Purchasing firearms via mail order...

[ThunderChunky]

Alright. I finally got off my lazy ass and went to the local gun stores shopping for a rifle. To my luck, an AR-15 is available for purchase to those over the age of 18 in Virginia (boy do I love this state... ). I've found the model I like (Bushmaster if you must know), and have every intention of purchasing it sometime in the near future, as I've saved my pennies for long enough now...

However, I've found the rifle about $150 cheaper online through one of those mail order gun shops. However, as I haven't done this before, I'd like to ask a few people who might have before I do anything rash.

I know you're going to have to get the gun shipped to a FFL Dealer in your area. My question is simply how much is shipping usually for these things, and is there any sort of handling fee by the FFL dealer itself?

I'd rather have the convenience of purchasing a rifle in person, thus knowing what I'm going to get, and someone to yell at if its defective. But should it come out to be a lot cheaper through the mail order, the tradeoff might be worth it.

Anyhoo, guidance to a particular Chunky would be most appreciated.

 

[Dupre]

What usually happens is you go to your FFL dealer and ask him to mail his papers to the person that is selling the rifle. Often times, the FFL wants an envelope with stamp and address already on there. After that, you have to wait until the seller receives the papers but you should contact the seller with your intentions of buying the rifle. Then the transaction is done and the rifle is shipped.

If the seller is a private individual, try using USPS money orders because if the money order is lost in the mail or stolen, it can be replaced at no charge.

The shipping charge will vary between sellers. I've seen cheap and pricey, but mostly cheap. The pricey ones are usually insured. Sellers generally don't make a profit from shipping; they go for the profit margin off the gun. Go ahead and email the seller and see what the charge will be.

The exchange fee will also vary between FFL dealers. Go ahead and ask. You might have to "shop" around. Typical fees are a flat rate or a percentage of the item cost. Some might even be nice and not try to make money from the transfer.

Finally, I hope you don't live in Kaliban. Their new 2002 gun laws are so wacked that even legit FFL transfers are a pain.

EDIT: just out of curiosity, what's the link to online shop with the Bushy for sale? I promise I won't buy the whole stock.

 

[DarkBls]

Zundy ordered a guns, but IIRC he had a trouble with some official paper because of a different state law. But I may be wrong, in which case Zundy will correct me

 

[ThunderChunky]

It was www.youngsguns.com.

This was pretty much the first one that I found, and there are probably ones cheaper out there.

I just need to know if its worth the hassle...

And I'm from the DC area of VA. According the the dealers I talked to, I could have walked away with the rifle that instant, following a background check. Hopefully FFL deals have the same ease of use...

 

[Zundfolge]

I haven't had any legal problems buying firearms over the net.

However since gun laws vary from state to state (and actually city by city too) you need to check with your local FFL.

Call around a bit because there is no set charge. One guy around here charges $15 per transfer, while another charges 5% of the purchase price, while another charges $15 for handguns and $25 for long guns, and some FFL holders refuse to do transfers.

I'm using a different FFL then usual for the Mak I just bought on Gunbroker because he's in a suburb of the city I live in and the city I live in has a mandatory 5 day waiting period, so I'm paying this other guy and extra $10 and driving 15 minutes out of my way just so I don't have to wait (and so my purchase is not in the local PD database too).


As a general rule you have to pay 3 charges.
1. The cost of the weapon ... paid to the seller
2. Shipping and Handling ... paid to the seller
3. Transfer fee ... paid to YOUR FFL

To complete the transfer you will have to send the seller payment in full and a copy of your FFL's license signed in ink (while the license can be a photocopy, the signature has to be in ink ... most insist on blue ink too).

If you're going to mail order a gun, I'd make sure I used a money order or credit card (although most online dealers charge extra for CC orders). If you use a personal check then you will usualy have to wait an additional couple of weeks for the check to clear.

Youngs Guns has lots of info on their site, they even have a list of FFLs they have on file (for T-V check here http://www.youngsguns.com/ffltuv.htm ).

As for the cost of shipping and handling, it depends on who they ship with and the size, weight, distance and value of the gun (expensive guns require additional insurance) If the seller is an FFL he can ship via US Postal Service and that's $15 for a handgun (not sure what a rifle would cost). If the seller is NOT an FFL he'll probably have to ship FedEx Next Day Air which will cost about $30-$40 (but you also get it the next day).


Since the mail order gun is $150 less, figure about half of the savings will be eaten up by S&H fees ... and if you are going to use the gun dealer who lost a sale to the online guys as an FFL, see if he'll come down $75 on the gun (if he wont, make sure you shop around for an FFL to handle the transfer to make sure he's not screwing you out of spite)


Edit: after typing all that I noticed that I didn't see Dupre's post and he said pretty much the same stuff

 

[Dupre]

Originally posted by Zundfolge
To complete the transfer you will have to send the seller payment in full and a copy of your FFL's license signed in ink (while the license can be a photocopy, the signature has to be in ink ... most insist on blue ink too).[/i]

Heh, no prob Zund. Good info is always good info. I think some sellers will only accept FFL licenses sent by the dealer and not the individual doing the buying. And I've heard of kooky transactions in Kaliban where both dealers ask for FFL licenses just to CYA against the state laws. Stuff like that can hold up a purchase for weeks. Best thing to do is call, email, ask, and confirm.

 

[Dank]

I would shop around a little TC.

Northern VA eh? Not C-ville area?

Well I would go to a place along route 29 south in a little town called Opal, VA called Clark Brothers....they have pretty good prices and have a outdoor range you can go to and test out anything buy. I've purchased all my guns from there.

Unless of course the place you're talking about is Clark Brothers.

 

[ThunderChunky]

I don't have a car in C-Ville, so going about makes it somewhat difficult...

I plan on stopping by Clark Brothers on my next trip back home...

 

[Sweep]

I'm right in the middle of a mailorder deal myself. My FFL guy charges $25 for a transfer, others I called in the area were similar, highest was $35. This FFL guy just gave me a signed copy of the FFL that I mailed myself, some of the others wanted to send it themselves. Either way works. Mailed if off to the seller (private seller) and my weapon is on the way (a Romanian SAR1 AK btw).

As for shipping, this deal was trading weapons, so I mailed off mine in trade to his FFL. It was a Jager AP74 which is a nice .22lr copy of the AR15. Same size and nearly the same weight. Shipping from Georgia to Indiana was $12 and change for UPS. Not a big deal. A business will tack on a handling fee too I'd wager...

What is the price you're seeing for the Bushy AR? www.aimsurplus.com sells them as well. May or may not be better. Full 20" model is $729 there.