Whether you are a business selling firearms and ammo or an individual with extra stock, it’s challenging to find a good place to sell it. The goal is to find an auction service that makes the process painless for both the seller and the buyer. A good service will be reputable and have years of experience dealing with firearm and ammunition sales.
The 3 best places to sell guns and ammo online are Gun Broker, Gun Auction, and Guns America. The best place to buy and sell specialized weapons and ammo is Rock Island Auction Company. In my opinion, each is a solid choice since all are well-respected in the industry and have many years of experience selling online.
Or, if you want to get a quick, fair offer and avoid the hassle of posting to an auction, check out this page on guns.com. They are a fully licensed FFL and will even make offers on full collections. It’s also a great place to get a good deal on a used firearm.
But if you aren’t in a rush and want to get the best price possible, the rest of this article will highlight my top auction picks. While all of the recommended sites are highly regarded as giving a good experience, each is unique and set up to cater to different types of buyers. Let’s go through them in turn and also answer a few common questions regarding selling ammo online.
1. Gun Broker
Gun Broker is the largest auction website that specifically handles the buying and selling of firearms and accessories. Geared towards hunting and gun enthusiasts, the website provides a place for licensed sellers and buyers to conduct legal gun and gun accessory sales. On this site, you can securely purchase guns, ammunition, and hunting gear.
Gun Broker is a listing service that is a lot like eBay. They allow third-party vendors to sell their stock while making sure any ammunition sold meets federal and state requirements by using licensed firearms dealers as transfer agents.
Most transactions on this site will require a licensed firearms dealer to transfer ownership between the buyer and the seller. The site encourages buyers to have a local FFL dealer ready before bidding on an item on the site.
Costs and Fees
There are no listing fees associated with gunbroker.com. The fees are 6% of the final value for transactions under $250. Over $250, it’s 6% of the first $250 and then 3.5% of the remaining amount.
Click here to learn more about the fees on gunbroker.com.
2. Gun Auction
Gunauction.com emerged in 1998 under the name Auction Arms. It would undergo a name change but still remains one of the best places to learn about gun paraphernalia and research gun and ammunition prices.
The site proclaims itself the oldest gun auction site online. On this site, you can buy and sell guns, ammunition, and accessories. They give you access to closed auctions so that you can get an idea about how much money people are charging for your particular brand of ammunition.
Costs and Fees
Gun Auction charges about 2.5% – 5% to list your product with them. Local stores and consignment auctions will charge a commission between 15%-35% of your total sale. You save money listing your ammunition online.
Click here to learn more about the fees on gunauction.com.
Related How Much Does Ammo Cost? | Detailed Price Analysis.
3. Guns America
Guns America has been online since 1997. The website connects gun and ammunition sellers and buyers. The website requires participants to be as transparent as possible when listing items for sale.
Detailed and accurate information with photos builds confidence with your buyers. Note this site does not offer buyers any protections. While most sellers are legitimate, the occasional fraud occurs, and buyers are left to file police reports. To avoid any issues, make sure you verify any seller’s information and purchase only from reputable sellers.
Costs and Fees
On gunsamerica.com, the standard after-sale fee is 4%, with a minimum sale of $20 for guns and $4 for non-guns. You can also get a trusted seller account, which costs $49.95 per month. As a trusted seller, up to $10,000 can be sold per month without an after-sale fee being charged. Once the limit is surpassed, a 2% fee is charged.
Click here to learn more about the terms and conditions on gunsamerica.com.
I recommend buying firearms, ammo, and accessories at a reputable online dealer, like my top pick, Palmetto State Armory. They are well-respected in the community and provide a 100% lifetime warranty on every weapon they sell. Just click here to see their latest inventory.
What if I Have Specialized Guns or Ammo?
For historical, antique, military, and other unique items I recommend trying Rock Island Auction Company, based out of Rock Island, IL. They have been in business since 1993 and have a really good reputation in the industry.
Rock Island holds numerous gun auctions per year and caters to collectors. The cool thing is that you can participate in the auctions in multiple ways. You can go to the live auction in person, bid with an absentee sealed bid, bid live on the internet, or even call in a bid. This gives people a great opportunity to get a collectible firearm at a reasonable price.
Costs and Fees
There is a 17.5% buyer’s premium and a 3.5% service fee if a credit card is used. You can also be charged a 3% additional fee if you use a third-party service or do absentee bidding.
Transporting of Guns or Ammo That Is Purchased
Guns and ammo are generally considered “hazardous materials” and you must notified your chosen shipping company of the contents of any package. I recommend using either UPS or FedEx ground. You can read the department of transportation and specific rules for shipping here:
Is It Legal to Sell Guns and Ammo Online?
Legally you can sell guns and ammo online. In fact, many companies have been doing so for many years. However, if you are going to sell them online, you need to be aware of both federal and local laws pertaining to ammunition sales.
Selling guns specifically is something you should contact the auction houses directly about to see if you can legally do so. The rest of this article will deal with ammo specifically, which has a bit more gray area to it. In other words, most regulations tend to be about guns themselves and less about the ammo used in them.
If you live in California, expect to go through a much more rigorous process for buying and selling firearms and ammo. In fact, you have to be a licensed dealer to even buy and sell in that state. You must also pass a background check beforehand. However, while difficult, it is not impossible and just takes more time to get through the process.
About Ammo Specifically
Federal laws say that shotgun and rifle ammo can be sold to anyone over the age of 18. Pistol ammunition can be sold to anyone over the age of 21. There are no specific laws against online sales; however, you will need to hold a Federal Firearms License (FFL) certificate to sell online.
The FFL certificate protects both the buyer and seller in any ammo transaction. To obtain an FFL certificate, you need to submit an application with the appropriate credentials. A background check will ensure. Assuming you pass the background check, your certificate will be sent to you.
Important: When selling online, you need to be aware of the person who will receive your ammo. Legally you cannot sell ammo to fugitives, those addicted to drugs (narcotics and controlled substances), domestic violence convicts, felons, undocumented workers, restraining order subjects, and dishonorably discharged veterans. For detailed information, you can refer to 18 U.S. Code Section 922
Navigating local laws can be more tricky. Different states in the USA have different ammunition sales requirements. While most states follow the ammunition rules laid out by federal laws, some states have more robust firearm restrictions. California, New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington DC are states with more gun and ammunition regulations.
The state of California has the country’s strictest firearm laws. Ammunition can only be sold by licensed vendors. These vendors must maintain records of all purchases. By law, any person purchasing ammunition needs to undergo a background check. These restrictions make it harder for online companies to do business in California.
Related How Much Ammo Can You Buy at One Time? (Legal Limits).
A selection of online companies that sell ammunition will sell ammo to customers in California. When doing business in California, online sellers need to use a middleman. This middleman is a licensed vendor capable of conducting background checks.
The good news is that online companies that buy and sell ammo are generally well-versed in the legalities of the process and are more than willing to help you if you reach out to them.
Pro Tip: When selling ammo online, it is important to note the buyer’s location, especially if they are states like California with different laws and restrictions. There is some friction between the federal government and California concerning these background checks on ammunition. Because of this, it might be better for Californians, or in states with similar laws, to purchase their ammunition locally.
Bottom Line
All three choices on my list are solid. I recommend going to each one and browsing their terms and conditions as well as their stock. Then go with the one that matches your needs best. Or, if you want to avoid what can be a slow process on auctions, check out this page on guns.com.
Related The 8 Best Places To Sell Knives.
Jim James is a published author and expert on the outdoors and survivalism. Through avid research and hands-on experience, he has gained expertise on a wide variety of topics. His time spent at college taught him to become really good at figuring out answers to common problems. Often through extensive trial and error, Jim has continued to learn and increase his knowledge of a vast array of topics related to firearms, hunting, fishing, medical topics, cooking, games/gaming, and other subjects too numerous to name.
Jim has been teaching people a wide variety of survivalism topics for over five years and has a lifetime of experience fishing, camping, general survivalism, and anything in nature. In fact, while growing up, he often spent more time on the water than on land! He has degrees in History, Anthropology, and Music from the University of Southern Mississippi. He extensively studied Southern History, nutrition, geopolitics, the Cold War, and nuclear policy strategies and safety as well as numerous other topics related to the content on survivalfreedom.com.