# Buying Firearms Online



## Austin (Sep 30, 2007)

Have seen a couple guns online that I haven't found anywhere in town.. Do any of you have any experience with buying guns online? The only website I have really checked out is budsgunshop.com. Has anyone dealt with them before? Also, do you have any other site recommendations? Would be the first time I buy one online, so I figured I would get your opinions.


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## wareagle50 (Aug 2, 2008)

Buds is very good and has great pricing. I have only had dealings with buds, but there is also cheaperthandirt.com, deansgunshop.com. But I dont think they have the inventory that buds has. Also some of the locals guys will match buds pricing when they can, so I would check that first.


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## Longbow14 (Aug 8, 2011)

I'd rather support local shops but check the pawn shops around too. they might have that oddball caliber or make sitting on the rack.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

+1 for buds. Man I miss living within driving distance of Buds and CenterFireSystems. 

Anyhow, buying a gun online is no different then any other product except that you cant have it shipped to your house. Youll have to send a copy of your FFL's license to the seller and they ship the gun to the FFL's address. Then you have to feel out the 4473 like any other gun purchase at your FFL.


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## Austin (Sep 30, 2007)

I'm all about supporting a local shop, but a shotgun I was looking at is 289 at Academy (online), 329 at buds, 689 at Mikes.. Was at Mike's and mentioned it, the guy pretty much shrugged it off and asked if there was anything else he could help me with.


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## Linkovich (Oct 24, 2007)

Austin said:


> Was at Mike's and mentioned it, the guy pretty much shrugged it off and asked if there was anything else he could help me with.


That's not surprising at all...


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## fisheye48 (Sep 28, 2007)

Linkovich said:


> That's not surprising at all...


hey they talked to you so that is a plus!


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## Gravity3694 (May 10, 2011)

Impact guns is pretty good as well.

Summit Gunbroker is a good one for police trade ins. Not many know about Summit.

I will usually try to buy locally, but if I can't find it or if the price is over $100 what I can buy it for locally then I will buy online.


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## bigbulls (Mar 12, 2008)

> I'm all about supporting a local shop, but a shotgun I was looking at is 289 at Academy (online), 329 at buds, 689 at Mikes.. Was at Mike's and mentioned it, the guy pretty much shrugged it off and asked if there was anything else he could help me with.


*If you are talking about the Remington 870 police defense shotgun that is $689 at Mikes you are not talking about the same shotgun that they have at Academy for $289. *Ours is a Remington LE shotgun not the Plane Jane 870 express. If you want the regular 870 express defense I can order one and have it in a week. I can't match Academy as it now costs wholesale more than what they are selling it for on line but I can get order it for $340 plus tax and gun call.


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## Austin (Sep 30, 2007)

bigbulls said:


> *If you are talking about the Remington 870 police defense shotgun that is $689 at Mikes you are not talking about the same shotgun that they have at Academy for $289. *Ours is a Remington LE shotgun not the Plane Jane 870 express. If you want the regular 870 express defense I can order one and have it in a week. I can't match Academy as it now costs wholesale more than what they are selling it for on line but I can get order it for $340 plus tax and gun call.



I was wondering if there was anything different between the two that could dictate that kind of price difference. But that was kind of squashed when I pulled up the gun I was talking about on my phone on the budsgunshop web site, which also showed the specs and was told "yeah, that's it". There isn't really a visible difference, so I guess o can understand the mistake as I couldn't tell the difference myself. But I don't work at a gun shop either.


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## bigbulls (Mar 12, 2008)

Outward appearances of the two guns there isn't much difference at all. In the future just ask me. I'm on here all the time.


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## T140 (Nov 20, 2007)

Bought a Rock Island .45 acp from them, best price around even with local transfer fees. Ron's Gun on Hwy 87 N. in Milton was great for transfer. Dixie, PFF member does transfers also great guy to deal with.


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## MULLET HUNTER (Oct 3, 2007)

bigbulls said:


> *If you are talking about the Remington 870 police defense shotgun that is $689 at Mikes you are not talking about the same shotgun that they have at Academy for $289. *Ours is a Remington LE shotgun not the Plane Jane 870 express. If you want the regular 870 express defense I can order one and have it in a week. I can't match Academy as it now costs wholesale more than what they are selling it for on line but I can get order it for $340 plus tax and gun call.


I am LE, that being said what is the difference in the two. All of our shotguns, besides the benelli's are Remington 870 express shotguns with a 20 inch barrel??? Please tell me the difference... I have torn both down to nothing but parts, there is no difference. Mikes sucks as far as costumer service they are much better in Jay period...


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## Pinksnappertrapper (Dec 7, 2007)

Austin said:


> I'm all about supporting a local shop, but a shotgun I was looking at is 289 at Academy (online), 329 at buds, 689 at Mikes.. Was at Mike's and mentioned it, the guy pretty much shrugged it off and asked if there was anything else he could help me with.


Go to Jays downtown tell him academy has it for ____ and they will probably price match it and beat it by 10%


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## Austin (Sep 30, 2007)

bigbulls said:


> Outward appearances of the two guns there isn't much difference at all. In the future just ask me. I'm on here all the time.



I tend to prefer to ask questions about a firearm I see in a shop while im there, to the employee tending to me behind the counter. But I guess if I leave Mike's again with questions, I can try to remember to ask you on the forum. Who are you by the way?

Also, I'm guessing the differences in the two shotguns are internals? I won't pay several hundred dollars more for slightly better looking furniture..


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## bigbulls (Mar 12, 2008)

> I tend to prefer to ask questions about a firearm I see in a shop while im there, to the employee tending to me behind the counter. But I guess if I leave Mike's again with questions, I can try to remember to ask you on the forum. Who are you by the way?


I don't just mean here on the forum. I don't claim to know everything by any means but if I can answer a question I will. I don't tend to blow smoke up your butt either. Some people just want to hear you agree with them. I figure if you don;'t want to hear the answer then don't ask the question. Some people see that as rude, I see it as being honest.

As far as the part time workers go that you likely dealt with, keep in mind that we have to have a certain amount of part time help in the store. Any retail store does that's open 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. There aren't going to be many "gun experts" that are willing to work part time for 8 bucks an hour. It's just not going to happen. We do good to find kids that even have an interest in firearms these days. 



> Also, I'm guessing the differences in the two shotguns are internals? I won't pay several hundred dollars more for slightly better looking furniture..


Speed feed stocks, sling swivel studs, better "in the white" metal finish, parkerized steel (It won't rust but the express will), longer magazine spring (more reliable feeding), heavier carrier dog spring (more reliable feeding), metal trigger housing instead of plastic, barrel extension uses the older more reliable ball detent system to lock down the magazine cap instead of the cheap plastic system that the express uses, and the extractor and ejector are machined instead of formed powdered metal so they won't break as easily, and overall fit and finish is just better on the "P" guns.

I believe that the "P" has a barrel threaded for choke tubes where the express is fixed cylinder bore.


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## Gravity3694 (May 10, 2011)

bigbulls said:


> Outward appearances of the two guns there isn't much difference at all. In the future just ask me. I'm on here all the time.


I would get the Express over the Police model. The near double price is not worth it in my opinion unless you want the cool Police marking. I have an 870P myself and in retrospect would of bought an Express. Internally there's not much difference other than stronger springs and a machined extractor. The trigger group uses a metal housing as well. All the above internal changes are not needed in my opinion. Personally I think the specification sheet that Remington puts out for public release on the 870P is just hype and marketing. In fact with the 2010 price sheet the price difference between the 870 Express and 870 Police was only $22.

If your looking at something more than an Express 870 call this guy at AIP Tactical. He's a certified Remington 870/11-87 Police armorer. I bought my 870P from him back in 2008 and he knows everything about the 870 and is a pretty cool guy to boot. I prefer getting 870s from him since you can customize it and he builds Express models up to 870 specs.


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