I've been chatting back and forth with someone on Armslist about a NIB Kimber Montana. They say they're a Kimber collector but need to free up funds for something else.
I tried the usual google image search to see if there's anything else out there like it, but came up empty.
$500 for a Montana is WAY low! What do y'all think? Is it worth gambling with $500 to get a new rifle at a steal or should I just pony up the other $500 and buy one face to face?

Armslist is full of scammers.

I've bought and sold many firearms on there, but most have been face to face. Occasionally I ship one out or order one, but it's rare.

It's almost certainly a scam. I dealt with one just yesterday trying to sell a M77 for $300.

Bummer! I'm so tempted to gamble. I have their name, address, cell number, etc...

A Kimber collector will have a "network" to sell like this forum, and would certainly be asking a "fair" price. Why would a collector sell at a huge loss?

Someone local would have grabbed it in a heartbeat if that was real. Scam.

I have a 84M Montana 308 , it worth ~ $1200+ .

P.

Then why the f*ck are you asking if you're going to counter every response.

Go for it...sounds legit.

I'd send cash so he'd ship faster....

sounds like he wants permission to get ripped off.

If you have an address, go look up an FFL in the area and see if he will verify and ship it. You could probably even pay him something to act as an intermediary.
I'll give you $550 for it tomorrow

LMFAO

Exactly!!!!

is his first name clyde?

Total scam....don't even think about it.

Where is the seller located?

Ask if a relative or buddy in his area can meet up with him to see it. Weeds out a lot of scammers

If you cannot do a face to face, or find someone to pick it up, I would pass. Another method, as was already suggested is to have him take the gun to an FFL of YOUR choosing, who has your money to give him once you get the rifle. They they can act as your liason. It will cost you more money, but you have room to spare at $500.

You have three choices.

1 - Stand in your front yard and burn 5 Benjamins one at a time.
2 - Send this guy 5 Benjamins.
3 - Forget you ever started this thread.

Do I only get to pick one? Decided not to gamble. Thanks guys.

You get to breath a big sigh of relief from not letting your temptations overcome your smarts while you let your buds harass you around the campfire for some good laughs for everyone with the lesson we all need to stay on our toes when purchasing this day and time.

Have fun with the guy but know this is a scam.

I ALWAYS pay with cc funded PayPal on Armslist. If they don't accept that, I walk. Your CC company will 99.99% of the time refund your money without question.

I thought PayPal prohibits firearm related transactions.

I don't specify it's for guns. I usually just mark it as "sporting goods". Either way, I'm protected by my CC and I don't even file a claim with PayPal if it's a scam. I'm very cautious about my deals, but I've had good luck. I've purchased around 5-7 things off Armslist. I only ran into 1 scammer, and my cc took care of it within a couple days.

So when you pay through PayPal using your credit card, do you send it as a gift or as if you're making a purchase and the seller has fees? I'm curious about this because I can see how a chargeback would work if the seller paid fees, but I assumed a chargeback wouldn't work if you sent the payment as a gift.

I do not process a dispute via PayPal, so the method of payment is not relevant. I dispute the charge via my CC company directly. You are their paying customer, so their obligation is to make it right with you.

I generally send it as a payment for goods. I usually work out the details with the seller up front so we know who covers fees. If I'm pretty confident in the seller, I'll send as a gift, but I fund through my CC. My CC company has never given me an issue that it was a "gift" via PayPal. If I was worried, I would make sure to send as a payment for goods. I have been fine paying the fees on my end as insurance. Even on a $1000 deal, you're only looking $30 or so.

Great info...thanks!

Contact an FFL in his immediate area. Send funds to FFL with instructions to turn over funds upon receipt of rifle. If "seller" balks, you then know.

Maybe not exactly how I would have answered but pretty accurate

Haha
Hank

Not sure if anyone answered about using PP as a gift or not. IF you choose to send money as a gift, PP will not make it right if something goes wrong. So always buy something with the seller paying the fees. That said, I buy a lot of fishing lures with PP. I always add the fees to pay them for the seller. If the deal isn't good enough that I can afford to pay the 4%, I don't need to make the deal IMO.

Also, about PP being used for firearms. I have always heard also that PP could not be used for those type purchases. However, PP is used every day on eBay to buy firearm parts, including barrels, magazines, etc. with no problems. I have also seen a few sellers on Gunbroker who take PP, so I really don't know what their stance is on firearms and related items. I am like everyone else, I have heard all the horror stories about PayPal. But I have had an account with them for at least 14-15 yrs. and have well over 7,000 transactions both as a buyer and a seller and have never had a problem. LOL...but probably will have a problem after saying that!

You could google his name. Lot's of scammers have a reputation that proceeds them. I would have called the local PD and see if he's got a record. I think you made the right decision though. If it's too good to believe, it's usually too good to be true.
There's a fool born every minute.

Saw a 2014 M70 in 7x57 on armslist for about $500 less than the going rate and recognized the pics from a gunbroker auction I had been watching that was a legit seller. I contacted the armslist guy and said I was a buyer and I was going to travel to his area (NC, from MI) in 3 days for work and would do it in person, in cash. He came back desperate for me to do PayPal so he could ship it out next day. At one point said he was leaving on the day I was Coming in on a trip of his own and had to ship. After about 5 emails back and forth like this, I finally let him know it was a scam and linked to the gunbroker ad he ripped the pics from. Never heard back.

Got to watch out for yourselves out there.

I paste the Gunbroker ad and email to the scammer and say...."well what do ya know" THEE exact gun and exact photo!
Another one is to ask for seller to hold the gun and take a pic with the date.
I had an IDIOT call me yesterday on an Anschutz 1410,said he was the FFL for seller...HMMM same phone# as seller,he couldnt even talk right...probably was wearing a burka .......these are the people we are letting into our country !!!