A non-FFL seller cannot knowingly sell a firearm to someone who cannot legally buy it, but that is still not necessarily a straw purchase. A straw purchase is when someone who can legally buy a gun purchases that gun on behalf of a 3rd party who cannot legally purchase that firearm him/herself. Unless you either buy the gun from your friend and in turn knowingly sell it to a 3rd party who is not legally able to purchase it.....or.....you knowingly facilitate her selling it to someone who is buying it on behalf of a 3rd party who is not legally able to purchase it, you're not involved in a straw purchase.JALLEN wrote:That's the problem with straw purchasers, isn't it?The Annoyed Man wrote:JALLEN, you should be good to go. Really, all you are doing is acting as a broker for the owner. You're not selling it, she is. You're merely handling the transaction for her, as her representative.
It's a perfectly legitimate arrangement when dealing with just about any property, but sometimes the rules unexpectedly get goofy when it is a gun.
That is why a lot of people on this forum would rather see the buyer's CHL when they are selling a gun - because it is a reasonable assurance that the buyer is legally able to buy the firearm. That still does not guarantee that the buyer isn't going to turn around and sell it to a 3rd party who cannot legally buy it, but you will have at least discharged your obligation to not knowingly sell it to someone who is a straw purchaser.