Buying A Firearm Online: More Information

Buying A Firearm Online: More Information

Hopefully, the previous FAQ's have given you a solid understanding of the buying, shipping, background check and transfer processes, the many laws that affect your overall contact with firearms, and a few extra details to help with ownership and beyond. Buying firearms online is a stress free process if you know what you’re in for after the checkout process. Once you try it, you may never shop in person again. Please find below some additional information you may find helpful related to purchasing a firearm online.

Repairing Damaged or Defective Firearms
  1. Warranties 
    1. Most manufacturers have a warranty that covers defects in workmanship or materials for a short period–usually a year–after which the customer may be responsible for some or all of the repair costs if the firearm is sent in for repairs.
    2. In practice, many companies offer free or low cost repairs, or only charge the customer a return shipping fee. It’s smart to consider the cost and/or likelihood of warranty work before making a firearm purchase. Some manufacturers have good–or bad–reputations for a reason.
  2. Shipping Firearms for Repair Work  
    1. UPS and FedEx in most cases will only allow FFLs to ship firearms through the mail 
    2. You may ship a long gun via USPS yourself if it goes directly to an FFL at the other end  
    3. For most repair work, including all handguns, you’ll need an FFL to send the firearm out for you, and to receive it from the sender when repairs are complete. 
  3. Return Policies for Online Purchases
    1. See Southern Defense’s detailed Firearms Sales & Shipping Policy here, and our detailed Return, Refund & Exchange Policy here.
Firearms Laws:
Staying up-to-date with firearms laws can be pretty draining, especially if you live in one of the strictest states. However, the more you know about the subject, the more likely you’ll be to participate in the political process. You may also decide to support one of the many pro-2A groups that fight against unconstitutional firearms laws in this country. Every private citizen would’ve lost their right to own firearms long ago if these organizations hadn’t fought back in court. For current laws:
  1. Check out ATF’s Firearms Laws page here, along with their federal regulations page here.
  2. A listing of state laws can be found here at NRA-ILA’s website, but some of the entries are several years old.
  3. For the latest updates to state and local laws, Google is your best bet. 
  4. Several anti-gun organizations (Giffords and Everytown) also have extensive libraries of state laws that are useful for research. 
  5. If you have any further questions about purchasing firearms or ammunition from this website, contact us at info@southerndefense.com. 

    • Related Articles

    • Buying a Firearm Online: Where to Start

      For those that don’t know, purchasing a gun online is legal, provided you ship it to a registered FFL and follow some basic guidelines. The basic steps – from choosing your gun to picking it up locally –are not difficult. Shopping for firearms online ...

    • Buying a Firearm Online: A Quick Walkthrough

      Here’s a snapshot of the process for buying a gun online. The following assumes you are: (a) of legal age to transfer the firearm, and (b) are not a prohibited person. For a more detailed explanation of the process, scroll down to the next section. ...

    • Buying a Firearm Online: In Depth

      Here is a more detailed and in-depth guide to selecting and purchasing a firearm online. Shopping for the Firearm For many folks, this is the best part of the gun buying process. Think about how to get the best combination of price, features, and ...

    • Pros and Cons of Buying a Gun Online

      Buying a Firearm Online Pros & Cons Pros: Overall selection of firearms is massive Prices are generally lower than LGS: Online vendors typically have far fewer overhead costs. No pressure to make a decision to purchase quickly No chance of being ...

    • How do I go about buying a gun online?

      First, know the laws of your state related to purchasing a firearm online. Second, find a reputable FFL dealer near you that will arrange the final transfer of the firearm to you once it arrives. Third, purchase your firearm and let us know to which ...