Facts Archives - Page 2 of 2

According to marketing resource Oberlo, 1.92 billion people in the world shop online in 2019. You probably consider yourself one of them. After all, few things can beat the convenience of shopping without having to leave the comfort of your home. What if you wanted to buy an air gun? So can you buy an air gun online? Yes, you can buy an air gun online at many Internet retailers. However, do keep in mind that you will more than likely have to pick up the gun you bought in person due to regulations. You can only ship your online purchase to gun stores or dealers with a Federal Firearms License. In this article, we will walk you through the process of purchasing an air gun online. We’ll tell you all the basics, recommend some online retailers to use, and even provide some tips so you have a safe shopping experience. Can you Buy an Air Gun Online: What You Need to Know Air guns, as we’re sure you’re aware of, are not real firearms. That doesn’t mean you can get them shipped right to your doorstep. It’s that way thanks to the Gun Control Act of 1968. Now, for safety’s sake, it’s a good thing you can’t have an air gun delivered to residential addresses. For convenience’s sake, it’s kind of a bummer, but there’s nothing you can really do. We recommend you always very carefully read the listing for an air gun before frantically hitting the “add to cart” or “checkout” button. The seller should clearly display their shipping rules. Take, for instance, this Amazon listing for a Hatsan Mod 130S Vortex QE First, they say that no one under 18 is allowed to buy an air gun through them. Further, they list several shipping and shopping rules that vary by state. For instance, if you live in New Jersey, then you’d have to get an air gun permit even to buy the gun. Then you have to find a designated gun store to pick up your purchase. This is common. If you’re in Illinois, especially the Chicago area, then you’re restricted from purchasing revolvers, pistols, and CO2-powered rifles altogether. In Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and some parts of New York (including Staten Island, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan), you also can’t have this air gun shipped to you. We’ll talk more about shipping later in this article, but as you can see, it’s not as easy to buy an air gun online as it is to order a pack of paper towels or a t-shirt. What Are the Best Websites to Buy Air Guns Online? Buying airguns on Amazon As one of the top retailers in the world, Amazon has just about everything you can imagine on its expansive website. That includes air guns. While it’s true the selection is sort of lacking compared to retailers that specialize in air guns, this site is an option nonetheless. Shopping for airguns from Rainier Arms If you do want to shop through a gun retailer specifically, the first one we’d suggest trying is Rainier Arms. They stock a variety of pistols, including air guns. You can also stock up on pistol parts, magazines, optics, and more through their website. Airgun Depot - Airguns and more Next, there’s Airgun Depot. Although they mostly sell air guns, you can also find air rifles, BB guns, and pellet guns here. Airgun Depot was founded in 2002 and has grown in the years since. Today, besides guns, you may also pick up ammunition and accessories like loaders, clips, magazines, holsters, cases, CO2 cartridges, hand pumps, tanks, compressors, and scopes. Gunbroker - Buying and Sell Airguns You might also want to bookmark Gunbroker. Unlike the other online retailers we’ve discussed thus far, you can both buy and sell air guns and other guns on this site. For that reason, their stock is always changing. Gunbroker carries air guns and parts/accessories, including gun-cleaning kits, hearing protection, shooting glasses, gun rests, and gunsmithing tools and equipment. Buying Airguns from the USA - MidwayUSA MidwayUSA says they have “just about everything for shooting, hunting and the outdoors.” Of course, this includes air guns, air rifles, air pistols, and even BBs and pellets for these guns. You can also buy all your shooting gear, reloading supplies, optics, hunting gear, belts and holsters, gunsmithing supplies, gun parts, footwear and clothing, and shooting powder. Brownells - Buying Airguns online in the EU With a history dating back to 1939, Brownells specializes in air guns online, too. From air shotguns to rifles and handguns, you can track down what you need here. Brownells sells rebate items and direct stock entry in addition to its continuously updating regular stock of guns, supplies, gear, and equipment. Buying online from Dicks Sporting Goods Popular sporting retailer Dicks has an impressive array of air guns, both online and in its various stores. They even have the ammo and accessories you need to get started. For example, you can find BBs, pellets, scopes, magazines, and more on their website. How Are Airguns Shipped to You? Okay, so as we’ve established, it’s rare that an air gun will get shipped straight to you. Enough states have regulations about shipping faux firearms that you’ll probably have to go pick up your air gun elsewhere. This means venturing out to any air gun dealer that has a Federal Firearms License. If a gun shop or dealer lacks this license, you want to keep shopping around until you find someone who does have it. Now, those retailers with a Federal Firearms License aren’t exclusively gun shops, although they mostly are. Gun collectors and pawn shops may also let you ship your air gun to them. We recommend doing an online search around your area and seeing what kinds of options you have. Here’s a pro tip: plan your pickup destination and then buy your air gun online. It will make the process run that much more smoothly. You can call, email, or visit the store/dealer to begin the process. Ask if you can have your new air gun shipped to them. The store or dealer will more than likely tell you yes, although obviously not always. If you get the approval of the gun store/dealer, then you want to provide your contact information so they can reach out to you. We recommend leaving them with at least your phone number and email address. Then, when you go to check out your online air gun order, inform the retailer of your chosen gun store/dealer and that they have a Federal Firearms License. Use their address as the shipping address instead of your work or home address. Two things about going this route: For one, sometimes you get pushback from gun retailers or dealers by asking to ship your online purchase to them. They would have often preferred if you just bought an air gun through them in the first place. If you sense any sort of resistance from your chosen store/dealer, you might want to look for another one. Second, it’s not free to ship this way. The gun store/dealer gets to set the price, but it’s anywhere between $25 and $75. It can be higher, so keep that in mind and be ready to pay if you want your air gun. Tips for Buying an Air Gun Online While the Internet is a great place, you want to take special care to avoid being ripped off, especially when buying an air gun. Here are some tips for safe, smart shopping: Only purchase your air gun from a reputable retailer. You’re not exclusively limited to the stores we recommended earlier in this article. If you find your own retailer though, do your due diligence. Read through reviews and make sure people have got what they paid for. Shop around on a few sites before settling on one retailer to buy your air gun online. You want to get the best deal, and comparing prices is the only way.Beware of prices that seem too good to be true, as they usually are. A retailer selling their air gun for considerably less than anyone else might not be as legitimate as they seem.We’d advocate for buying a new air gun over a used one. The only exception would be if the used gun is in almost pristine condition. Still, you can never quite tell until the gun is in your hands if it was used or not. Spend the extra money on a new air gun, then. Try to buy an air gun brand or style you’re already familiar with. You cannot practice or feel the gun before buying it when you’re shopping online. If you buy an air rifle when you’ve only shot air pistols, then you might not be happy with your purchase. Conclusion You can indeed buy an air gun online, but getting it to your door is a different story. You will have to find a gun store or dealer with a Federal Firearms License. Then, you’ll have to ask for their permission to get your gun shipped from the online retailer to their store. You pay the shipping fees and can pick up your gun from there. Good luck!