kcmarine
Member
Well, I'm thinking about ordering a Saiga. I don't know how FFL transfers work. Do tell.
FFL Transfer... How's this bad boy work?
- Thread starter kcmarine
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mc223
Member
You just need to find a local FFL dealer that is willing to receive the weapon and send a signed copy of his FFL to whoever you are buying from. Most FFLs will charge you a fee for the transfer. The fees vary so shop around. Usually $15- $25.
I am assuming you are talking about having a gun shipped to you.
Well the short answer is that the gun you want to buy has to go through a local middleman (someone with a FFL license), it cannot be shipped directly to you as a non-licensee.
Basically the way it works is you go to your local gun dealer and tell them you want to order the Saiga. He will tell you a price for transferring the rifle (ususally around $20). Then he will either have you pay him for the rifle plus his transfer fee, and he pays the seller of the rifle, or he will have you pay the seller of the rifle directly.
Either way the rifle is shipped to the FFL holder, not you. Once the rifle gets to your FFL dealers, you then go to his store, fill out the 4473 form, pass a NICS check, and off you go.
Well the short answer is that the gun you want to buy has to go through a local middleman (someone with a FFL license), it cannot be shipped directly to you as a non-licensee.
Basically the way it works is you go to your local gun dealer and tell them you want to order the Saiga. He will tell you a price for transferring the rifle (ususally around $20). Then he will either have you pay him for the rifle plus his transfer fee, and he pays the seller of the rifle, or he will have you pay the seller of the rifle directly.
Either way the rifle is shipped to the FFL holder, not you. Once the rifle gets to your FFL dealers, you then go to his store, fill out the 4473 form, pass a NICS check, and off you go.
Gator
Member
Lordy, Lordy, I gotta move to where you guys are. The cheapest transfer not-so-near me is $50, the nearest charges $100 or 10% of the value of the gun.
kcmarine, start calling gun shops in your area. You can also check GunBroker and Auction Arms for their lists of transfer dealers.
Slim Geezer
Member
Gator,
Where do you live? It costs me $20 in Tennessee.
Where do you live? It costs me $20 in Tennessee.
Gator
Member
Geezer, I'm currently stuck in Crook Co. IL....that explains it all doesn't it. 
toivo
Member
From $20 to $40 here--upstate New York.
I don't understand why someone would charge based on the price of the gun. It isn't more work for them to process an expensive gun than a cheap one. What's the theory behind it? Is it "You just bought an expensive gun, so you must be able to afford a higher FFL fee"?
I don't understand why someone would charge based on the price of the gun. It isn't more work for them to process an expensive gun than a cheap one. What's the theory behind it? Is it "You just bought an expensive gun, so you must be able to afford a higher FFL fee"?
kcmarine
Member
How do they come up with it? M-o-n-o-p-o-l-y.
kingpin008
Member
Because they're losing money on the deal, and they're going to try to get it back if they can. By ordering a gun from another source, not only do they not move the stock they have on hand in the store, they have to deal with paperwork (time out of their schedule) and the small fee is hardly "worth it" to most dealers.
That's why most of the folks who run their FFL's out of their homes will charge the low rates. They have no stock to worry about, and they're usually only in the FFL biz part-time anyhow so they can deal with the lower fee easier than Joe Shopowner who has all manner of gear on hand and ready to sell.
GunNut
Member
Find a smaller dealer who works out of his house or one who does not have an active store anymore.
For the last 4-5 years I used a guy who ran an upholstery shop, but had his FFL for 30+ years. He no longer had a store for the guns and did transfers for $15 to keep his license active. He passed away a month ago though.
Now I am going to start using someone who has their FFL and runs the "business" from home. He charges $10 for rifles and $20 for handguns.
Don't expect an actual gun shop to cut you a break, since they are in the business of selling guns.
You might also check with local pawn shops that pawn guns. They have an FFL and don't normally sell new guns, thus they won't have there feelings hurt by you not buying the new gun from them.
Good luck,
Steve
For the last 4-5 years I used a guy who ran an upholstery shop, but had his FFL for 30+ years. He no longer had a store for the guns and did transfers for $15 to keep his license active. He passed away a month ago though.
Now I am going to start using someone who has their FFL and runs the "business" from home. He charges $10 for rifles and $20 for handguns.
Don't expect an actual gun shop to cut you a break, since they are in the business of selling guns.
You might also check with local pawn shops that pawn guns. They have an FFL and don't normally sell new guns, thus they won't have there feelings hurt by you not buying the new gun from them.
Good luck,
Steve
B. Adams
Member
The Gunbroker dealer locator is pretty good, and GunsLive has a good one too, although I found several in my area who were no longer active dealers. But I found that the GunsLive locator coupled with the Gunbroker one were very effective at finding me a few dealers in my area. The GunsLive locator gives you the first and last digits of the FFL number as well, so you can verify it at the ATF website.
http://www.gunslive.com/dealerlocator/
By the way, there's more than one dealer in my area that will do transfers for $10.
http://www.gunslive.com/dealerlocator/
By the way, there's more than one dealer in my area that will do transfers for $10.
Jorg Nysgerrig
Member
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- Apr 13, 2006
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In a nutshell, this is how it works.
1. You find a gun online you like and make an arrangement to buy it. (Sometimes you send payment at this point to the remote dealer)
2. You find a local FFL holder who will accept the transfer for it.
3. Local FFL holder mails/faxes his a signed copy of his FFL to the remote dealer. (Sometimes you send payment at this point to the remote dealer)
4. Remote dealer ships gun to local FFL holder.
5. Local FFL holder receives gun.
6. Go to local FFL holder, fill out 4473 and do background check (if needed).
7. Pay local FFL holder his transfer fee (and background check fee, if needed) and take the gun home.
I've always paid the remote dealer up front and the transfer dealer for the transfer fee seperately. If you find a good transfer dealer, it's pretty painless. If you find someone who is clueless or not very motivated to do the transfer, it can be very, very frustrating.
1. You find a gun online you like and make an arrangement to buy it. (Sometimes you send payment at this point to the remote dealer)
2. You find a local FFL holder who will accept the transfer for it.
3. Local FFL holder mails/faxes his a signed copy of his FFL to the remote dealer. (Sometimes you send payment at this point to the remote dealer)
4. Remote dealer ships gun to local FFL holder.
5. Local FFL holder receives gun.
6. Go to local FFL holder, fill out 4473 and do background check (if needed).
7. Pay local FFL holder his transfer fee (and background check fee, if needed) and take the gun home.
I've always paid the remote dealer up front and the transfer dealer for the transfer fee seperately. If you find a good transfer dealer, it's pretty painless. If you find someone who is clueless or not very motivated to do the transfer, it can be very, very frustrating.
DMK
Member
That's a false assumption n their part, and just in excuse IMO. If they stocked the gun I wanted, I'd buy it from them. I order guns because I can't buy them locally. They haven't lost any business because if I didn't buy the gun I bough, I wouldn't have bought anything.
Like yea, I'm going to buy their Remchester 1000 if I didn't buy that M1A.
Quintin Likely
Member
Call up the dealer that has what you want and make payment arrangements for it.kcmarine said:
Find an FFL in your area - if you register on Gunbroker.com (it's free), they have a neat widget that'll show you FFLs in your area that'll do transfers, their hours of operation and how much they charge. Depending on how your FFL wants to operate, either they'll give you a signed copy of their FFL to send to the other dealer, or they'll send one for you. Some dealers will not accept FFLs from individuals ("kitchen table" FFLs, guys who have FFLs and can do transfers, but don't actually own a storefront to sell stuff), so be sure to check on that with your seller.
In any case, once the FFL is in the mail and the other dealer has your money, you sit back and wait for the other dealer to get the paperwork from your FFL guys. Once they do, they'll box up and ship your new toy to your FFL, your FFL will notify you once it's there (they'll usually open the box when it shows up, most times 'cause it's addressed to them, and they'll need to get the serial number off the gun for their records anyways), and after that it's just like buying any other gun. Fill out a 4473, NICS check, blah, blah, blah. Nothing to it. My transfer guy charges $20 a pop.
Hope that helps.
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