Online gun auctions

[Grognard Gunny]

This might be old hat to some "vets" on this forum, but I was/am looking for a new gun for the wife (she never ceases to amaze me..... she came up a couple of weeks back and said "A .45 auto would be kool!" HUH?) so I did a little poking around and found a few gun auctions here and there.

I was watching and looking and seemed like there were some real deals to be made.

Questions: 1) Are these worth your time and effort, or does one simply stick with your friendly local gun dealer to acquire what you need?

2) Is there a lot of the troublesome stuff going on like "ebay" has been experiencing? (So I am told, haven't dealt with ebay for a couple of years now.)

3) Any personal experiences/horror stories/complaints/kudoes to pass on?

4) If one DOES buy from auctions, how does one coordinate with one's local FFL for delivery of purchase. Presumably, the dealer will want a "fee" of some kind for his trouble (and potential loss of business!)

5) Any advice to pass along on the general topic of auctions online?

GG

 

[THE DUKE OF ESSEX]

You might want to give this a try. I have had good luck finding what I wanted on this site. and bought/sold many guns here. Just remember to meet in a neutral place for the Face To Face exchange, and maybe bring someone with you if it doesn't sound right. ARMSLIST - North Carolina Gun Classifieds There is also this one: North Carolina Gun Classifieds, Buy and sell your firearms for FREE - gunlistings.org

 

[ericnmina]

I have used Guns - Online Gun Auction - Guns for Sale at GunBroker.com for a couple of my transactions with guns and the guns I had received were in better condition than I thought they would be in. This site works kind of like e-bay where they will back you up if the seller is fraudulent and knowingly withheld info about their guns.

 

[442js]

This might be old hat to some "vets" on this forum, but I was/am looking for a new gun for the wife (she never ceases to amaze me..... she came up a couple of weeks back and said "A .45 auto would be kool!" HUH?) so I did a little poking around and found a few gun auctions here and there.

I was watching and looking and seemed like there were some real deals to be made.

Questions: 1) Are these worth your time and effort, or does one simply stick with your friendly local gun dealer to acquire what you need?

2) Is there a lot of the troublesome stuff going on like "ebay" has been experiencing? (So I am told, haven't dealt with ebay for a couple of years now.)

3) Any personal experiences/horror stories/complaints/kudoes to pass on?

4) If one DOES buy from auctions, how does one coordinate with one's local FFL for delivery of purchase. Presumably, the dealer will want a "fee" of some kind for his trouble (and potential loss of business!)

5) Any advice to pass along on the general topic of auctions online?

GG

1) I think it depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for a brand new gun, you might want to look at your local dealer. Giving business to local dealers is a good idea if you can get what you want, and at a reasonable price. It might be worth paying a little more to buy it locally. However, if the store doesn't have what you want or the price is a lot higher, then an online place like Buds or auctions like gunbroker can be a good idea.

2) I don't know what is going on with ebay since I haven't been on that site for many years. I have been on gunbroker for the last month or so, and picked up two guns. Both are exactly as mentioned, and there was no problem whatsoever in those purchases. As long as you buy from a reputable seller you should be okay. Look at the feedback, and if almost all of it is positive, then it is probably safe to buy from them.

3) No problem with either of the purchases I made on gunbroker. I just bought two more guns, and don't anticipate any problems.

4) Contact your FFL before bidding to see what the procedure is to transfer firearms. Most will charge a transfer fee (I have seen from $20 to $50 but each place is different). You may also have to pay a fee for the background check. Call your favorite dealer or if you don't have one, call around for the best transfer price. I go to a dealer that is about 30 minutes from me even though there closer ones because they charge me $25 for up to three transfers, and they are very professional. No problems at all, and they are always pleasant to work with. While I am sure they would rather I buy from them, I bought old guns which they didn't have. The seller will need a copy of the FFL license unless you are buying a pre-1898 gun so you will need to find out how to get it to the buyer. The dealer may fax it to the seller or sometimes the seller once a hard copy so you will need to send it to them.

5) Figure out what you want, and your budget so you don't go past it. These auctions can get heated quickly, and the price can rise not just above your budget but also more than the gun is worth.

Good luck.

 

[Wild Bill Kelso]

#3) I'm trying to sell my first gun online. Not using Ebay or Craigslist, just good ol' USA Carry. I plan on meeting in person somewhere that is gun-friendly, like the local gun range. That way they can shoot a few rounds before they decide. I am only dealing with MN residents who have MN Permits and not planning to ship anything anywhere (face to face only).

Other than waiting around for 6 months and only getting a single PM (thanks TokenGimp), it has been a rather painless process. I'll try to find this thread after I sell it and let you know how it went.

 

[Kasper]

well I have traded a Glock 4th Gen for a DPMS Sportical here in the want to buy,sell trade section and it went good. As with most internet deals you have to be willing to trust the person you are dealing with and that can be hard when you really don't know the person. So make sure you pay with a type of payment that can be tracked and returned if things don't work out.

I was lucky as the person I was dealing with was honest and I am sure he feels the same way about me. You will learn a lot about how shipping services like to rip you off to send a firearm due to the rule they have to follow. He in Washington they collect a use tax on firearms bought on line and include the price to ship it to your FFl in the total being taxed. So you should check and see if your state has taxes or fees that you have to pay for firearms bought on line.

But deals can be found and the fear of your money being stolen does not go away till you have done business with the site you are buying from.

 

[kudzu]

Having bought and sold a number of guns online in the past couple of years, I have had the best experiences buying on gunbroker.com and selling on armslist.com. The selection on gunbroker is vast because of the number of dealers/sellers. Like eBay, you need to be comfortable with who you buy from. Armslist produced more activity than discussion boards and forums and, because it is focused by market area, involved no shipping and no FFL's.

 

[Grognard Gunny]

Thanks for info.

GG

 

[artharvey]

I have used gunbroker and armsamerica several times to locate a possible purchase. Using their messaging programs you can contact the dealer selling. I check with the local dealers on their prices for the same item and if close enough purchase them. However, most of the time I have found the best price on line. Have made purchases from Bud's, Oak Hill, Larry's Pistol & Pawn, Reed's just to name a few. Look online and contact them.

 

[jayroy]

online auctions

I have used Gunbroker & Auctionarms great luck with both. Have a local dealer sometimes he orders what I want or transfer my online purchase.

 

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Having bought and sold a number of guns online in the past couple of years, I have had the best experiences buying on gunbroker.com and selling on armslist.com. The selection on gunbroker is vast because of the number of dealers/sellers. Like eBay, you need to be comfortable with who you buy from. Armslist produced more activity than discussion boards and forums and, because it is focused by market area, involved no shipping and no FFL's.

Thanks Kudzu, will check out armslist.com.

 

[decotriumph]

I have had good experiences with Gunbroker.com. I have a nearby dealer that doesn't stock many guns (he mostly builds tactical rifles for LE departments), but he's happy to be my transfer FFL. He charges a low transfer fee and the standard TN background check fee. I have also used him as my FFL when buying from Bud's. No problems with either.

Bud's usually has the lowest price (but not always), lower than most Gunbroker.com dealers for new guns, and their price includes free shipping. Galleryofguns.com (actually Davidson's) has a good selection and their sales actually go through local dealers who have already signed up to work with them. Prices vary a ot from dealer to dealer. I've seen $100 difference on the same $600 gun from one dealer to another.

 

[B2Tall]

I've used Gunbroker and GunsAmerica but only to find local (i.e. within driving distance) sellers. I won't buy a used gun or something from a private seller without seeing it firsthand. I drove 120 miles each way for my MAK90. "Driving distance" depends on how badly I want the gun :biggrin:

 

[50calkiller]

I wouldn't buy a used gun either, but if I would I would use GunBroker.com.