Shipping

[DORINS9956]

Aside from issues related to off roster handgun shipping restrictions, I am wondering why almost no one is willing to ship a handgun on the roster. I would like to understand the reason. I have shipped and not had any problems, so long as all the details are agreed to up front with no surprises.
Anyone with an opinion or experienced with shipping?

[mike452]

What are you talking about?

There are many shops willing to ship handguns to CA and they don't charge more for the extra work. My friend just got something form kygunco. Many sellers on gunbroker also. Those that won't will say it on their information area or their web site policy.

There is extra work. They have to check the CA roster and deal with https://cflc.doj.ca.gov.

[SkyHawk]

I assume you are referring to private sellers in the Calguns marketplace.

- Most do not want to deal with the hassles of collecting an immutable form of payment from a stranger.

- Combined with the special hassles of shipping firearms especially handguns.

- And then add in the chance that the buyer gets remorse, doesn't get what he expected because his expectations were too high, or the gun gets damaged or lost in shipment - any of which would leave you with a nightmare to unravel at some extra expense and time spent.

- And now you know exactly why most private sellers don't want to ship their guns to strangers.

Only if I stone cold could not find a local buyer for a face to face transaction after many many months of trying would I even consider a remote sale. And it would have to be a very expensive gun indeed for it to be worth it to me to go through all of those hoops and take on those risks, and still be enough of a deal for a buyer to pay all the extra fees and shipping and come away happy.

It is far and away easier to do a firearms sale face to face at the FFL closest to me. If the buyer does not like what he sees, no harm. There is zero chance the gun will be lost or damaged enroute. When I have the cash in my hand I have no worries about a check being forged or bouncing, Venmo or Paypal clawback etc. Easy Peasy.

And I have never had a problem finding a buyer for face to face yet.

[DDM4556]

OP many folks on gunbroker and other sites simply do not want to deal with the headache of CA. Honestly I don't blame them. Every FFL acts differently. Some will remove standard cap mags, others will simply refuse to touch the gun at all - roster or not. And I'm sure when a situation crops up, most Californians are totally unreasonable about it and expect to be reimbursed for all expenses.

If you have a good relationship with an FFL, see if they have any particular contacts. Or ask what their policy on dealing with standard cap mags is. Maybe you can convince a shipper to give a CA customer a try.

[billkohatsu]

For Private Party sales, I can understand why shipping is an additional hassle they do not want to deal with. Especially since the buyer can always reject upon inspection before starting paperwork.

For out-of-state dealers/sellers, California is just a giant headache to deal with but as long as the firearm is on the roster, selling to California buyers would give them access to more buyers. Again, I think it is just the additional hassle sellers do not want to deal with.

[DORINS9956]

Well, I was referring to private sales, but the answers were helpful nevertheless and I thank the respondents for their time in posting. Appreciate it.

[L84CABO]

It just ain't worth the risk or hassle IMO. There are issues making sure you actually get paid and there are potential issues sending off a gun somewhere and the buyer refuses it for all sorts of reasons...he changed his mind, he claims you misrepresented it, he can't pass the background check, etc. And now your gun is miles away and you will likely have to pay for the return shipping if you want it back.

Does this always happen? Nope. There are some good people out there. But there are lots of A-Holes too. If you're willing to roll the dice, more power to you. But I am not. At least not without trying to sell it FTF first. YMMV.

[Super Salami]

Someone asked if I'd ship one I have for sale right now and even though they're offering full price, I'm still not jumping on it. I've heard horror stories of payment platforms being buyer friendly and the seller getting screwed so I'd be afraid at some point they take the money back out of my account, just not worth the risk.

[BigPimping]

All of the red tape and problems that go with shipping a handgun? I would never do it. Especially the fact that you're shipping it to a stranger.

For me it's always face to face, cash, or nothing.

[Wordupmybrotha]

I've never done it because what if the guy doesn't have the right paperwork. If he has his ducks in a row, it would seem convenient, because I can go to the FFL on my own schedule without worrying about him flaking.

Have you shipped in CA and also out of state?

[AFTII]

Aside from issues related to off roster handgun shipping restrictions, I am wondering why almost no one is willing to ship a handgun on the roster. I would like to understand the reason. I have shipped and not had any problems, so long as all the details are agreed to up front with no surprises.
Anyone with an opinion or experienced with shipping?

If you are asking why many out of state sellers will not ship to California, its because California has set up the "California Firearms Licensee Check System." In order for an out of state FFL to ship a firearm to California, that FFL must first enroll in the system and then obtain "Shipment Approval Letter" from the DOJ allowing them to ship the firearm. The out of state dealer is required to keep this letter from three years. (Implicit in this program is CA's "right" to audit these out of state businesses.) Many out of state dealers do not want to deal with this nonsense.

https://oag.ca.gov/firearms/cflcoverview

https://oag.ca.gov/firearms/cflcfaqs#2

Always remember, register first, confiscate second.

[BigPimping]

^^^^^^^
That makes a lot of sense to me.