How do you know it is registered (legal)?

Guns do not have to be registered in Nj, but if you are inquiring about stolen guns. You don't. Unless you know the person and where the gun came from you do not know if it is stolen or not.

If you complete the COE paperwork, and later get caught with a stolen gun are you still liable? Or would the liability fall on the person who sold it to you? Receiving stolen property maybe? That is why I'm always hesitant about FTF transactions unless like TBT said, you know the person, and know where it came from.

Even if you have the paperwork to prove you legaly and unkowingly bought a stolen gun, the police will take it and you have to run the chance of them taking all of your guns while the mess is going on and being sorted out. Unless it went through a FFl, then they just take the gun in question. Or at least that is how it has been told to me.

Ughhhh pretty scary. It really pays to know who you are doing FTF's with. :roll:

What are the chances of calling the NJSP firearms unit, telling them you are interested in purchasing a gun FTF, and maybe they will run it thru NCIC to see if its stolen? Probably slim to none...?

They will tell you that both parties should go to a FFL and have them do a transfer. So then you get Nics and transfer fee added to the price.

Very good point. If I recall performing a NCIC check for someone other than a LEO is illegal anyway. Oh well. Not worth the risk for me. No matter how sweet the deal may be.

why not ask the person to see their copy of their pistol permit.

They are not required to have a permit. It may be an old timer before permits were needed or from out of state who legally brought it here and became a NJ resident.

And it could be a long gun, no permit needed.