the deadman switch attached to the heart monitor in my watch. Hope you move faster than my heart would have quit beating. And you thought that belly roll was fat. :spit:

Mel
 
#12 ·
I always send a text to confirm they can meet when I am leaving and i always meet in a public place. Never go to someone's private residence. If they don't respond I don't go. Simple as that. I've sold a couple guns and have never had a single issue.
 
#13 ·
gskip33 said:
I always send a text to confirm they can meet when I am leaving and i always meet in a public place. Never go to someone's private residence. If they don't respond I don't go. Simple as that. I've sold a couple guns and have never had a single issue.
I would agree as far as meeting a stranger. I don't think I'd feel too wary of forum members. I can see how they might be wary of letting a scruffy looking old man know where they lived though.

Mel
 
#14 ·
I always recommend a police station parking lot to my students. I've never bought used guns from someone I didn't already know, though.
 
#15 ·
dewittdj said:
:nilly: Oh no!!! He got you too, Mel???

I should have known something was up when that shady character wanted me to meet him in a dark, dank, basement below a cabinet/countertop maker's showroom. I should have known better... and to think he lured me there not once, but at least 3 times!!!
:lolbang:
:wink:
I was particularly concerned by the manacles on the wall, and the obvious gun ports in the walls. But he did offer good prices, which can be a little concerning by it's self. Oh, I'm sure the guns were factory fresh, but I'm not sure I didn't lose a little piece of my soul with each transaction. Oh wait, I'm an agnostic, we aren't sure we even have souls, so it's all about the good prices. :dancing: :dancing: :dancing: Still those manacles....

Mel
 
#26 ·
Uinta Firearms said:
Who else has Snurdly done this too? I've heard rumors of this stuff or here in Illinois. The people telling these stories claim to go to Utah regularly for "business". They are also Utah CC Instructors. The things I hear have no place in church, yet that's where I hear them.
I'm not a CC instructor. At least, not yet.

Sent from iSnurd
 
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