Armslist pains

[historicfirearms]

I have been thinning my herd a little, selling off some guns that I don't shoot anymore. Selling a few here has been great, no problems at all. I decided to list an AK on Armslist, first time I have used that site.

It was like trying to sell a used snowmobile on craigslist.

People wanted to trade me, in no particular order, a non functioning single shot 12 ga, a jennings 22, a bass guitar, a car stereo, a 22 rifle that the guy couldn't identify, and a smith and wesson 19-5. Had a couple people want me to hold it until the first of the month. One guy also emailed me and here is a rough translation of what he wrote:

"i want aK, im not felon cash in hand definititli take"

I sent him a message with my phone number assuming he would call me. Big mistake. He texted me with the finest etiquette a punk gangster, and with a picture of a stack of cash on a dirty floor. He lived about three hours away and wanted me to drive the entire way for the sale. I agreed to meet him half way. He never responded for a couple hours and I texted back that I had sold it (made up my mind on the Mdl 19.) The punk then texts back that he thought he had first dibs and was mad. I told him to call me, and of course, never heard back from him.

Being my first experience on Armslist, maybe I just had an unusual time. Maybe it was the particular rifle I was selling that attracted the wrong crowd. However, I don't think I'm alone feeling that most people today do not have any respect in their dealings. Castboolits aside, I have been more and more frustrated trying to sell things to the public.

I just had to vent a little. So go ahead, share your Armslist stories.

[snowwolfe]

If you put in your ad you will not accept any trades and will only do FTF sales it will get rid of a lot of the trash. But Armslist is known for crooked deals, mainly by sellers so I avoid the place altogether.

[Smoke4320]

If you put in your ad you will not accept any trades and will only do FTF sales it will get rid of a lot of the trash. But Armslist is known for crooked deals, mainly by sellers so I avoid the place altogether.

I second the Above..
Gunbroker is a little better .. Just hope you never need their customer NOservice...

[9w1911]

armslist only works well ftf

once I had this "kid" trying to trade me his xbox and all the doodads for my SKS = LOL

[texassako]

Sounds typical and craigslist is the same way(same crazy offers plus in Spanish). It is why I used gun broker for a couple of sales last year. I just sat back and waited for them to sell after making sure I made a decent ad with lots of pics and info, but even one of those deals was a mess with a crazy buyer.

[Beagle333]

I have had good luck on Armslist..... mebbe I been lucky.:coffeecom

(buying, that is.... 'never sold there.)

[dilly]

I've made some good trades on Armslist. Just keep your guard up and you'll be fine, unless a lowball offer hurts your ego and makes you cry.

[km101]

I too have had good luck on Armslist. (so far :) ) But I have only bought, not sold and I have only dealt with dealers. I figure if he has an FFL he probably has more to lose by trying to screw someone.

But I have seen some really questionable deals from individuals! Like a S&W 629 6" for $500 and the seller would not do FTF, only ship! After I offered to drive 300 miles to do FTF he quit responding to my texts. And he would not supply a serial #.

Another was a Ruger SBH for $350. Again, no FTF. That is the big red flag. I wont send money in the mail and trust them to send the gun.

[1911cherry]

I have bought 3 guns from armslist ads in the last year, there are rules though-public places ,daylight hours, keeps everyone safe. If it sounds like a setup for a robbery it probably is so buyer beware.

[500MAG]

When I was looking to buy a 50 AE all the sellers I contacted turned out to be scams. I never went back to the site.

[6bg6ga]

I wouldn't buy from them or gunbroker

[Huskerguy]

My pet peeve lately on both GB and the S&W site where people advertise firearms for sale is their response to questions or lack thereof. I am a person who asks lots of questions, I know that. But if you put something out there for sale I would expect you are prepared to answer questions about finish, lock up, Three T's, pinned and recessed, stocks, and so on. So I try to ask really short questions and either they don't respond at all or they only answer part of the questions and beat around the bush. When they do that I am done already. The other is the way they take pictures. Looking at a nice M19 but the pics were pretty basic. Got to asking some questions and ended up with many more better pics with the right angles. So what not show them in the first place? OK, I feel better now.

[bubba.50]

I've tried to contact about a dozen people on armslist about guns they were sellin'. of the 2 who actually got back to me, one said he would check on shippin' charges & get back to me. never did. the other guy got back & as it turned out, he only lived about 15 or 20 miles away. that was a good experience & we've dealt with each other a couple other times since.

[historicfirearms]

My pet peeve lately on both GB and the S&W site where people advertise firearms for sale is their response to questions or lack thereof. I am a person who asks lots of questions, I know that. But if you put something out there for sale I would expect you are prepared to answer questions about finish, lock up, Three T's, pinned and recessed, stocks, and so on. So I try to ask really short questions and either they don't respond at all or they only answer part of the questions and beat around the bush. When they do that I am done already. The other is the way they take pictures. Looking at a nice M19 but the pics were pretty basic. Got to asking some questions and ended up with many more better pics with the right angles. So what not show them in the first place? OK, I feel better now.

Amen! If someone doesn't answer a question I asked, I just assume they are hiding something. Maybe they just have ADHD and can't put more than two thoughts together, but it really puts me off.

[MaryB]

I will stick with buying form my local gun dealer...

[Garyshome]

I usually go there when I need to see some unbelievable c$%^

[jonas302]

Very typical results about the same as craigslist I had something on craigslist for 100 dollars some kid offers me 15 I told him I would burn it before I would sell it to him for 15 dollars lol Same on armslist got some trade offers then never heard back

[Bad Water Bill]

The biggest problem for me is the fee my local FFLs charge.

My nearest wants $100.00 for any transaction.

The cheapest I have found is 40 miles away, so how can I come out ahead if I have to pay a $20.00 FFL fee AND drive 80 miles round trip?

Of course I can always sell it to my nearest big box dealer for about 2/3 of what it sold for about 20 years ago IF it is still in NIB condition.

[Southern Son]

"i want aK, im not felon cash in hand definititli take"

I sent him a message with my phone number assuming he would call me. Big mistake. He texted me with the finest etiquette a punk gangster, and with a picture of a stack of cash on a dirty floor.

That's a hoot. He is probably bad mouthing you all around "the hood" right now as I type this.

[destrux]

I spent five minutes browsing Armslist and decided to stick with Gunbroker. I've sold a few guns and other things on GB and never had a problem. There and here are the only two places I'll sell gun stuff anymore.

[Elkins45]

I have had good luck with Armslist, both buying and selling, but I follow some basic rules:

I don't consider ads from users who aren't registered
Ones that have been registered for more than a few days are preferred
Face to face only
Public place I suggest in daylight hours
Must be willing to show me a KY ID of some sort
If at all possible don't go alone

This approach has served me well so far.

[woodsxdragon]

i've bought some sketchy stuff off armslist. I live about a half hour from Akron Ohio. I've bought quite a few cheap guns (everyone needs a few) around the area. I always have someone tag along with me and always meet in public.

[Ehaver]

I have never had a problem that I can recall on Craigslist, I have not used Armslist yet. Seems everything I'm intrested in on Armslist is far more than I would pay. I like pawnshops for my guns anyhow.

[Elkins45]

I think a lot of the Armslist pricing craziness is because the sellers think they can charge a premium for private sales. I think the target market for a lot of them are guys who want to pick up a gun or two without a 4473 form.

Do they even have Armslist in states where private sales are outlawed?

[TXGunNut]

Ya'll might be interested in a Craigslist deal gone bad in Ft Worth recently. Bad for the bad guy, that is. A Google search should bring it up. Even FTF isn't safe these days. In an Armslist deal the BG will asume you're armed. Bad guys bring backups too.

[Bad Water Bill]

I was offered a deal on a rifle.

Drove 300 miles and some were on back dirt roads that my G P S had wrong.

At last I knew I had arrived and the deal would be done.

ILLINOIS STATE POLICE was on the side of the car I was looking for.:bigsmyl2:

Now he is also a member of our family.

Sometimes we need a happy ending here.

[webradbury]

I've only made one transaction through armslist and it went well. But be careful because it is full of scammers and other subhuman nefarious characters.

Be especially careful with meeting someone to make a transaction whether you are the seller or the buyer. As a law enforcement officer, I've seen several cases where good people were robbed. The thing is the bad people know that the good person is showing up with either a weapon or cash and good people have been relieved of both. Just use caution.

Craigslist simply annoys me. I had to get ugly with a scammer the last time I used it.

[Handloader109]

One thing about Craigslist that I have seen is the scammed duplicate the ads in several cities. I use a program that will search for a item in city that you add to the search. That way if it is an ad that is listed 300 miles apart it is probably a scammer, and if too good to be true, it is

[NavyVet1959]

I've bought a few firearms from ads that were on Armslist or Craigslist and have not had a problem. I try to meet in a public place so that both sides have good feelings about the meet. One time, I wasn't familiar with the area, so I just used Google Maps and saw the familiar orange and white roof of a Whataburger and suggested it. When I got there, I saw that it was closed down for construction, so I called him and we met next door at some other restaurant.

Quite often, people place ads on there at a slightly inflated price since the buyers are going to offer them less anyway. That's just part of haggling. Maybe they'll have a Glock 20 listed for $550, you offer them $450, and then you split the difference at $500. If you don't like haggling, stick to the large retailers where the price is not negotiable (and higher).

[jonp]

FTF only and don't go alone. Meet in a public place like a WalMart parking lot or other shopping mall and daylight only. Never go to somones house alone to do a deal. Never send cash to someone you don't know. You would think that was common sense but you would be surprised. I have bought several guns from gunbroker with no problem. The guys always responded to my emails promptly and shipped FFL - FFL only. Armslist.....idk I'd be real careful