Shady Firearms Purchase?
 

Hey guys -
I'm a senior at Washington State University getting a wildlife ecology and management degree. Hunting is a big part of my life, but paramount is proper gun ownership. I firmly believe that the way you handle and care for your firearms and promote safety and pride in their condition and function is what makes you a responsible gun owner (too bad there's no law to enforce that!). Recently I've listed a .30-30 Marlin336W with leather sling and recoil pad in near perfect condition on a flyer at the local sporting goods store thinking a responsible farmer or cattleman with experience around firearms would pick it up for porch or saddle gun, but instead my first contact came from a very respectful but plain speaking college kid, and something about his email of interest raised a red flag in my head and I thought I'd ask your opinion on something.

he says
"Hi Ace my name is andy. i saw that you had a .30-30 lever action for sale. i am very interested in this weapon. I would like to talk to you about it, and take a look at it. my phone number is 555-5555, you can give me a call or send me a message back if you are interested. thank you very much"

I understand that often times people of military or law enforcement background speak of firearms as "weapons", and I understand that, but in my neck of the woods a "weapon" implies criminal intentions for a firearm, and anyone I grew up with would never call a firearm or gun a "weapon" because that violates the safety and responsibility that we've been instilled with - just the same as when some of my college friends who don't know much about guns say somethingrefering to"shooting" someone with one jokingly I don't take it as a joke and I make it obvious right then and there that that kind of talk won't be tolerated by me - you just don't joke about that. Anyway, I took a look at the kid on facebook because he's in my network and I see no indication of prior firearm ownership. nothing in his interests says hunting or shooting, nothing in his public photo album involves any kind of outdoor sports or leisure, and none of his friends seem the firearm owning type. I hate to judge a book by it's cover, but this is the white-sneaker wearing bleach blond hair, pookashell necklace, popped-collar frat boy that's liable in my mind to do something stupid with a gun. on top of that he still lives in the dorms!
Maybe he wants to own his first gun and be a responsible citizen and gun owner, and it's not my place to take that from him or tell him he can't have one, but I organized a meeting today to let him see it in person.we're meeting in a neutral location away from my home and other firearms. I told him someone else is interested and i promised them first dibs, but he can take a look at it. truth be told it's just a way to feel the guy out before I decide to let him take it.

What do you guys think about the situation? I hate tobe so calculating over a simple word choice, butI just hate the thought of a crime being commited with my firearm because I wanted a few bucks for it. after all this is a lever-action and a pretty simple and effective weapon.

thanks for reading!
Ace

RE: Shady Firearms Purchase?
 

I didn't see anything wrong with that email honestly, hard to tell anything from that. I think you are probably right about him not owning a bunch of guns or being a country hick or something along those lines.

If you don't want to sell him the gun, then don't it is your choice. Don't feel like you have thwarted anything though, if he wants one he will just get one somewhere else.

Maybe he just likes lever actions and wants to own one. I would be more concerned if you were listing a handgun or assault type rifle and some "kid" was interested. However I don't feel a lever action 30-30 is something some psycho kid would seek out. Never know though to be honest.

Ask him what he wants it for and where he will be keeping it. Slip in some gun safety questions if you like as well. If you don't feel right about selling it to him then don't do it I guess. I assure you the gun store where you posted the flyer wouldn't care though. As long as he passed the back ground they would sell him whatever he wanted.

Paul

RE: Shady Firearms Purchase?
 

I see nothing he says out of the ordinary. I buy and sell dozens of guns. A 30-30 is not the gun of choice for many crimes. In fact, I can't remember the last time a bank or 7-11 was held up with a trusty lever action. :D

RE: Shady Firearms Purchase?
 

If he makes you uncomfortable just don't sell it to him. I think your reading way too much into this. E-mail me about this rifle if you want to sell it..Thanks: Jerry

RE: Shady Firearms Purchase?
 

Guns by definition are weapons soreferring to one as suchwouldn't really set of any alarms with me. I actually think referring to them as weapons helps people understand that they are dangerous andneed to be treated with respect.With that said, I have no problem at all judging a book by its cover and wouldn't sell a gun to anyone that even gave me the slightest hint that I’d regret it or if they gave me a "weird" feeling.

Just my .02

Inthe end it's your rifle to do with as you please and if you don't think he'd use it responsibly you don't have to sell it to him.

RE: Shady Firearms Purchase?
 

If its not a weapon then what the hell is it? A barbie doll?

Not everyone out there cares as much about being politically correct as you do.

RE: Shady Firearms Purchase?
 

Your choice, but if your not comfortable with it just don't return his call. Someone else will be along soon and buy it from you.

RE: Shady Firearms Purchase?
 

wow - this thread ran the full gamet of responses from indifferent to angry! neat post - interesting to see what you guys think about it. I guess it's more of a moral quandry than a single case situation. thanks for the responses.

RE: Shady Firearms Purchase?
 

First out side of the military or law enforcement I have never heard of a sporting arm/rifle called a weapon. It is just a point of view implying or seeing it as just for self defence or plain offensive actions. People in shooting sports use just simple discriptions and do not imply more than that. We use Guns, Rifles, Shotguns, Bows, etc. andthey are just tools and just that tools. After all golf clubs kill to but why would anyone with out motive refer to one as a weapon? Chew on that awhile.

Next trust your instinct if something doesn't seem right just move on and don't give it a second thought.

RE: Shady Firearms Purchase?
 

I like that.