Questions to Ask a Private Seller

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goodcleanfun

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I plan to buy a used rifle from a private seller soon. I am new to the hobby and am looking for advice on what questions to ask a seller to determine if the firearm I am looking at is worth my time.
Any sort of technical or use case questions I should ask?
What kinds of responses should throw up a red flag?

Thank you for your help
 
goodcleanfun said:
I plan to buy a used rifle from a private seller soon. I am new to the hobby and am looking for advice on what questions to ask a seller to determine if the firearm I am looking at is worth my time. Any sort of technical or use case questions I should ask? What kinds of responses should throw up a red flag?
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Most people ask for pictures. Sometimes, a scammer will use pictures taken by someone else, so - if there's any doubt in your mind - one extraordinary request that you might make is for 'proof of life' - e.g.: another clear pic of the same item (with the serial number visible), and the seller's firearms license, laying on top of that day's edition of a particular (stipulated) newspaper (with license, and headline, and their dates clearly visible). Good pictures - so long as they're legitimate pictures of the item that the seller actually has in his possession - are probably more useful to you than any verbal claims.

Another thing you can do is check the serial number on CPIC.
 
Canadian Police Information Centre
Where the public can search for property or motor vehicles that have been reported stolen
<https ://www.cpic-cipc.ca/index-eng.htm>
 
Dont be alarmed if, when you are asking questions they sell it. Some people are impatient and sell to who ever says Ill take it, even if you are in a question period. It happens to even non newbies.

Ask for Pictures, the overall condition, any issue, confirm if there no damage on the stock, the bore condition. I don't believe people accuracy claims. So I dont waste my time asking. I heard people make wild claims of accuracy on guns not known for that type of accuracy. Thats a red flag for me.

Try to ask it all in one post and not many multiple messages.
 
Wendell said:
Most people ask for pictures. Sometimes, a scammer will use pictures taken by someone else, so - if there's any doubt in your mind - one extraordinary request that you might make is for 'proof of life' - e.g.: another clear pic of the same item (with the serial number visible), and the seller's firearms license, laying on top of that day's edition of a particular (stipulated) newspaper (with license, and headline, and their dates clearly visible). Good pictures - so long as they're legitimate pictures of the item that the seller actually has in his possession - are probably more useful to you than any verbal claims.

Another thing you can do is check the serial number on CPIC.
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Thank you for the advice! Particularly about the CPIC I was unaware of that resource.
 
OkayShooter said:
Dont be alarmed if, when you are asking questions they sell it. Some people are impatient and sell to who ever says Ill take it, even if you are in a question period. It happens to even non newbies.

Ask for Pictures, the overall condition, any issue, confirm if there no damage on the stock, the bore condition. I don't believe people accuracy claims. So I dont waste my time asking. I heard people make wild claims of accuracy on guns not known for that type of accuracy. Thats a red flag for me.

Try to ask it all in one post and not many multiple messages.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the advice! I will be sure to get all my questions into a single post when I do make my offers.
 
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