Re: How many guns can a person sell before red flags??
I am not a lawyer, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn last night. However, here is the relevant portion of Title 18:
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Section 921(a)ll(A). Definitions
The term "dealer" means (A) any person engaged in the business of selling firearms at wholesale or retail,
(B) any person engaged in the business of repairing firearms or of making or fitting special barrels,
stocks, or trigger mechanisms to firearms, or
(C) any person who is a pawnbroker. The term "licensed dealer" means any dealer who is licensed
under the provisions of this chapter.
Section 921(a)21)(C)
The term "engaged in the business" means - C) as applied to a dealer in firearms, as defined in section
921(a)(ll)(A), a person who devotes time, attention, and labor to dealing in firearms as a regular course
of trade or business with the principal objective of livelihood and profit through the repetitive purchase
and resale of firearms, but such term shall not include a person who makes occasional sales, exchanges, or
purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells all or part
of his personal collection of firearms;
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That said, I have bought many "used" firearms (mostly long guns) over the years, if the price was right, and I did so to enhance my "collection". If later I thought I could sell them again at some time in the future, for more than I paid for them, I did so, and "reduced" my collection.
I was not "engaged in business" because selling firearms was not my "primary" business. It was a hobby, and I had a "collection". I bought and/or sold a number long guns over the years. There were no "strawman" purchases, because I had no "buyer", I was buying for. I was buying for myself.
I did no FTF transfers; as I am leary of FTF even if it is allowed. All transfers were through the "buyers", FFL dealer, even "in-state" transactions. So all federal and state laws, were "complied" with.
So there is nothing wrong with buying a firearm, to "enhance" your "collection", nor selling it at a later date. There is nothing wrong with making a "profit" on that sale. As long as "profit" is not your primary motive, and is not your "trade or business", but merely part of your hobby or collection, and you always buy and sell via an established FFL.
So for the purpose the OP has of buying a rifle at a "good" price, that he may keep or may sell later on , to "persons unknown", and is not engaged in a "business", at the retail or wholesale level. He will not run afoul of the BATF.
You guys are way too paranoid. And yes, the BATF may read this post. I have always bought firearms for my personal "collection", and I have always sold firearms from my personal "collection" when my needs and tastes changed. And you do not require an FFL to do that.
YMMV, IMHO.....