A gun store owner told customers that selling a used firearm privately usually returns more money than a dealer purchase. Friends or local listings such as Texas Gun Trader can produce better proceeds, though they carry risks of meeting strangers and screening people who cannot legally buy guns.

Dealers supply a fast, secure transaction and therefore pay less, typically 60 to 70 percent of a private-sale figure or about half of what the store expects to charge later. Unknown prior use, incomplete function checks without a range, and no comprehensive stolen-gun database add to the discount.

The used market remains weak, so the owner recommended waiting to sell if cash is unnecessary.