Cost of doing business or just a rip-off

[dragon813gt]

Used to pay $20 but that shop went out of business. Now I pay $30 and have to drive 30 minutes on top of it. The PICS check is $5 on top of the fee. I understand the charges. No ones time is free so why would I expect it to be free? The FFL has to make sure all the paperwork is correct so I have no issues w/ the fees as long as they are what I deem acceptable.

[jmort]

That is below average here in California. My FFL does it for $25.00 plus $25.00 to State for DROS, for total transer/state fee of $50.00. That is lowest I can find.

[Duckiller]

If you are selling over a state line ATF says you must transfer FFL to FFL. Both dealers have to enter the gun on their books and detail how it was disposed of. It all takes time and time is money. It costs money to do things legal. You lost the last few elections so it is going to cost more. You want it to cost less try winning an election instead of complaining about some minor facet of the candidate and refusing to vote.

[brtelec]

If you are a dealer and you do not want to do transfers just say "no". I can completely understand the guy that does not think it is worth it.

[plmitch]

That is below average here in California. My FFL does it for $25.00 plus $25.00 to State for DROS, for total transer/state fee of $50.00. That is lowest I can find.

Great price there, half the cost I paid last time here in the Bay Area.

[meshugunner]

It's his time and his business and he can charge whatever he wants and you are free to accept or reject. In my area, the gunstore charges $40 while my gunsmith wants $20. It usually takes him 5-10 mins to do the transfer, but I hang out and chat for an hour picking his brains about guns. I don't see how he makes money but last time I was there he sold me a Glock 17 that he happened to have "lying around" and I left with two guns instead of one for the same transfer cost. I also use his gunsmithing service, so it does bring in business. I found him because I was looking for a local FFL and he had the lowest charge.

[Black Powder Bill]

Greetings
Three local GS's nearby where I live when in ILLinois will do this "service" for FREE.
All buisnesses can write off fees and lecenses. Sure the shop has to do a little paper work. I was an FFL. I did it for free. I would look somewhere else. I would also let the shop know there are other places you will be buying firearms,ammo and whatever.
Mike in Peru

LMAO write off licenses and fees. YEA ever look at how that write off stuff works. Lets say it cost me $50.00 in my time. come tax time those un-charge FREE fees and not part of the big write off plan. An expense has to be an actual expense and then you only get a % in write off as a business expense. Nothing is for "FREE" not my time nor my business expenses. I sure don't get free accounting, electric, computers, FFL license.
I've given people great deals over the years only to have them run down the road 20 miles to save a quarter on a box of cartridges.

Had one guy ask for a quote on a Browning clays SG once. He said ok. I waited for him to come around. A few weeks later I saw him at a shoot. He was bragging on how much he saved on a Browning O/U. Showed it right off and said to me in front of a dozen other guys.
This is the gun you wanted $1,600.00 for!

I looked at it and said NOPE yours is a field shotgun. The one you asked me for was a clays model.

A few weeks later he was asking how he could return his SG to Browning as the bluing was wearing off. I told him to contact Browning.

Nothing like a great deal.

[Cipher]

I agree that the high price of a transfer could price you out of an online sale. Around my neck of the woods the transfer would have to be some $150 or more (depending of the price range) before they would price me out. Most recent example is a Ruger GP100 about $715 out the door at the local gs or i can order online and pay a $25 transfer and walk out for $590. For this purchase the decision would easy up to about $150 transfer (I hope i never see that day).

[mtnman31]

Local shop wanted 100 bucks for a transfer. He said they want to encourage you to buy guns from them. They don' t have what I want and to order something means I have to pay retail or more. That attitude pretty much means I won't be doing any business with them, ever.

[brtelec]

Yeah Black Powder Bill, I know what you mean. I have some definite opinions on this because I sold guns years ago and I agree nothing is free. I had a friend that was a small dealer and gunsmith and he had some real opinions about his time and money. Technically he was not supposed to do what he did, but I knew where he was coming from. He would not sell you a state hunting or fishing lic. unless you bought something in his shop. I used to love the look on peoples faces when he would tell them this. He was directly across the road from a Kmart and when someone would ask him to sell them a hunting or fishing lic. He would ask them why they did not get one when they bought their ammo or tackle at Kmart. They would respond that Kmart does not sell them. He would look at them and say. " Wow, that sucks for you, get out." He was a cantankerous old SOB but was a great gunsmith and stayed very busy.

[HATCH]

If you are selling over a state line ATF says you must transfer FFL to FFL.

This statement isn't correct.
The ATF states that a FFL is required on the receiving end not the shipping end. I private person (such as myself) can ship guns to any FFL in the USA directly.
Now there may be state laws that require that the shipper be a FFL holder but as far as the FEDS are concerning only the receiver has to be a FFL holder.

I have sold and shipped guns to California (shipped a UZI!!) without any issues either.

[sliphammer]

I quit buying out of state because shops in Washington state now have to charge state sales tax on your firearm purchase and you still have the shipping/transfer fees.

[brtelec]

Hatch is right I have bought and sold a number of guns on gunbroker and private party to FFL is completely legal. It is no different than shipping your personal firearm to a gunsmith out of state to be worked on. He just needs to have an FFL.

[257]

my local ffl charges 10.00 another shop charges 20.00 to order your gun for wholesale,but requires cash up front another thing is the gun control act of 1968 sets a max fee a ffl can charge for transfers if your curious how much do a little research you will be amazed,but this amount was established in 1968 and has never been updated. we also have a chain store that is now trying to charge 2.00 rxtra for them filling out there part of the 4473 form. i was looking at a 1399.00 rifle and they said there would be a 2.00 fee and i told them to keep there gun

[double8]

All my local post offices say FFL to FFL...I can't ship to an FFL. While my FFL guy here is very reasonable, the guy who wanted my gun seemed to have wanted me to come down the $50 he would be charged to transfer.......I certainly won't subsidize his dealer.

[abunaitoo]

Shops here charge between $40 and $60 for long guns.
Pistols cost more.
Guy in the club has a FFL and dosen't charge members anything.
I have a C&R and that's mostly what I buy.

[olereb]

Mine charges $13.00 but there are several in the area that do charge $50.00,i know my friends that live in NY pay atleast $50.00 and some charge even more. I think a lot depends on where you live.

[brtelec]

All my local post offices say FFL to FFL...I can't ship to an FFL. While my FFL guy here is very reasonable, the guy who wanted my gun seemed to have wanted me to come down the $50 he would be charged to transfer.......I certainly won't subsidize his dealer.

Why would you try to ship through the Post Office. Use UPS or Fed Ex. I ship all my guns UPS.

[Springfield]

double8: Your Post Office is correct, you can't ship HANDGUNS through the USPS but you can ship them by Fed_Ex or UPS. That's their rules, not the BATFE's. You can ship long guns by USPS, though.

[shooterg]

I'm thinking an FFL holder can mail a handgun to another FFL for way less than a handgun goes UPS. While I'm sure a private individual can ship UPS/FedEx , I'm not sure if a non-FFL can mail a gun at the PO.

$20-$25 most I've paid here.