# The Trouble With Facebook Marketplace Sales: A 2A Minefield You Can’t Ignore
In the shadowy underbelly of Facebook Marketplace, where lightly used AR-15 lowers mingle with knockoff Nikes, gun buyers and sellers are playing Russian roulette with their rights—and their safety. The source text pulls no punches, spotlighting real-world nightmares like scams where fraudsters take your cash (or your Zelle transfer) and ghost you, leaving you with a brick wrapped in Saran Wrap instead of that promised Glock slide. Worse, undercover ATF stings have turned casual peer-to-peer deals into felony indictments, with agents posing as buyers to nab folks for unlicensed transfers. It’s not hyperbole: just last year, cases in states like California and New York saw Marketplace meetups escalate to SWAT raids, all because sellers skipped background checks or ignored interstate rules. For the 2A community, this isn’t just a cautionary tale—it’s a symptom of Big Tech’s complicit censorship. Meta’s algorithms flag firearm keywords faster than you can say shall not be infringed, forcing deals into DMs and parking lots where red flags abound.
But let’s dissect the clever traps here, because ignoring them is like dry-firing a chambered round. Buyers risk getting scammed by pros using stolen pics from GunBroker, while sellers court disaster from feds or even mutual combat psychos showing up just to look. The implications for gun owners? Marketplace erodes the private sale lifeline that keeps 2A alive amid FFL bottlenecks and universal background check pushes. Pro tip from the pros: Vet via video calls, meet at public ranges or police stations (many offer safe exchange zones), insist on cash-only, and document everything like it’s your NFA trust. Better yet, pivot to 2A-friendly platforms like Armslist or GunBroker with escrow options—less thrill, more chill. Stay sharp, patriots; one bad deal could cost you your carry permit, your freedom, or worse. In a world gunning for our rights, smart selling is self-defense.