Steps in Selling Your Firearm Privately
Australia has some extensive limits on gun sales, including limits on the types and model of guns that can be purchased and people who can buy guns. The exact process varies a little from state to state but includes some similar principles. Here are some guidelines on what you need to know as a private seller of a second hand firearm.
Market the gun
If you are not selling to someone that you know already, you may need to market the gun to find a buyer. This can include listing it on a firearm specific website that deals with sales or informal listings through gun clubs or gun enthusiast forums. Generally the more unusual the gun, the more work that will need to put into finding a buyer through marketing.
Check validity to buy
When you are selling your gun you need to make sure that your customer has a valid permit to acquire. This permit is issued by the state government and ensures that the person buying the gun has passed a number of criteria including holding a valid firearm license, not being in breach of restricted conditions such as not being the subject of a current AVO (apprehended violence order, colloquially known as a restraining order) as well as ensuring that they have a valid reason to buy such as sporting or animal culls. While you are not responsible for the underlying conditions, you do need to check the permit to acquire.
Transfer money and title
As the title needs to be officially transferred most sellers prefer to meet the gun buyer in person. However this can be hard if you are selling a very specific type of gun that will only appeal to a narrow audience. In that case you might like to list the sale on line and get a dealer to transfer the gun to the buyer in person. You can also use couriers but in many cases couriers are reluctant or charge a large premium for transporting items like explosives or guns.
It is also important to lodge the change of title with the local police quickly, as if the firearm is used for any illegal purposes while it is still registered with your name, this can result in time consuming and painful process to prove you were not in possession of the gun at the time.
If you are time poor it can be worth selling your second hand firearm through a dealer, as they can deal with these administrative issues on your behalf.
