Buying a rifle online.

M

mrawesome22

New member
So how does it work?

You buy the gun, then they ship it to a FFL holder like a local gun shop?

If this is how it works, doesn't the LGS try and give you a discount so you'll buy from them instead?

Do you feel guilty that you are not giving them the business and just using them as a middle man?

Or are most online purchases on a used gun, so the LGS gets a little cut on the fee and you don't have to feel guilty?
 
That is exactly how it works. You order from an online seller, they request an FFL from the LGS, LGS receives the rifle, runs the NICS check on you, charges you $25-$35 to "run it through their books" (i.e. receive it, log it in, complete the NICS process, and log the 4473).

Small gun shops do not have the buying power to buy at distributor prices, the online gun sellers buy dozens of guns at a time and get big discounts, so they often can sell the gun at a profit for less than the LGS could by the same gun for from a wholesaler. Most ironic part of the story is that the LGS probably ends up making more money doing it this way, but some still resent someone undercutting them.

IME, most online sales are on newer guns, the LGS can still make money on used guns if they get into them right.
 
If you go to gunbroker and search FFLs in your area they list a lot of the transfer fees. Where I live, it varies from $20-50 so it's worth doing a little research IMO.
 
+1 for what plouffedaddy said. The prices vary widely in my area and some even charge more for handling a new gun than for handling a used gun.

I have never paid more than $25 and a friend recently found an FFL that does them for $10. :)
 
I use a local pawn shop that charges $20. He told me he liked doing the transfers, as it was easy money, and he got to see a lot of different firearms. He keeps his prices as cheap as he figures he can and does on average 10 transfers a day.

When I first bought a firearm online and needed it shipped to an FFL I used a LGS for my purchase because they were close. Cost me $50 to do the transfer so my $500 purchase cost me nearly $600 by the time I was done. Fortunately it was still about $200 less than what I could have purchased the rifle for new through the LGS but I learned my lesson and shopped around for a cheaper transfer agent.

I've even got a guy who does the transfer for free. He is a Gunsmith and as long as you have him do some work on it he doesn't charge for the transfer. If I get something that I think needs some TLC before I shoot it then I'll send it to him. I bought a basket case 8mm-06 in the white one time for $130 shipped and sent it his way, $150 later I had an assembled rifle, and the rifle was polished and blued, and the bad job of D&T for the scope had been fixed.
 
I've bought 3 guns over the internet within the past year... all through Buds and shipped to 2 different FFL's that are not gunstores. I like that on the Buds website, they list the FFL's that are "approved" and that they have a licence on file for.

To some people, price is king... meaning they'll always buy the product they want for whatever the cheapest price is. Those people should beware.

To others, the value of a thing is measured by more than money.

I know that I can pay $500 for a certain gun online, plus $10shipping and a $25 FFL fee at my LGS. Or my local place can get it to me for $550 after taxes... that costs me an extra $15. I don't know if my LGS will make more money on my FFL fee or through an actual sale. Perhaps I should ask?

The other factor is my support of a local, privately owned business who is active in the community and represents sportsmans interests.

Do they have a relationship with a local range?
What are their political connections?
What is local law-enforcements opinion of the store?
Are they active online?
Are they keeping up with current technology... ie, can I get good information from the people who work there or is everybody stuck in the 70's?
How do they treat Military/LE?
Customer service in general?
Does your LGS represent at local City Council meetings?
Are they supportive of local sportsman/firearms related clubs?
How knowledgeable are they on Govt/State/County/Local laws and ordnances?

If my LGS scores poorly on the above, it makes me wonder?

I'm much more likely to spend an extra $15 or $50 at my LGS vs. the internet if I know I can count on the store to be there when I need more than to simply buy a gun. On the other hand, I'm also not made of money, so I have to be a good consumer. Gun manufacturers, wholesalers, brokers, etc... know that they cannot be so bottom-dollar focused that they sell to online retailers at a price that will drive LGS's out of business. If gunstores start closing, much more is lost than simply "Now people have to buy on the internet". I'm not sure how far ahead businessmen think, but the hippies and anti-gun crowd would win instantly if the gun industry allowed itself to price Mom&Pop gunstores out of business.

A good LGS can be a force in the community, an advocate for your rights, and can be a place where people unfamiliar or even a little scared can be swayed into the light. I support the good ones, and hope the bad ones learn in time to say afloat.
 
Any FFL can do a transfer for you..... just find a good one to do it with.

On all my FFL transfers I use a couple of different pawn shops in my area. They are always more than willing to do a transfer. One charges $15, and the other $20.

When I made my first online gun purchase quite a few years back my first call was to the local store (which had been around 35+ years) and told them I had purchased a firearm online and could they do the paperwork and receive it.
They responded yes, we sure can. It will be $50 to do the paperwork :eek:

I asked why so much and they said it was because I did not buy it from them. I went on to explain to him that it was a used firearm and in the 10+ times in the past year I had been in their store browsing they never had anything close to it. (they rarely had more than 10 used handguns on hand)

They would not come off the $50 fee to do the paperwork and I went somewhere else and had it done for $10.

What this local sporting goods store did for that outrageous pricing was to loose a customer for life. My father had shopped at that store since I was 7 or 8. I shopped at that store most of my adult life and had purchased 3 firearms from them over the past few years and more fishing and hunting gear and clothing than I can put in the back of a pickup.

If it had been a new firearm that they had in stock or could even order I could see them throwing out a high price to do FFL paperwork. But with it being a used gun and a model that they had never had, nor probably ever will have in their store it wasnt warranted.

I take my business to where it is appreciated and I get good service from.
 
I try to maintain a good relationship with the small LGS's in my area. Last year I was shopping for two very specific firearms: A Weatherby Vanguard in 243 with walnut stock, and a Ruger Super Red Hawk 44 mag with 9 inch barell. I could not find either locally. I found both at "buds online guns", and the price was right.

When I ordered, I had them shipped to one of my LGS, but I picked the one that specializes in tactical rifles and combat handguns. Since bolt action rifles and large hunting handguns are not something they keep in stock, they was no hard feelings. They charged me $25 for the two firearms, and were happy to do it.

But if I was taking delivery of an internet-purchased AR-15 or Sig pistol, I don't think they would have been so enthusiastic.
 
your still giving them business wether you buy from them or online and in some cases they probably are making more with a tranfer fee than what they would of made selling you a firearm.
 
Don't get too wrapped up in the prices advertised by online retailers, without checking locally.

I am currently waiting on a rifle that I order earlier in the week.

Although most online shops had prices that blew away my local shops' retail prices, I didn't order from an online retailer. Instead, I called around, and asked what price the shops could order the rifle for. In every case, but one, their quotes to order the rifle were better than online retailers.

Not only did my local shops give me better price quotes to order it, but one of them located the most recent model of the rifle, that is packaged as a combo deal with a scope. Since everyone else was trying to sell me an old model for the same price; and the online retailers were higher than local shops... it's pretty easy to guess who I went with.

If they know what's good for them, your local shops should LOVE it when people order firearms through them. They make a profit on the sale, but don't have any overhead associated with it. It's easy money.
 
In my area, there are basically 2 kinds of FFL's. There are stocking dealers and transfer dealers. Stocking dealers do usually bad mouth online deals and they also charge $60+ for a transfer. Transfer dealers seem to charge around $20 to transfer and are thrilled to do the business.

I just call my guy and tell him I have a gun coming in the next week or two, then close the deal, follow the tracking number and the call him when it says delivered. Finally go over and pick it up.

The nice thing about transfer guys is they seem to be able to do the check in like 3 min. Another LGS, I used to use, took like 2 hours total to buy a gun. Now it takes like 15 min!
 
your still giving them business wether you buy from them or online and in some cases they probably are making more with a tranfer fee than what they would of made selling you a firearm.
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I find it hard to believe that a LGS makes less than $25.00 on a gun they sell.

I know the owner of one very popular LGS and we had this conversation before, he said at first he didn't like people ordering online and asking him to do the transfer, but then he said that he realized that he was going to have to change with the times and he said now it doesn't bother him at all, he looks at it as just one more way to make money.
 
I had asked one of the local FFL's for a price on a gun and he recommended me to Bud's. Said we would both end up with more money in our pockets.

It's a tough call on whether to deal local or not, but Bud's really low prices make it a little easier.
 
Don't get too wrapped up in the prices advertised by online retailers, without checking locally.
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My LGS always beats the Buds prices. They have it there for me the next day also. Order it before 6PM and it's there 10AM the next morning.

Just wondering how it all worked and now I know:)

Now ordering smaller items is hit or miss. I remember I had them quote me some Hornady 454Casull dies and they were $25 cheaper than any price I could find online:eek: BUT.... took them 3 darn weeks to get the things in:mad:
 
Aren't you the lucky one

Unfortunate for me that I currently live in CA where 90% of the LGS rake you over the coals by charging between $50 to $100 to process the paperwork, plus $35 in CA DROS fees and to top that are now collecting county sales tax, per CA DOJ instruction.

I will be relocating to NC in March! :D:):p;) I hope to find a LGS just like yours!!! ;)

You started this thread asking a question that you, and I quote you as already having the best answer!

Quote:
Don't get too wrapped up in the prices advertised by online retailers, without checking locally. My LGS always beats the Buds prices. They have it there for me the next day also. Order it before 6PM and it's there 10AM the next morning. Just wondering how it all worked and now I know
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Along with the greatest LGS in southern Ohio, who deals with the fastest distributor in southern Ohio, to provide you with exactly what you need at the lowest price in America. All by 10 AM the next morning...

Aren't you the lucky one! :rolleyes:
 
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Well I actually transferred a Mosin Nagant 91/30 from AIM Surplus over to a local shop. They said they could simply order me one, but I just told them I couldn't pass up the deal. They seemed to be fine with it.

When I went into the store I thought about the same thing and was going to stop at a different store to buy a couple of other items. The other store had slightly better prices but I decided to buy it from them because they are a nice bunch of people.

In the end, I gave them extra business because I thought they deserved it. They treated me right at the shop, unlike a few other places I've went to. If the store doesn't treat you right when you get there, I wouldn't even give it a second thought.

As for the procedure, yes, it will be sent to a local place.

For my case, the local store had the same price on the rifle, but the package from AIM just had too many extras to pass up, even for $40 more with all of the shipping / transfer fee.

I guess it comes down to the specific situation and what you feel you should do.

Just my 0.02, sorry for the lengthy post... :o
 
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