I got a question for anyone who could answer this. When you buy a gun(private sale) how do you know if it is stolen? I have full registration on handguns in my state so even if I do a private sale we have to go through the police so I know I have a legal firearm. But for all you guys out in states that don't have registration on any guns,How do you know if you are buying a stolen gun when some one sells it to you. I buy all my guns through an FFL used or new so I never thought of this much but on the equipment exchange I see private sale in the state that the person is from. How does all of this work? Thanks

The short and skinny is you don't.

Years ago CA brought up a new computer system that tracked stolen property.  One of the Police Captains was putting on a demo for the brass, media and political types and entered in the SN of one of his personal firearms.  Of course it came back as being stolen.  The poor guy almost had a stroke!

You could always ask your local PD to run the SN through NCIC.

Like I said handguns are no problem with me cause I have to go through the cops for a sale being private or not. But If I buy a long gun and it is a private sale and winds up being stolen what is the deal. Do I get in trouble for having stolen property or is it just returned to the owner. Or how would they know anyway if they don't run the SN.  Do the dealers run every gun that is brought in that they buy from somebody? I have bought used shotguns from dealers but how do I know they are not stolen?

Dealers in NY don't normally know if a firearm is stolen either. If they suspect that it is they would contact their local PD. I don't know about other states. I think pawn shops in some states might be required to have the SN's checked.

A stolen firearm in your possession would be confiscated without remuneration. It’s unlikely you would be charged if you provided documentation that you obtained the firearm legally. You should always have some type of documentation (bill of sale, invoice etc.) concerning the transaction for insurance purposes and in the unlikely event that the firearm is stolen.

I tried to sell an old (age-wise) gun to a pawn shop, and they refused to buy it because it didn't have a Serial Number. It was too old to need one, but they said that they check all the SNs to make sure they're not stolen and they wouldn't buy it. So, I definitely trust Gun Shops and Pawn Shops. But, I kept the documentation, in case the lack of a SN was questioned. As previously said, keep the documents. One dealer suggested I carry a photocopy, and keep the original in a safe place. I doubt very much that stolen guns would show up on Auction Sites, such as Gun Broker and Auction Arms. Since, these sites are probably checked by ATF and FBI. I have had the chance to buy from persons I know aren't trustworthy, and I didn't because of the risk of it being stolen. One was known to be a gang member and had been arrrested several times, including Burglary. That is a serious red flag. I wouldn't buy from a person I didn't trust. Keep that in mind.

Thanks guys. I have all my paper work together. I always save the reccipts.