LGS price vs Online

I assume you mean that the item is available locally and on line. The thing with on line prices is that they usually add 3% to advertised price, then you pay shipping and tax then transfer fees once your FFL gets it in. Might as well buy local. Might be worth it if the on line price is a lot lower or is the only available one you find. I recently set my budget at $1000 for a quality 1911 and wound up with one through Gun Broker without 3% or shipping added, price plus tax and transfer fees totaled $916.

I've paid $50 to $100 more to the LGS. The problem is, they rarely have the firearm I want. Was looking for a Ruger Predator in .308 and they had about a dozen Predators. All in either 6.5 Creedmoor or .223. I did by my Henry rifle from them, and they beat the prices on Gunbroker by $300, surprisingly.

Midway has been running free shipping to include ammo lately and prices have been dropping quickly. My local Academy hasn’t been dropping prices near as quick as the online guys. SGammo is a way better deal than most last I looked. For me, online is the place to buy (at the moment).

Edit: I took this as an ammo discussion for some reason . As far as guns go, as said, my LGS never has what I want. Academy and BassPro are cheaper if the do have it.

The Springfield I bought online is the only gun I own that wasn't bought locally. Whenever possible I believe in supporting local business.

My last rifle purchase was roughly $200 cheaper buying it online, that’s including shipping, taxes, transfer costs. My purchase I’m hopefully making today from one of my LGSs should be at MSRP saving me a small fortune ($800 to $1000 based off of gunwatcher’s data) from buying it online.

It all depends on what you’re buying on where you’ll get the better deal. That being said, I generally give my LGSs the chance to match or get close to any online deals I find, if they can’t, they tell me to get it online to save some money.

I purchase nearly all my ammo online, and have purchased every firearm except 1 from the LGS. They rarely have exactly what I want in stock, but are more than happy to order anything I want if their distributor(s) have it. Haz-mat reloading components from the LGS, other components online.

I don’t really have a “max” price. And to be honest after an initial round of price comparison that resulted in the categories above I don’t bother comparing anymore.

Depends on what I'm looking to buy. Generally I like to go to the cheapest price but I'll pay more for some things in a local shop if I need it right now.

I have only bought one gun online, a Polish Mosin for $31 on GunBroke(r)-obviously this was a long time ago. I figured it was worth the gamble. Indeed it was.
I otherwise prefer to physically inspect and handle any firearm I'm considering buying.

Axis II said:

What about a LGS who has the firearm I want who has rude employees and have hosed you about 10yrs ago do you go back?

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If they have what I want, yes. I can put up with rude store employees; I do it all day with rude customers, and have worked behind the counter at gun shops before and understand the price structure.

Two of my LGS said they actually like it fine when I purchase online and have it transferred to them. The transfer fee they get from me is about the same profit they get from many of the guns they sell and they can't compete with Bud's prices, so I'm basically just increasing their inventory for them when I buy online, plus, I almost always buy some ammo or accessories while I'm there picking up my firearm.

Axis II said:

What about a LGS who has the firearm I want who has rude employees and have hosed you about 10yrs ago do you go back?

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Why have you been holding this grudge that long? Not healthy; are those employees even still there?

If you don’t support your local gun store, you may lose that source.
Kevin

I buy the place that has the best price. That is rarely the LGS. The LGS charges more for transfers than a handful of other FFL's in my area. They get my business.

I have used $50 to $75 as a basis. My LGS prices include the FFL fee. It charges $50 for the transfer fee for a online gun purchase and $35 for a person to person transfer. So I compare the online price + shipping + FFL fee to the LGS price. Usually the LGS price is so close to to the sum of that equation that I just buy from my LGS. Sometimes I use equation to bargain the LGS down. They do not want to lose a sale over a few bucks knocked off the price.

For a new firearm I look for the price to be within 5-10% depending on the overall cost between online and my LGS. If there is a difference I will tell the owner straight-up that there is a spread. In my experience they will work with you if you are reasonable. Sometimes their hands are tied by their distribution, but usually it works out. I feel this is well worth the ability to handle the firearm and make an informed purchasing decision.

For a used firearm I refuse to look online. I'm just old-fashioned that way. I need to be able to handle the firearm or I simply will not buy it.
This has worked out well though, as I find the spread in online/local price to be lower for used guns.
In fact, the vast majority of my guns are used.

You have to remember to add shipping and transfer fees to that online price before comparing it to the LGS price.

How much that is varies from region to region, so, there's no way to set a fixed value on it.

DTL said:

I assume you mean that the item is available locally and on line. The thing with on line prices is that they usually add 3% to advertised price, then you pay shipping and tax then transfer fees once your FFL gets it in. Might as well buy local. Might be worth it if the on line price is a lot lower or is the only available one you find. I recently set my budget at $1000 for a quality 1911 and wound up with one through Gun Broker without 3% or shipping added, price plus tax and transfer fees totaled $916.

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Adding 3% is to cover the sellers credit card fees and has nothing to do with being online. Sellers who don't charge 3% are including that surcharge in their advertised pricing.
<-----FFL who charges 3% because credit card processing isn't free and some buyers want to pay cash to save 3%.

I had a customer drive from Ft Worth to Plano to pay me cash for a silencer. A hundred mile, two hour round trip with tolls ($10+ each way) in an SUV........to save $24.

CapnMac said:

You have to remember to add shipping and transfer fees to that online price before comparing it to the LGS price.

How much that is varies from region to region, so, there's no way to set a fixed value on it.

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Ant more you also need to factor in your state sales tax; so by the time you add CC fees - 3-4%, sales tax - 7-9%, shipping ~15%, and transfer fees ~ $35..............

George P said:

in your state sales tax

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Which is an excellent point.

Now, virtually all the online folk are inserting the sales tax, so, really, you are paying the sales tax either way. Which is why I left that out.

There can be an issue with the "where" the sales tax is being billed. If the online sources is only charging 4.5% that's better than if your local tax is 7.625%. And vice versa, obviously.

Axis II said:

What about a LGS who has the firearm I want who has rude employees and have hosed you about 10yrs ago do you go back?

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No. I have sworn off on a couple of such places. I wouldn't go back if they were the only store within 200 miles.

I will give the LGS a 20% break on prices but more often than not the difference is a lot bigger. One kitchen table LGS will order anything he can and charge me $25 over cost as I help him out on occasion. I do most of my new gun buying from him.

George P said:

Ant more you also need to factor in your state sales tax; so by the time you add CC fees - 3-4%, sales tax - 7-9%, shipping ~15%, and transfer fees ~ $35..............

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And.................it's still cheaper online. Remember, sales tax and credit card fees are a wash being that both your LGS and that internet retailer are charging for both. Shipping one firearm from Bud's to me cost less than what a minimum wage clerk get paid to sell you a gun in a LGS. You ARE paying for that guy across the counters salary/wage/benefits btw. Transfer fees? Well if you are paying $35 you need a new transfer dealer.....thats on the high end. $35 means he doesn't really like doing transfers.


I'm a home based dealer. I sell a few hundred silencers every year, but on Title I guns I only do transfers........more than 2000 per year. And my business hasn't slowed one bit because of South Dakota vs Wayfair. While no sales tax was a great benefit to online retailing until Wayfair, it has had little to no effect in the gun business.

Both have similar expenses such as rent, utilities, employee payroll/benefits, etc..........but look at the differences:
Local gun store- your primary market is a radius of twenty miles maximum vs internet retailer whose marketplace is the entire USA.
Local gun store- depends on walk in traffic during business hours vs internet retailer who is open 24/7/365.
Local gun store- buys firearm inventory from distributors vs internet retailer who is manufacturer direct or gets best discount a distributor offers. Volume means better wholesale price.
Local gun store- needs a clerk to "make the sale" vs internet retailer who only fulfills purchases.
Local gun store- may do as many firearm sales in a year as an internet retailer does on Monday before noon.
Local gun store- is happy to make 5% net profit on a firearm sale vs internet retailer who is even happier selling 10,000 of the same thing with a net profit of 1% per firearm.
Local gun store- selection is limited to "what you see is what we got" vs internet retailer who likely carries 30-60 (or more) manufacturers and dozens of models or calibers in each line.
Local gun store- may buy a few pallets of ammunition per year vs internet retailer who buys multiple truck loads AND has drop ship available from the factory.