BurntHome / Transfers
Transfers & policy
Two different processes depending on what you're buying. Title I firearms move one way, NFA items move another, and mixing them up is where most confusion starts.
Non-negotiable
No completed weapon requiring an ATF Form 4473 and/or any other ATF form will ever ship to a private individual. It goes to a licensed dealer whose FFL is current and on file with us. There is no version of this where we make an exception, for anyone, for any reason.
An NFA item is an NFA item regardless of where it came from. If it is a silencer, SBR, SBS or AOW, the full National Firearms Act process applies — Form 3 to an SOT holder, then your approved Form 4 and tax stamp before you take possession. That does not change because the item came through Silencer Shop, because you belong to a gun rights organization, or because someone online told you a workaround exists. Until ATF changes the law, the NFA requirement applies here.
We would rather lose a sale than lose our license — and we would much rather you not catch a felony.
Title I — rifles, pistols, optics
Order
Optics and accessories ship to your door. Firearms take the dealer route below.
Choose your FFL
Pick a receiving dealer, or use our counter. We verify their license before anything moves.
Form 4473
At pickup you complete ATF Form 4473 and the dealer runs your NICS check. Bring photo ID.
Take it home
Cleared and signed off, same day. Most transfers take under twenty minutes.
NFA — silencers, SBRs, AOWs
We verify legality
Before we take your money we confirm the item is legal where you live. Some states are off the table and we'll say so plainly.
Form 3 to an SOT
The item moves dealer to dealer, tax free, into a safe belonging to a licensee holding an SOT. Usually days.
Form 4 and stamp
You supply a digital .EFT fingerprint file and a digital passport-style photo; we do the eForms filing with you at the counter. The transfer tax is $0 as of January 1, 2026 for suppressors, SBRs, SBSs and AOWs — the approval is still required.
Approved, pick up
When the stamp clears we call you. Full detail in the suppressor guide.
An NFA item cannot go to an FFL without an SOT. A dealer without the SOT cannot legally receive one. If your local shop holds the SOT, send us their license and we'll coordinate the Form 3. If not, the item comes to us and you file with us. See the shipping policy above.
Shooting it while you wait
You cannot take possession of an NFA item before your Form 4 is approved. But you can use one under our direct supervision, because it never leaves our possession.
We'll take you to a local range with the item, our range officer stays with you throughout, and the item returns to our safe with us. $100 per hour covers the RSO and the range fee. Available on items we own outright — ask when you order.
Understand what this means: you'll be firing the item you're waiting on, so it won't be unfired when you take it home. Most people would rather know how it runs on their host than have a pristine one.
Fees
Title I firearms
| Situation | Our fee |
|---|---|
| You bought it from us | No transfer fee |
| Private party transfer — NICS check and transfer | $50 |
| Incoming transfer from a dealer or auction site | $50 |
NFA items
No fee on anything you buy from us — that includes the eForms filing. The fees below apply when you have bought elsewhere or privately and we are acting as your transferring dealer.
| Item | Transfer fee |
|---|---|
| Anything purchased from us | No fee |
| Suppressor — private sale | $100 |
| SBR, SBS or AOW — private sale | $200 |
| Machine gun | 3.5% commission |
These are transfer fees for taking delivery and acting as your local dealer. They apply whether or not you supply your own fingerprint file and photo — the work on our side is the same either way, and it is the part that carries the liability.
Payment
| Method | Fee |
|---|---|
| Zelle | None |
| Apple Pay | None |
| Shop Pay | None |
| PayPal | None |
| Debit card | None |
| Credit card | 3% |
Not every payment method works for every item. Several of these platforms restrict firearms and firearm parts under their own terms, entirely separate from anything we control. We'll tell you which methods are available for what you're buying — Zelle works for everything.
The 3% credit card surcharge is what the card networks charge us, passed through rather than buried in the price. It is disclosed before you pay and itemised separately on your receipt. Debit cards carry no surcharge.
Paying by Zelle avoids the surcharge entirely and is the cheapest route for both of us.
Taxes
All applicable state and local taxes apply and are the buyer's responsibility. Tax is calculated on the delivery address, not ours, and appears as a separate line at checkout rather than being folded into the price.
Where an item routes through us and you collect it here, Florida rates apply. Where we ship to your dealer in another state, that state's rates apply.
Your receiving dealer's fee
If we ship to another dealer, that dealer charges their own transfer fee and you pay it directly to them. It is not part of what you pay us and we do not collect it, mark it up, or have any say in what they charge.
It typically runs $25 to $75 depending on the shop and the item. Ask them before you pick your receiving dealer — the difference between the cheapest and dearest shop in a given area is often more than people expect, and it is entirely within your control to choose.
Arranging your receiving dealer — your job, not ours
Before we ship
You are responsible for contacting your local dealer and telling them a firearm is coming. Dealers turn away shipments they weren't expecting — we do it ourselves. Don't assume they'll accept it.
We must have a signed copy of their current FFL. A number alone is not enough. The licence has to be signed, unexpired, and sent to us — and nothing ships until it is in our hands and verified.
What we need before a firearm leaves here:
- A signed copy of the receiving dealer's current FFL, unexpired
- Confirmation from you that you have spoken to them and they're expecting it
- Their licence verified as current on our end
The easiest way: ask your dealer to email a signed copy of their licence directly to Aaron@burntofferingsdefense.com. Every shop that does transfers has this ready to send — it's a routine request and they'll know exactly what you mean. Dealer to dealer is cleaner than passing it through you, and it's faster.
Miss any of that and the order sits until it's sorted. We'll chase you once; after that it waits.
Shipping on brands that route through us
Some manufacturers won't let a distributor ship direct to your dealer — the item has to come to us first. Glock, Ruger, Kimber, Springfield, Sig and Colt are the common ones. You have two options:
| Option | Cost | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Local pickup at our counter | No shipping charge | As soon as it lands and clears our books |
| We re-ship to your FFL | Actual outbound shipping + 30% handling | Adds a few days for the second leg |
The 30% covers packing, insurance and the paperwork on the second leg — we're not making money on freight. If you're within driving distance, pickup is simply cheaper and you'll get it sooner.
We'll tell you which route an item takes before you buy, not after. If something can ship straight to your dealer, it will. If it can't, you'll know the shipping cost up front rather than finding it on an invoice.
Sending a firearm to us? Tell us first.
Read this before you ship
We require notice before any firearm arrives. If a firearm shows up here and we have no record of it coming, we ship it straight back to the sender at their expense. No exceptions.
This applies to everyone — GunBroker and every other auction site, other dealers, individuals, distributors. An unannounced firearm is a gun we cannot match to a buyer, cannot log correctly, and will not accept into our books.
Notifying us takes one email. Send us:
- Your name and phone number
- What it is — make, model, and caliber
- Where it's coming from, and the seller or auction listing
- Tracking number once you have it
Email Aaron@burntofferingsdefense.com and we'll send our FFL to the shipper. That's the whole process, and it takes about two minutes.
Waiting period
Florida imposes a mandatory waiting period between purchase and delivery of a firearm, with an exemption for concealed weapon licence holders.
We go longer than the law requires. If you don't hold a valid Florida concealed weapon licence, we hold the firearm for five business days rather than three — and the background check has to come back clear before the clock is satisfied either way.
Why five instead of three? Because it costs you two days and it costs us nothing, and because the licence on the line here is ours. If a cooling-off period is worth having at all, an extra couple of days doesn't hurt anyone who is buying a firearm for the reasons people normally buy firearms.
What you bring to an NFA filing: a digital .EFT fingerprint file and a digital passport-style photo. We don't operate a kiosk — any electronic fingerprinting service, many police departments, or a dealer with a kiosk can capture them. Have both in hand before your appointment; nothing gets filed without them.
Body armor
Armor is regulated separately from firearms, under its own patchwork of federal and state rules that don't track firearms law at all. Federal law restricts possession by people with certain felony convictions. Several states restrict who may buy it, and at least one requires the sale to happen face to face rather than by shipment.
We check your delivery address against the current restrictions before an armor order ships. If we can't legally send it to you, we'll say so and refund you rather than take the order and sort it out later.
Thermal & night vision
Export controlled under ITAR and EAR. We ship domestically to US persons only. No international orders, no freight forwarders, no transfer to a foreign national including inside the United States. This is a felony, not a policy preference.
Right of refusal & restocking
Read before you order
Only buy if you know you will pass a background check.
We reserve the right to refuse a sale to any person we believe does not qualify to purchase, whether or not a background check has been run. That judgement is ours to make and it is not negotiable.
If we have already bought a firearm on your behalf and the sale cannot be completed — because you are denied, because you don't qualify, or because we decline the transfer — a restocking fee of up to 90% may apply, and you will not receive the firearm.
That is not a penalty we enjoy charging. Once we have ordered a gun for you it is bought, paid for, and logged into our books, and our distributors will not simply take it back. The cost is real and it lands on us.
Every item we sell must comply with all applicable federal, state and local law at the delivery address. Where an item cannot lawfully be sold or shipped to you, we won't take the order.
If you have any doubt about whether you can pass a background check, ask us before you buy, or contact the FBI directly about your own record. A five-minute conversation beforehand is better than this policy afterward.
Identification
Applies to buying and selling
You must present valid legal identification to our staff in person, and we photocopy it for our records. This applies whether you are buying a firearm from us or selling one to us.
If you are not comfortable with your identification being examined and copied, we are not the right shop for you. That is not a negotiable part of how we operate.
Bring every document that applies to the transaction — government photo ID with your current address, and any state licence or permit relevant to the item. If your ID doesn't show your current address, bring what does.
Copies are kept as part of our records. They are stored securely and are not shared with anyone outside what the law requires of us.
All sales are final
We do not accept returns or exchanges. Not on firearms, not on NFA items, not on optics or gear. The reason is the same one behind our restocking policy: once an item is bought for you it is paid for and logged into our books, and our distributors will not take it back.
Once a firearm has transferred to you it is legally yours — it can be sold or traded, but not returned. NFA items cannot be unwound once the Form 4 is submitted. Optics and gear are final once shipped.
Defective is different from unwanted. If a new item arrives with a manufacturing defect, do not accept the transfer — tell us the same day and we'll take it up with the manufacturer under their warranty. That is a warranty claim, not a return, and it is the only route available.
Ask every question you have before you buy. We would much rather spend twenty minutes talking you out of the wrong optic than have you stuck with it.
We buy firearms
We purchase firearms outright — single guns, collections, or estates. Every purchase is after appraisal, in person, with the firearm in hand. We do not quote from a photo or a description, because a number given sight-unseen is worthless to both of us.
Bring it in and we'll look it over properly: condition, function, originality, what the market is actually doing on that model right now. You'll get a straight number and an explanation of how we got there. If you don't like it, no hard feelings and no obligation — take it somewhere else.
- Valid government photo ID, presented in person and photocopied for our records
- You must be legally able to sell the firearm
- Bring any box, papers, extra magazines and accessories — they affect the number
- Appraisals are by appointment, same hours as everything else
Email Aaron@burntofferingsdefense.com with what you have and we'll set a time.
Hours
By appointment only. Weekday evenings after 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Saturdays by request.
That's a deliberate choice, not a limitation. An appointment means you get the whole counter instead of a queue, and NFA paperwork gets done properly the first time rather than squeezed between walk-ins. Email Aaron@burntofferingsdefense.com with a couple of times that work and we'll confirm.