Procedure for buying a gun online....

[HB]

What is the typical procedure for buying a pistol online? The auction I'm buying from says I'll pay the actual shipping to the FFL dealer ( in my case Cabelas'), pay a service charge to the Auctioneers, then pay Cabelas' charge ($25). So do I just call Cabelas' up and tell them that I'd like to have the pistol shipped to them? I can't wait to get that nice little H&R, if I win the auction that is.

Thanks,
HB

 

[JWarren]

The first thing you'll need to do is get a fax number or address from the seller. Give that to your FFL holder and tell them to get a copy of their FFL to the seller.

If everything is OK there, then they will ship to your FFL holder.

Your FFL holder is responsible for entering the firearm into their books and keeping those records. Your FFL holder will have to perform a background check and then process the sell.

If all that goes well, you pay them and everyone smiles.


-- John

 

[Mojo-jo-jo]

Let me make this a little clearer:

1. Obtain a copy of your local dealer's (the one that is doing the transfer for you, where you will pick up the firearm) Federal Firearms License.

2. Send this copy to the seller. They may take it by fax, but some do not and in that case you will have to mail it.

3. Pay the seller (or auction house as it may be) for the firearm. Auctioneer's commission will usually be included here.

4. The seller then ships firearm to your local FFL dealer.

5. When the firearm arrives at your local dealer, you go to pick it up. You pay the dealer the transfer fee (sounds like $25 in this case), fill out a ATF Form 4473, do an instant background check and assuming approval, you go home with your new gun.

 

[CypherNinja]

Let me make this a little clearer:

1. Obtain a copy of your local dealer's (the one that is doing the transfer for you, where you will pick up the firearm) Federal Firearms License.

2. Send this copy to the seller. They may take it by fax, but some do not and in that case you will have to mail it.

3. Pay the seller (or auction house as it may be) for the firearm. Auctioneer's commission will usually be included here.

4. The seller then ships firearm to your local FFL dealer.

5. When the firearm arrives at your local dealer, you go to pick it up. You pay the dealer the transfer fee (sounds like $25 in this case), fill out a ATF Form 4473, do an instant background check and assuming approval, you go home with your new gun.

Close:

1) Win auction, pay seller/fees.

2) You obtain an address/FAX number from the seller and give it to your local FFL holder. THEY send a copy of their paperwork to the seller.

3) Seller ships firearm, local FFL holder receives it and enters it into their "bound book".

4) You go to local FFL, fill out a 4473, wait for NICS, pay FFL transfer fee, and leave with firearm.

 

[Mojo-jo-jo]

2) You obtain an address/FAX number from the seller and give it to your local FFL holder. THEY send a copy of their paperwork to the seller.

Mine has me do it. Says he doesn't want to be bothered to do all that for a measly $20. He just gives me a signed in ink copy and says "have at it." I guess it depends on the mentality/attitude of the FFL. Either way, the paperwork has to get from the transferor to the seller somehow, and it really doesn't matter who sends it as long as the seller gets it.

 

[hotpig]

If the seller or auction house is not a FFL you need to make sure that your FFL will accept a gun from a non FFL. Many FFL will not accept a gun from a person out of state.

 

[Jim K]

Hi, Mojo-jo-jo,

That is the way I work it also. The dealer gives me the signed FFL copy, I take care of all the paperwork, using his order form and return address.

Works very well.

Jim

 

[ReadyontheRight]

Prices and procedures of FFLs are all over the board. Be sure to shop around and find one that is not charging too much.

Says he doesn't want to be bothered to do all that for a measly $20.

I'd also personally rather find one without a lot of attitude.

How much hassle is it really to do an FFL transfer? And what kind of profit are they making on their own guns that can sit around in inventory for months or years?

I am amazed that local dealers all over the country have not jumped all over internet sales and letting someone else carry their inventory costs.

AND...to answer anti-gun folks who mistakenly believe that "you can buy a gun over the internet." and have it shipped to your house. You can buy a gun from a manufacturer or a dealer over the internet, over the phone, through the mail and probably even with a telegram, but you still need to do an FFL transfer - which includes a background check - to legally transfer the firearm between states.

 

[hanno]

AND...to answer anti-gun folks who mistakenly believe that "you can buy a gun over the internet." and have it shippen to your house. You can buy a gun from a manufacturer or a dealer over the internet, over the phone, through the mail and probably even with a telegram, but you still need to do an FFL transfer - which includes a background check - to legally transfer the firearm between states.

Exception - CMP will do a NCIS check but will ship a rifle directly to a qualified buyer. No need to go through a FFL.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

Exception - CMP will do a NCIS check but will ship a rifle directly to a qualified buyer. No need to go through a FFL.

True - but you still need to go through a background check (plus even more with the CMP) to "buy a gun online".

And technically, you buy a CMP gun through the mail.

I am just trying to establish facts around the language the antis use against liberty and common sense.

 

[hanno]

I was merely responding to what you had posted - "through the mail" is one of the examples you used:

AND...to answer anti-gun folks who mistakenly believe that "you can buy a gun over the internet." and have it shippen to your house. You can buy a gun from a manufacturer or a dealer over the internet, over the phone, through the mail and probably even with a telegram, but you still need to do an FFL transfer - which includes a background check - to legally transfer the firearm between states.

I already said that CMP does a NCIS check. My point is that it is indeed possible to have a firearm shipped directly to your door. If the antis have a problem with that they should take it up with Congress, Congress made the law.

And of course FFL isn't only limited to 01 licenses. There is the whole C&R (03 FFL) thing - easy and inexpensive to get (background check required), and nice to be able order firearms via the net and have them shipped directly to one's door without having to go through a dealer.

 

[Mojo-jo-jo]

I'd also personally rather find one without a lot of attitude.

Actually, he doesn't really have that bad of an attitude, the dude is just lazy and isn't really crazy about doing transfers. Really, he's a nice enough guy, but he only deals with hunting rifles/shotguns in his shop and isn't really interested in the stuff that I buy (handguns, black rifles, etc.). However, he saves me $10, since the next cheapest guy is $30.

I can fax or drop something in the mailbox, and even endure an occasional "I can't understand why anybody would want that--You can't hunt with it... Whatever floats yer boat...," for a $10 savings.