Is buying online proving a better path than buying locally?

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Blindjim

New member
Hello everyone,

This is my first post here so I pray I can prevail upon some of the experiences from the community to help me figure out a few things prior to my next hand gun and/or carbine purchase (s).

I see so often online via references from forum threads, folks who avow buying guns at various gun sales web sites. I’ve never bought a weapon online and have no idea as to the parameters for doing it at all. Naturally, I’ve no dealership certification so I’m guessing I’m not going to receive any gun I buy online being sent directly to my home,correct? Or should I?

Have your online gun buying experiences been all positive ones? Presenting a better over all value for you too?

Is the process complicated?

Anything to be really concerned about in buying guns online outside of the obvious, no positive feedback, to good to be true, no returns, outside of my home state, etc.?

I sure would appreciate some input on these notions given your own experiences as such, for I’m going to be getting another pistol soon and if I can’t find it locally, I’m likely going to opt in for an online purchase.

Thanks for each and every thoughtful reply.
 
Buying on line is pretty much the best option for me, we have one small hardware store in town that carrieds a limited amount of reloading components, very limited.

To get to a dicent sporting good store I have to drive to Rapid City, (70 miles) or Gillette, 80 miles).
 
Depends on if you have a local gun store that you like and want to support in your community or not.

To me it also depends on the price of the gun in question. If we are talking about a $2000+ firearm buying online saves me $200+ in sales taxes.

If I am buying something really expensive, I usually buy it online and have it shipped to my local store and give them $35 to do the transfer for me. Now if it is a $600 or less gun, I just buy it from them.
 
Welcome
I've never personally bought off any online sites. I buy locally just cause I like to hold and physically see what I'm about to buy. I've seen some really good deals online. Usually before I decide to buy I hop online and check different sites to see what a ballpark price is on what I want to purchase, especially if it's a used weapon. I've seen some really good deals but couldn't talk myself into purchasing something online. But that's just me.
 
buying online saves you gas money. it opens you up to many more models than you might find localy. it allows you to shop to see if you can find a better price than you can locally. most important you don't have to deal with smug, know it all, take it or leave it salesmen. it is how the free market system was meant to be.
 
Be sure you are aware of the total cost of the purchase. For instance you may have to pay shipping and the gun will have to be shipped to a licensed gun dealer general a local gun shop. The shop will charge you for their time which I have seen anywhere from $25 to $45. So, just be sure to factor all of this in to the actual final cost.
 
Depends on if you have a local gun store that you like and want to support in your community or not.
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I frequent a local shop that keeps a fairly small inventory. If they have something new that I want, I buy it there because the price is always fair and I want to keep the guy around. If he doesn't have something in stock, he's got no problem with me ordering it from Bud's or someplace and shipping it there. Last time I had to all but force him to take $25 for the transfer. From his perspective, it's an easy 25 bucks that only costs him a few minutes on the phone and some paperwork. That's the kind of guy I want to keep in business.
 
The only on-line purchases I've done have been for guns that my LGS could not procure on their own so buying on-line and having them do the transfer wasn't an issue.

How do you take delivery of on-line sales when the gun is something that your LGS may not have in-stock, but can order? Do you have access to an FFL holder that is not a typical stocking LGS?
 
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I purchase most of my guns online and have them shipped to my FFL dealer who charges $20. for the transfer. Our local taxes usually more than make up the difference of shipping and transfer costs. I have bought a couple of guns from him just to let him make the extra profit because he is a friend and is always willing to help me out. The $20. fee is good for him too, he just hands me the paper work and makes a phone call, so all is good.
 
I buy most of my guns locally. I have a local store with a huge selection and very good prices. Most of the time it's about same of buying online once you factor in the FFL transfer fee. Only once in the last two years have I had to buy a gun online because the price was significantly less than buying locally.

Also, I always try to give my LGS the chance to compete with the online price in the rare situation that their price is too much more. One time they matched the price and the second time they agreed to throw in an expensive spare magazine (which I needed anyway) to off-set the difference.

The biggest advantage to buying locally is the service.
 
Depends on prices at your LGS. Mine marks up prices higher than online sellers, put but the time you add in shipping and a transfer fee there isn't much difference. Only gun I've bought online was my MkIII.
 
I'm blessed to have three good gun stores and a pawn shop all on the same road within one and a half miles of my work. I've never bought a firearm online because of the great selection and service at my local gun stores.
 
I always try and by local. problem is I live in bfe. Buying online is always less expensive in the short run, but I understand how important it is to keep my money in the local economy, so it's an even split.


Judge a man not by the answers he gives, but by the questions he asks. - Voltaire
 
I would say in a most places from a purely cost related standpoint yes. A lot of the big online dealers either have free or low cost flatrate shipping, combined with a lower price and no sales tax on your end.

The process is pretty easy. Find a local FFL that's willing to accept the transfer and have them send their information to the online vendor. Buy the gun, they ship it to your FFL and you go fill out the paperwork and take it home.(If you live in a state that has a waiting period, fill out the paperwork come back X days later)

Personally, I do the same as a lot of others here which is if the local place can get close to the total cost as buying online I'll buy local. Sadly though, in my current locale firearms are marked up relatively high, transfer fees are ridiculously high, and I still have to pay tax on transfers. So local or online it all ends up about the same, it comes down to where can I get it from.
 
pretty much all my last guns were bought on line.
it has been less hassle and cheaper than my local gun stores.
I think the rest were from gun shows.
I only bought a couple from local stores, but that was literally before the internet.

gunbroker supplies a list of ffl's in your area for free. you can contact them and find out what their transfer fees are.

fairly straight forward. you find a gun you want, pay for it, contact your local ffl to receive it with the purchase info.
he sends his ffl to the seller and then receives your gun. calls you when it gets in and you go and fill out paperwork and pick it up.

the things that are cost prohibitive to buy online like powerder and primer, I buy local. everything else is cheaper online.
 
Usually price isn't so much of the issue as getting exactly what I want and having it be there and ready to go when I make the trip into town.

I do have a LGS that "has everything", but the service is sub-par, so I try and give them as little of my money as possible.
 
I've bought off gunbroker and armslist... Both have worked out good for me but I do plenty of research and use a lot of discretion.

Some online shippers do a huge business... Buds has a generally good reputation considering their volume.

My local gunstore is fine with collecting $25 for the 10-minutes-of-paperwork transfer fee... Works out nicely for both of us.
 
I've never bought a gun at a gun shop, all my guns have either been online or at sporting good sore like Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops or Academy. My LGS is too pushy and only wants to sale high priced guns or big caliber so I choose not to use them. Online has for the most part been outstanding with me usually having my gun in hand within two days. Right now I am in a battle with Buds since they haven't shipped my new pistol and today is day eleven, I will NEVER use Buds again, horrible customer service.

If you know your going to buy online, most have an FFL locator by zip code for you. I would get a list of about three or four and call them and see how they interact with you. They can also tell you if the online gun dealer has their FFL details then that saves time from having to fax back and forth the details.

My FFL doesn't charge me anything if I use GOG which is nice, but GOG to me is the best, every gun I have ordered from them has been at my FFL within two days via FedEx. But I also have used Impact, Cheaper than Dirt and a few others which all were very good and easy.
 
Only ever ordered from buds. Excellent service and price. A few clicks and payment info, and your done. Plus they have alot of "preferred" ffls on file already, so no need to have your shop fax stuff over. I dont forsee any of my local shops getting my money, its just so much easier and cheaper online. Only thing i use a shop for is to hold something im thinking abouy buying, then find it cheaper online

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I've posted before that LGD was charging $699.00, plus tax ($48.93), plus $5.00 IL processing fee... for a Glcok 17L

I ordered form goingquiet.com in Florida and got it for $621.49 (I had to send my local FFL a fax with the Florida Gun Dealer's e-mail. I could have done a digital fax but it was easier for me to just send it from a FedEx store and it cost $1.49 I could have gotten it for $620 total.

But also... Illinois is talking ablout passing a tax on ammo, and the dumbells haven't thought of Internet sales providing a loophole for that. So purchasing ammo online may be a very viable path for gunowners in Illinois.

I doubt the ammo tax legislation will pass, but I'm just saying - a lot of people would start purchasing their ammo online if it did.
 
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