Everything you need to know about buying firearms safely and legally on ShootingBid.
Sign up in minutes at ShootingBid.com. You'll need to provide a valid email address and agree to our Terms of Service confirming you are 18 or older and legally permitted to purchase firearms in your state.
Browse thousands of listings by category — Handguns, Rifles, Shotguns, Ammo, Accessories and more. Use our search filters to narrow by caliber, condition, price range, location and time remaining.
Click "Bid Now" on any active auction and enter your bid amount. Your bid must meet the minimum increment. You can also set a Maximum Bid — our system will automatically outbid competitors on your behalf up to your maximum, so you don't have to watch the auction constantly.
If you are the highest bidder when the auction ends, you win! You'll receive an email and on-site notification immediately. The seller will contact you to arrange payment and FFL transfer details.
All firearm purchases must be transferred through a licensed Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) dealer near you. This is required by federal law. You provide your local FFL dealer's information to the seller, who ships the firearm to them. You then pick it up after completing a background check (Form 4473).
After your transaction is complete, leave feedback for the seller. This helps build trust in our community and rewards honest, reliable sellers.
When you set a Maximum Bid, our system automatically bids for you in the minimum increment each time you are outbid — up to your maximum. You only pay what's needed to win, not necessarily your full maximum.
Example: Item starts at $200. You set a max bid of $500. Current bid is $200 — the system bids $201 for you. Someone bids $300 — system automatically bids $301. This continues until someone exceeds $500, at which point you are outbid and notified.
Bids are binding contracts. You may only retract a bid under very specific circumstances such as a clear error in the listing. Contact support immediately if you need to discuss a bid retraction.
Failure to complete a purchase after winning an auction may result in negative feedback, account suspension, and being reported to other sellers in our network.
Sellers choose auction durations from 1 to 14 days. Check the listing for the exact end time. All times are Eastern Time (ET).
Some sellers set a hidden minimum price (reserve). If bidding does not reach this amount, the item will not sell. The listing will show "Reserve Not Met" until that threshold is reached.
Many listings include a Buy It Now price. Clicking Buy It Now immediately ends the auction and purchases the item at that fixed price.
Yes. All firearm transfers through an FFL dealer require a NICS background check (Form 4473). This is federal law and applies to all buyers regardless of state.
