[kurtp]

Not sure if this is the right forum or not, but not sure where else to put it.

There was a HK for sale on the forum recently I wanted to get, contacted the seller, and went to my FFL who wanted to charge me $70.00 to handle an out of state trans, which I felt was rediculous, So I went to another one, who told me $65.00. At this point I backed out of the deal, and the seller told me that no one should be charging me more than $25-$30 for a state to state.

What gives? Is there something about Maryland that I have to pay more or am I getting gouged by these places...if so, is there any regulation on what places charge? Or are they just adding in extra cake because its not their gun?

 

[Mark71]

Anything over $40 is way too much IMO. I am in the process of selling a gun to a resident in Maryland and while searching some FFL's in the state (I had a question to ask about MD laws) I noticed that most FFL's are charging up to $100 for a transfer!!!! I guess in restricted States dealers feel that they can take advantage of people (believe me I can relate living in NJ ).

Best thing to do is search around and call for the best rate using the Gunbroker FFL finder.........
http://www.gunbroker.com/User/DealerNetwork.asp

 

[ironchef]

I'm with Mark on this one as well. I live in NYC and average FFL to FFL transfer in or out of state is about $75. I've noticed the higher prices on transfers among restricted states versus free states.

 

[TexasJim]

It's like everything else!! The price is driven be demand and because the weapon dealers cannot compete with the prices on the internet, they think that they can gouge you for by passing them.

The sad part is they do have a much higher investment in doing busniess in that state over the internet... So you are caught in between a rock and a hard place. The others in your state must pay the extra gouge fee, otherwise they wouldn't be able to get buy with it.

My theriory is busniess is busniess, If I didn't sell it too you the first time, I shouldn't gouge you to let you fill out some paper work and finish it up in my own books. The weapon comes in, I contact you, and then you open the box it comes in. If it's not what you wanted, that's between you and the seller!! I'm just doing a simple service. No hassel to me.

TJ

 

[sfguard]

Where I am at anything over $25 is too much. Most will do it for $20 around here. I am just guessing that they were trying to make some extra money real quick.

 

[Big Bore]

It is five minutes worth of paperwork for the dealer and IMHO anything over $25 is WAY too much. Locally it is $35 to $50 but I found a small dealer who only charges me the $2 state BG check and "tip" which I put at $20 per 4473. He is thrilled and I am too.
I sort of understand the dealer's position though, why should I transfer you a gun that I have setting on my shelf? If that is the case and you have never bought from the dealer, I can see them wanting to stiff a person. I am not saying it is right or even sound business practice, but I understand.

My philosophy is do it cheap and make a friend who might buy from ME next time even if my prices are a bit higher rather than piss a guy off by screwing him over and never see him again for anything.

My dealer back home use to charge me $10 rather than the normal $20 per 4473 but I have bought a butt-load of guns from him over the years and ONLY transfer in guns that he does not have and does not think he can get quickly. He has never balked over doing that and cuts me prices well below shelf sticker price and I have never asked him to drop the price a cent. Be a good customer and it will pay off with all kinds of deals, but only show up to transfer in a gun once a year and many feel they owe you nothing, especially if they have one setting on the shelf for only $50 more.
Still, IMO it is either do the transfer without raping the customer or don't do them, period. It is the dealer's choice on whether to do them or not and it is the dealer that sets the price. There are no state or federal standards on what to charge, if anything, on dealer to customer transfers.

Take my dealer that I transfer through here for instance. He charges me the "tip" and does not stock inventory or have a store front like is required for all new FFLs issued. All he does is special order guns for people and do transfers. He doesn't make a lot and has a real outside job, but he makes grocery money and enough to pay for his FFL fees. He had his FFL long before the Clinton crackdown on home FFLs so he is grandfathered in. It costs him a lot to say "screw you Clinton" evry year but it is something he enjoys doing for "friends and family," and he has lots of friends. Better than any Sprint plan IMO!

 

[Max]

I used Shotgun News: http://listings.shotgunnews.com/fflguide/
to find my ffl. He charges $15 for anything that I have transfered.

I called a bunch of places first, and found that regular stores were about double to triple that amount. Try to find a guy that works from his house & that you can trust. My FFL is a retired guy and I think does it just to meet new people and have people to BS with all the time. Since he isnt in it for the money, he always treats me great. IMO avoid the guys that say x% of gun cost for the transfer, they are in it for your money.

I looked quickly and saw a few in the $20-$25 range for MD. (i think that is where you said you were from.)

 

[N6ATF]

Dealer Record Of Sale (CA)+FFL transfer+Handgun Safety Certificate (CA)=$75 for me in CA. I've seen higher but my FFL works out of his garage and not a storefront.

 

[hkmatt]

I would agree about the good customer thing, my FFL transfer fee has gone down since I befriended the guys at the local shop and I get bonuses, sometimes they even throw in free ammo for new rifles I ordered.

I try to give the local guy business as well, I research the firearm online and get a low price figure and go to the local guy and say, "I want to buy X gun and I found it online for this amount, but I would rather buy it from you guys if you can come close to that price." I figure in shipping of an online order and FFL and then tax for one ordered through them locally.

But 30 bucks is pretty standard around MO but now I get it for 20.

Shoot isnt an FFL 200 bucks for 3 years or something like that, some people really gouge.

 

[softmentor]

The law in California is that FFL is only allowed to charge $10 over the actual California fee but I don't know a single shop that is that low. There are 3 shops close to me. One is $100, the second used to be $85 but won't do them at all anymore, the third, who I use is $35 which includes the dros fee.
The shop that charges $100 only charges $35 if you are buying a gun from him.
The shop that will not do out of state any more charges $65 if you buy a gun from him.
My shop the same fee, $35, if you buy from him or not.

 

[230GrainRemedy]

Another CA perspective... deal with a small home based business, or someone/somewhere you're a regular. There are two different fees... the actual state DROS charges, and what the dealer can term a handling/receipt/use of their FFL fee. These are not the same, you would pay the DROS if you bought it new over the counter, but not the FFL fee. Some dealers take offense that you didn't buy from them, I have seen prices of $90, 10% and even as high as 20% of your purchase cost to handle the transaction plus DROS. Now take a weapon that say cost $600, add 20% and you're at $720 before DROS. Some dealers even want to charge CA sales tax for a weapon you didn't buy in the state and claim the IRS makes them do it! Add that up, CA it's 8% in several areas, that means that gun cost you $780 now, tack on the DROS and you're at $810. The people I use charge me no FFL handling fee, no tax, just the state DROS, which is about 30 bucks. Shop around, those who want to hose you in that fashion don't want or DESERVE your business.

 

[AviatorDave]

Not sure if this is the right forum or not, but not sure where else to put it.

There was a HK for sale on the forum recently I wanted to get, contacted the seller, and went to my FFL who wanted to charge me $70.00 to handle an out of state trans, which I felt was rediculous, So I went to another one, who told me $65.00. At this point I backed out of the deal, and the seller told me that no one should be charging me more than $25-$30 for a state to state.

What gives? Is there something about Maryland that I have to pay more or am I getting gouged by these places...if so, is there any regulation on what places charge? Or are they just adding in extra cake because its not their gun?

$65 or $70? Holy moley that's expensive. My non-NFA FFL charges $20, but gives a $5 discount if you're an NRA member, and another $5 discount for a CHL. For NFA stuff, I use a different FFL. He's 30 something miles away, but also charges only $15.

Did you try looking through the gunbroker list of FFLs? I just started calling them from the top of the list until I found one that was cheap, and close by.