I have sold several guns privately in Indiana over the years, and each time I ask the buyer to sign a bill of sale which includes the date, purchase price, manufacturer, model, and serial number of the firearm. I do this for handguns and long guns as well. I know it is not required in Indiana for a purchaser in a private gun sale to sign anything. I require it so that in the unlikely event in the future that the police knock on my door and tell me a gun I owned was used in a crime, I can hand them something showing I do not own it anymore.
Most of the time the buyer kindly reminds me that a bill of sale is not required in Indiana on private gun sales, but I tell them I want it anyway and they have signed it every time. I do not go so far as to check their ID, so I have no idea if they are who they say they are but at least I would have something with their signature on it.
The only negative feedback I ever got asking for a signature was when I sold a gun to a police officer who was checking guns going into the 1500 a few years back. He gave me a dirty look and mumbled something under his breath, but he did sign it. I almost did not ask him to sign it, but I asked anyway since I had no idea if he would ever sell it in the future.
Am I being unreasonable asking for private gun buyers to sign a bill of sale? Are others doing this as well?
Most of the time the buyer kindly reminds me that a bill of sale is not required in Indiana on private gun sales, but I tell them I want it anyway and they have signed it every time. I do not go so far as to check their ID, so I have no idea if they are who they say they are but at least I would have something with their signature on it.
The only negative feedback I ever got asking for a signature was when I sold a gun to a police officer who was checking guns going into the 1500 a few years back. He gave me a dirty look and mumbled something under his breath, but he did sign it. I almost did not ask him to sign it, but I asked anyway since I had no idea if he would ever sell it in the future.
Am I being unreasonable asking for private gun buyers to sign a bill of sale? Are others doing this as well?