Last Friday, Facebook announced that they are taking a more strict stance on gun sales on their site, banning private gun sales altogether. This comes as more pressure was applied to the world’s biggest social media site by organizations such as the Moms Demand for Gun Sense in America which in 2014, put out a policy on gun sales, which was more an advisory rather than an outright ban. This also comes with the initiative by the White House that those who want to sell firearms online or offline should register to become a firearms dealer and do a background check on those making purchases.

This ban also covers Instagram, a Facebook web property. Facebook will still allow licensed firearms dealers to advertise what they are selling provided that any transaction should be done outside of the social media site and other web properties it owns.

They will remove messages that they consider to skirting the law or advertisements that announce no background checks.

If you are a firearms owner, you cannot sell firearms on Facebook, even if done via private messaging as you may get reported. There are other websites that are an existence or being put up to facilitate transactions, but they may also require that dealers/seller should have licenses or not.

Now, on Facebook some airsoft players and groups are concerned if airsoft gun sales will be affected by the policy by the company. So far, there is no indication that the ban covers airsoft gun sales as there is no requirement for airsoft guns to be sold with a firearms dealer’s license. There are some Facebook airsoft sales groups that are still operating normally.

But if you do intend to sell airsoft guns on Facebook, you will have to abide with the local laws that govern airsoft, such as California’s SB 199 and the Federal orange tip requirement in the U.S.. In the UK, you have to ensure that the buyer has a valid VCRA defence.  It is still best to be on the good side of the law and as they usually say, ignorance of the law is no excuse.

If you know of an instance where Facebook prevented an airsoft gun sale, please do drop us a message with the information.