this may sound like a dumb question, but what are the rules about buying a gun froma private party or selling a gun to someone? is there any paper trail that i need to be concerned with? just curious?

Private Party if you mean face to face with someone you know(best friend)I just swap guns unless its a pistol , I then take it to a gunshop and do it that way. If it is a stranger who wants to buy one of my gunsthen I would have a gunshop transfer it no matter if rifle,shotgun or pistol. Thru Gunbroker,or AuctionArms or Gunsamerica FFL signed by FFL holderr in Ink and then going to the BATF site and making sure its valid before sending the gun out. In the case of a Pistol I let my local dealer contacat their dealer to finish the sale. No If's ands or buts about that. Always err on the side of caution. I have personally heard way too many stories of guns used in crimes being sold privately and the new owners catching a lot of grief. Laws in your area may require local legal authorities to intervene in a gun sale. Check with your local dealer and LE department just to be safe.

Around here people sell guns at auctions and garage sales and list guns in the paper all the time. None of them have ever had any problems not going through the whole FFL hastle. Selling/buying used guns is just like selling/buying used furniture.

Same way here. However it sure would pay to check local laws as sometimes the are different. If I sell a gun to someone I don't know, I make sure to get a signed bill of sale with both their signature and mine and the date transfered. I also make sure the gun is wiped good and clean before I hand it over to them.

I remember selling a S&W 686.357 in New Jersey that the new buyer had to have a pistol permit signed by the local Police Chief before he could take posession of it. This after going thru a Background check. Every place is different.

This is a good idea anywhere!!!!

Illinois is a little tricky because of the whole FOID card deal. However, there was a thread on here not long ago about a guy who lost his gun because its history caught up with it. The author of that thread also mentioned that if you have a police officer or any other person with certain privilages check the serial number and it comes back hot/red/flagged (whatever) they will be required to report it and you or the seller will still lose the gun.