How to Buy a Gun Online
Know what you can get., Buy from a FFL holder.A professional firearms business will have a Federal Firearms License., Select a local FFL dealer to ship the gun to., Go through a background check., Place your order., Pick up the gun when the dealer...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know what you can get.
Before you start looking, know what federal, state, and local regulations you need to observe.
You also need to have a good idea of what you want to buy when you start looking.
On a federal level, you are legally eligible to buy any type of long gun, such as a rifle or shotgun, as long as you are over the age of 18 and are not a convicted felon.
You are legally eligible to buy a handgun if you are over the age of 21 and are not a convicted felon.State and local restrictions vary, however, so you need to verify that there are no restrictions preventing you from buying or owning a gun within your city or state.
For instance, some states do not permit anyone with a domestic violence conviction to own a gun even when this conviction is a misdemeanor.
Others have restrictions on the type of gun you can own or buy, as is the case with Chicago's ban on handguns.
Some municipalities, like Washington, D.C., prohibit the possession of guns within the municipality’s borders altogether. -
Step 2: Buy from a FFL holder.A professional firearms business will have a Federal Firearms License.
This license permits the business to engage more thoroughly in the interstate and intrastate sale of firearms and related products.
A registered business that sells firearms will likely be an FFL holder.
Still, you should verify that this is the case by going to the website's “About” or “FAQ” page and checking to see if they have an FFL. , No one can ship a gun directly to your home or business address.
Instead, you will need to choose a nearby firearms dealer to ship the gun to, and the dealer must have an FFL.
You will later need to pick up the gun from that dealer directly.
You should contact your local gun shop first before choosing that shop as your shipping destination.
First of all, doing so establishes a relationship with that gun shop and may make the transaction easier overall.
Some gun shop owners will not even handle the transfer of guns purchased on the Internet, so you need to check with the shop to make sure that it is okay to have your gun ship to them.
Secondly, doing so also allows you to find out about any state or local rules regarding the sale and ownership of guns in your area.
Asking the local gun shop about such regulations is probably the simplest way to find out what these laws actually are. , When you buy from an online FFL holder, you will need to agree to a background check to verify that you are legally allowed to own a gun.
The FFL holder you are buying from will likely run this check.
If the FFL holder you are purchasing from does the background check, you will need to complete a telephone interview ahead of time before you can place your order.
It might take several hours to several days before you receive confirmation on whether or not you can make a purchase.
Alternatively, if you talk to the FFL dealer who the gun will be shipped to ahead of time, that dealer may run the check, instead.
You will need to fill out paperwork and answer all questions about your identity and history as accurately as possible.
You may need to wait several hours or days to find out if you are legally allowed to buy a gun. , Once the details are straightened out, you need to actually place your order with the online gun dealer.
Check with the dealer ahead of time to find out if there are any special procedures you need to follow when ordering with the business.
Note that there might be a fee involved when you have to work through FFL dealers to transfer your gun.
The fee is usually nominal when compared to the overall cost of the gun, though.
When you check out, you will need to enter your name and address under the “billing address” section.
For the shipping address, however, you will need to enter your name and the address of the FFL dealer you wish to ship the gun to. , Once your gun arrives at the FFL dealer you had it shipped to, you should receive a phone call or other notification that your gun is ready for you to pick up.
You will need to drive there and retrieve your purchase in person.
You will need to pick up your gun in person.
You cannot have someone else get it for you. -
Step 3: Select a local FFL dealer to ship the gun to.
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Step 4: Go through a background check.
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Step 5: Place your order.
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Step 6: Pick up the gun when the dealer notifies you.
Detailed Guide
Before you start looking, know what federal, state, and local regulations you need to observe.
You also need to have a good idea of what you want to buy when you start looking.
On a federal level, you are legally eligible to buy any type of long gun, such as a rifle or shotgun, as long as you are over the age of 18 and are not a convicted felon.
You are legally eligible to buy a handgun if you are over the age of 21 and are not a convicted felon.State and local restrictions vary, however, so you need to verify that there are no restrictions preventing you from buying or owning a gun within your city or state.
For instance, some states do not permit anyone with a domestic violence conviction to own a gun even when this conviction is a misdemeanor.
Others have restrictions on the type of gun you can own or buy, as is the case with Chicago's ban on handguns.
Some municipalities, like Washington, D.C., prohibit the possession of guns within the municipality’s borders altogether.
This license permits the business to engage more thoroughly in the interstate and intrastate sale of firearms and related products.
A registered business that sells firearms will likely be an FFL holder.
Still, you should verify that this is the case by going to the website's “About” or “FAQ” page and checking to see if they have an FFL. , No one can ship a gun directly to your home or business address.
Instead, you will need to choose a nearby firearms dealer to ship the gun to, and the dealer must have an FFL.
You will later need to pick up the gun from that dealer directly.
You should contact your local gun shop first before choosing that shop as your shipping destination.
First of all, doing so establishes a relationship with that gun shop and may make the transaction easier overall.
Some gun shop owners will not even handle the transfer of guns purchased on the Internet, so you need to check with the shop to make sure that it is okay to have your gun ship to them.
Secondly, doing so also allows you to find out about any state or local rules regarding the sale and ownership of guns in your area.
Asking the local gun shop about such regulations is probably the simplest way to find out what these laws actually are. , When you buy from an online FFL holder, you will need to agree to a background check to verify that you are legally allowed to own a gun.
The FFL holder you are buying from will likely run this check.
If the FFL holder you are purchasing from does the background check, you will need to complete a telephone interview ahead of time before you can place your order.
It might take several hours to several days before you receive confirmation on whether or not you can make a purchase.
Alternatively, if you talk to the FFL dealer who the gun will be shipped to ahead of time, that dealer may run the check, instead.
You will need to fill out paperwork and answer all questions about your identity and history as accurately as possible.
You may need to wait several hours or days to find out if you are legally allowed to buy a gun. , Once the details are straightened out, you need to actually place your order with the online gun dealer.
Check with the dealer ahead of time to find out if there are any special procedures you need to follow when ordering with the business.
Note that there might be a fee involved when you have to work through FFL dealers to transfer your gun.
The fee is usually nominal when compared to the overall cost of the gun, though.
When you check out, you will need to enter your name and address under the “billing address” section.
For the shipping address, however, you will need to enter your name and the address of the FFL dealer you wish to ship the gun to. , Once your gun arrives at the FFL dealer you had it shipped to, you should receive a phone call or other notification that your gun is ready for you to pick up.
You will need to drive there and retrieve your purchase in person.
You will need to pick up your gun in person.
You cannot have someone else get it for you.
About the Author
Denise Harris
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow DIY projects tutorials.
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