New Product Highlight: Trusted Gun Exchange

Looking to buy or sell a gun through a private sale?

In some states, there’s nothing to it. Others have strict laws you have to follow. Regardless of where you live, it’s nice to tap into a larger market and know your money is in good hands.

A new service called Trusted Gun Exchange makes private firearm sales safer and easier for buyers and sellers, so you can mix up your collection with confidence.

What Is Trusted Gun Exchange?

Put simply, Trusted Gun Exchange is an online marketplace that accounts for the unique challenges and legal requirements associated with firearm transactions.

We got in touch with Trusted Gun Exchange’s founder, Ken Kwak, to learn more from the man himself.

“I wanted to provide a simple, safe, and secure way for people to sell or buy a gun in the secondary market,” Kwak said in an email to Pew Pew Tactical.

“There are horror stories of robberies, scams, and just plain dangerous situations where people put themselves into when buying or selling a used gun. I obtained my MBA right before retiring from ATF at the MIT Sloan School of Management. I learned how Airbnb can rent out your home while controlling the financial transaction and terms. I thought, why can’t I do that for guns?”

How to Buy a Gun With Trusted Gun Exchange

The process is pretty straightforward.

First, make an account on Trusted Gun Exchange. This involves Identity Digital Verification, which weeds out scammers and gives sellers confidence knowing that they’re dealing with genuine actors.

Once you’re done with that, it’s time to go shopping! 

When you buy a gun on Trusted Gun Exchange, your money goes into the service’s escrow. The seller doesn’t get paid until you take possession of the firearm through your FFL. If the seller doesn’t deliver, or if the firearm arrives and it’s not what was advertised, you get your money back. 

You have a six-day window to pick up the gun after it arrives.

The last time I checked out the Trusted Gun Exchange listings, I was met with a feast of popular and off-the-beaten-path firearms.

These included some of our favorites here at Pew Pew Tactical: a Chiappa Little Badger, Ruger RXM, a Palmetto State Armory AR-15 upper, and (of course) every flavor of Glock imaginable.

And for those wondering, yes, they have a Browning M2 .50-caliber machine gun (for $70,000).

How to Sell a Gun With Trusted Gun Exchange

Trusted Gun Exchange is looking out for sellers, too.

Remember that verification process? That helps you make sure you’re dealing with real, vetted customers. 

You get to create your listing and set your price. For private parties, Trusted Gun Exchange takes 10% of the price after the sale. They also help with shipping and insurance. If you’re an FFL, you’ll only pay 5%.

You have six days to ship the gun you sold. Once the buyer picks it up, the money automatically transfers from escrow to your Checkbook.io account to cover the price of the gun, shipping, and fees.

That’s it – and you get to advertise your firearm to a nationwide audience, not just the foot traffic at your local gun store.

Final Thoughts

There will always be a place for brick-and-mortar shops, online gun stores, and local private transfers. Having another option is good for buyers and sellers, though, especially when it’s this secure.

“It shouldn’t be this hard to buy or sell a used gun,” Kwak said. “We want to provide a simple, safe and secure option for everyone.”

“The Second Amendment gives you the right to be armed and protect yourself and it shouldn’t be hard to buy what you want even if its from a private party or sell it without losing the shirt off your back.”

What do you want to see for sale on Trusted Gun Exchange? Is there anything in your collection that’s due for a new home? We want to hear it all in the comments!

What do you think of Trusted Gun Exchange? Let us know in the comments. Want to learn more about how the process works? Check out our guide on How to Mail Guns (Legally and  Without Going to Jail).