Disclaimer: This article is intended as a guide, and is not legally binding. Each state or jurisdiction may have slightly different laws, so please check with your local officials before purchasing a firearm. A good place to start would be your county Sherriff’s office or State Attorney General’s office.
So you’ve decided that the time has come to buy a gun. Great choice. Many of us have grown accustomed to having any product available at the tips of our fingers, including product descriptions and reviews from real people. Amazon, Zappos, and others have revolutionized shopping.
It’s perfectly legal to buy a gun online. There is not a “loophole” that gun control advocates like to talk about. It’s as simple as buying a pair of shoes online, but with one or two additional steps. I’ll give you an in-depth review of how to buy a gun online, but here’s a simple breakdown.
Steps to Purchasing Firearms Online
- Find the gun you like on a website
- Complete the purchase (payment)
- Have the gun shipped to a Federal Firearms License holder in your area (more on this later)
- FFL will conduct a background check in accordance with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms regulations
- Once your background check is complete, pay the transfer fee and pick up your gun
It’s that simple folks. Now, let’s look at where to buy a gun online.
Where To Buy Guns Online
Now that you’ve decided online is the way to go, you need to decide which website to use. Many people like to buy and sell their guns on auction sites. These are similar to eBay, but for guns and gun accessories. Gunbroker.com is one of the most popular. Then there’s large retailers like Brownell’s that offer a large selection of firearms with great customer service and additional resources.
As with any product you buy online, buying used guns comes with its own set of concerns. You have to trust the seller to be honest with the condition of the gun, and if you find defects that weren’t disclosed, returns or refunds could become a problem. However, a used gun that’s in good condition can be a less expensive way to buy your first gun.
If you want to skip the possible headaches involved with buying a used gun, there are many companies that sell new guns online that have outstanding reputations. Brownells.com is one of them. They’ve been around since 1939 and were one of the pioneers in online gun sales back when the internet was still new. On the Brownells website, you can search their entire catalog of guns by brand, by caliber, by style, or by keyword. You can sort your results by price or by popularity. Their options are almost unlimited to help you find exactly the right gun for you.
Steps To Buying A Gun Online
Like I said earlier, the first step to buying a gun online is to pick out the gun you want. I’ll discuss later exactly how to choose the gun that best suits your needs and intended purpose. Once you’ve decided on the right gun for you, you need to complete the purchase online. After you enter your payment information you will be asked for shipping info. No gun dealer will ship a gun directly to you. That’s a big no-no. Instead, they are required by law to ship the gun to a Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder. This is someone who has been vetted by the ATF and can initiate the background check on you that’s required by law. It’s not difficult to become an FFL holder. If you can legally own a gun, you can get an FFL.
Federal Firearms License
I recommend contacting an FFL in your area prior to completing the online purchase. Local gun stores, private gun collectors, and even pawn shops can be FFL holders. The most important thing you need to ask them is about the transfer fee. Fee ranges can vary greatly depending on where you are. I’ve seen them as low as $10-$15, or as expensive as $75-$100 per gun transferred. Many gun stores and pawn shops specialize in gun transfers, so shop around for the best transfer fee. Also, if you order from a gun website like Brownells, they have an FFL lookup feature that can look up FFL holders who do transfers closest to your location.
Picking Up Your Gun
Once you have selected your FFL and completed the online transaction, your gun will ship to the FFL you designated. After a short time, the FFL will receive the gun by normal delivery, i.e. FedEx, UPS, USPS. Once they receive it, they should contact you to come to pick it up. You may also receive notification from the seller that it was delivered to your FFL.
It’s the responsibility of the FFL to conduct the ATF background check on any customer buying (or taking possession of a transfer of) a firearm. You should already know if you’re legally able to buy a gun BEFORE you make the online purchase, but if you’re not, the FFL is not legally allowed to transfer the gun to you. Here’s a short list of things that will prevent you from completing your transfer:
- Convicted of a crime punishable by over one year in prison
- You are a fugitive from the law
- You are an unlawful user of a controlled substance
- You are in the United States illegally
- You were dishonorably discharged from the US military
- You have renounced your US citizenship
- You have a restraining order against you
- You are under indictment for a crime which is punishable by over a year in prison
As long you can answer NO to those questions, you should be good to receive your transferred firearm.
One final thought about the day you go to pick up your firearm. Make sure that you inspect your firearm carefully for any damage that may have happened during shipping. If there is anything wrong with the gun, refuse the transfer. The FFL will be forced to return the gun to the sender, and you will need to sort out the issue with them. However, that minor inconvenience is better than accepting (and paying for) a defective and possibly unsafe firearm.
Pros and Cons of Buying a Gun Online
There are both positives and negatives to buying guns online. Here is a quick rundown of some of them:
Pros
- Take your time and do your research online/shop at your convenience
- No face to face interaction which can be intimidating to prospective first-time gun buyers
- Buy any gun you want, much better selection than your neighborhood gun store
- Most of the time cheaper than buying in a store
Cons
- Gun store employees are a wealth of information
- You don’t get to handle the gun prior to purchase/see how it feels in your hand
- There are additional taxes and fees associated with buying online
California Specific Laws
Unfortunately for online shoppers living in the state of California, you have additional hoops to jump through before your online gun purchase can be completed. First, our state has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. There are limits on the type of firearms that can be owned in California. Most online vendors know these laws and won’t allow you to complete the transaction if the gun violates California state laws. But not ALL vendors have that built-in safeguard, so it’s the shopper’s responsibility to know California laws before purchasing a gun. Please also see How to Buy Guns in California.
Many gun manufacturers produce “California compliant” firearms to sell specifically to Californians that comply with all laws currently on the books. If you’re interested in purchasing an AR-15 or similar in California, please see current restrictions here.
When you buy a gun online, most of the time you don’t need to pay sales tax if the seller is based in a state other than your home state. However, good old California requires the buyer to pay an 8% sales tax regardless of what state the seller is located in.
Besides the sales tax and transfer fee, there are more fees that California gun buyers are required to pay. The total additional fees required by the state are a total of $37.19. That breaks down to $31.19 DROS fee (Dealer Record of Sale), which covers the background check and transfer registry. There is also a $1.00 Firearms Safety Act Fee, and $5.00 Safety and Enforcement Fee. Yikes.
What Gun To Buy
Now that you know how to buy your first gun online, let’s talk about exactly kind of guns are out there. The type of gun you buy is really dependent on what you plan to use it for. For brevity’s sake, let’s break down guns into several categories based on how or why you would use them. The categories are Home Defense, Personal Defense, and Hunting. Many people also shoot for recreation, but the guns they shoot for recreation are usually in one of the other categories as well. Since Hunting is the easiest to explain, let’s start with that one.
Hunting
Most hunting with firearms is done with either a shotgun or a rifle. Although pistol hunting is possible, we won’t be discussing it here. Because rifles shoot one small projectile far and accurately, they are best for hunting large animals while they stand motionless, or moving slowly. Deer, bear, elk, moose, and coyote are all animals that you would use a rifle to hunt. The Remington Model 700 is one of the most popular hunting rifles. Shotguns, on the other hand, fire a burst of several small projectiles that fan out over a short distance. A shotgun is best used to hunt birds that are either standing (turkeys) or flying (ducks, pheasant, quail, geese). The Remington 870 is a fantastic shotgun for hunting.
Home Defense
The best weapon for home defense is all about personal preference. Handguns, shotguns, and rifles are all capable of being used for home defense. Handguns and shotguns are better for using up close and personal, while rifles are better equipped for long-range shooting. Between the handgun and the shotgun, it’s really a toss-up. Both are equally effective for home defense. For home defense, people often attach red light aiming lasers or flashlight attachments to their pistol or shotgun. A SIG Sauer P229 is an excellent choice for home defense, as is a Mossberg Shockwave shotgun.
Personal Defense
For personal defense, nothing beats a concealable pistol. Many manufacturers make small, high caliber pistols specifically designed to carry on your body for personal defense. Glock 43, Smith & Wesson M&P Sheild, and SIG Sauer P365 are all excellent concealed carry pistols. They are thin, lightweight, and chambered in large calibers (9mm or .40 cal).
Conclusion
If you’re looking to buy your first gun, whether that’s online or in a gun store, the most important thing to remember is always safety. If you aren’t confident handling a firearm, take a firearms safety course. There are beginner classes in cities all across the country. Seek out advice and tips from experienced gun owners. They could be family members, friends, or just someone you meet at the shooting range.
Remember to store your gun in a safe manner. You don’t need to buy a gun safe for thousands of dollars. There are devices that lock your gun and make it unshootable. There are small bedside safes for under $100. Always be extra vigilant about storing weapons safely with children around. The bottom line is that guns can be dangerous if misused or used incorrectly. Safety is everyone’s responsibility.
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