help buying firearm for first time buyer

harkamus

harkamus

Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
4,984
OK, I understand how to get licenses and such, but how does one actually go about buying? I read about FFLs and how a firearm has to get shipped to one. Now, if I were to go on gunbroker or a similar site and win a bid and pay, what happens? What's the process for getting the gun shipped to an FFL? Also, maybe a stupid question, but what's to say that the FFL won't just keep resell the gun I just paid for? I've decided on my next paycheck that I wanted to get into the hobby and go to the range regularly.
 
You could always just buy it from a stocking gun shop.
They can even order you what you want, more than likely.
If you have one shipped to an FFL holder they charge a fee to handle the paperwork and transaction. As well as you will owe the shipping and the amount of gun purchased of course. I doubt you have to worry about most gun shops ripping you off on a purchase. If they agree to handle the receiving for you and they are an established shop you'd be fine.
This link tells how it's done:
http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/how-to-guns.php
 
It's a gun that isn't in stock in most places and isn't imported anymore. Jericho 941. Thanks for the link.
 
Yes ,they are being imported.KBI Inc. now imports the Jericho in 9mm,40,45 calibers fullsize and compact polymer framed and also steel frame/chromed. suggested retail $674.00 which means you should be able to order a new one from your gun shop fairly reasonably priced
 
TOMBSTONE said:
Yes ,they are being imported.KBI Inc. now imports the Jericho in 9mm,40,45 calibers fullsize and compact polymer framed and also steel frame/chromed. suggested retail $674.00 which means you should be able to order a new one from your gun shop fairly reasonably priced
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No the company went out of business as of January 29, 2010. Also, those have had several reported problems with quality control regarding barrels rubbing and cracking. The KBIs will be the last Jericho 941 I will consider.

I posted about them tanking a few weeks ago in the tactical forum. Here's what you will find on their website.

To all our friends, fans, supporters and consumers of Charles Daly and by extension, KBI products, I regret to inform you that the rumors of our demise are true.

KBI is going out of business and closing its doors, effective today, January 29, 2010.

I don't want to go into each and every detail as to why this has occurred, except to say that there have been a multitude of events over the past five years that have contributed to our current situation.

For those of you with ongoing service requirements please be advised that we are currently negotiating with several companies that will be performing after-sale service of Charles Daly, CD Defense and Jericho firearms. As soon as we have finalized a contract with one of these companies we will post the name, address and contact details of that company on www.CharlesDalyForum.com, so you will know who to contact to obtain service on your KBI firearm.

Again, I wish to thank all of you that have supported our company, Charles Daly and all the other fine firearms that we have sold over the years.. This spells the end of KBI but I imagine it will certainly not mean the end of Charles Daly® and CD Defense™. Look for this excellent brand to resurface in the very near future.

Sincerely,
Michael B. Kassnar, President
K.B.I., Inc.
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taken from charlesdaly.com
 
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Harkamus, you live in GA, all you need to do is roll into a gun shop, pick out your gun, fill out a couple of forms, pay, and take the gun home with you. It takes about 5 minutes for the paperwork to go through. I do it all the time!

I would steer clear of the Jericho if I were you. There are much, much better guns available for the same amount of money, with parts etc. still available. Like, say, Glock for example!
 
Just check the feedback of the seller on GB. If they have lots of good feedback they're straight shooters. The recieving gun dealer can fax his FFL to the seller and they will send the gun there. You will pick it up at the dealer and fill out all paperwork and pay any transfer fees before taking possession of the gun. Ask about fees before choosing a dealer. It's pretty hard for a dealer to keep your weapon. There is a paper trail and a dealer being turned into the ATF for stealing firearms is not something they want to have happen. Especially if the seller can back up your story that it was sent there. Just have tracking info on the package and a signature required for delivery. You should be good to go.
 
moonwilson said:
Harkamus, you live in GA, all you need to do is roll into a gun shop, pick out your gun, fill out a couple of forms, pay, and take the gun home with you. It takes about 5 minutes for the paperwork to go through. I do it all the time!

I would steer clear of the Jericho if I were you. There are much, much better guns available for the same amount of money, with parts etc. still available. Like, say, Glock for example!
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Thanks for the advice and concern. I've read about the cons of the 941, one main one being how hard it is to find a holster. I'm still dead set on it. It's supposed to be very accurate and one of the most comfortable handguns to boot. I'm still just trying to find a place that has one. Otherwise, I'll have to go through some online site and get it to an FFL.

Thanks for the advice as well, Infi-del.
 
harkamus said:
It's supposed to be very accurate and one of the most comfortable handguns to boot.
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You should really handle one before you buy. The fact that some people who wrote about it found it comfortable doesn't mean that it will be in your hands or that the grip angle will be right for you. One of the most popular handguns in the world doesn't work for me ergonomically.

My advice: Go to a range, rent a few different guns and you'll have a much better idea of what fits and what doesn't.
 
I would never buy a gun from a Importer that is going out of, or is out of business.

If it breaks, you have a $500 paperweight, pure and simple. Yeah, they might be able to fix it, after having it for six months once they get their service contract set up.

You've been warned. Buy a Glock instead. No issues, not going out of business, drop in parts, holster selection galore, and you can actually get replacement parts.
 
harkamus said:
Thanks for the advice and concern. I've read about the cons of the 941, one main one being how hard it is to find a holster. I'm still dead set on it. It's supposed to be very accurate and one of the most comfortable handguns to boot. I'm still just trying to find a place that has one. Otherwise, I'll have to go through some online site and get it to an FFL.

Thanks for the advice as well, Infi-del.
Click to expand...

Infi-del described the process well. Have you shot a model of the handgun you are dead set on? If not, then I'd strongly suggest you heed Black Hills' advice. I have owned a couple of guns that I was dead set on before having tried them. I no longer own any of them.
 
+1 on the Glock. My Glock 36 is my favorite gun. What part of Georgia you in. I might be able to suggest a few good dealers to receive shipment of your weapon.
 
With people I trust, I give them a signed copy of my FFL with the purpose they want it for written on the blank bottom part. They can then make their own deal with whoever and send them my FFL with their payment. The distributor will then ship the gun to me. I call the customer when it comes in and he/she comes and does the paperwork and picks up the gun. As for your question about the FFL keeping or reselling the gun you paid for, all that did was tick me off. In your case you need to go to a gun store and save your worries. Most stores and gunsmiths will special order for you if that's required. Sign me licensed for 40 years and haven't cheated anyone yet!
 
Lots of love for the Glocks here. I have heard and read bad things about the double trigger mechanism. I went looking for a Kimber and ended up with a Sig. The P229 SAS to be precise. I handled several different guns in the store and once this thing hit the palm I melted. It just felt almost perfect. Later the most knowledgeable person I know was critical of the gun's DAK trigger system. Now, that's the only thing I dislike about this gun. Go in, handle several, and pick one. HAPPY SHOOTING! - DT
 
Why are you so set on buying something you haven't held or shot ? Plus from a company that will no longer exist.
If you do buy one and don't like it, be prepared to lose a lot of money on it when you try to trade it in on something else. IF they will even take it on trade..

For the kind of money you are spending look at a 1911, Glock and Sig.
They are all great guns, but like already mentioned, everyone is different.
I've carried and owned some great 1911's for years and really like them. For the last two years I have been carrying a Glock 36.
If you are just getting started, I'll just about guarantee you that any of those listed will shoot better than you can.

YMMV
 
you can always go to a gun store and handle a CZ 75, it has a very similar shape to the baby eagle. if you don't like the shape you are unlikely to like the baby. Just like knives, "feel" is very much a matter of individual hand-shape and preference, and you can't rely on the praise of others. I have spent too much money on both guns and knives without having held them first, not to have learned that lesson well!
 
Old CW4 said:
With people I trust, I give them a signed copy of my FFL with the purpose they want it for written on the blank bottom part. They can then make their own deal with whoever and send them my FFL with their payment. The distributor will then ship the gun to me. I call the customer when it comes in and he/she comes and does the paperwork and picks up the gun. As for your question about the FFL keeping or reselling the gun you paid for, all that did was tick me off. In your case you need to go to a gun store and save your worries. Most stores and gunsmiths will special order for you if that's required. Sign me licensed for 40 years and haven't cheated anyone yet!
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Chief is spot on. I recently moved to GA...my old FFL dealer was in TX and a great guy to work with. I just found a good pawn dealer...he doesn't carry many guns but is very easy to work with when I bid on-line he's offered me to have copies of his FFL but I usually work through the fax or drive up to his shop.

Gunbroker is pretty easy. Most dealers will accept a fax from your FFL dealer (search around and find one that will do transfers for $20-30). Once I win a bid, I let my dealer know and shoot him the contact info from who I'm purchasing from and I share my dealer's contact info with the seller. Once the seller gets the payment, they let me know the gun is shipped and I give my dealer a call/email and let him know what is coming in. Gun arrives, and my dealer calls me and I go down and pick it (of course you have the form to fill out...my CHL makes it stupid quick).

If buying off a Gunbroker from a non-dealer or personal sale...it's the same method, but some FFL dealers require a copy of the seller's license for identification before receiving the firearm.

I go out of my way to promote a good FFL dealer and if they do have a good stock of firearms, I'll often try to buy from him first if he has what I want or let him know what I'm looking for. Most often that's not the case, but I always steer business in his direction. In fact, what pistol I purchased was accidently shipped directly to my house (and put in the mailbox:eek:). It was as freak accident and I took it down to my dealer and covered the other dealer's ass...I go out of my way to support dealers that willingly do transfers for reasonable prices. Just beware as some dealers ask for a 10% FFL fee from the purchase price...that M1A may end up costing you $150 for the transfer fee:eek:

It's hard to support local gun-dealers who won't work a deal with you. Between shipping and the FFL fee, it's only about $50 more than the price of the gun. If you buy locally, you have to calculate tax and even if it was over by $100-150 (depending on the firearm), I would still like to do business locally, but back in TX, the big dealership in town wouldn't budge and I'd show them I could by the same gun for $250-300 less on line (including the shipping/FFL fee). I pissed'em off when I showed them the receipt for my Dan Wesson CBOB...I wanted to buy from them but not $300 more than I could work through my pawn broker/FFL dealer and less than $50 for FFL fee and shipping.

On the flip side, I've purchased some firearms by walking in with a few auctions of the same firearm and showing what I could get them for. Those dealers actually worked with me and came down to a reasonable level. It is a hassle to do the bidding and purchasing from an out-of-state or long-distance dealer; plus it's nice to build a relationship with the local dealerships if they are equally concerned about customer relationships as with making a profit. The bastard dealership in TX had so many Soldiers returning from Iraq/Afghanistan with a pocket full of money that they felt no need worry about return customers or building those relationships...pretty sad as they had a great stock...just way-overpriced and close to MSRP.

ROCK6
 
The only person I know that owned one of the Baby Eagles hated it and traded it for a well used 1911. He could not have been happier to be rid of that pistol. I would suggest going and shooting some different guns before you commit to buying one. You can try the Glock, but like another poster above, I do not understand the Glock love. They are uncomfortable and have the worst triggers I have ever shot. There are tons of great gun stores and ranges in GA. If you are around Athens you have access to one of the best gun dealers in the country. Go check some out, feel what fits your hand best, then head to a range that rents guns and try them out.
 
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