So I discovered backpage.com through an arfcom member post as a good place to look for local firearm/ammo.  I saw ads for all sorts of stuff so it looked like a pretty active marketplace and I decided to try to sell some of my stuff there too.  I was able to post a bolt gun I have for sale but tried to post an AR and some .223 ammo and it wouldn't work. I admit that I never read their terms of service but considering that the entire sporting goods section is nothing but guns and ammo it didn't even occur to me that they were anti-gun bigots like eBay.  Apparently they are but they only randomly enforce it.  I guess they want to make money selling gun ads but also want to be able to pretend they don't allow such evil transactions on their esteemed service?  I don't get this.  Can anyone else make some sense of this?  Here is my email string with them:

>>> Dan... <[email protected]> 7/28/2009 6:45 PM >>>
Opened an account and tried to post an add - see attached screenshot.
Need some help since I have tried multiple times to get this posted.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
––––––Original Message––––––
From: support <[email protected]>
To: "Dan..." <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, Jul 29, 10:00 AM -0700
Subject: Re: Can't post

Per Terms of Use agreed to when creating ads:

18. Posting any material advertising handguns; Posting any material
advertising assault weaponry; Posting any material advertising any
weapons the use, carrying, or advertising of which is prohibited by
applicable federal, state, or local law;

Backpage Support
www.backpage.com
Please include any previous correspondence when replying to support.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
From: Dan...<[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 10:18:54 AM
Subject: Re: Can't post

Are you kidding? Most of your ads on my local page are explicitly selling firearms of all types.  My ad is for a completely legal sale.  I even make a separate statement to point out that "I will follow all state and federal laws." I am seriously asking the question: are you saying all of the numerous firearms advertised on your site are in violation of yours terms? If so you are extremely lax in enforcing this.  I have another perfectly legal ad selling a rifle on your site right now in fact.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
––––- Forwarded Message ––––
From: Dan...<[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2009 8:51:58 PM
Subject: Re: Can't post

No response?  I would like an answer. The entire sporting goods category is filled with firearms ads (the attached is a small example of what is on your site right now - unambiguously selling all varieties of firearms including the exact same type rifle I was blocked from posting).  Why are these ads allowed and mine was not?  
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They won't respond and I am still unable to make my post for a basic bushy AR and some wolf .223.

Here's a sample of what's up there right now.  Almost every add is for a firearm.  So you can advertise a FAL and .308 ammo but apparently not an AR and .223 ammo.
http://tucson.backpage.com/SportsEquipForSale/classifieds/Results?category=5435
Sat. Aug. 1
$375, Bushmaster Upper Assembly  (Tucson)
$425, S&W Model 442 38SP  (Tucson)
$800, Browning Hi Power 9mm Single Action Handgun  (Marana, AZ)
wtb IMR4895 (Tucson)
$180, Noveske AR15 lower reciever  (Southeast Tucson)
$300, MDL59/66 Yugo SKS 7.62x39 Rifle (Tucson)
Fri. Jul. 31
$450, Taurus Millennium Pro 45 NEW  (Tucson)
$30, Federal Power Shok 30.06 Ammo  (Tucson)
$30, .10g Shotgun Ammo Power Pack  (Tucson)
$100, Vietnam Era Military Patches  (Tucson)
$275, Browning Buck Mark Pistol  (downtown)
$400, Remmington 1100 3" mag 30" bbl  (Sierra Vista)
$25, .12 Gauge Home Defense Loadout  (Tucson)
$90, Singer Antique Treadle Sewing Machine,  (Kolb/Broadway)
$1,000, Sig-Sauer P220 Combat TB  (Tucson)
$385, Tuarus titanium 38 special +p-rarely used (Central Tucson)
Thu. Jul. 30
$1, Jacketed Projectiles and Used Rifle & Pistol Brass  (salt lake city)
$35, MAK-90 Dragunov Stock Set  (Tucson)
$185, Chinese 75 rd. drum magazine  (Tucson)
$35, Beretta 96D High Cap magazines  (Tucson)
$1,200, Desert Carbine  (Tucson)
$650, Norinco MAK-90  (Tucson)
$190, Charter Arms AR-7 .22lr Survival Rifle  (Tucson)
$350, Ruger P97 dc  (central)
$1,200, Gary Reeder Custom Pistol  (Tucson)
$25, 308 ammo 50rd bandoleer (Oro Valley)
$900, FAL rifle  (Oro Valley)
$900, Colt 1911 Auto  (Tucson)
$300, Total Gym (Northwest Tucson)
$900, New in Box Savage 10FCP 308 HS w/Farrell Mount  (Northwest Tucson)

they are probably picking up on some buzzwords like AR-15 and 223 and/or 5.56

Try the same add naming exactly what you are selling, like a Bushmaster Upper, but don't say AR-15 Upper made by Bushmaster

I did that.  I used wording exactly like that in other ads that are posted. In any case, that's not really the point now.  I am trying to figure out what their deal is because it is pretty lame for them to have anti-gun policies that they selectively enforce yet clearly this is a large piece of their business.

"assault weaponry?"  WTF is "assault weaponry?"  Where do they come up with this shit?

Screw 'em, they don't deserve your business.