re: Off book gun purchase at gun show

Three kinds of sellers at a gun show.

1. FFL holders who buy a table and sell. EVERY pistol they sell must be to a resident of the state the gun show is in or they have to ship it to an FFL in the buyers state of residence.

2. Private sellers who rent a table but do NOT possess an FFL and are selling their own guns to other individuals. They and their buyers are subject to the same laws governing face to face transactions anywhere in the state the sale takes place in.

3. Private sellers walking around with a gun or two of their own they are selling in the same manner as #2.

I have bought pistols from both 2 and 3. I was in the state I lived in, hence I think I broke no laws. I did not ask (nor care, really) what state they were from. I offered to show both my drivers license and concealed carry permit. They usually don’t seem to care. It makes me feel better though I’m not sure why.


I will continue to buy any gun I buy from an individual with no paper trail, as long as it remains legal to do so. When/if that changes I’ll just be happy with the collection I have accumulated. I’ve probably got way too many now, but there are a few I’d like to purchase to round out my collection. Dan Wesson revolvers, Desert Eagle .50AE, and maybe a MAC 10.

Good luck to the OP. Be careful, but enjoy your 2A rights while you have them.