FFL transfer fee gripe

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  • Hibs

    Active Member
    Dec 23, 2015
    965
    Maryland
    For a handgun they are not only doing a 4473, but also a MD 77R. That's a second form that comes with more liabilities and record keeping. Now they also have to store and be liable for that firearm for 7 or more days while you wait for approval. On top of that they have to navigate the many grey areas of the MSP handgun roster.

    To give an example, every time a manufacturer introduces a new sub-model of an existing handgun, dealers are playing roulette whether or not the MSP will want it listed separately on the roster and if it's blanket covered by the broader model being listed. For instance Sig just came out with the Legion P320. So should that be good to go under the approved "P320 9mm" on the roster OR since it has a different sku the stock P320 that was approved by the board does it need to be added separately? The answer to that seems to vary from gun to gun with MSP.

    I filled out my portion of the 77R online before I came into the store. Took them 2 minutes to do their portion after I gave them my application ID and PIN. Liabilities and record keeping? This is the digital age, are you saying it's difficult to save something to a hard drive? Because it's not.

    I get it, 7 more days of storage. So yes, you need a big gun room.

    And how is the dealer playing roulette with the handgun board? If someone ships in a gun that's not on the approved roster, won't the dealer just ship it back (then also charge you for this error) ?
     

    Sundazes

    My brain hurts
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 13, 2006
    21,287
    Arkham

    Nice, so you got to skip that whole process. The great unwashed and the FFL has to deal with with all that. And that adds cost.

    I am really not trying to argue, but enlighten you to the suck ass state you now live in.
     

    28Shooter

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 19, 2010
    8,206
    Baltimore, Maryland
    Transfer fees...Well, they did away with FTF transfers of long guns between law-abiding citizens here in "The Free State" - now requiring us to go through a licensed gun dealer. You need an HQL and an additional MSP background check to buy a handgun here in "the Land of Pleasant Living". Both actions taken to "reduce crime" and "for the children" - what rubbish. Fees, Fees, Fees and has crime come down since imposing these measures on the citizenry - not one damn bit!
     

    Hibs

    Active Member
    Dec 23, 2015
    965
    Maryland
    Nice, so you got to skip that whole process. The great unwashed and the FFL has to deal with with all that. And that adds cost.

    I am really not trying to argue, but enlighten you to the suck ass state you now live in.

    No enlightening required, I'm well aware :lol2:
     

    Hibs

    Active Member
    Dec 23, 2015
    965
    Maryland
    Transfer fees...Well, they did away with FTF transfers of long guns between law-abiding citizens here in "The Free State" - now requiring us to go through a licensed gun dealer. You need an HQL and an additional MSP background check to buy a handgun here in "the Land of Pleasant Living". Both actions taken to "reduce crime" and "for the children" - what rubbish. Fees, Fees, Fees and has crime come down since imposing these measures on the citizenry - not one damn bit!

    Ya know I haven't even thought about the FTF part. My interaction was due to me buying a gun online and having it shipped to LGS. It's crazy to think that you can't even do FTF anymore.
     

    TheBert

    The Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 10, 2013
    7,685
    Gaithersburg, Maryland
    I filled out my portion of the 77R online before I came into the store. Took them 2 minutes to do their portion after I gave them my application ID and PIN. Liabilities and record keeping? This is the digital age, are you saying it's difficult to save something to a hard drive? Because it's not.

    I get it, 7 more days of storage. So yes, you need a big gun room.

    And how is the dealer playing roulette with the handgun board? If someone ships in a gun that's not on the approved roster, won't the dealer just ship it back (then also charge you for this error) ?

    You need to sit back and watch what happens in Maryland and then come back to us in a year or two and give us your opinion of the hell hole you have stepped into with both feet.

    No, the dealer cannot just ship the gun "back" because you have to purchase the firearm to have it sent to the Maryland FFL and then have FFL to the Handgun Board to review it for addition to the handgun roster.

    You are new here in Maryland, you need to learn how things operate before you cast aspersions on the trials and tribulations of purchasing firearms successfully in Maryland.

    I notice you haven't fallen into the standard magazine vs. 10 round magazine limit in Maryland hell hole yet.
     

    Hibs

    Active Member
    Dec 23, 2015
    965
    Maryland
    You need to sit back and watch what happens in Maryland and then come back to us in a year or two and give us your opinion of the hell hole you have stepped into with both feet.

    No, the dealer cannot just ship the gun "back" because you have to purchase the firearm to have it sent to the Maryland FFL and then have FFL to the Handgun Board to review it for addition to the handgun roster.

    You are new here in Maryland, you need to learn how things operate before you cast aspersions on the trials and tribulations of purchasing firearms successfully in Maryland.

    I notice you haven't fallen into the standard magazine vs. 10 round magazine limit in Maryland hell hole yet.

    I mean, I’m pretty sure they can. I could have sworn I saw a big sign saying they’ll do so and then charge you $100. But maybe I read that wrong.

    The magazine thing is dumb. I’ve experienced it before in CA so nothing new here. I think it would mostly be an issue if I’m already buying an overpriced pistol (for example a Glock 17) that is supposed to come with 3 magazines. But now I don’t get those 3 standard capacity magazines so effectively I’m being shorted $100 right off the bat.

    Rifles/compact pistols i don’t see it being too much of an issue. Go an hour to VA / PA and buy all the 30 rounders you want.
     

    -Z/28-

    I wanna go fast
    Dec 6, 2011
    10,648
    Harford Co
    And how is the dealer playing roulette with the handgun board? If someone ships in a gun that's not on the approved roster, won't the dealer just ship it back (then also charge you for this error) ?

    Because they could call MSP and ask if a gun is covered by a vague entry on the roster, be told yes; proceed with the transfer; then have MSP come back on them later with a different opinion saying that it was not specifically on the roster. Not uncommon for FFLs here to get two different answers/interpretations from MSP depending on who's answering the phone that day.

    Same logic applies to banned long guns but worse. The "list" for those has no review panel; but rather is created by arbitrary opinions from MSP that can and have changed without warning. The list also doesn't actually carry the weight of law, but rather is merely guidance as the law never gave MSP or anyone else the official authority to create such a list.
     

    Blaster229

    God loves you, I don't.
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 14, 2010
    46,407
    Glen Burnie
    I recently transferred a pistol into a LGS and forked over $60 to the LGS, then $10 to MSP...I can't believe the prices here. I've called around a few places, and it seems that $50 (plus $10) seems to be the norm. What gives?!?

    So I'm guessing the LGS didn't have what you wanted in stock and they couldn't order one for you?
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    I don't understand what you mean by margins. What is a LGS having to pay in order to do an FFL transfer? Obviously daily operating costs (and I get it, cost of living/operating higher in MD). But it takes 10 minutes to help me fill out a 4473. It takes what, 10 minutes to catalog the gun when LGS receives it? So $60 for 20 minutes of work? Seems like easy money to me.

    I recently bought a buckmark. Granted, an exception, but MDS portal was having issues when I went to pick it up. That chewed up 45 minutes of waiting and the LGS employee trying to get it to work and calling MSP. Plus the time filling out the 4473 and doing the entry for the 77r

    Now it was a consignment, but that’s effectively just a transfer they get tp keep a slice of. But all told they probably had an hour in to me.

    Normally, yeah, it’s about 15 minutes on a handgun. Under 10 on most long guns.

    But how many are they doing? Not as many sales here as probably a Texas LGS is doing probably. With higher employee wages, higher compliance costs to deal with MSP than Texas. Higher premises costs.

    That said, $60 seems steep. Not sure if they’ve changed prices recently as I haven’t done a transfer in a couple of years, but 2 years ago my preferred LGS it was $20 for a long guns, $30 for a regulated firearm. My “backup” LGS was $30 for a long gun, $40 for a regulated firearm.
     

    Darkemp

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 18, 2009
    7,808
    Marylandistan
    Dealers make more on their markup than a transfer on the average sale. That’s the difference in gross margins. If they make say $75-100 more on a sale of an item that is the same amount of work essentially, why would they want to be giving everyone a cheaper alternative for in some cases the same sale.
     

    Hibs

    Active Member
    Dec 23, 2015
    965
    Maryland
    So I'm guessing the LGS didn't have what you wanted in stock and they couldn't order one for you?

    --->

    Sigh. Just my gripe for the day. I understand it is what it is. And I typically try to buy from LGS inventory. But it's annoying when they don't have what I want in stock and tell me they can't order it. But I go online and can find it. OR the LGS wants an exorbitant amount more than what equal firearm is selling for at some online retailers. That's the only reason I'm in this conundrum in the first place.
     

    dist1646

    Ultimate Member
    May 1, 2012
    8,758
    Eldersburg
    Transfer fees...Well, they did away with FTF transfers of long guns between law-abiding citizens here in "The Free State" - now requiring us to go through a licensed gun dealer. You need an HQL and an additional MSP background check to buy a handgun here in "the Land of Pleasant Living". Both actions taken to "reduce crime" and "for the children" - what rubbish. Fees, Fees, Fees and has crime come down since imposing these measures on the citizenry - not one damn bit!

    Who told you that they did away with FTF transfers of long guns? They did away with FTF transfers of handguns.
     

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