Purchasing an AR lower

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  • DTOM 47

    Accident Prone
    Sep 16, 2013
    25
    Carroll County
    I will soon be purchasing my first AR lower and am unsure of the process. I am aware of the steps required but should I:

    1.) Submit the e77r, then pay for the lower and have it shipped to my FFL

    -or-

    2.) Pay for the lower and have it shipped to my FFL, then submit the e77r
     

    DavidA

    The Master of Disaster
    Dec 6, 2013
    371
    Annapolis
    Pay for lower, shipping to FFL , after arrival at FFL submit paperwork. Wait seven days, pick up lower.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    parttimer

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 10, 2013
    1,321
    Calvert
    It may be cheaper to buy a lower from your local gun shop unless there is a very specific lower you want.
    When buying online you have to buy the lower, pay for shipping, pay tax (most of the large vendors are now charging sales tax), and pay the FFL for the transfer.
    If you add all of that up most of the time it is easier and cheaper to buy locally.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    There was. I found an LMT lower pretty cheap on GunBroker, free shipping, and no CC fees.

    Just keep in mind to talk to your FFL first (in case you’ve never done an online order before). Most are cool, but some aren’t going to transfer something they have in stock. Also rememebr the $10 MSP fee and likely $40-60 transfer fee for a regulated firearm most FFLs are going to charge.

    My limited experience if you find a great deal online, talk to your FFL. They may cut you the same deal or a few bucks less. If it is a dealer you are buying from, your FFL can maybe get it from the dealer for slightly less. Or the same price (or also slightly less), but decide to buy 2 or 3 or 4 if they have a buyer on the hook for one and then they’ll sell the others.

    Also where having friends or siblings can help. Go to FFL if all interested. One of you can’t buy a bunch to get a bulk discount, but your FFL can, “well yes, the 3 of us want 2 each. Can you find out if they’ll sell it to you at a deeper discount for ordering 6?”

    Lowers are where I get deeply jealous of our neighbor states where you can get, say, a $35 Anderson lower and might only pay $20-30 transfer fee and walk out the door same day. And can usually find free shipping deals also.

    I got a couple of Sabre Defense lowers (search GWACS, they made them on contract for Sabre) last year. A Texas shop was selling them for $20 each plus shipping. If you bought 5, $10 each. I didn’t have room for 5+ and no one else who wanted to split the order at an FFL.

    Anyway, $50 shipped to my FFL. My FFL cut me a deal a deal on transferring 2. So $10 MSP fee, $90 instead of $100 to transfer two regulated lowers and the $50 for the lowers themselves and shipping. $75 a pop.

    Not exactly stellar for a cheap lower. Though I wouldn’t consider the Sabre/GWACS lowers as cheap (GWACS until they wore out their molds were selling them at I think $149 per lower). So a dang goo deal in the end...but nothing like it would have been if they had been considered non-regulated or transferred in another state (which can’t be to a MD resident).
     

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