Buying Firearms Online: How FFL Transfers Work
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Buying a gun online and having it shipped to your local FFL is one of those processes that sounds bureaucratic until you've done it once — then it's just Tuesday. The article does a solid job laying out the chain of custody, but a couple of things in here are worth flagging for anyone who's actually stood at a gun shop counter and watched this go sideways.
"Don't skip this step. Gun University points out it's bad practice to have a firearm shipped to a dealer without them knowing it's coming — get the conversation out of the way before you order."
This isn't just courtesy — some shops have quietly stopped doing transfers, or they'll bury you in a $75 fee because they'd rather not deal with the paperwork on guns they didn't sell. Thirty seconds on the phone before you click "buy" saves you a genuinely awkward conversation when the gun is already sitting in their back room.
"After 3 business days without a final determination, the dealer may — but is not required to — proceed with the transfer. Many dealers have their own policies and will wait for a final answer before releasing the firearm."
Worth knowing before you're standing there on day four expecting to walk out with your rifle. Some shops will release it; plenty won't. Ask your dealer their policy upfront — same call where you confirm the transfer fee.
"When in doubt, route it through an FFL. The $20–$50 transfer fee is a lot cheaper than the alternative."
This applies especially to the private party gifting scenario. A lot of people don't realize the FFL requirement doesn't disappear just because money didn't change hands. If your dad in Oregon wants to ship you a rifle, it still goes through a dealer. Every time.
For those of you who buy online regularly — which shops around the valley have treated you right on transfers, and which ones have hit you with fees that made the online "deal" not a deal at all?
Read the full article in The Handbook → | By BGC Editorial
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