Buying a Gun Online: How It Actually Works
Yes, you can buy a gun online — from a retailer, an auction site, or another dealer anywhere in the country. It just doesn’t ship to your house: it ships to a local licensed dealer (FFL), who runs your background check and hands it over. That’s not a loophole; it’s how the system is designed.
We’re that local dealer for the Lubbock area, and we receive online purchases every week. Here’s the whole process, start to finish.
Five steps from checkout to your hands
Is buying a gun online legal?
Completely — and more regulated than most people assume. Federal law requires every online firearm sale to a consumer to route through a licensed dealer, where you fill out the same ATF Form 4473 and pass the same NICS background check as a walk-in purchase. The internet changed where you shop; it didn’t change how you take possession.
In Texas there’s no permit requirement and no waiting period — and if you hold a Texas LTC, you’ll usually skip the NICS wait entirely. Age rules are the standard federal ones, and the courts have been actively reshaping the under-21 handgun rules lately — if you’re under 21, call us at (806) 559-8228 and we’ll give you the current answer straight.
Transfer fees, in plain numbers
- ✓FREE on firearms bought from schaeferdefense.com — our online inventory ships to the shop and we handle everything; you just come in when it arrives.
- ✓$25 per firearm bought from another retailer, auction, or private seller and transferred through our shop.
- ✓NFA items are their own process — suppressors and SBRs run $25 through us / $50 from elsewhere, plus the ATF Form 4. Start with our suppressor guide or the NFA transfer service.
A few tips that save headaches
- ✓Read the listing twice. New vs. used, what’s in the box, and the seller’s return policy — once it ships to an FFL, undoing a purchase is the seller’s policy, not ours.
- ✓Line up the FFL before it ships. Have the seller contact us first so our license is on file — it keeps your gun from sitting in limbo at a shipping hub.
- ✓Bring a current government photo ID to pickup — the 4473 requires it to match your residence address.
- ✓We’ll hold it until you can come in. No panic if it arrives while you’re out of town — just check the transfer details.
Online gun buying FAQs
Is buying a gun online actually legal?
Completely. Federal law routes every online sale to a consumer through a licensed dealer, where you complete the same ATF Form 4473 and background check as any in-store purchase. It’s not a loophole — it is the system.
Can a gun ship straight to my house?
No — firearms must go to an FFL like us for the background check. Ammo, optics, and parts are different: those ship straight to your door. (Stocking up? See our live cheapest-ammo rankings.)
What does the transfer cost?
$25 for firearms bought elsewhere. Free on firearms bought from our own site — order from our online inventory and it ships to the shop with no transfer fee.
How long until I can pick it up?
Shipping is the long pole and depends on the seller. Once it arrives and we log it in, pickup is usually one visit — the 4473 and background check typically take minutes if there’s no delay, and Texas LTC holders usually skip the NICS wait.
What about suppressors and other NFA items?
Different process entirely — an ATF Form 4, fingerprints and a photo, and a short federal wait (the tax is now $0). Start with our first-suppressor guide.
Make Schaefer Defense your FFL
Found the gun? Have the seller reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take it from there — or skip the fee and buy from our own inventory. Either way, you’ll be in and out in one easy visit.
Questions? Call (806) 559-8228 or stop by the shop — Wed–Sun, 10 AM–7 PM, Lubbock, TX.