Has anyone bought a firearm from a online auction?
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Purchased and sold many on Gunbroker over the years… like 20+ years. I have also used Armslist. Part of what helps a lot with it is having a good FFL broker. Find a good broker before you ever start bidding. You can find a list on the GB website.
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Gunbroker. Just be sure you buy from seller with good feedback or buy through FFL.
So far no problems with purchasing firearms and ammo.
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Ditto. All good experiences so far.
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I have bought many many guns on gunbroker and similar sites. It is super easy and a bit addicting as it is super easy and having access to product that your local shop might not carry is super convenient.
A couple points. First, have your FFL lined up prior to bidding. Gunbroker has a great FFL search function to help you find local FFL’s. Search your area and particularly look for people who are running transfers out of their house. Why? Its been my experience that a lot of shops might do transfers, but have a bit of an attitude about it. They see every transfer as a lost sale. Wrong way to look at it, but that is my experience. Also, going with a guy that does transfers on the side will usually give you a cheaper rate per transfer. In my area, I pay about $20 to $25 per transfer depending on who I use for my transfer. But do your homework. Map out the house to check the area, contact him, talk to him, stalk him on facebook, linkedin, etc. to vet him. Ultimately you need to watch out for yourself, but chances are you are going to make a new friend.
Second, pay attention to the auction and the seller. Make sure they have a good rating. Also, and this is where your homework comes into play with your FFL. Is the seller an FFL? If so, great. No issues. If the seller is not an FFL, will they be shipping through an FFL and is that included in the price? Finally, check with your FFL. Depending on the comfort level of the FFL and state laws, an FFL may or may not accept transfers from non-ffl private sellers.
Finally, pay attention to the payment method. Some take credit cards, some charge a CC fee, some require money orders or USPS money orders, very rarely will they accept a personal check, and if they do, they will require it to clear before they ship.
Finally, dont limit yourself to just guns. There are a lot of good deals to be had there for all manner of guns and accessories. Happy bidding.
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I was hesitant about going to someone’s house for a FFL and I hated making an appointment. My new FFL charges $100 but is close and convenient; the old one went out of business.
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WOW, he must have no competition… I pay $15 for my transfers. I have gone as high as $25 in some cities I’ve lived in but I’m sorry $100 for a couple of minutes of paperwork is crazy to me. Sorry, Dana7 don’t mean to sound anything but shocked that an FFL can justify asking that much money. Absolutely no reflection on you. But most of the guns I’ve bough from GB, if I had to factor in shipping AND $100 transfer they would not be cost effective.
As to the original topic I have done a bit of both selling and buying on GB (I’m a collector) and others sites and have had exactly ONE problem with a newbie buyer that did not read the whole description of my posted firearm. He backed out on the deal and as a buyer with no rating he got thrown off GB. Since then I get nervous when a person with a NR bids on one of my guns but I still let them bid (some sellers will not) because I feel, hey how else will they get a rating?
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yeah. I’m paying the non-member rate. I actually stopped going to that range because of their exorbitant rates and yearly range shooting class requirement and horrible location but they are still open and close by. I kinda regretted it after a while but there’s nothing I can do now.
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Sorry to hear that. As others have mentioned Gunroker has a good list of FFLs that have already filed their licenses with them and they show the fees for each one.
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$25-$35 everywhere here in Charlotte area.
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