With regulations surrounding firearms in the United States, the idea of buying a firearm online seems daunting, but I promise you, it isn’t. By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly how it’s done.
Note: Before we jump in, you will see me use the acronym “FFL” throughout this guide. FFL stands for Federal Firearms License. A Federal Firearms License is the license issued to a firearms dealer or manufacturer by the ATF that allows the dealer to participate in firearm transactions commercially.
What is an FFL Transfer?
First, let me explain what an FFL transfer is. An FFL Transfer is a process typically performed for an online sale of a firearm in which the selling dealer ships the gun to your local dealer who then does your purchase background (form 4473) and also abides by any other regulations your state may hold on firearms. Dealers who perform FFL transfer tend to charge a “transfer fee” that typically ranges anywhere on average from $20 – $50 per item transferred. However, this fee is totally up to the receiving dealer who is doing the transfer and can vary. Please always check with your dealer first to find out how much their transfer fee is before making any purchase. This transfer fee is always collected by the receiving dealer and has nothing to do with the dealer who is selling you the firearm.
FFL Transfer / How to buy a firearm online
Great! Now you know what a FFL transfer is! Let’s jump into the actual process.
You finally found that exact firearm you’ve been looking for. Now what? The actual process may slightly vary based on where you’re buying it from, but overall the whole firearms industry has a pretty similar process. For example: if you’re making a purchase with us at ECPOutdoors.com, you will find a box labeled “FFL Dealer” in the checkout screen of the transaction. This box will allow you to input your receiving FFL dealers contact information. From there, we’ll be able to contact your dealer and request a copy of your dealers license, so we then can ship your order to them.
If you’re buying from a popular firearm marketplace like Guns.com or Gunbroker.com, you will find a section during checkout with a populated list of dealers in your are who can do your transfer. Simply select your dealer from their populated list. From there you’ll continue checkout like any other online sale. Once you have paid your seller for the firearm, you’re all set!
What if you never been to any of your local gun stores or even know where one is at? There’s an easy solution to that as well! A simple way to find a transferring dealer is simply Google FFL dealers near me. Another great search term you can use is gun stores near me. Either term will populate a list of dealers in your local area who can further help you with the transferring process.
Out of courtesy, it’s always best to contact your local dealer who will be performing your transfer after you made your purchase and let them know you have a firearm on the way. Even though its an industry standard for sellers to include the contact information of the firearm buyer with the shipment, mistakes do happen and occasionally a seller will forget. By contacting your transferring dealer first, they’ll have a better idea of who to contact if this rare occurrence does happen.
Conclusion
I hope this guide has helped you better understand how to purchase a firearm online and how FFL transfers work. If you have any questions at all about this process, we are always here to help! Head on over the Contact Us page and ask away with any questions you may have.