I agree that he may be a crook. The same thing happened to me with this guy and I just had a bad feeling in my stomach so I decided not to purchase this rifle. I reported him to administration. I think he is from Mississippi. A good place to look for rifles is www.gunbroker.com, www.auctionarms.com, and www.gunsamerica.com. I really hope you get your rifle and it is in good shape.