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unknownhero82 · 03-29-2010, 07:33 AM

does anyone here have any experience with gunsamerica.com? or any advice about that site? i found a springfield champion i might buy...it's not stainless

but it'll hold me over til i can afford to by frame, slide, barrel and parts to fully build a stainless one from ground up...and was just curious if that site is good, safe...reliable??

**c3shooter** · 03-29-2010, 12:47 PM

With GunsAmerica, or Auctionarms, or Gunbroker, remember you are NOT buying from THEM. You are buying from a seller registered with them. If you bought a gun listed in the local Tading Post newspaper, you are NOT buying from Trading Post. Some good sellers, some not so good.

Click on the "Full Details" button, and look at the seller. Are they a FFL dealer? How many transactions have they done? GA has started a feedback column- if seller has a verified address, other happy customers, is a dealer- your chances of being happy with your buy are much higher. Both Auctionarms and Gunbroker have a feedback scorecard for their buyers and sellers. Auctionarms requires a 3 day non-shooting inspection period- you can return gun for any reason, get your purchase price back (you eat shipping costs)

Remember you will pay shipping costs, plus you will pay a local dealer to recieve and transfer to you. You might want to search AA and GB auctions for your pistol, and limit searches to sellers in Virginia- win, drive over, pick up, save shipping and FFL fees. Altho Chesapeake is close to NC, you cannot buy a handgun there if you are a VA resident (unless you have a FFL)

unknownhero82 · 03-29-2010, 12:57 PM

yeah i looked on a few sites and this gun is not easy to find lol...this is the cheapest i've found it...$529.95 + $15 for shipping and whatever the transfer fee is...

my next question is how do i go about actually getting it? do i bid on the gun then talk to the local gun shop? do i go through the local gun shop and have them buy the gun then me pay them?

NGIB · 03-29-2010, 01:16 PM

First thing to do is find a local shop that will handle the transfer. Do this before you do anything else. Make sure you know what they want - paperwork & fees, etc. I can't stress enough you do this first.

Once you get that squared away, contact the seller and make the buy. Gunsamerica isn't an auction site like Gunbroker or AuctionArms - it's a listing site. It's also common for folks to list stuff on GA, sell it, and not update the listing. I've never bought through GA for this reason - the stuff I found had been sold already...

cpttango30 · 03-29-2010, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NGIB

First thing to do is find a local shop that will handle the transfer. Do this before you do anything else. Make sure you know what they want - paperwork & fees, etc. I can't stress enough you do this first.

Once you get that squared away, contact the seller and make the buy. Gunsamerica isn't an auction site like Gunbroker or AuctionArms - it's a listing site. It's also common for folks to list stuff on GA, sell it, and not update the listing. I've never bought through GA for this reason - the stuff I found had been sold already...

QUOTED FOR THE EFFING TRUTH.

I didn't do this and ended up getting my gun for $50 more than what I should have spend on a transfer fee.

**c3shooter** · 03-29-2010, 05:52 PM

Here is the way I do it- Go to AA or GB, home page, hunt for the "find a FFL" link. Those are FFLS that have registered as being willing to recieve guns for a transfer. Put in your zip, will look for dealers near you. Pick one, verify they still do that, see what their fees are. SOME will not accept a gun from a Non-FFL- perfectly legal to do so, but they doan wanna.

Having the FFL lined up, buy the gun. If the seller accepts postal Money Orders, I use those. Get the MO, put it in an ADDRESSED, STAMPED envelope. Put a copy of the sale notice in there. Put a note in. Mine usually says "Hi! I am C3, and I am the buyer of your .880 Grunchenticker. Enclosed is payment in the amount of Eleventy seven dollars for shipping and the gun. Please ship to my FFL, Bubbas Sporting Goods, at 1313 Mockingbird Lane, West Tree Stump, Iowa. Please mark the package with my name, in care of Bubbas. Any problems, please email me- bleeningidiot@idiot.com"

Then take all that crap to your FFL, He puts a xerox of his FFL in the envelope, seals it, drops in mail. When gun arrives, he knows who it is for (my name on package) and calls me (I gave him my cell on a card with name of seller and description of gun). Go inspect weapon, do 4473 paperwork, pay your FFL for his time, take gun, go shoot.

If you are doing a GunPal or credit card payment, and they accept a faxed or emailed FFL, then skip envelope. DO NOT USE PAYPAL FOR GUNS.

I realize this list is rather anal retentive, but each step is in there for a reason- either makes things easier for the FFLs, or just speeds up shipment.

detroit2786 · 03-29-2010, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpttango30

QUOTED FOR THE EFFING TRUTH.

I didn't do this and ended up getting my gun for $50 more than what I should have spend on a transfer fee.

Shop around for the best transfer fee. I was going to pay $50 until I started shopping and found numerous guys at $25 and one at $15. Guess who I used.

NGIB · 03-29-2010, 06:10 PM

Also be aware that dealers will generally charge you a fee if you do not pay with cash or money order. Bud's for example charges 3% - even on a debit card...

unknownhero82 · 03-29-2010, 09:14 PM

ok well i called up bob's gun shop in norfolk...they want $32 which is $30 for the transfer and $2 for the background check when the gun arrives...they said to just get them a fax number and they;ll take care of exchanging FFL's once i've bought the gun then they;ll call me when it gets there....does that sound pretty square or am i being set up for a scam? on GA it says he's an FFL so i'm guessin it's a pretty safe deal....and since a phone number is posted i was gonna try and call and do the sale that way to make sure he still had the gun for sale...does that sound good? is there anything else i should do or be aware of?

i can't stress enough how helpful you all always are and how grateful i am for having found this forum

Car54 · 03-29-2010, 09:32 PM

There's nothing wrong with calling the owner if he has a number listed. You can ask other questions at that time if you have them especially if it's a used gun.

After talking with him follow the advice of the other posters. When you send the money, make sure you have some paper trail of your own to fall back on if needed.Like C3 wrote, a money order is the best way to protect yourself and also the seller.

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