Is buying online proving a better path than buying locally?

There is no tax. Really save bucks.
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The fact that you do not pay the tax you are required to pay - look up USE tax - does not mean it isn't there; and because states are scrambling for revenue, more and more are now requiring its collection, like the folks in WA have found out.
 
oh it would be nice to be able to use a local ffl to buy guns but,,,, if your stuck with the typical mom and pop store that is stuck into buying stock directly from ONE single distributor, and the only thing you want is not in their distributors book of guns, your screwed.

its still a crap shoot on getting a gun that can have problems. even fondling a gun in the store doesnt tell you that the firing pin will break the 12th round of ammo used in it.
 
Depends, to me, on what you're buying ... I'll buy targets, cleaning supplies, etc., online ... ammo, except for a few sites like ammoman, which have good prices and ships to me tax and shipping free ... you'll notice that in many cases prices from online retailers aren't that great and ammo, which weighs a ton, costs a ton to ship ... in many cases shipping is almost as much as the cost of the ammo itself ... I support my local gunshop by buying guns and some ammo there ...
 
In Washington State....if you buy a gun online...you still have to have it shipped to a FFL inside the state...and you have to pay State Sales Tax on the purchase price - plus transfer fees, etc.

So No, buying online makes very little sense...unless its a unique or rare gun that you can't order or find locally ---especially on guns that are no longer in production.

But living in a metropolitan area ...I have a dozen or more very good gun shops within an hour drive...and some within 20 min ...for used and new guns so that's a factor too. 90% of what I've bought in the last 10 yrs has been thru local dealers - and I'll continue to do that.

Not everything on the internet is what it appears to be...especially on auction sites...there is some fraud out there. You have very little - if any - protection against Fraud on these sites...in terms of getting your money back if you never get a gun ..
 
I've been doing business with the same local gunshop since the mid 1970's and have been very pleased with them since I bought my first BHP there.

Supposedly, this shop is the largest family owned gunstore in the US, FWIW.

I know the owner, his son, the gunsmiths and most of the salesmen well, they appreciate my business, can get anything I want very quickly (if it's not in stock) and treat me right on prices given our long relationship.

This shop has been in business since the 1950's and has the ability to get product quickly from every gunmaker when other shops cannot.

Buying locally, also gives me the option of closely examining my purchase and test firing it before I walk out of the store. :D

This gunshop has a 90 day warranty over and above the manufacturer's warranty, so that's good piece of mind also.
 
I have a local shop I always buy from if they can order the gun I want.

When the online stores put the LGS out of business, where will we have the guns shipped too?
 
If online store do shut down the local shops you will still see a few local people set up with ffl to do transfers. In my county we have 6 brick stores (including pawn) that sell guns. I know of 3 other ffls that will do transfers but are not active gun stores.
 
I just looked at Bud's. For a GP100, blued with a 6" barrel I can have it for $520. In Brookings, SD I can get the same gun for $475. Add state and local tax and it comes to $503.50. My FFL would charge me $25 for Bud to ship it to him. So, I buy locally.
 
I buy some on line and some local.

I have an FFL that does a $10 trnasfer fee, he likes doing it so that is a cost help.

Shipping is an issue to Alaska, though in the case of the pistor it was only $20.

They did not have the gun I wanted locally and I could not get them to order so......

Other one I got it all setup on line and then the local rep did the purchase and no shipping or FFL.
 
I buy some at a couple of local gun shops that have been around a long time and are family-owned, where I have gotten to know the people over the years.

If I'm looking for something that is no longer in production, or that is not carried by these shops (my Bersas come to mind as examples), then I buy online.
 
What it comes down to is your LGS (Local Gun Store). Some are great, very helpful -- receiving face to face service and help is worth paying an extra 5% compared to online prices.

If your local LGS wants to charge MSRP for a firearm, and he wont haggle at all, its not a good deal. Coming from California I was faced with MSRP+ prices all the time.

If you can save 100, shop online but don't forget to add in shipping and the like. When shopping online for a firearm it must be shipped to an FFL (Federal Firearms License) holder. The FFL holder will then transfer the firearm to you.

Often LGS will charge enormous fees to do a transfer since you didn't buy it in store and they are trying to make a profit.

The best solution is to find a local FFL that is a pawn shop, or someone that runs their business from there house. (www.fflfinder.com)

(I live in Oregon so sales tax is not a deciding factor for me [No Sales Tax]) Also, avoiding sales tax is going to be a moot point in a LOT of states in the near future.
 
I try to buy locally, and always give them first opportunity. Sometimes, though, they simply can't come close to the same price I get online, even when considering the FFL transfer fees and shipping.

I saved almost $200 on my S&W 329 Night Guard.
 
For me there really is no price advantage to shopping for guns on line. Ammo is another story. I recently bought 100 rounds of Golden Saber ammo for $67 (with shipping) on line. Locally 50 rounds is about $60 with tax.
 
Factor in shipping and transfer fees and I've never been able to buy online cheaper. The only time I've ever bought online was when the gun I wanted was unavailable locally.
 
I always give the Evil Pawn Shop Guy first option,,,

If he can get what I want and come even close to Buds Gun Shop price,,,
I'll order from him just to keep spending my money locally.

But since Buds ships free and the Evil Pawn Shop only charges a $20.00 transfer fee,,,
Any thing that generates sales tax over $20.00 and I'm paying more.

It's okay in most cases,,,
The difference is never too much.

Aarond

.
 
There are several LGS in my area and I have purchased from them regularly in the past, especially one that is just over a mile from my home. I fear that may be changing soon due to one of the factors that always comes up in the online vs. LGS debate, that factor being service.

The shop (store#1) that is closest to me generally has decent to good pricing and I have made the majority of my purchases there, but their service ethic is atrocious. The sales staff is borderline hostile to anyone who comes in that is not one of their personal friends. On a good day they are oblivious to most people's presence in the store.

The other two LGS have better service per se, but rarely have prices in line with store #1 or online dealers even when factoring shipping and transfer costs. (one of them quoted me a price of $100 to do a transfer!)

I realize that as long as business is good none of this will change so I am nearly resolved to buying online from now on.

Just my $0.2
 
Welcome!

I don't buy online due to the FFL transfer fees plus the shipping - add those to what some consider "a bargain price" and I can do just as well as one of the LGS. I have several that I deal with - they've always treated me fairly.

I'm a firm believer in supporting local business if you can. Without them, I'd be sitting at the post office waiting for ammo to come. :D
 
Yes for me.

I have called about 2 dozen times in the last 4 weeks to LGC about a gun I want, it's very hard to find. I was on an online gun site and found it for $10 cheaper so I bought it. :)

Now I do have to pay transfer but I don't care. I finally found it and no more waiting.
 
Handguns are just something I'd rather hold first before buying. But if you have some place to physically see and hold a gun first, that doesn't mean you have to actually buy it there though. But when you take into account any shipping costs and the transfer fee, there is not often much of a difference, often less than a $100, even at Gander Mountain whihc is notorious for overcharging. That's not enough for me to buy online (so far).

Maybe in the future I'll give it a try, I can save a few dollars and still support my local dealer (NOT GM) with the transfer fee (which happens to also be my shooting range). Supposedly the guns all come from the same place so you have a chance of getting a dud either way unless you can (and do) really inspect them good. But you can do that before accepting delivery (and are encouraged to do so).
 
You can go to the bar with your buddy and converse, or you can text him. You can make a buddy at your local gunshop while buying guns, or you can cyber shop with ghosts.
 
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