AR-15 lower receiver FFL transfer costs?

[Beren]

I'd like to order a couple more lower receivers so I have them on hand when the ban sunsets, and I found a nice source out of state for Stag. However, my local FFL wants $35 per receiver that I have shipped and transferred through him. Is that an average price or should I be shopping around? This is in the Pittsburgh, PA area (eastern side).

 

[RooK]

I don't know about PA, but typical pricing usually runs $15-20. I would definately shop around and go to places like guns america and auction arms, they have dealers who want to do FFL transfers listed, along with what they charge.

 

[MiniZ]

~$15.00-$20.00 seems to be the norm. However, I have seen/heard from $0 up to $50.00.

 

[arinvolvo]

anywhere from 20-50 around here...so i only go to the place that charges me 20

 

[dadman]

Guy I deal with charged $25 last year. Went to $30 this year.

 

[Badger Arms]

$20-30 is reasonable. Understand that we are under a constant barrage of fees and operating costs let alone the threat of law suit that is everpresent. Insurance, taxes, our time, phone bills, etc. all build up to where we NEED to charge at least $20 to keep above water. That's dirt cheap when you consider most people will tie us up for nearly an hour of paperwork, BS'ing, negotiating, ordering, sending the FFL if needed, etc.

 

[arinvolvo]

not including YOUR incessant phone calls: did my lower come in yet??? what time does UPS come....DID my lower come in yet?? Has UPS been there?

They have to put up with all that mung for a lousy 20-30 bucks..i dont envy them.

 

[Beren]

did my lower come in yet???

Lol..don't worry, I'd make sure to get a tracking number from the original vendor when I place my order with them. Then I can just keep clicking 'refresh' on UPS's website until it shows 'DELIVERED.'

I've received price quotes between $27 and $35 dollars per unit. There are four more shops I plan to check with, but we'll see. I'd much rather do business with the first shop as they're nearby and I have a good comfort level with the dealer.

 

[Steve Smith]

Try Seneca arms. No I don't know if they're in Pittsburgh, but they are in PA. John will hook you up.

 

[cordex]

I've got a couple of choices when it comes to FFL transfers around here.
One shop charges 10% of the cost of the gun. Seriously. Other than that, they're a great gun store with great prices on their retail and used guns, but that transfer is a bit rediculous to me.

Another local gun store charges $10, which is the same price I pay to a dealer I know.

It varies a lot - shop around.

 

[Badger Arms]

I've received price quotes between $27 and $35 dollars per unit. There are four more shops I plan to check with, but we'll see. I'd much rather do business with the first shop as they're nearby and I have a good comfort level with the dealer.

Go with the friendliest and spend the extra money. You're talking five bucks!

 

[Rocko]

I think what the original poster is looking for is perhaps a discount on multi-unit transfers. I don't think this is unreasonable, as there isn't much more work on the dealer's end for multiple units transfered at once - they'll all go on the same 4473, same NICS call (in this case, PICS, which does charge the dealer a fee unlike NICS, so keep that in mind), one set of "where's my package" calls , etc. Unfortunately, I'm on the other side of the state, so can't make any specific recommendations.

Rocko

 

[Beren]

Seneca Arms, unfortunately, appears to be in Green Lane, PA. About 291 miles from me. Found a place in Apollo that has reasonable rates, but waiting for confirmation from them.

 

[Badger Arms]

I don't think this is unreasonable, as there isn't much more work on the dealer's end for multiple units transfered at once - they'll all go on the same 4473, same NICS call (in this case, PICS, which does charge the dealer a fee unlike NICS, so keep that in mind), one set of "where's my package" calls , etc.

Two or three is not a quantity. If you want ten, we'll talk. I know how these things work. There will be twenty or so phone calls and he'll be having his 'buddies' call me asking them if they can get in on the 'group purchase rates' and I'll end up doing a dozen 1473's and spending days of extra work and phone calls. At the end of it, the guy who started it will get mad because he didn't get a 'special price' for giving me so much business that I only made $25 bucks on in the first place. I try to avoid such things.

 

[Badger Arms]

Can't leave well enough alone... gotta say more. Think of it this way. If I were to buy the receivers myself and put a price on them, it's gonna be the same price on each receiver. If you want to buy two, I might knock $5 off of each one. If you want ten, I might knock $8 off of each. When people who aren't in the business start trying to figure out how much it's worth to us business owners, they always underestimate how much is really involved in our side of the deal. Nobody should be thinking that we like spending hours on end having people try to low-ball us. "What's your bottom dollar on this gun?" I hear that crap all the time. Look, buddy, it's got a price on it. My prices are reasonable, not negotiable. Just think Wal-Mart, not Tijuana.

 

[RooK]

If you talk like that to your customers, you probably do avoid such things.

*Just saw the next post*

Some people expect the dealers to price high and work down, most around here do that. A person that usually gets a transfer at a good price is a repeat customer, either with more transfers or even buying your firearms in shop. Not all are out to drive you nuts or rob you blind.

 

[Badger Arms]

I'm straight-forward with my customers. Most appreciate an honest price. I look at it this way. If I reward people for their skills at annoying me, what am I saying to somebody who walks up with the money and wants to buy something? That's an insult to honest people. The price is the price, not the asking price, or the starting price, or the dishonest marked-up price but it's THE PRICE!

And, yes, I am also straight about my time too. I'm not in this as a hobby, it's a business. If you want expert advice, I'll give it. I'll stand behind a table at a gun show and talk guns and guncraft till I drop... no problem. If you want to haggle and nickle-&-dime me to death for hours on end, I won't stand for it. It's a backwards way of doing business. If you were to see my prices, I've got darn good prices on everything. No, that's not an invitation to waste my time trying to talk me down even further... the prices are pre-haggled. You want a lower price, try to haggle somebody else down lower than my prices. Good luck.

 

[DMK]

It's not even the money for me.

Every time I do a transfer through a local dealer, I end up feeling guilty like I was wasting the guys time or something. They always make you feel like you're trying to do some under the table deal or something. I'd buy what they had in the shop, but usually I'm looking for something specific, unusual or a just bare reciever. They always have the attitude like "I've got a whole shop full of guns, there's nothing here you want?" Sorry, no.

I'm like that with everything, not just guns. I even special ordered my car. The car dealer was more than happy (and yes, I knew what the dealer cost on it was).

I rarely do transfers for this reason. There's lots of things I'd really like and can afford but pass on because it's just a big hassle.

I guess the gun grabbers win on this point.

 

[rsilvers]

The two dealers I use charge $35.

I used to buy a lot of expensive guns that were thousands of dollars each, and by walking around the SHOT Show with copies of my dealer's FFL I was saving a lot by getting dealer price, so I offered my dealer $100 each. Looking back, I did not need to do that, but I figured he would normally make a few hundred on each one if he handled it completely.

I only gave him the $100 when his FFL got me wholesale price and I saved more than that. If I bought a used gun and paid the normal price, then I would give him his normal $35.

 

[Beren]

Can't leave well enough alone... gotta say more.

If I were looking to purchase the receivers FROM you, then no, I wouldn't expect any kind of special deal on two of them. I'd still ask, because y'know, it's my money and I /do/ want the most I can get for it. The longest I've ever spent haggling was 20 minutes, and it saved me a good bit of money. (I was buying one pistol new and another used, and they cut me a better offer on the used pistol if I bought them both that night.) Of course, most vendors seem to havve a bit of "haggle buffer" built into their prices.

I never ask "What's your bottom line price." That's rude. I usually ask: "Is this price firm?" I don't ask unless I have the money and I'm serious about buying. If they're willing to talk further, we talk. If not, I thank them and move on to the next dealer.

In this particular case, I already know where I'm going to buy the receivers. I'm just looking around for someone to receive the order and perform the transfer. Frankly, to me, it looks like it would take a total of 15-20 minutes of their time. Most folks I've talked to in the area want $25-$25 per unit transferred. I'm not going to pay $70 for 20 minutes of an FFL's time. That's not worth it to me, no offense.

I found someone who will do rifle/receiver transfers for $25 + PICS per transaction, not per unit, and they're the one I'm going to use. They're a bit out of my way, but I have relatives in that area (30 minutes) and I can visit them after I pick up my order.

If the first guy would've done it per transaction, I would've gone with him, even at $35. He's 10 minutes away and I like the guy. But he wants $35 + $35 + $5.

Thanks, everyone, who took the time to respond. Interesting thread.

 

[rsilvers]

"I'm not going to pay $70 for 20 minutes of an FFL's time. That's not worth it to me, no offense."

Having an FFL is expensive. There are fees they have to pay the ATF. They have to keep records which is a pain. No harm in shopping around if you want to, but someone charging $35 is not being unfair.