A friend knows a guy who is selling handguns relatively cheap (glock 9) new in box for $275. Says he needs the $$$ for christmas. I want one but am afraid they could be "HOT". How can I check this prior to purchase.

Have a licensed FFL dealer run the numbers on it

There is no legal way to check the numbers . FFL's do not have any way to check them and it is against the law for leo's to run them if they are not involved in an investigation.

The sheriff told me a couple of years ago to buy the gun unless I knew it was stolen . He said I had to know they were stolen to be charged with a crime .

I see you are in Florida , therefore I have no idea what florida law is .

That can't be legit.

So you are saying there is NO way to legally run the numbers on a gun you want to purchase?..... I have had guns I've purchased from gunshows etc by ffl dealers gun shops, pawnshops etc.. it can be done

^^this

It might be legit but not if he has a bunch of them. I would want to know the story but I would buy it if it sounded legit to me. I would want to see the guy's drivers licenses and take the number. If he won't do that then I wouldn't buy it.

I'll take 2

Good advice here.

Follow the protocol here and I don't think there's anyway you can be held liable. If he won't cooperate, I'd say no thanks.

http://www.aldeer.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=56431#Post56431

pm sent. I can get the numbers ran for you

Yes that is what I am saying . The information came from the county sheriff and a good friend that is a ffl dealer.

I bought a gun a couple of years ago from a guy my brother in law worked with , he got the gun from his brother in law and would not give me a bill of sale . I asked a friend (police officer ) to run the numbers and he told me he could not it was against the law . I then called a friend that is a ffl and he said he had no legal way to run the numbers ,I then called the sheriff (pike and Crenshaw county ) and was told by both there was no legal way to check the numbers .

If I am wrong I apologize , however, the information I posted came from 1 ffl dealer 1 police officer and 2 county sheriff's all of which are friends and have no reason not to check the firearm if it were legal .

I believe u were giving some very bad(horrible)advice!!!..Honestly they cant be to good of friends if they weren't willing to help..

I have had officers run numbers on firearms before. I don't know if it was legal or not, but they did it when I ask.

The standard for receiving stolen property is "knew or should have known". A new in the box Glock for $275 might be close to falling into the should have know category.

Might want to try here:

http://pas.fdle.state.fl.us/pas/item/displayGunSearch.a

I'll take 2 also. Just bought a 380 for a little less than that price.

My man

I just called the local police station and they run my gun before.

Maybe not charged with a crime but possession of stolen property, they'll at least want the property back.

I recently posted a pick of a handgun on a forum with no intention of selling and a viewer out of state sent me an unsolicited top dollar offer. Since I did not know the history on this gun; I did not want to risk shipping stolen property across state lines to his FFL. I decided to be safe and called the local PD(name withheld) and asked if they could run the numbers. I got the answer I knew I would get; you have to bring it down and present it and they would run it. If it came up stolen; they would take possession, which I was fine with. When I got there, he told me to go to the car and write down the serial number. He ran it without seeing the gun.