Selling a rifle, what're the ins and outs?

johngalway

Hi folks,

I am reluctantly considering selling my HMR. Since I won't be replacing it at this time I wonder what is the procedure on selling it privately?

I do not wish to leave it in to a dealer and have them sell it for me. I prefer to sell directly to someone else but I don't know how the system works in this regard as I've never sold a rifle before!

Presuming I agree a sale price with a buyer, what is the usual procedure next. Do they pay up front and have me leave the rifle into a dealer while they wait upon their license?

So, how does it work?

ATB,

John

Tackleberrywho

johngalway wrote: »

Hi folks,

I am reluctantly considering selling my HMR. Since I won't be replacing it at this time I wonder what is the procedure on selling it privately?

I do not wish to leave it in to a dealer and have them sell it for me. I prefer to sell directly to someone else but I don't know how the system works in this regard as I've never sold a rifle before!

Presuming I agree a sale price with a buyer, what is the usual procedure next. Do they pay up front and have me leave the rifle into a dealer while they wait upon their license?

So, how does it work?

ATB,

John

My understanding is, if you wisdh to sell. Th erifle has to go to an RFD, then the customerr can by it and licence it.

If you own it on paper, and he gives you money you are still th eowner. So he can not buy it unless it is not licenced in anybodies name.


If you sell to me, You leave in RFD, send gardai the note you recieved from RFD, then you give Me a note saying I own and I apply to licence

I sold my younger brother a shotty many moons ago and this is the way we did it. It was in a RFD's store ~14 days

rrpc

It doesn't have to go to a dealer. Don't forget, two people can be licensed on the same firearm simultaneously. Once the buyer is licensed, the owner can cancel his own license.

Tackleberrywho

rrpc wrote: »

It doesn't have to go to a dealer. Don't forget, two people can be licensed on the same firearm simultaneously. Once the buyer is licensed, the owner can cancel his own license.

In my case I bought a new one so I would have had to have a third licence or park up one of them.

John are you selling to buy another, or just reducing your stockpile?;)

rrpc

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

In my case I bought a new one so I would have had to have a third licence or park up one of them.

John are you selling to buy another, or just reducing your stockpile?;)

He's already answered that:

johngalway wrote:

...Since I won't be replacing it at this time...

Tackleberrywho

rrpc wrote: »

He's already answered that:

Oops, hard to be focused since I am awake over 20 hours now


yeah John, just give yer man a letter and you should be cushtee

Although if it were me I'd never drop a licence, I'd licence something to keep the same amount of certs

Rovi

As rrpc has already said, it's perfectly legal for more than one/several/many people to simultaneously licence the one firearm.

Provided the person who has actual physical possession of the firearm has a valid licence for it throughout the process, neither of you need go near an RFD.

As you're not replacing the firearm and will (I'm assuming) be cancelling the licence once you've disposed of it, the simplest thing would be for you to hold onto the firearm until the purchaser has their own licence for it.

You'll need to provide the purchaser with the details necessary for them to complete Section 3.3(B) of FCA1; a photocopy of your licence and perhaps a letter/invoice detailing the transaction would likely be helpful too.

Once they have their new licence, you hand them possession of the firearm and complete Section 2 of FCA2, including the details of the new owner in the 'Sold To New Holder' box. Again, a photocopy of their new licence could be useful there too.

Cass

Its seems to have been answered by the above posts, but i thought i'd give you a run down of how i sold mine.

• Advertise the rifle.
• Meet buyer in public place. Ideally a range. Easy to demonstrate the rifle and plenty of others around. If not bring someone along. For security reasons obviously.
• Agree a price for everything you are selling.
• Write out a "contract" that both of you sign. Photocopy and keep original and give copy to buyer.
• Give buyer your cert number and other details necessary to apply for license.
• Get deposit. Depending on price i usually ask for 10%. Its enough to discourage time wasters.
• The deposit is refundable ONLY if the buyer is refused a license. Anything else and its their loss.

Here is where my two sales differ.

For one i was substituting so i surrendered the rifle to an RFD to hold the rifle until the sale was complete and as i would no longer be licensed.

For the other i held onto the rifle as i was not keeping the license. He got his license then i used the FCA2 to cancel mine. Was a crossover period of about 2-3 weeks before everything "settled".

In the case of the RFD holding my rifle it was now up to the buyer and him to get sorted however i did stay quite involved until all parties were happy and licensed. In the case of the rifle i sold by myself i met the buyer and handed over the rifle and collected the balance of the money. Give a receipt and keep a copy for yourself to say all monies are paid and everyone is satisfied with the deal.

In the case of the rifle i sold privately i asked for a copy of the buyers license (both sides), for my own records and proof of who i sold it to.

I think that covers it all.

Sparks

Ownership and possession and licencing are all orthogonal concepts in law for firearms; the only reason we recommended using an RFD in the first place was as an escrow agent, for personal security reasons similar to ezri's suggestion of meeting potential buyers on a public range. You do not have to go through a dealer for a private sale, you're not making a profit on it after all.

Tackleberrywho

I'd never give up a licence though JG, hard enough to get a few.
I'd exchange licence for something.

I always advise my mates same, licence something, even an action!
That way when you have a few bob you are only making a substitution and not a new application

Just my two Greek Drachmas

rrpc

Ezri's suggestion of meeting on a range is a good one. Some of you may not remember the infamous Malcolm McArthur who obtained a shotgun through a man named Donal Dunne who was selling one in a newspaper. He met the seller, took the shotgun and killed the poor chap.