Selling a licensed gun. What's the process?

b_crazy

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A mate of mine intends to sell his gun to somebody. He legally owns the gun and everything needs to be above board. Can those who know advise what the legal transfer of ownership process is?
 
A mate of mine intends to sell his gun to somebody. He legally owns the gun and everything needs to be above board. Can those who know advise what the legal transfer of ownership process is?

Who did he kill that they haven't found yet? :whistle:
 
Your best option would be to work through a reputable gun shop. There will be a time when the gun isn't licensed in either and it'll need to be in a dealers safe.
 
Your best option would be to work through a reputable gun shop. There will be a time when the gun isn't licensed in either and it'll need to be in a dealers safe.
/end of thread
 
Your best option would be to work through a reputable gun shop. There will be a time when the gun isn't licensed in either and it'll need to be in a dealers safe.

Best advice.

I'm just going to expand a bit on this.

Step 1: Select a reputable gunshop.
This should be a mutual decision between the buyer and seller.

Step 2: Seller books firearm into "Dealer stock"
There is a form for this and the shop will be able to help. What this effectively means is that the shop will send in the necessary forms to SAPS to cancel the sellers license. This apparently can take 2-3 weeks (thanks SAPS). Now the firearm is still the property of the seller (at least until money changes hands), he just doesn't have a license anymore and can therefore not use it. As soon as money changes hands, the seller is no longer part of the process and has no more say.

Step 3: Shop issues application forms to buyer.
Pretty straight forward. The shop will help the buyer fill in the necessary forms that will need to be handed in when applying for the license. By this time the ownership of the firearm has transferred to the buyer, but he still doesn't have a license and can therefore not use the firearm.

That's about it. Some important notes.
1. Make sure that it is specified beforehand that the buyer will pay storage fee's. The shops usually charge R50-R100 per month to store the firearm.
2. The seller needs to cancel his license immediately. Sometimes a buyer will buy the firearm, but the seller does not cancel his license himself. Normally what happens is that when the buyer applies for a license and gives proof that he purchased the firearm legally, SAPS will automatically cancel the seller's license. But if the buyer does not apply for a license in a timely fashion, then the seller sits with an extra license on his name that might prevent him from purchasing and licensing a new firearm.

All these steps might sound like a schlepp, but they protect both buyer and seller.

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
Best advice.

I'm just going to expand a bit on this.

Step 1: Select a reputable gunshop.
This should be a mutual decision between the buyer and seller.

Step 2: Seller books firearm into "Dealer stock"
There is a form for this and the shop will be able to help. What this effectively means is that the shop will send in the necessary forms to SAPS to cancel the sellers license. This apparently can take 2-3 weeks (thanks SAPS). Now the firearm is still the property of the seller (at least until money changes hands), he just doesn't have a license anymore and can therefore not use it. As soon as money changes hands, the seller is no longer part of the process and has no more say.

Step 3: Shop issues application forms to buyer.
Pretty straight forward. The shop will help the buyer fill in the necessary forms that will need to be handed in when applying for the license. By this time the ownership of the firearm has transferred to the buyer, but he still doesn't have a license and can therefore not use the firearm.

That's about it. Some important notes.
1. Make sure that it is specified beforehand that the buyer will pay storage fee's. The shops usually charge R50-R100 per month to store the firearm.
2. The seller needs to cancel his license immediately. Sometimes a buyer will buy the firearm, but the seller does not cancel his license himself. Normally what happens is that when the buyer applies for a license and gives proof that he purchased the firearm legally, SAPS will automatically cancel the seller's license. But if the buyer does not apply for a license in a timely fashion, then the seller sits with an extra license on his name that might prevent him from purchasing and licensing a new firearm.

All these steps might sound like a schlepp, but they protect both buyer and seller.

Hope this helps.

You're awesome mate, thanks!
 
Decent necro here, but just to expand a bit on selling a firearm to a dealer.

My son is overseas and he's pretty much settled there, so it doesn't look like he's moving back here anytime soon so he wants to sell his Glock 43x that is locked in a safe in his bedroom. Question is, does he need to be here to sell the gun, sign papers etc, to a gunshop or can I do it for him?

Certain questions arise such as getting the gun to the shop, but it's a few minutes away from my house so they could even come and collect it from his safe, so just wondering in principle if it can be done.
 
Decent necro here, but just to expand a bit on selling a firearm to a dealer.

My son is overseas and he's pretty much settled there, so it doesn't look like he's moving back here anytime soon so he wants to sell his Glock 43x that is locked in a safe in his bedroom. Question is, does he need to be here to sell the gun, sign papers etc, to a gunshop or can I do it for him?

Certain questions arise such as getting the gun to the shop, but it's a few minutes away from my house so they could even come and collect it from his safe, so just wondering in principle if it can be done.
Biggest issue here would be how do you or the dealer get access to his safe.
 
sold one of mine a few years ago ,dealer charged R1500 for paperwork , went online onto SAPS and filled in a form with all details needed , printed 2 copies ,stapled my liscence onto one ,which he kept and gave me one copy ,done and dusted ,before the new buyer took ownership probably 6 months they phoned me to confirm all is still good with the sale and that was that.The buyerwas then the proud owner of a Beretta 92sbf .
 
Biggest issue here would be how do you or the dealer get access to his safe.

Yeah, as I said, many questions arise. And the more I think about it, the biggest issue is getting the gun to the dealer in a legitimate fashion which makes the other points moot about actually selling it when there. No worries.

Key is with him in the UK btw.
 
Decent necro here, but just to expand a bit on selling a firearm to a dealer.

My son is overseas and he's pretty much settled there, so it doesn't look like he's moving back here anytime soon so he wants to sell his Glock 43x that is locked in a safe in his bedroom. Question is, does he need to be here to sell the gun, sign papers etc, to a gunshop or can I do it for him?

Certain questions arise such as getting the gun to the shop, but it's a few minutes away from my house so they could even come and collect it from his safe, so just wondering in principle if it can be done.

Why would you want to sell a decent sidearm like a Glock 43x? They will only appreciate in value.

Open the safe and keep the gun under your pillow. You never know when a tsotsi might decide to unwilling financially relieve you.
 
sold one of mine a few years ago ,dealer charged R1500 for paperwork , went online onto SAPS and filled in a form with all details needed , printed 2 copies ,stapled my liscence onto one ,which he kept and gave me one copy ,done and dusted ,before the new buyer took ownership probably 6 months they phoned me to confirm all is still good with the sale and that was that.The buyerwas then the proud owner of a Beretta 92sbf .

Thanks for the info. As expected, he'll need to do it when he's next visiting.
 
Why would you want to sell a decent sidearm like a Glock 43x? They will only appreciate in value.

Open the safe and keep the gun under your pillow. You never know when a tsotsi might decide to unwilling financially relieve you.

I've got my own 43x. His is in his own safe in his bedroom. But I guess like any other youngster sowing his wild oats overseas, he'd rather have the money. It was just a thought and I said I'd look into it. Job done, can't be done.
 
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