I was looking around for certain firearms and found this site! They sold what I was looking for but according to them they are willing to ship firearms to FFL or C&R FFL in NYS So we still have hope FUAC Liberty Firearms
I checked on some of their prices. I am guessing that all of them would require shipping and thus shipping fees. In addition the firearms would have to ship to a dealer with a FFL and that too would necessitate another fee. That would make buying firearms from Liberty Firearms. Now, they might not charge NYS sales tax and that would bring the cost down somewhat but I think not less than what I could buy the same gun for at my local mom & pop gun dealer or local big box store.
For instance, they are offering a "standard" Glock 19 for $499.99. Hunters Essentials, in Nassau County, offers the same pistol (except for magazine capacity being 10 with HS instead of 15 with LF) for $517.65. With NYS sales tax, the one from Hunter Essentials comes out to $562.43 or there about. If the other place does not charge sales tax, that is a difference of $62.44. It seems like a big difference but I think not when you look at it closer. Remember, you need to figure in shipping to Liberty Firearms' price. Shipping would be $25.40 plus $3.60 to insure the pistol at full value. That is $29 added to the price from Liberty Firearms making the new total $528.99. Now there is a difference of only $33.44 but buying from Hunters Essentials would be the more expensive purchase. Of course, you still have to factor in the FFL fee on your end. The typical FFL fee for a handgun, where I live, runs from about $40 to $75. Let's go with the least expensive, assuming you can get it at that price and not higher. So, add $40 to the overall price of the gun you buy from Liberty Firearms. The new total, if buying from Liberty Firearms, would now be $568.99. That now tilts the price in favor of buying from Hunters Essentials (or your local dealer) because it would be $6.56 less expensive from them as opposed to from LF. It could be even more of a savings buying local depending on how much your dealer charges for an FFL transaction fee for a gun shipped to you via the dealer.
I am not a hard core proponent of buying locally although I am a believer in doing my homework and spending less for the same thing within reason. Yet, if prices were equal, between a local dealer and one from afar, then I would go with my local dealer for the following reasons among others:
1. I can actually handle the gun and examine it, in the store, before paying for it.
2. I can pick up the gun immediately (or relatively so after doing the required licensing paperwork).
3. If there are any problems, I can return to the dealer to resolve them and do not have to go back and forth via telephone, email or regular mail. Nor would I have to ship the gun back, at my expense, should there be a problem necessitating that it be returned. Yes that has happened to me, a gun was damaged in shipment to my FFL. It was a long wait and was a big disappointment but luckily was not too much of a hassle because the seller readily took it back and my dealer returned it to them with no additional fees and did not charge me his FFL fee. The thing is they would not do an exchange but had to do a refund. By the time I got the refund, they were out of stock of that rifle and I did not reorder. No one else even came close to their price, and by then I needed that money for something else, and thus never got that particular rifle.
Sometimes those factors might even outweigh a somewhat slightly lower price at an online dealer from another sate. Anyway, if I can save money at home, then why not buy locally! Don't get me wrong, I don't mind buying from online dealers and such from other states. I have done it before but if I know that I can save here locally, then that is what I will do.