- You can purchase guns online, but they can’t be delivered to your home.
- Online gun purchases need to be delivered to an FFL.
- Most parts and accessories can be shipped directly to you.
There are a lot of products sold online, but can you buy a gun online? The short answer is, yes, you can buy a gun online. Which leads to the question: how?
We will go over the nuances of this and more so you know how to buy a gun online and what that entails. Some locations will have more restrictions than others, but we will cover those in a separate section.
Can You Buy A Gun Online?
Yes, you can purchase a firearm online. But it isn’t as simple as hitting the “buy” button on your favorite retailer’s website. What happens is you specify that you want to purchase a firearm that counts as a gun and meet all the requirements of being able to buy a gun legally.
This comes down to you not being a felon or otherwise having your firearms rights removed by the legal system. As long as you can pass a Form 4473, you will be able to purchase a gun online, which leads us to the next question.
What Counts As A Gun?
This might seem like a dumb question, but the government and the ATF view specific serialized parts as being guns even when they are not assembled. Those parts are what the government cares the most about and are the things primarily being regulated at the federal level.
If it counts as a firearm, it has to go to an FFL to be transferred to you from the website. The FFL will handle all paperwork and finalize the transfer in your area before you can take possession of your gun.
You do not need to be an FFL to purchase guns online, but those guns must be sent to an FFL before coming into your possession.
Gun Restrictions by State
Some locations add more restrictions beyond the federal level to make purchasing guns more difficult. These laws can and do change, so you should check them before you make any purchase to see if the gun that was okay in your state a week ago is purchasable today.
Some of these restrictions include:
- Magazine capacity
- Semi-automatics
- Specific gun models
- Certain ammunition types
If your intended purchase does not violate local laws, go ahead and begin the process of buying a gun online.
How To Buy A Gun Online
The first step in buying a gun online is to have enough money to buy the gun. Once you have enough to purchase a firearm in the price range you set, you can go to your favorite retailer and see what they have in stock.
After finding the gun you want to buy, click on the purchase button. This will take you to a page where you can either create an account for the website or sign out as a guest. Creating an account will make things easier.
You will then need to enter the information for your local FFL. This means you either have to have their information on hand or contact the retailer you are buying from. If you choose the latter, you will need your order number for confirmation.
At this point, you will be billed for the gun. It will ship to the FFL, and then you will have to pay a transaction fee for the FFL. This fee varies from FFL to FFL and is determined by the FFL themselves, but most will go with the state or federally regulated base price.
Can I Buy Accessories For Guns Online?
Accessories online are much easier to purchase than actual firearms. These items do not count as firearms in the eyes of the ATF and can usually be sent right to your door. Things like magnified optics, all the way down to holsters, can be shipped directly to you.
Gun Accessory Example:
Can Gun Parts Be Shipped to My Home?
Yes, gun parts can be shipped to your home. Some locations may put restrictions on which parts can be shipped to you, but most locations allow for things like AR-15 parts and Glock parts.
Make sure everything you are purchasing is not restricted within your local area or is not subject to any NFA restrictions. You do not want to invite any additional issues to your most recent gun purchase just because you didn’t do a little research online.
Gun Part Examples:
NFA Restrictions
There is a little bit of a different process if you intend to buy something that is subject to the National Firearms Act. If you want to purchase a barrel or upper receiver that falls under the definition of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, you can still purchase these items. You just have to do some extra paperwork.
That paperwork is a tax stamp for those items. This means that they are being reviewed by the ATF for approval and ownership. While you are waiting for that approval to occur, your items will be in “NFA jail” with your FFL, who will hold onto those items until the paperwork clears.
Once you have your stamp and any additional paperwork, you should keep it on hand and have multiple backup copies. This helps prove that you are doing things “above board” and are not in violation of any federal or local rules.
Conclusion
Buying a gun or gun parts online is a very common and legal process for most people. Basically, if you can legally buy a gun in person, you can buy one online and have it shipped to your local FFL.
If you want to purchase gun accessories or parts, you can check out our wide selection of both on Wing Tactical. You can also contact us for more specific questions.