Does your local FFL dealer charge to receive a gun?

kplender · July 24, 2008, 12:22 PM

If I buy a gun online (say, from gunbroker.com), and I have the gun shipped to a local FFL dealer in my area, does my local FFL dealer charge me a fee for this? How does that work? Thanks in advance!!

Doyle · July 24, 2008, 12:28 PM

Yes. I've never heard of any that don't charge a fee. Typical is about $25 or so. The lowest I've ever seen is a $15 special rate that one of my semi-local shops charges members of our state shooting forum. I've heard of some shops charging in excess of $50. I'd tell them to pound sand and I'd take my business elsewhere.

dasss · July 24, 2008, 12:32 PM

all do but the amount varies.

Playboypenguin · July 24, 2008, 12:36 PM

Quote:

If I buy a gun online (say, from gunbroker.com), and I have the gun shipped to a local FFL dealer in my area, does my local FFL dealer charge me a fee for this? How does that work? Thanks in advance!!

Yes, they pretty much all do. That is why I never buy guns online. By the time you pay shipping and transfer fees it ends up being just as expensive, if not more expensive, to buy a gun sight unseen than it is to buy one I get to inspect first at a local dealer.

ViperJon · July 24, 2008, 12:49 PM

I looked into buying one online a while back, called the local gunshop.
They asked if it was a new gun. I said yes.
The told me $100.00 for the transfer. I laughed in their face and bought it new...from another dealer.

Playboypenguin · July 24, 2008, 12:51 PM

A lot of dealers will not even accept transfers of guns that they carry.

nate45 · July 24, 2008, 01:00 PM

Mine charges me $10.00, yes thats right ten dollars.

freakshow10mm · July 24, 2008, 01:01 PM

I will except all guns, whether or not if I have the same one (model) in stock at the time. $20 per gun. New or used.

Cliff47 · July 24, 2008, 01:59 PM

I have heard of dealers charging a flat fee for the transfer (low of $10, high of $100+), also the flat fee plus a percentage of the value of the firearm (which seems like a form of highway robbery, if you ask me).

The dealer I work with charges me $20 (plus state sales tax on his fee), and all is right with the world. Another dealer I used to go through now charges $35 (plus state sales tax), and that's why I quit doing business with them, they kept raising the fee (started at $15). My current FFL dealer even provides me a fresh copy of the FFL for my next purchase/transfer. What a deal.

tplumeri · July 24, 2008, 02:18 PM

Quote:

By the time you pay shipping and transfer fees it ends up being just as expensive,

Unfortunately, thats true most of the time.
sellers on auction sites are charging $25-50.00 for shipping and my FFL costs another $30 . he actually only charges $15, but i give him 30 cause he delivers the gun to my home or office with completed paperwork and he emails FFL when i make purchases!
i would much rather handle the gun prior to purchase, but nearest shop is over an hour away.
gonna stick to online for now.
i buy too many guns to spend two hours driving each time!

dogtown tom · July 24, 2008, 02:20 PM

Gunbroker (and other online gun auctions) has a list of FFl's that do transfers. Be aware that the Gunbroker list is VERY outdated, but it is a starting place.

Transfers are gravy for a dealer. They get paid for processing the transaction and do not have to tie up any capital by keeping guns in inventory.

Any dealer charging more than $50 is gouging- look for another. Some will be offended that you don't like what they have on their shelves. Smile, leave and take your business to another FFL that values your business.

BTW I pay less than $15 per transfer to an FFL that conducts business in his living room. He gives discounts for NRA members, CHL holders, etc. He does fifteen to twenty transfers each week.

If I buy a $500 firearm FTF in Texas, I'll pay an additional 8.25% state sales tax. Making my total $541.25
If I buy a $500 firearm from GunBroker, I'll pay shipping ($25), plus transfer ($15). Total $540.00 , so the difference is negligible on an item priced identically.

So why do I buy on GunBroker? Because I get better value. Why would I pay $800 + tax ($866) for a 98% condition "T" series Browning Hi Power in Dallas, when I can get it one as good (actually was better than described) on GunBroker for $580 + shipping/transfer ($620) ? Now my savings is $246 on one gun purchase. That buys a lot of ammo.

Playboypenguin · July 24, 2008, 02:22 PM

Quote:

i would much rather handle the gun prior to purchase, but nearest shop is over an hour away.
gonna stick to online for now.

Fortunately, this is not a huge issue if you are buying new guns. It gets hairier with used ones. I have found that no one else's standard of "great", "like new" or "mint "condition is as high as mine.

Buzzard · July 24, 2008, 02:23 PM

Yep, the local shop here charges 50.00 so I have not bought any online....

cnutco · July 24, 2008, 02:24 PM

GA's average is $25

TMann · July 24, 2008, 02:28 PM

My local gun shops charge ~$35 to $40. Ouch! I rarely buy stuff from out of state. It's just too expensive...

TMann

hamster · July 24, 2008, 02:45 PM

AFAIK all the gun shops in san diego charge $75... i think they all got together and decided that they'd all gouge us the same. so i never buy online... i like PPT because you dont have to pay taxes!

SilentHitz · July 24, 2008, 02:51 PM

Me? no, other folks, yes. Nice having a brother with ffl after I dropped mine.

Quote:

charge $75.

OUCH!!! That's legalized robbery!

sasquatch · July 24, 2008, 02:58 PM

Quote:

By the time you pay shipping and transfer fees it ends up being just as expensive, if not more expensive, to buy a gun sight unseen than it is to buy one I get to inspect first at a local dealer.

That depends on the price of the gun. In WA state, sales tax at a local gun store is almost 9%. So, on a $500 gun that is $45, on an $800 gun that is $72. My FFL charges $25, and no sales tax on the incoming gun. I come out ahead most of the time, since shipping is $20-$25, and often absorbed by the seller.

davlandrum · July 24, 2008, 03:02 PM

$50.

Last time I use that one......

James K · July 24, 2008, 04:15 PM

Some dealers will waive the fee for good customers who order something they don't have and can't get (collector guns for example).

I see nothing wrong with charging a fee for service; if you want to cuss someone, cuss Congress - they made direct mail order sales illegal.

There is a drawback to buying "on the net." If what you get isn't what you thought you were going to get, you will almost always have to pay shipping to return it, even if you get the money back for the cost of the gun. Sometimes, bargains aren't.

Jim

threegun · July 24, 2008, 05:21 PM

We charge 30 buck but that includes the 5 bucks for the FDLE back ground check. Must be competitive because we transfer a ton of guns.

Rmart30 · July 24, 2008, 07:32 PM

Ive bought a cpl off the internet.... $20 is the most Ive paid, or will pay for the transfer. One local shop charges $50 to do it

$20 for signing for the package when delivered (1 min) entering it in their books, (2 min), calling in the instant background ck (5 min).... Last one I got I was in and out in under 10 minutes including me filling out the background ck paperwork....$20 is pretty good $ for that amount of time invested and no cost or inventory to stock..

Ive got one gun that wasnt what I ordered (blued instead of stainless) write return to sender on package (USPS) and it went back to them w/no problems or cost to me.

gunsrtools · July 24, 2008, 07:34 PM

$20. here in Central NH

bclark1 · July 24, 2008, 07:52 PM

If it's more than $25, they don't want your business and will laugh at you for not realizing that. When I'm in Illinois (2 years and I still haven't changed my darn license) I spend easily the difference in gas to give my business to a really good guy (owner of Thin Blue Line in Wood Dale). The transfer is worth $25, and the time and gas is worth the conversation. I hope I can always find somebody I can say that about and stick with 'em.

chris in va · July 24, 2008, 10:20 PM

The shops around here do it...begrudgingly. Doesn't matter that they can't order what I'm getting shipped in, they see it as revenue loss.

But I agree, by the time you pay the fees and shipping charges, you're usually better off getting something local.

July 24, 2008, 12:22 PM	#1
kplender Member Join Date: June 18, 2008 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 51	Does your local FFL dealer charge to receive a gun? If I buy a gun online (say, from gunbroker.com), and I have the gun shipped to a local FFL dealer in my area, does my local FFL dealer charge me a fee for this? How does that work? Thanks in advance!!

July 24, 2008, 12:32 PM	#3
dasss Junior Member Join Date: June 26, 2008 Location: winter haven FLorida, USA Posts: 8	yes all do but the amount varies.

July 24, 2008, 01:00 PM	#7
nate45 Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,746	Mine charges me $10.00, yes thats right ten dollars. __________________ "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."- Thomas Jefferson ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ (>_<)

July 24, 2008, 02:23 PM	#13
Buzzard Senior Member Join Date: July 13, 2005 Location: Kingman AZ Posts: 479	Yep, the local shop here charges 50.00 so I have not bought any online.... __________________ Rick in Kingman AZ , Super Comanche 45LC/410 , ,Armscor .38 4, Marlin 60 & An UGLY 12ga , Savage Axis .223

July 24, 2008, 03:02 PM	#19
davlandrum Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2006 Location: Lane County Oregon Posts: 2,547	$50. Last time I use that one...... __________________ U.S Army, Retired Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. -Potter Stewart

July 24, 2008, 12:28 PM	#2
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	Yes. I've never heard of any that don't charge a fee. Typical is about $25 or so. The lowest I've ever seen is a $15 special rate that one of my semi-local shops charges members of our state shooting forum. I've heard of some shops charging in excess of $50. I'd tell them to pound sand and I'd take my business elsewhere.

July 24, 2008, 12:49 PM	#5
ViperJon Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 2007 Location: Long Island Posts: 216	I looked into buying one online a while back, called the local gunshop. They asked if it was a new gun. I said yes. The told me $100.00 for the transfer. I laughed in their face and bought it new...from another dealer.

July 24, 2008, 12:51 PM	#6
Playboypenguin Junior member Join Date: February 27, 2006 Location: Great Pacific Northwest Posts: 11,515	A lot of dealers will not even accept transfers of guns that they carry.

July 24, 2008, 01:01 PM	#8
freakshow10mm Junior member Join Date: January 23, 2008 Location: MI Posts: 1,398	I will except all guns, whether or not if I have the same one (model) in stock at the time. $20 per gun. New or used.

July 24, 2008, 01:59 PM	#9
Cliff47 Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2005 Posts: 413	I have heard of dealers charging a flat fee for the transfer (low of $10, high of $100+), also the flat fee plus a percentage of the value of the firearm (which seems like a form of highway robbery, if you ask me). The dealer I work with charges me $20 (plus state sales tax on his fee), and all is right with the world. Another dealer I used to go through now charges $35 (plus state sales tax), and that's why I quit doing business with them, they kept raising the fee (started at $15). My current FFL dealer even provides me a fresh copy of the FFL for my next purchase/transfer. What a deal.

July 24, 2008, 02:20 PM	#11
dogtown tom Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2006 Location: Plano, Texas Posts: 3,084	Gunbroker (and other online gun auctions) has a list of FFl's that do transfers. Be aware that the Gunbroker list is VERY outdated, but it is a starting place. Transfers are gravy for a dealer. They get paid for processing the transaction and do not have to tie up any capital by keeping guns in inventory. Any dealer charging more than $50 is gouging- look for another. Some will be offended that you don't like what they have on their shelves. Smile, leave and take your business to another FFL that values your business. BTW I pay less than $15 per transfer to an FFL that conducts business in his living room. He gives discounts for NRA members, CHL holders, etc. He does fifteen to twenty transfers each week. If I buy a $500 firearm FTF in Texas, I'll pay an additional 8.25% state sales tax. Making my total $541.25 If I buy a $500 firearm from GunBroker, I'll pay shipping ($25), plus transfer ($15). Total $540.00 , so the difference is negligible on an item priced identically. So why do I buy on GunBroker? Because I get better value. Why would I pay $800 + tax ($866) for a 98% condition "T" series Browning Hi Power in Dallas, when I can get it one as good (actually was better than described) on GunBroker for $580 + shipping/transfer ($620) ? Now my savings is $246 on one gun purchase. That buys a lot of ammo.

July 24, 2008, 02:24 PM	#14
cnutco Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2008 Location: NE GA Posts: 189	GA's average is $25

July 24, 2008, 02:28 PM	#15
TMann Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: Washington State, U.S.A. Posts: 27	My local gun shops charge ~$35 to $40. Ouch! I rarely buy stuff from out of state. It's just too expensive... TMann

July 24, 2008, 02:45 PM	#16
hamster Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2007 Location: san diego, ca Posts: 354	AFAIK all the gun shops in san diego charge $75... i think they all got together and decided that they'd all gouge us the same. so i never buy online... i like PPT because you dont have to pay taxes!

July 24, 2008, 04:15 PM	#20
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Some dealers will waive the fee for good customers who order something they don't have and can't get (collector guns for example). I see nothing wrong with charging a fee for service; if you want to cuss someone, cuss Congress - they made direct mail order sales illegal. There is a drawback to buying "on the net." If what you get isn't what you thought you were going to get, you will almost always have to pay shipping to return it, even if you get the money back for the cost of the gun. Sometimes, bargains aren't. Jim

July 24, 2008, 05:21 PM	#21
threegun Junior member Join Date: March 1, 2006 Location: Tampa,Fl Posts: 4,000	We charge 30 buck but that includes the 5 bucks for the FDLE back ground check. Must be competitive because we transfer a ton of guns.

July 24, 2008, 07:32 PM	#22
Rmart30 Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2008 Posts: 602	Ive bought a cpl off the internet.... $20 is the most Ive paid, or will pay for the transfer. One local shop charges $50 to do it $20 for signing for the package when delivered (1 min) entering it in their books, (2 min), calling in the instant background ck (5 min).... Last one I got I was in and out in under 10 minutes including me filling out the background ck paperwork....$20 is pretty good $ for that amount of time invested and no cost or inventory to stock.. Ive got one gun that wasnt what I ordered (blued instead of stainless) write return to sender on package (USPS) and it went back to them w/no problems or cost to me.

July 24, 2008, 07:34 PM	#23
gunsrtools Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2008 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 116	$20. here in Central NH __________________ Bob ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

July 24, 2008, 07:52 PM	#24
bclark1 Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,531	If it's more than $25, they don't want your business and will laugh at you for not realizing that. When I'm in Illinois (2 years and I still haven't changed my darn license) I spend easily the difference in gas to give my business to a really good guy (owner of Thin Blue Line in Wood Dale). The transfer is worth $25, and the time and gas is worth the conversation. I hope I can always find somebody I can say that about and stick with 'em.

July 24, 2008, 10:20 PM	#25
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	The shops around here do it...begrudgingly. Doesn't matter that they can't order what I'm getting shipped in, they see it as revenue loss. But I agree, by the time you pay the fees and shipping charges, you're usually better off getting something local.