Sorry if you misunderstood my reply. I didn't mean to imply that you should not seek advice from the members here. That was an excellent idea and we are always glad to help. My gut told me the gun being sold was from "a friend who had a friend" and since the price was so low, it may be stolen or used in a crime. I was only suggesting that you use an FFL to err on the side of caution. Good luck. By the way if the gun is to be used for self defense and the friend who will own it is not real familiar with firearms may I suggest a revolver as opposed to a pistol. The revolver is generally considered more reliable and you can find a lot of good used ones in that price range.