Brent Hamasaki is a great FFL. 

A gun dealer in town recommended Wayne Takashita of Pacific Custom Rifles. On Yelp, they call Wayne the doctor of gunsmiths. The fact that he can handle FFL to FFL transfers is a bonus. 

A gun dealer in town recommended Wayne Takashita of Pacific Custom Rifles. On Yelp, they call Wayne the doctor of gunsmiths. The fact that he can handle FFL to FFL transfers is a bonus. 

Wayne is great!  Did excellent work on many of my rifles.  Never had him handle an incoming FFL for me though. 

While I was checking out after a Buy-it-Now purchase, I noticed more FFL dealers in HI than hinted at in this post. However, it is always best to contact the dealer or business to make sure. Like an elephant, Gunbroker does not seem to forget deals completed in the past. A deal gone sour does not only involve the buyer and seller. The middleman could be involved, for example, by dropping a weapon on the ground.

I have a question, though, about the 15 minute rule, as described here:

All of our auctions use the 15 Minute Rule.  If a user places a bid within 15 minutes of the scheduled end date/time, the auction automatically switches into a special mode analogous to the "going, going, gone" of a live listing.  In this mode, the listing is automatically extended until no bids have been placed within 15 minutes.  When 15 minutes have passed with no bidding activity, the listing ends. 

The purpose for the 15 Minute Rule is to prevent sniping and offer all users the opportunity to bid.  The 15 Minute Rule allows all bidders an equal opportunity to place their best bid, and the seller can be assured he/she will receive maximum value for the item.

This is something I do not like because it can lead to shill bidding. It's already bad enough on ebay, as bids seem to be ratcheted up during the last day of bidding, due to trolls or co-conspirators of the seller. I have nothing against sniping, since it shows a dedication on the part of frugal buyers.

While I was checking out after a Buy-it-Now purchase, I noticed more FFL dealers in HI than hinted at in this post. However, it is always best to contact the dealer or business to make sure. Like an elephant, Gunbroker does not seem to forget deals completed in the past. A deal gone sour does not only involve the buyer and seller. The middleman could be involved, for example, by dropping a weapon on the ground.

I have a question, though, about the 15 minute rule, as described here:

This is something I do not like because it can lead to shill bidding. It's already bad enough on ebay, as bids seem to be ratcheted up during the last day of bidding, due to trolls or co-conspirators of the seller. I have nothing against sniping, since it shows a dedication on the part of frugal buyers.

The 15 minute rule is better than eBay.  If you're worried about people jacking up the price with shill bids on eBay, you don't have much choice but to bid in the last minute and hope nobody comes over the top of you.  You get almost no time to check out the bidding pattern to see if other auctions from the seller had the same or similar pattern/bidders at the last minute.

One thing on eBay I hate is the "max bid" option.  Yeah, it MIGHT keep you in the top spot for awhile, but from what I've seen, someone (seller?) puts in a few bids causing my max to keep bidding over him.  Eventually he outbids me and takes the top bid slot. 

Where I believe the dishonesty comes in is that last bid gets retracted, then he bid again just below where I stopped bidding --because now he has locked in on my max setting.

I try to avoid the max bid if possible, just so there can't be any auto-bidding on my behalf caused by a shill account.

I can't remember the last time I even participated in an eBay auction.  Most items I bought lately have been a set price, or "make an offer".  Better than waiting 2-6 days just to know if you still need to keep looking!

Gunbroker seems pretty legit.  Shill accounts are spotted pretty quickly from what I've read, and the associated sellers are banned.  If the person has an FFL, he's screwed since he can't just join under another name using another license.  Licenses take time, money and a background check to obtain.  Not likely someone will want that license banned from Gunbroker.

I'm not saying Gunbroker is scammer-free, but they do try to take care of it as it is reported. 

https://support.gunbroker.com/hc/en-us/articles/221822687-Protecting-Yourself-Against-Fraud

The #1 thing to remember -- never agree to complete the transaction "offline" away from the Gunbroker website.  No amount of money you might think you're saving is worth taking that risk.  If the seller says he can take PayPal but ONLY IF you don't use Gunbroker to pay, don't do it!  PayPal prohibits gun-related transactions, so you not only lost Gunbroker's protections, but also PayPal's by violating their TOS.

Back to bidding -- I haven't seen the same sniping I saw on eBay with people waiting until the last 15 seconds to bid.  I'm sure it happens, but I don't buy that many guns there compared to the purchases on eBay -- so, it's anecdotal at best.

Just decide what you think the gun is worth to you, bid up to that point if others are topping your bids, and stop when it's too high for you.  No need to stress.  I know it's painful for some to think you may have been able to get the gun for less than your ending bid, but nobody is forcing you to bid.  If you aren't comfortable with the seller's past auctions, the bidders' patterns or the price you'd have to bid to win, just walk away.  Lots of guns in the world.  It's all a matter of timing anyway.

Just decide what you think the gun is worth to you, bid up to that point if others are topping your bids, and stop when it's too high for you.  No need to stress.  I know it's painful for some to think you may have been able to get the gun for less than your ending bid, but nobody is forcing you to bid.  If you aren't comfortable with the seller's past auctions, the bidders' patterns or the price you'd have to bid to win, just walk away.  Lots of guns in the world.  It's all a matter of timing anyway.

This is easier said than done in this limited supply - high demand environment. This rifle got way due to my being slow on the trigger.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/910293141

Can't assign a value to something that is a custom color (red), with an adjustable butt and cheek rest. Top rail also does not come standard with other CZ 457's. Not only did I lose this rifle this weekend, but also a Nikon scope auction on ebay where I sent a question to the seller. As soon as the winning buyer saw the watchlist count increase by one, he hit the buy-it-now button and snagged it. The days of listings sitting around for weeks has come and gone. Too much panic buying spawned by the toilet paper shortage.

This is easier said than done in this limited supply - high demand environment. This rifle got way due to my being slow on the trigger.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/910293141

Can't assign a value to something that is a custom color (red), with an adjustable butt and cheek rest. Top rail also does not come standard with other CZ 457's. Not only did I lose this rifle this weekend, but also a Nikon scope auction on ebay where I sent a question to the seller. As soon as the winning buyer saw the watchlist count increase by one, he hit the buy-it-now button and snagged it. The days of listings sitting around for weeks has come and gone. Too much panic buying spawned by the toilet paper shortage.

It's always possible to set a value on anything.

It might be based on your budget.  "I'm not paying more that $2,000 because that's all I've budgeted / saved / have permission from my wife to spend!"

It might be based on availability.  "I'm willing to pay a premium for that because they are no longer in production, and demand is causing the supply to dwindle."

It might be based on rarity,  "I've been looking for an 6.5" S&W Model 29 "Dirty Harry" .44 Magnum!  It may never come around again, so I'll pay what they are asking!"

No matter what it's based on, what YOU think the gun is worth TO YOU is all that's important.  The seller sets the asking price, but the buyer actually sets the final purchase price.  If you offer $1,000, and someone else offers and pays $1,200, he got to set the price.

Sometimes you can hold out too long hoping for a good deal, and all you get is price increases year after year.  At that point, you can keep waiting, or look for a used/pre-owned deal.

In your specific auction, I have no idea what it was, what options you may have had, and how you could have made your chances of winning it better.  Each auction can be a little different.   If you're truly interested, it can't hurt to contact the seller and verify details like shipping cost to Hawaii and credit card fees.  Take that opportunity to see if maybe they have another about to be listed  when that auction ends.  Might wind up getting it at the same price as the winning bid or less and bypassing the auction completely.  You never know.

The fun in buying something at auction is comparable to riding a roller coaster. There is also the challenge of getting something at a reasonable price, considering the market. I decided to bid on a Beretta 1301 shotgun 16 minutes before auction end. On ebay, this sort of action would have knocked out the "Buy it Now" option. But, not on gunbroker. My max bid was 1 penny above the Buy Now price. Not too many people monitor these auctions like a hawk, so I got the weapon at the lowest (opening) price. Could this be the end of the buying frenzy that has affected the nation? I looked forward to prices going back to MSRP. Gouging is not good for the gun buying market. It leaves a sour taste in every buyer's mouth.

The fun in buying something at auction is comparable to riding a roller coaster. There is also the challenge of getting something at a reasonable price, considering the market. I decided to bid on a Beretta 1301 shotgun 16 minutes before auction end. On ebay, this sort of action would have knocked out the "Buy it Now" option. But, not on gunbroker. My max bid was 1 penny above the Buy Now price. Not too many people monitor these auctions like a hawk, so I got the weapon at the lowest (opening) price. Could this be the end of the buying frenzy that has affected the nation? I looked forward to prices going back to MSRP. Gouging is not good for the gun buying market. It leaves a sour taste in every buyer's mouth.

I wouldn't put too much stock in what a single transaction might mena for the market as a whole.  However, I posted awhile back that the info I'd seen said we'd be trending back toward normal supply, demand, and prices by this Aug-Sept.  And here we are.

That was contingent on Biden not getting a wild hair up his gun control arse, or another Vegas-level mass shooting starting another call to "DO SOMETHING!!"

I think the only additional hiccup in price recovery was Biden's ban on importation of Russian arms and ammo.  Those items might increase in pice as buyers scramble to take advantage of current inventory.

A followup question about transactions on GB. Unlike Ebay, GB seems to allow transactions to be completed outside of their system. Some sellers give you a phone number to call to pay off with a credit card or a bank transfer. Should this be avoided? I wonder how gun dealers make a profit if they don't have much inventory to sell. Plus, the paperwork is unreal.

I think the gun market is cooling down. It is nothing like the market for the Sony Playstation PS5, or certain automobile makes like Honda or Toyota. However, tools seem to be plentiful, and I can find most name brand items at Home Depot. Also easy to buy chicken, steak, beer and eggs.

A followup question about transactions on GB. Unlike Ebay, GB seems to allow transactions to be completed outside of their system. Some sellers give you a phone number to call to pay off with a credit card or a bank transfer. Should this be avoided? I wonder how gun dealers make a profit if they don't have much inventory to sell. Plus, the paperwork is unreal.

I think the gun market is cooling down. It is nothing like the market for the Sony Playstation PS5, or certain automobile makes like Honda or Toyota. However, tools seem to be plentiful, and I can find most name brand items at Home Depot. Also easy to buy chicken, steak, beer and eggs.

I try to use a credit card for GB purchases even if there's a 3%-4% fee.  If there's any problem with the item, I have the credit card's buyer protection to fall back on.

You're not really going around GB.  If the auction/ad shows you made the purchase, GB gets their fee from the seller, and you have feedback access.  Feedback and ratings are important so sites like this help protect us.  Lots of high ratings help both buyers and sellers by adding a degree of trust and confidence in the people we are dealing with.

If someone has zero feedback posts or reviews, it might signal to you that additional vetting or safeguards might be prudent -- or just pass on the deal and look for someone with more GB activity.  No science to it, but it can be very useful.

There are 2 methods of "checkout" on GB:  Immediate and Standard. 

Immediate uses the GB Payment system, and is handled in conjunction with the GB site.  Any payments will be logged on GB for that auction. 

Standard is handled outside of GB.  This is their description on the GB FAQ:

The Standard Checkout Process

Other sellers use their own sites for purposes of facilitating checkouts, or supply manual instructions
for buyers to follow upon winning or purchasing an item, referred to as “Standard Checkout.”  If the
seller has not specified all the costs associated with the listing ahead of time (shipping costs, tax, etc.)
you as the buyer will have a chance to review and confirm the costs once the seller has added them to
the order. In these cases, it is your responsibility as buyer to follow the instructions provided to complete
the transaction agreed with seller. Where a buyer wishes to use PayPal and the sellers accepts this
form of payment, checkout is also completed using the Standard Checkout Process.

https://support.gunbroker.com/hc/en-us/articles/360034828614-How-to-Complete-Checkout-using-the-GunBroker-Checkout-System

I'd suggest reading the PayPal FAQ if you're inclined to use that service on GB:

[snip]
PayPal does not allow the use of its service or logo for selling firearms, certain firearm parts or ammunition.
[pins]

https://support.gunbroker.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002837773-Use-of-PayPal-

PayPal should have no problem is used for other types of items sold on GB.  You can find empty shipping or display boxes if you need one for a firearm you have, magazines, all kinds of gear, etc.

There are 2 methods of "checkout" on GB:  Immediate and Standard. 

Immediate uses the GB Payment system, and is handled in conjunction with the GB site.  Any payments will be logged on GB for that auction. 

Standard is handled outside of GB.

I decided to use the second most dangerous payment system on GB, sending a cashier's check or money order to a gun dealer. (The most dangerous method would be to send him hard cash). Positive feedback for the seller is 99%. Whether I feel lucky or unlucky depends on seeing the actual weapon at my local FFL dealer a week from now. How often have you needed to resort on this payment method? I am flying blind, using my intuition about people.

I decided to use the second most dangerous payment system on GB, sending a cashier's check or money order to a gun dealer. (The most dangerous method would be to send him hard cash). Positive feedback for the seller is 99%. Whether I feel lucky or unlucky depends on seeing the actual weapon at my local FFL dealer a week from now. How often have you needed to resort on this payment method? I am flying blind, using my intuition about people.

As stated, I always use a credit card.  This means I pay the seller directly.  Sometimes you get lucky and there's no CC fee.  But, no matter what, you're protected by the CC's promise to cancel charges if you're ripped off.

I once had some packages stolen by a cab driver in Vegas.  He saw we had packages, but as we were getting out, he quickly took off before we could get them out of the backseat.  We reported it the AMEX, and they cancelled the charges.  Most cards cover loss from theft, damage, or scams.

Having just completed a transaction involving sending a check by US mail, this is how it went. Had to go to the bank to cut a cashier's check (without a fee, since I am dumb enough to have enough cash in an account not earning interest). Then I went to the Post Office to send it by certified mail to the mainland. The process took about 90 minutes, due to a last minute influx of people at the Post Office. Patiently waited 5 days for the letter to be delivered by USPS. The seller posted that payment was received, using the Gunbroker site tools. Weapon was shipped a day later, and was received in good condition by a local dealer. Amazed that nothing went awry as sometimes happen on eBay. No boxes with rocks and newspapers posing as the auction item. The Gunbroker experience has been good so far, but I am sure that some disasters do happen. We're dealing with human beings, after all.
My next question is about the Firearm Protection Plan, underwritten by Lockton Insurance Company. It seems to be inexpensive at $15.85, so what's the hitch? Guns are not as reliable as iPads, therefore there must be a loophole.

After two months of bidding on Gunbroker, I finally encountered an auction that triggered the 15 minute rule. A .38 Special Colt Shooting Master revolver was up for auction from a lawyer's collection of firearms.



https://www.gunbroker.com/Item/914751797

This handgun was manufactured in 1932 and now falls into the category of Curios and Relics (C & R). As such, most gun dealers sell with the proviso that the pistol is subject to a fire at your own risk provision. Good luck to the final winner.

Bought my CZ 457 via a Gunbroker "buy now".  Signed on Gunbroker, did the "buy now" and quick confirmation.  Follow-up on shipping to Hawaii and payment via phone call and payment via CC.  Not much different than buying a firearm from an online vendor, just Gunbroker was their ad service or conduit to get to their gun listing. 

Smooth transaction and super fact shipping.  I would definitely deal with that vendor again in the future. 

After two months of bidding on Gunbroker, I finally encountered an auction that triggered the 15 minute rule. A .38 Special Colt Shooting Master revolver was up for auction from a lawyer's collection of firearms.

This handgun was manufactured in 1932 and now falls into the category of Curios and Relics (C & R). As such, most gun dealers sell with the proviso that the pistol is subject to a fire at your own risk provision. Good luck to the final winner.

Pretty much all used guns come with that warning, contemporary or C&R.

If you do much of your own gunsmithing, firearm builds, or used gun purchasing, it might be beneficial to get a set of go/no go/field gauges for the calibers you own or purchase most.  If the gun passes the go/no go test, and an inspection uncovers no visible damage, you're not likely to experience problems.  The sellers are just covering their butts legally by recommending you have their guns checked by an expert, thereby shielding themselves from liability.

Bought my CZ 457 via a Gunbroker "buy now".  Signed on Gunbroker, did the "buy now" and quick confirmation.  Follow-up on shipping to Hawaii and payment via phone call and payment via CC.  Not much different than buying a firearm from an online vendor, just Gunbroker was their ad service or conduit to get to their gun listing. 

Smooth transaction and super fact shipping.  I would definitely deal with that vendor again in the future.

you didn't use paypal?

Did a bunch of transactions on GB.  All went smoothly.  Of course YMMV

Never used Paypal for GB, just doesn't seem correct. 

After two months of bidding on Gunbroker, I finally encountered an auction that triggered the 15 minute rule. A .38 Special Colt Shooting Master revolver was up for auction from a lawyer's collection of firearms.



https://www.gunbroker.com/Item/914751797

This handgun was manufactured in 1932 and now falls into the category of Curios and Relics (C & R). As such, most gun dealers sell with the proviso that the pistol is subject to a fire at your own risk provision. Good luck to the final winner.

Stunning