Bills of Sale.

Another thread got me thinking. What is the point of a Bill of Sale? Unless you are running a background check also, why bother?

If conducting a private sale I absolutely refuse to do a b.o.s.. Part of the reason to do a private sale is to avoid a paper trail of who owns what. Most of us are against .gov registration because we follow the logic of "if they know we have it, they can take it away". So why are so many willing to voluntarily put on paper who has what?

Beau said:

Another thread got me thinking. What is the point of a Bill of Sale? Unless you are running a background check also, why bother?

If conducting a private sale I absolutely refuse to do a b.o.s.. Part of the reason to do a private sale is to avoid a paper trail of who owns what. Most of us are against .gov registration because we follow the logic of "if they know we have it, they can take it away". So why are so many willing to voluntarily put on paper who has what?

Click to expand...

Not that I'm pro-bill of sale, here's the only thing I thought about. What if the person hands the gun over and you have no proof of the transaction? What if it was used in a crime? What if he claims you stole it? I don't think you have to give a copy to anyone, just your own protection. Stick it in the safe and only pull it out if you get questions. Just my opinion, and I may not even follow my own advice here.

More a CYA thing. If the serial number comes up as stolen at some point (who knows what the previous previous previous owner was up to and it's not as though Big Brother is actually GOOD at these databases they keep), or ballistics match comes up from 10 years ago, you have a dated record of when you took possession and that you purchased it and send the "paper trail" off to someone else (probably a further dead end in the case). You're of course well within your rights to stand up for non-intrusive government by demanding on your word only that you didn't own the weapon 10 years ago and that you yes-indeedyo did pay real honest to goshdarnedness money for it. Really really.