Buy local or buy online & pay for FFL transfer+shipping?

[Rapidfire_85]

We have one main gun shop in town, and a Scheels All-Sports that doesn't sell 'smaller frame' weapons. I like the idea of buying local to support our community, but I cant afford the prices they are asking. At the smaller gun shop they have a XD sub-compact for $569, and a 637 S&W air weight for $545.

While I was window shopping I listened to a conversation going on between a few guys. (customers?)

Guy 1: Yeah, this new thing they are talking about might take away the ban from the 30's of automatic weapons.
Guy 2: Really? I dont know about that, you have to have some regulation on it.
Guy 3: Are you kidding, I hope those crazy guys have fully automatic weapons. Have you ever tried to shoot one? They climb like crazy and are hard to hit anything with. I wouldn't worry about a guy with one, I'd let him empty the magazine, then shoot him in the back of the head.


wow.

All the people that I've met on the range have been very nice and very 'high road' but I cant stand being in earshot of this shop's 'counter talk'. Is this common for gun-shops?

Am I a bad person if I don't like to hang out at the gunshop, and that I plan to order an XD off gunbroker for $454 including shipping and FFL fee? Budsgunshop.com even has S&W 642's for $385 shipped. I think I just have been reading too many level headed views on issues on this forum that I feel like doing this:banghead: when I hear some people talk.

 

[Soybomb]

To each his own but if you go into gun shops and fondle their guns, I'd say you should probably pay them for their services. If you're just going to buy a gun and not looking for their guidance or to hold the goods you might as well save the money. I'm not a gun shop guy either.

 

[AZ Husker]

Whenever I find a gun I want online, I print it out and take it to my favorite local guy. I give him the chance to match the price, plus the shipping it would cost me to get it there. If he declines (which he NEVER does), I just do the internet.

 

[nalioth]

I would support my local guns shops, but they want you to pay for two guns for every one you leave with . . .


I've found that ordering from out of state, and paying shipping and FFL fees are a heckuva lot cheaper than the local shops (and I don't even miss the counter stories).

 

[cwmcgu2]

Buy local, you are investing your money in your own communnity.

 

[Ala Dan]

It never hurts to shop a'round these days~! Depending on locale, sometimes
gunshops take advantage of their customers; especially if they are the only
game in town. If Bud's does the S&W model 637 for $385 shipped, that is a
heck'eva deal; and you need to take him up on the offer~!

 

[chris in va]

See if they'll work with you on price. Point out you can get Gun X online with FFL and tax for $500, ask if they'll do an out the door price for $550 (an example).

Can't hurt. Shipping and all that FFL crap is a real PITA.

 

[skeeter1]

I always buy locally when I can. However, when I wanted a Beretta 87, they couldn't get me one, but I located one (by way of gunbroker.com) in Nebraska. It cost me $30 shipping and $20 FFL transfer, but at least I got it. I would have paid just about the same in sales tax if I had bought it locally.

 

[RKBABob]

I wouldn't feel one bit of guilt for not buying locally. You are paying your local dealer a transfer fee, after all. Those Gunbroker dealers may very well be small mom-and-pop shops that need your support, too. You can do your part to support local gunshops in other states!

As for the counter talk... there is always some idiot who will look into a case full of 9mm double stack semi-autos and announce that ONE particular model is a really good "tactical" pistol. That really irks me. They all shoot bullets! One's just as "tactical" as the next.

Then again, I'm not an "operator" so what do I know?

 

[SteyrAUG]

You guys can, and of course will, do what you want.

Just remember that a local dealer cannot run a business on "transfer fees." The volume for flat low markups simply doesn't exist. If gun dealers sold enough guns to make it on such markups, they would already be doing it.

Most "transfer dealers" have a day job and are hobby dealers. Most don't have to support a storefront operation. And if that is the way you want to go, nobody is gonna fault you. Just please don't suggest the "gun store" guy is a ripoff by comparisson.

That is like suggesting the local discount store is too expensive because you can find the same item cheaper on ebay. You guys all know what suggested retail is (40% above dealer) and you know damn well most gun shops have never seen a sale involving a 40% markup. So just because some guy is willing to do what amounts to a 5% "transfer" markup for his "beer money" hobby doesn't mean the actual gun dealer trying to get by on 20% is taking advantage.

And if you do think you can run a gun business on flat markups of $25 or 10% I'll be more than happy to help you get your own FFL. Maybe you can show me what I'm doing wrong.

 

[igpoobah]

My local shops aren't too bad actually. I recently bought a pistol and really had no idea of the value, it was an impulse buy. Based on what I saw, the value seemed OK, I figure I got stuck a little bit. When I got home and started looking, I found that I got a pretty good deal.

This local dealer is right across from Gander Mtn and I always go see the locals first. Interestingly enough, the locals prices tend to be better!

That being said, I shop with whoever can give the the best price. I always give the locals the opportunity to do so. If they are not interested, then I feel no remorse for shopping on the internet. If it's even close, I'll go local.

Some non gun items I have researched are pretty much double locally than online....no contest.

 

[K3]

Most "transfer dealers" have a day job and are hobby dealers. Most don't have to support a storefront operation. And if that is the way you want to go, nobody is gonna fault you. Just please don't suggest the "gun store" guy is a ripoff by comparisson.

Some are. Very much so.

About six months ago, a local shop wanted $1250 + TT&L for a walnut & blu M1A. Great price.

Another shop wanted $1800. A third, the closest one to my house wanted $2000.

Ripoff? The first guy has a storefront, but he doesn't mark his stuff up too bad. For special order items, he even shows me his cost on the computer for a gun, tells me how much he'll mark it up, how much the shipping is, etc. He's been in business for a few years and is doing very well.

The other two stores are ripoff joints with crappy customer service. Ef 'em. Problem is, there are a lot of stores like #2 and #3.

 

[hexidismal]

Other than used guns from fellow forum members, I haven't bought any guns online. Not from an online retailer I mean. I would however LIKE to. The problem has been that most online retailers will not ship to my area of NY. If they did, I'd probably make most of my purchases that way. I find that online prices +transfer is generally still a better deal than local shop premiums + sales tax.

For the most part gun shops in my area are a BIG rip-off. I would be all for supporting local businesses IF their prices were not outright robbery.

 

[Werewolf]

Buy from your local shop even if he is a bit higher than internet pricing. If you don't he may not be an option in the future when he goes out of business. RE: the conversation - don't participate; don't listen if it bothers you. It's really that simple.

That said: In OKC at least - most local shops regularly beat internet prices on guns.

I've yet to find an internet price on a firearm that the local shops here in OKC don't already beat with their every day pricing. Average price on guns in OKC - depending on the shop - runs 68% to 80% of MSRP. The average of all the shops in my experience here is around 72% of MSRP. The worst case I've found is on Springfield Armory's M1A series which runs at about 80% of MSRP.

No transfer fees in OK if you buy from a local dealer.

For me that's good enough. Add in transfer fees (which have to be paid when buying from another FFL) and shipping and the locals have beat internet pricing every time.

Unless the OP lives in an area with a really high demand for firearms, a very small town with just one gun shop, or some place like NYC and it's ilk I would be surprised if gun pricing is really that much different in other big cities.

 

[kieran]

you could always go to your local dealer and say 'i've found gun X on the internet. purchase, shipping and your FFL fee come to $amount. can you order this gun and sell it to me for the same $amount?'

this way, they have the option of getting either the ffl fee for their time, or whatever the equivalent markup on the gun would be.

 

[K3]

Buy from your local shop even if he is a bit higher than internet pricing. If you don't he may not be an option in the future when he goes out of business. RE: the conversation - don't participate; don't listen if it bothers you. It's really that simple.

Would you buy from the two stores mentioned in my post above? Just to keep the 'little guy in business'? I understand the need to eat, but $2K compared to another local shop for $1250? I know the guy at the shop I like is eating well. At least we have competition here. Gander Mountain is high too.

The thing that baffles me is that people continue to pay that $2K pricing. I know, I used to go to that shop. Then I wised up and learned to shop around. I figured out that 20 minutes of my time can literally save me hundreds of dollars.

 

[Werewolf]

Would you buy from the two stores mentioned in my post above? Just to keep the 'little guy in business'? I understand the need to eat, but $2K compared to another local shop for $1250?

Of course not. In your example the shops mentioned are all local. Buy the best price. If you can beat that on the internet great.

My point was that in most places there will be/probably is at least one local shop that beats internet pricing on a regular basis. In addition I don't believe that a lot of folks buying guns on the internet are actually adding in all the additional costs over and above the quoted price for the firearm and are oblivious to the true cost which is usually higher than that of a local shop.

 

[Flame Red]

Around here in Central Florida, the FFL's have banded together to mostly stop internet sales. Most either refuse to do transfers anymore, or charge exhorbitant fees ($100) to do a transfer, or refuse to transfer anything they can order.

 

[strat81]

Shipping and all that FFL crap is a real PITA.

I'd like to mention that I had an easy, painless experience when doing an FFL transfer. I purchased the item online and paid online. They had a field for the FFL's name and address. I called the receiving FFL to ask them to fax their license to the shipper and to expect the package. They called me in 3 days when the item arrived.

Aside from calling the receiving FFL and asking them to fax their license, it wasn't really different than any other transaction (4473 not withstanding).

Of course, I suppose all of this depends on how good your FFL is. Mine probably figures the $15 is cash in his pocket for 5 minutes worth of work.

 

[K3]

My point was that in most places there will be/probably is at least one local shop that beats internet pricing on a regular basis. In addition I don't believe that a lot of folks buying guns on the internet are actually adding in all the additional costs over and above the quoted price for the firearm and are oblivious to the true cost which is usually higher than that of a local shop.

I would have to agree here. Transfers are usually $25 or so, and shipping can be anywhere from $10 to $20 depending on the usual factors. An $80 Mosin becomes $120. Still, if that price beats local shops, and it often does, then by all means get it online. Locally, you just have to add the tax, because the owner has already factored in the shipping, transfer, and other overhead on the sticker.

 

[atomchaser]

Around here in Central Florida, the FFL's have banded together to mostly stop internet sales. Most either refuse to do transfers anymore, or charge exhorbitant fees ($100) to do a transfer, or refuse to transfer anything they can order.

Try pawn shops -- they are generally glad for an easy 25 or 30 bucks. I live in East Central FL and have several different FFLs who do transfers for 25 bucks. PM me if you want some names.

I generally try to buy from a local shop if they are cost competitive and business like. More than one has lost my business with their attitude and business tactics, however.

 

[CU74]

Most of the new firearms I have purchased have been from "my" local dealer. When I "needed" that Marlin lever-action .357 Mag carbine, I found one on-line, printed out the ad, and took it to the gun shop. They couldn't match the price, but I bought from them anyway - I'll buy from the local dealer if their price plus tax is within 15% of the on-line price plus S/H and transfer fee. I buy all of my powder and primers from the local gun shop.

I buy most used firearms on-line, but do not use my local gun shop for the FFL transfers. They want $30 and express reluctance to do the transfer. I use a local "mom and pop" pawn shop at $15, and we are all happy with the arrangement. (And I am still supporting local folks.)

 

[rockinrussky]

Whoever has the lower net price will get my business. Either way, don't write off the local shops, cause who knows what kind of a deal they might have. Heck, I just bought a brand new Springfield XD w/box and all the equipment for $425. Now, as long as I've been looking around there's no way any internet offer can beat that when you consider the ffl and shipping into the equation. Appearently, they've been having trouble getting rid of their stock; glad I could oblige

 

[Zundfolge]

Buy from your local shop even if he is a bit higher than internet pricing. If you don't he may not be an option in the future when he goes out of business.

If internet sales put him out of business than he's not meeting the needs of the market place and deserves to be out of business.


There have been times that the choice wasn't "buy off the net or buy local", the choice was "buy off the net or don't buy at all" (either because the local dealer doesn't stock what I want, or his price is significantly higher and thus put the gun out of my budget).

If the local guy can hit close to the price I'll likely go with him because of the convenience issue, but I'm not going to spend more than I have to just to keep the local guy in business. It's HIS job to make sure he stays in business and he either does that by giving exceptional service or with lower prices ... if he can't do one he darn well better figure out how to do the other or he'll need to find something else to do for a living.

Thats how it works for every other business in the world.

I work for a small regional mapping company. I guarantee you we have to find creative ways to compete with Rand, MapsCo, National Geographic and Universal (which I believe was just bought by MapsCo). The way we do it is by producing a superior product at a lower price. We don't just expect people to be charitable and give us their business because we're local, we have to earn their business.

Around here in Central Florida, the FFL's have banded together to mostly stop internet sales. Most either refuse to do transfers anymore, or charge exhorbitant fees ($100) to do a transfer, or refuse to transfer anything they can order.

Looks like they're creating a market vacuum ... an enterprising sort would find a way to take the transfer market that they're throwing away.

The FFL I use is an Apple dealer that does the FFL thing on the side. He's got a storefront, but its full of Macs, he doesn't have a firearms inventory, he just does transfers. Only charges $20 too.

 

[JoseM]

I always buy ammo local but buy my firearms over the internet...at least my last 4 (SW1911, SW1911 Gunsite, SW M&P40, and CZ 452 American 22LR). If I can save 10% (which is easy via mail order), I don't see a problem with it. I decide I support my local economy with trips to the range and as just said...ammo purchase.