Feedback Request Help us build the "CAguns Preferred FFL Network"

[ikeo1]

Hey everyone,

We’re exploring the idea of launching a CAguns Preferred FFL Network — a vetted list of dealers who are transparent, fair, and genuinely easy to work with.

We all know the experience can vary wildly between shops. Some make purchases and transfers straightforward and stress-free. Others add confusion, unnecessary friction, or inconsistent policies. The goal here isn’t to bash FFLs, it’s to highlight and support the shops that consistently do it right.

Before we invite any dealers to participate, we want to define what a “5-Star FFL Experience” actually means to you.

Help us set the baseline:

• Transfer Fees
  • What’s a fair dealer transfer fee in your area for online orders (non-PPT)?
• Other Fees
  • What feels reasonable for ammo transfers, storage fees, or stripped lower processing?
• Policies & Guidance
  • How should a preferred FFL handle featureless builds or legally grey items? We’re looking for clear explanations, consistent policies, and no unnecessary FUD.
• “Undetermined” Status
  • Is it enough that they clearly disclose their policy upfront so there are no surprises?
• Member Pricing
  • Should Preferred FFLs offer clearly defined CAguns standard or preferred member pricing on common services (transfers, ammo, storage, etc.)?Note: Would you be open to this discounted pricing being appointment-based rather than walk-in, to keep things fair for both the shop's workflow and your wallet?
• Service
  • What behaviors make you loyal to a shop communication, turnaround time, transparency, attitude?

If you’ve had a great experience, tell us what made it great. If you’ve had a frustrating one, tell us what would’ve improved it.

Once we define the standard together, we’ll use it to build a network that rewards the shops doing things right and makes the process easier for everyone.

Let us know what “good” looks like in the comments below. Our goal is to have a few preferred FFL's in different Regions for you guys to transfer everything legally and stress free. It's already stressful enough.

 

[KingRansom]

I use GunBroker a lot. Anytime that I've ordered a CA legal firearm but have to have it shipped in I look on GunBroker for an FFL closest to me and who has the most reasonable fees. Probably done 15 or 20 transactions like this over the year so they're FFL finder has been a great tool. Would be nice to have one directly on CA guns

 

[Wolkenflieger]

Unsure if helpful to note nuances - like Cash only DROS

As in, shops to avoid.

 

[Wolkenflieger]

Biggest factors for me:

Do they have enough staff for walk-in PPTs?

Do the employees care about accuracy? Do they have command of the language?

Is PPT is done by appointment only? Are PPTs limited to certain days/times?

Do they release on undetermined? Make this known on a website which is kept current.

Do they allow cash-transfer for PPTs in-store? This is a security benefit to the buyer and seller too.

Clear description of DROS fees on website.

Does the shop charge for storage beyond 10th day of hold?

Be clear about lock fees or policy to use an existing lock. Some shops charge $10 for lock and some charge $5 or less.

Cash-only DROS is a deal breaker because odds-are that I won't know about this beforehand and it will waste my time while destroying planning efficiency. Join the rest of us in the 21st century already.

All gun shops should be open on both weekend days when most working people are off. List days and hours of operation prominently.

Keep some popular ammo and accessories on-hand and have plenty of pictures of the shop on a website and Yelp so we can get a feel for it.

 

[gorgothmog]

75 for one and 40 each additional but I discount receivers and it's always one 37 dros fee if all done at once.

Far West is legit.

 

[sicks]

As in, shops to avoid.

I wouldnt avoid it due to cash only. Just be prepared. There are other benefits that are indirectly linked to cash only.

Suggesting that nuances can be represented in some way

 

[Wolkenflieger]

I wouldnt avoid it due to cash only. Just be prepared. There are other benefits that are indirectly linked to cash only.

Suggesting that nuances can be represented in some way

You won't but I will. It's objectively better to have more ways to pay, and a whole lot of people won't find out about the cash-only policy until they're trying to pay DROS with card only. Most people living in 2026 would not be expecting this.

 

[sicks]

You won't but I will. It's objectively better to have more ways to pay, and a whole lot of people won't find out about the cash-only policy until they're trying to pay DROS with card only. Most people living in 2026 would not be expecting this.

i understand what you are saying. what i am suggesting is that to build the preferred ffl network, calling out nuances will be helpful - however tagging cash Dros as automatically "unpreferred" isnt the way - that is only a variable. for my particular example, the shop has on average been >50% more time efficent on average for PPt (for me - as compated to many other ffls in socal). i am fine with cash for this trade off.

 

[Wolkenflieger]

i understand what you are saying. what i am suggesting is that to build the preferred ffl network, calling out nuances will be helpful - however tagging cash Dros as automatically "unpreferred" isnt the way - that is only a variable. for my particular example, the shop has on average been >50% more time efficent on average for PPt (for me - as compated to many other ffls in socal). i am fine with cash for this trade off.

I am not saying the site should have an opinion about an FFL being cash-only, good or bad. I'm surprised you took it that way.

For individuals, knowing ahead of time a shop is cash-only is important either way,; in order to have cash on-hand before arriving at the shop or avoiding the shop for this reason.

The worst case is not knowing and then showing up intending to pay with card or some other non-cash method like it's 2026, only to be caught out. Then what? The person has to leave premises and go get cash? Talk about inefficient, and this blows PPT efficiency out of the water for the FFL too.

I would not use some janky shop ATM either, with their outrageous non-network fees.

There's enough to remember (bringjng FSC, ID, proof -of-residence, etc.) with a PPT without the cash-only surprise for those who haven't scoured the website before arriving, assuming the "cash-only" policy is even on the website or that people will even visit and read an FFL's site beforehand.

A person surprised by a cash-only DROS policy may just leave and abandon the deal entirely out of sheer frustration, which would obviously be a waste of time for all involved. The reviews could be scathing from someone whose time and effort had been wasted with unexpected cash-only policies...in 2026. Cash-only is not an expectation most people would have or welcome for DROS fees, merch, ammo, etc.

Even if it's just cash-only DROS, that's still going to be deal breaker for many.

Cash is great in some cases (PPT payment to seller), but a cash-only DROS policy in 2026 is not a wise decision, and that's putting it nicely.

 

[BrunoJJJ]

Sharing my experience on 3 Orange County FFLs that have likely been frequented by folks here. Top positive and top negative for each.

Turner’s Lake Forest:
Positive - new purchase from their store was the most efficient (FSC test, DROS, pick up)
Negative - PPT transaction they made me buy a store provided lock even though another employee over the phone said it wouldn’t be required

Bass Pro Irvine:
Positive - allowed me to do a DROS close to closing time (about 30 minutes before close)
Negative - associates seem to get distracted by other store functions which adds to time/wait

On Target Laguna Niguel:
Positive - candid employees when answering questions, felt much less corporate and more casual than other 2
Negative - felt unorganized without any order or queue system

Update on Turner’s Lake Forest: they allowed me to return the store bought lock once I had the firearm locked in my trunk. I’ve now completed a store purchase and PPT with them. Both of ended up being positive transactions once I was able to return the lock from the PPT.

 

[sicks]

I am not saying the site should have an opinion about an FFL being cash-only, good or bad. I'm surprised you took it that way.

Why surprised? You said in two posts before this:
> "As in, shops to avoid."
> "You won't but I will."
...... In a thread about this site creating a preferred FFL network. Again, I understand the points youve reiterated. If a shop does many other things well (arguably better than other close shops), cash only DROS isnt enough to omit them from a preferred network.

 

[WBT Guns]

We have found some success with handling payment for a transfer prior to the appointment. This ensures the time spent in the store is further minimized and there are no awkward moments about taxes. I’d say going all digital was another huge step. iPads and laptops up front make the entire process run even smoother. In 2026, as harsh as this may sound, digital operations should be near mandatory. I know of a few guys going paper that are incredibly efficient but I’d say that’s the exception not the rule.

With regards to price…asking a shop in San Diego to match or get close to a price for service in an area like El Centro or someplace where rent is orders of magnitude lower is not going to work out long term. Good service comes from solid knowledge and trained staff. You can’t have both. Good, fast, cheap…pick any 2.

Back to the digital age conversation, everyone should have a website with clear document expectations. Everyone has a slightly different take and we should have it well documented and easy to find. I think most do but that should be mandatory.

Regardless of your thoughts on Gunbroker, their ffl search feature is pretty good. Everyone should be listed there. As I type this, I’ve realized we have not “claimed this listing “ on FFLs.com so that will be next on my list.

A method of communication within X days/Hours about arrival should be addressed. We have some FFLs we send transfers to that are on it, others wait days , sometimes weeks to notify the customer of the item ready for transfer. Everyone has the tracking so the customer knows it’s there, what’s the timeframe for contact?

Ammo, parts, barrels should…how is that handled. Storage fees should be zero for a set period of time.

Cost to re DROS if there is an issue. Who pays for it? Not for a delay/reject but when info is mistyped or not scanned/reviewed.

I have more but I’m getting tired. Opening day for little league and I’m spent.

 

[Wolkenflieger]

Why surprised? You said in two posts before this:
> "As in, shops to avoid."
> "You won't but I will."
...... In a thread about this site creating a preferred FFL network. Again, I understand the points youve reiterated. If a shop does many other things well (arguably better than other close shops), cash only DROS isnt enough to omit them from a preferred network.

You're not understanding me. I never said the SITE should exclude them, just that I personally won't go to an FFL that is cash-only.

I would want a cash-only shop listed as cash-only so I know to avoid them.

Make sense?

 

[sicks]

Might be more efficient to have a "Yelp" sort of rating system for FFLs instead of preferred - but guessing that may significantly take more work

 

[Wolkenflieger]

Might be more efficient to have a "Yelp" sort of rating system for FFLs instead of preferred - but guessing that may significantly take more work

I like the idea of users being able to leave short reviews.

 

[ikeo1]

Might be more efficient to have a "Yelp" sort of rating system for FFLs instead of preferred - but guessing that may significantly take more work

This is already available but have to populate it. The ffl section is sorted by rating but also want to add a zip code filter.

Then the transfer fees. I just saw how gunbroker does it, so I’ll see if we can do something specific to CA.

The hardest part is the fee structure for what’s fair for customer and ffl. FFL’s charge higher prices because of customers who forget stuff etc which cause a lot of headaches. Higher fees discourage being lazy or taking advantage of processes. Finding something that works that will help FFLs AND members here is what our goal will be.

Instead of volatile experiences, long waits etc, better distribution based on pricing. Finding that balance is going to be hard, but I think worth while.

 

[ikeo1]

I like the idea of users being able to leave short reviews.

This already exists

FFL Reviews

Review your FFL

caguns.net

The next thing is populating it and incentivizing FFL’s to encourage listing here for visibility and have them leave reviews here with yelp/google

 

[Pew!]

Rather than short reviews I was thinking reviews that ask a series a questions like market research might be interesting. Kind of like how Google review questions for a business ask include automated, industry-specific prompts like service quality, price point, or atmosphere, designed to help Google categorize local businesses.

e.g. you could collect the data with structured questions as detailed as you like:
What form of payment does the FFL accept for PPT? Cash only / Credit only or ether cash or credit?
Is there a discount when transferring multiple firearms in one transaction? Yes / No. If yes explain:______
If you made an appointment for PPT did you need to wait? Yes / No. If yes how long:____
Was the PPT done with paper or electronically? Paper / Electronic
Was the staff friendly?
Would you recommend the FFL to a friend for PPT?
etc...

And take the data and fill in the FFL summary in the listing.

 

[ikeo1]

Rather than short reviews I was thinking reviews that ask a series a questions like market research might be interesting. Kind of like how Google review questions for a business ask include automated, industry-specific prompts like service quality, price point, or atmosphere, designed to help Google categorize local businesses.

e.g. you could collect the data with structured questions as detailed as you like:
What form of payment does the FFL accept for PPT? Cash only / Credit only or ether cash or credit?
Is there a discount when transferring multiple firearms in one transaction? Yes / No. If yes explain:______
If you made an appointment for PPT did you need to wait? Yes / No. If yes how long:____
Was the PPT done with paper or electronically? Paper / Electronic
Was the staff friendly?
Would you recommend the FFL to a friend for PPT?
etc...

And take the data and fill in the FFL summary in the listing.

That might make it easier. I'm finding that FFL's are having a hard time navigating that section even if they are savvy.. Perhaps it might be easier if it was a guided process to onboard them... I appreciate the suggestion. I'll definitely look into that to see if that might simplify and standardize things. I know the site well, but I can see how people can find it overwhelming when you see all the different components