any legal way to go about this?

[john75]

i found a great deal on a remington wingmaster on craigslist, i contacted the guy via email, we made a deal, and exchanged contact info. i then emailed him and asked which dealer he would like to do the transfer through, and when we could meet up. he responded by telling me that "the numbers have been stained out" this kinda set off a red flag for me, and he then explained that the reason he is selling it is because he has to go to court and he might be convicted with a felony, so he wont be able to own guns anymore. is there any way for me to legally purchase this gun? if so, what would i need to do in order to cover my butt and insure that i dont get in trouble for this? any info is appreciated. thanks

[dad1]

I'd pass it up! Numbers stained out, not good.

[Jwood562]

ask him for his DROS paperwork when he bought it.

is it like covered with wood stain/varnish? take some paint thinner to it or something.

if you cannot see the serial numbers = bad news

[john75]

i don't really know what he means by stained out, i asked for a picture so i'll see how that goes, but the more i talk to him the more i get the feeling that this gun is stolen or something. i'm probably going to end up passing, it just sucks to have to let such a good deal go by haha

[alfalfa]

I'd pass...Any potential savings on the gun will be outweighed by your potential legal problems should you take ownership of the gun. Dealing with a possible felon to buy a firearm with a possibly altered serial number is just asking for trouble IMHO.

And how great is the deal? You can find old Wingmasters cheap and should be able to pick one up in the $150-200 range. I even know of a guy that recently picked one up for $75!

alfalfa

[john75]

wow thats a lot cheaper than i thought, the deal was for 150, the cheapest i've seen them on here for is around 300. i'll just keep my eye out for one in that case

[Fjold]

You're dealing with a guy who thinks that he's going to be a felon soon. There is no telling what the history of that gun is.

[Jonathan Doe]

I would pass on any shady deals no matter how much I would save. There will be another good deal show up eventually.

[choprzrul]

Without fail, there comes a time in our lives when we know that we should walk away. This is NOT one of those times...






RUN!

[beyaaah]

Could be a sting

[BigDogatPlay]

This deal smells too good to be true... which means it probably is.

Although I too would like to know what a "stained out" serial number is.

[freonr22]

pics?

[CSACANNONEER]

Run! Forrest! Run!

[NorCal*Shooter]

Insist you conduct the transfer though a dealer that holds an FFL. If he wants to avoid the PPT process, walk away. If he is willing to do the legit PPT process, contact the FFL holder ahead of time and brief him on the situation. See if there's a way to make sure the gun is legit by the end of the 10 day wait. Don't pay until you know the gun is legally good. You also may want to address this in the FFL forum to get their insight on what they might be able to do.

I personally would walk away, but if you really want to give it a shot, I suggest you take the above listed steps. But do not bypass the PPT process!

[trendar5]

It's not a sting. That would be entrapment to advertise it. No agency I know of had time/money for such a reverse sting.