Buying Guns Online Is Easier Than You Think and Here’s Why You Should Consider It

By Alan Forkner

With hunting seasons and the holidays here, most of us have new guns on the brain. For some, it’s an upgrade to your existing hunting set up, for others it’s getting into a new species or area. Regardless, if you’re seeking a new hunting firearm, it’s a great time to consider a new way of shopping as well.

We, of course, are talking about online shopping for firearms, accessories and ammunition.

Hold on…is that even legal? How can you buy a firearm, with all the federal paperwork and background checks required, from a website?

The answer is that it’s not only incredibly easy, but may help you stay compliant with federal, state and local laws than some other means of buying.

Allow me to explain.

For more than 25 years, online sites such as GunBroker.com, Buds Guns Shop, Palmetto State Armory and others have helped America’s gun owners find, research, buy and sell firearms over the Internet. While it is still not legal to have a gun shipped directly to you and bypass the 4473 and NICS check, there are easy ways to make a safe, legal transfer of a firearm purchased online.

Here’s how it works. You find the item you want to purchase from a legitimate online seller. At GunBroker, this can be in an auction-style format, or you can just buy it now through a fixed price listing. Then, you pay the seller directly and they ship the item to a local FFL of your choice. From there, you simply head to that FFL and complete the transaction as you would for any other regulated item. Really, it’s that simple.

Additionally, sites like GunBroker do a fantastic job of vetting sellers to make sure they are on the up-and-up, they offer credit card processing as well as financing options, and they offer protection and warranty programs to make sure you’re happy with the gun you bought.

Aside from legitimacy, what are the major advantages of shopping online instead of just going to your local gun shop? Doesn’t this just hurt brick-and-mortar shops?

There are a ton of reasons why you should consider shopping online and believe it or not there’s a lot of benefits to local FFLs for wanting you to do so.

Let’s start with why it’s good for you.

1) Selection: Unless you live in an area with tens of thousands of gun shops, you just can’t match the selection online. GunBroker has an average of 3 million listings every month. These can range from some of the more common guns, like a Ruger American in .308, to some very hard-to-find items, like the latest hunting rifle or something in a less-common caliber like .257 Roberts.

Brick and mortar shops have to be very careful in their inventories. They will stock things they expect to sell a lot of, such as the Ruger. While they may occasionally have something a bit more off-the-beaten path, like a left-handed .257 Roberts, it’s really a matter of luck to find one right away. And if you’re looking for something that’s no longer in production, the retailer can’t even special order it for you.

With online marketplaces, you have access to a nationwide inventory, from large retail chains to independent shops to those that specialize in a focused segment, such as Africa-appropriate rifles, varmint guns, or certain brands such as Winchester or Perazzi. On the web, you have access to these specialists even if they are clear across the country.

But it’s not just about finding the rare, slightly unusual or out of production guns. Online shopping can be the best route for finding the latest new products that manufacturers are dropping this time of year.

Unless you are lucky enough to live near a retailer that happens to be a “premium” or “gold level” retailer for a certain brand, you may have to wait for the newest Christensen or SIG rifle to come to your area. Online, however, you will often find the newest products available within hours of their introduction.

2) Prices: Let’s be blunt, the economy is not that great right now, and any dollar you can save is worth the work. This is another great reason to shop online. While MSRP is set by the manufacturer, most retailers use that as a baseline and adjust the “street price” according to their markets.

For example, a Beretta Silver Pigeon in 12 gauge may carry an MSRP of $2,399.99. But most retailers will shave that down a little, let’s say to $2,200. But some shops may live in a hotbed of wingshooters, and the Silver Pigeon may be in strong demand. That retailer may price his limited supply a bit higher, to meet the higher demand. That shotgun may have a $2,450 price tag.

So far, no deals, right? Keep reading.

What happens more often than not, however, is that dealer may have a Silver Pigeon in inventory, but for whatever reason (geography, seasonality, consumer loyalties, etc.) he or she knows it won’t sell in their area for MSRP or even the normal street price of $2,200. In that dealer’s area, the gun will be priced at $1,999 instead. Now that’s a great deal if you happen to live in that dealer’s area.

Well, you’re in luck, because as we laid out in the inventory section, the beauty of online shopping is that you have access to every region across the United States. Deals can be found through online retailers for items that may be hot in your neck of the woods and commanding a premium price. When you shop on sites with auctions, the deals can get even bigger.

3) The final, and possibly most important, reason to shop online is to make sure you conduct your purchase legally.

There was a time that classified ads and the bulletin boards at ranges were full of “Guns for Sale” ads. Private transfers, while still legal in most areas, may seem to be easier than buying from an FFL, but there are big risks involved.

First off, with a private sale, the buyer has little in the way of protection should the product be defective or misrepresented. Next, these are almost always cash deals done in person, so there is always a chance that it’s a scam or criminal opportunity. The big one, however, is that the burden now falls on you, the buyer, to ensure that you are taking possession of a firearm that is legal for you to own.

Let’s look at the example of the AR-15, a very popular choice for hunters across the country. Say you find a listing in a regional classified that is just what you’re looking for, and the seller is one town down the Interstate from you. You contact the seller, negotiate a price and agree to meet.

For the sake of argument, let’s say the seller is legitimate and the exchange of cash for a firearm at the Interstate rest stop goes off without any problems (a big IF in some cases). Now you drive back to your city with your new and, unbeknownst to you, illegal firearm.

See, what you may not have realized is your city has a regulation against semi-auto rifles that hold more than 10 rounds. It’s a 30-year-old code and never talked about. You didn’t know, but the second you show up at the range with that rifle and a pile of 30-round Pmags, you are probably going to be in trouble.

Thanks to the requirement of online firearms sellers that all transfers be done by local FFLs, you get several protections. First, you’re doing the transfer in a safe, known-to-be-legitimate business, not a dark parking lot. You’re doing business with a professional, not a stranger who may or may not be on the level. And finally, the person handling the paperwork is well-versed in the federal, state and local laws and regulations that may be in play. It’s just a smarter way.

Now, let’s go back and talk about that brick-and-mortar dealer. Doesn’t online shopping hurt them by taking away sales? Short answer, no.

In reality, a very large percentage of FFL dealers are also selling their inventories online. At GunBroker, for example, we have a network of more than 31,000 FFL dealers in our community. For these dealers, they understand that transfers get people in the door.

Let’s look at some of the examples we already used. If you are looking for something super common and easy to find, like the Ruger American, you can probably find that at your local shop. But, if you find a deal elsewhere (online or otherwise), the local retailer is going to lose that sale. Same for the less common items. If you go to the local shop and she doesn’t have any .257 Roberts rifles, she’s not making a sale.

But if you purchase online, and the local FFL gets to handle the transfer, they get several benefits. First, you’re in the shop. Foot traffic is huge for retailers, and they spend a lot of money on ads, coupons, promotions, events and what not to get people in the store. See, once you are physically in the store, even if it’s to pick up your new duck shotgun from GunBroker, they then have the opportunity to sell you shotshells, decoys, camo, gun cases, etc.

Second, by providing a great customer experience with the transfer, they are building a relationship with a buyer that may otherwise have walked in, not seen what they wanted and walked right back out without ever giving a chance for that upsell. If the buyer has a great experience, they are far more likely to come back to that shop for other purchases in the future.

Most dealers understand this and are more than happy to handle your transfers. Most will charge a small fee, and we recommend always checking with your shop before setting up a transfer through them.

So, as you can see, there’s a lot of great reasons to shop for your next hunting gun online. It’s easy and you can do it from the comfort of home, 24/7. You can always find what you want, at the price you want. And you can rest easy knowing that you’ll be working with safe, vetted dealers in both the purchase and the transfer.

Give it a try! I think once you see how easy it is, you may find online shopping is the place to start your next hunt.

 

Alan Forkner is vice president of public relations and brand management at gunbroker.com.