Private Sales and Tracking Buyers

[beast1989]

I've sold two of my handguns in the past 3 months and it got me thinking of what I would do if they were used illegally. I am in the "no bill of sale" camp but I have some ideas that could potentially help protect myself (God forbid) if things did go sour with the buyer and use of the firearm in the future.

If I wrote down the info of my firearm and the phone number of the buyer (which I would get from correspondence prior to sale), does law enforcement have the means to track down the user of said phone number during the time period that the purchase was made?

Also, what about email addresses and forum usernames? Could they locate a person from like armslist by the email they used?

 

[JPK]

Oh, I think so, if they really wanted to.

 

[BangBangJamDang]

I have had the same thought. I sell a gun, dude uses it too hold up a bank, shoots someone, pitches in a trashcan, I get a call from the police when they run the serial number. Thats a scary thought.

 

[FoRce5ReCoN]

That's a good question, I bet they could get the person with that min info

 

[farmerbyron]

But NICs doesn't record the serial number. Unless the police know which gun store it was purchased then how would they know which 4473s to look through?

 

[Belthos]

They could not only find out who owned the phone but the location, if it was a cell phone they could literally draw a map showing where the phone was when he called you but everywhere the phone had been since purchase.

The speed and direction the phone was moving would tell them where he was and if he was breaking traffic laws at the time.

Your cellular provider will sell them this information for a fee, the price goes up the more they want to know but everything your phone company knows about you is for sale, check out the internet and google for verizon at&t sprint etc and they give confidential price lists to law enforcement with a menu just like you were an appetizer on a restaurant menu.

Google sells your information to .gov as well.

Belthos

 

[Belthos]

Just for your information I have a brother who works for a cellular provider.

Law enforcement isn't the source of most requests for this information.

It's used by divorce attorneys with a court order.

Belthos

 

[338Shooter]

Guy uses glock in crime.
Guy leaves glock on scene of crime.
Cops call glock with serial number.
Glock says they transferred it to Davidson's.
Cops call Davidson's.
Davidson's says they transferred it to Class 3 Designs, LLC.
Cops call Class 3 Designs, LLC.
Class 3 Designs, LLC says they transferred it to you.
Cops call you.
You say you sold it to a guy at the gun show and have no more information.
The end.

 

[elwoodtrix]

They could not only find out who owned the phone but the location, if it was a cell phone they could literally draw a map showing where the phone was when he called you but everywhere the phone had been since purchase.

The speed and direction the phone was moving would tell them where he was and if he was breaking traffic laws at the time.

Your cellular provider will sell them this information for a fee, the price goes up the more they want to know but everything your phone company knows about you is for sale, check out the internet and google for verizon at&t sprint etc and they give confidential price lists to law enforcement with a menu just like you were an appetizer on a restaurant menu.

Google sells your information to .gov as well.

Belthos

and that is why they sell Tracfone...

 

[candrpotts]

....but how many times has this weapon changed hands between registration of the serial number and the commission of the crime?