Whether you want to sell a specific weapon or plan to make a full-time living, selling firearms, ammunition, and accessories online will help maximize your customer base.
However, there are many federal and state regulations for gun sales. An easy way to navigate these is to sell your firearms through GunBroker.
Founded in 1999, GunBroker is the world’s largest online gun auction site. Like eBay, it’s an online marketplace, but it’s specifically designed for selling firearms and accessories.
The site boasts 7.3 million registered users, has a conversion rate of 7.50–8.00%, and an average order value of $275–300.
You can quickly sell firearms for more money on GunBroker, but you need to understand how the platform works before you get started.
This article explains how to sell on GunBroker and the benefits of using this platform to sell firearms. We also share tips on how to boost your Gunbroker sales.
What Is Gunbroker?
GunBroker is an online marketplace where third-party sellers create accounts and sell firearms to interested buyers. It works a lot like eBay.
If you’re legally allowed to own knives, firearms, guns, and accessories, you can buy or sell on GunBroker.
It’s the world’s largest online auction site for firearms and accessories. GunBroker is a partner in the firearms industry, and it supports the NRA, NSSF, Shooting Sports Summit, Hunting Heritage Trust, and USA Shooting.
How Does GunBroker Work?
GunBroker doesn’t sell firearms. It acts as a broker, connecting sellers with buyers. The platform generates revenue by charging a fee for every successful transaction.
More sellers are choosing GunBroker because the platform makes it easy to comply with the complex federal and state laws that govern gun sales. For example, you must provide a copy of your ID to buy or sell on GunBroker.
When shopping on GunBroker, the seller is responsible for complying with all local, state, and federal laws regarding firearms and ammunition.
How Does Selling on GunBroker Work?
Third-party sellers sign up for GunBroker and list their items in either an auction format, where they accept bids, or through GunBroker’s buy-now or fixed-price options. GunBroker then reviews the listing and posts it on the site for interested buyers.
When a shopper buys an item, they pay you, the seller, directly. If a Federal Firearms License (FFL) isn’t required, you ship the item directly to the buyer.
Many items on GunBroker don’t require an FFL. It depends on the individual item, but you're legally allowed to sell these items without shipping to an FFL holder:
- Scopes.
- Holsters.
- Air guns.
- Knives.
These products might require an age verification, which GunBroker conducts for you by checking a copy of the buyer’s driver’s license.
Federal law mandates that you must be 18 to purchase firearms or sell them on the platform. The only exception is handguns and pistol ammunition, which can only be sold to people 21 and older.
However, if an FFL is legally required, the buyer must find a local FFL transfer agent to facilitate the exchange between the buyer and seller.
The transfer agent receives the firearm, has the buyer complete Form 4473, runs a NICS background check, and then finalizes the transfer once approved.
The buyer is responsible for choosing an FFL agent. To speed up the process, GunBroker provides a comprehensive list of FFLs nationwide.
The Best Items to Sell on GunBroker
Some products perform better than others on GunBroker. Of course, it’s important to research market trends, but these are some of the best products to sell on this platform:
Firearms
These are the focus of GunBroker and tend to sell well on the platform. There is a high demand for handguns, rifles, and shotguns from reputable brands.
Ammunition
Both common and harder-to-find ammunition are popular on GunBroker. Bulk ammunition sales are also hot on the platform, as many people are looking for discounts.
Accessories
Gun accessories such as holsters, grips, sights, magazines, and scopes are in high demand on GunBroker. This is especially true for specialized or custom accessories.
Reloading supplies
Buyers on GunBroker often seek bulk supplies to save money. Suitable items include powder, primers, and bullets.
Gun parts
GunBroker is popular for selling firearm spare parts such as stocks, barrels, and triggers. You can also set premium prices for collectors or restoration items.
Outdoor gear
Shooting enthusiasts are often interested in outdoor activities, which is why selling hunting, fishing, or camping gear is profitable on this platform.
How To Sell on GunBroker in 7 Steps
Whether you want to make a one-time sale or a full-time living on the platform, you’ll need to follow these seven steps to sell a gun on GunBroker:
1. Register for an account
To get started, register for an account on GunBroker’s website. For legal reasons, the platform must verify your identity to approve the account using your name, address, and contact information.
GunBroker will charge you a $2 nonrefundable security fee and ask you to upload a copy of your driver’s license.
You must link your bank account and indicate which payment method you will accept. You can receive payment via:
- Money orders.
- Credit card payments.
- Personal check.
- Cashier’s check.
- Escrow.com or other firearm-friendly electronic payment services.
If you don’t pass the security check or fail to comply with GunBroker’s requests, it will deny your right to sell on the platform.
2. Create a listing
Once you’ve created an account, click “Sell” in the top corner of your dashboard. Add these details to start fleshing out your listing:
- Product category.
- Title and optional subtitle.
- A plain text description of the product, including its caliber, dimensions, and manufacturer.
- The item’s condition, specifications, and any laws and regulations.
- Payment terms, shipping fees, and sales tax.
- The type of listing (auction or BuyNow!).
- High-quality photos of the item.
3. Select a format and determine pricing
If you’re submitting an auction listing, you need to pick a duration from one to 14 days. You can also decide whether to hold the auction immediately or schedule it to go live at a later date.
You’ll need to set the reserve price or price criteria, which is the minimum amount you’re willing to accept for the item placed on auction.
If you’re using BuyNow!, you’ll need to set a fixed price for buyers who want to purchase the item immediately. Fixed-price listings can run for 30, 60, or 90 days.
You can pay more for GunBroker’s Optional Services to get more eyes on your listing. We’ll go into more detail on these services later in the guide.
4. Upload high-quality images
Over 70% of online shoppers rely on product photos when deciding on a potential purchase. It’s important that you upload high-quality images to your listing on GunBroker if you want your product to sell.
You can upload as many photos as you want, but GunBroker limits uploads to ten pictures per upload. If you have more than ten photos, upload them separately after the first ten photos load.
Be sure to use clear photos of the product. Try to take a mix of photos from different angles so buyers get an idea of the item's features and dimensions.
5. Preview the listing
After adding all of the details, it’s time to review your listing. Over 90% of consumers say they are frustrated by incorrect information provided on online platforms—you don’t want to make this mistake.
Take time to review your listing for accuracy carefully. You can’t make changes after a buyer bids on your item, so double-check that everything is correct.
6. Agree to the fee schedule
Basic listings are always free on GunBroker until the item is sold. There are no fees to create a listing or recurring membership fees, and if the product doesn’t sell, you can relist it free of charge.
When you sell an item on GunBroker, it assesses a Final Value Fee, a percentage of the item’s final selling price.
The final value fee is 6% for items priced between $1 and $325. For items over $325, GunBroker charges 6% on the first $325 (or $19.50) and 4% on the remaining value over $325.
Unless you signed up for GunBroker’s optional services, this is the only fee you'll pay.
You can use GunBroker's handy Final Value Fee Calculator to see what fees you'll pay before listing an item.
If everything looks correct, agree to the fees and click “Submit New Listing.”
7. Monitor and manage your listing
Once your listing goes live, you can view all selling activity in your GunBroker account dashboard.
If nobody’s bidding on your listing, you can choose to relist it, change your listing details, or buy Optional Services to generate more interest.
You will need to respond quickly to questions from potential buyers. If your item sells, you must communicate with the buyer and complete the transaction. This includes arranging for payment and shipment to a valid FFL holder, if applicable.
Remember that you will need to ship firearms based on the laws for selling these items.
8. Automate everything with Spark Shipping
It’s easy to sell on GunBroker, but what happens if you need to list and manage dozens of products at a time? For professional gun sellers, this takes a lot of time and manual effort.
The good news is that Spark Shipping can automate most of the steps outlined above for you through our GunBroker integration. All you need to do is register for a GunBroker account and connect Spark Shipping, and we do everything else for you, including:
Get a quick Spark Shipping demo to see these features in action.
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What happens if the buyer doesn’t pass the background check? If the buyer fails the background check (NICS), the FFL will not complete the transfer and the firearm will not be released. The receiving FFL will usually either return the firearm to the seller or hold it in their possession. The sale will be canceled, and any funds will be handled according to your payment terms. You should confirm the buyer’s failed check and payment status with the FFL, arrange a return shipment or refund, and keep copies of the FFL paperwork and all communications for your records. |
The Perks of Selling on Gunbroker
As a firearms seller, you might wonder if listing your products on GunBroker is worth it. While you’re free to sell via Craigslist or a gun show, there are several benefits to listing your items on GunBroker:
Wider reach
GunBroker gets 7 million unique monthly visitors. Selling on this platform gives you a much wider reach than selling locally. This exposure helps you find many more buyers and shorten the selling process.
Potentially sell at a higher price
If you list your items in an auction, you can make more money than you would in a fixed-price sale.
You can also use auction information to determine the current market value of your item based on real-time demand, which could potentially boost the value of your sale.
Security and privacy
There’s no need to display your personal information for a GunBroker transaction. Selling through GunBroker creates privacy between you and the buyer to protect your identity.
GunBroker has many measures in place to prevent scams. It utilizes several approved payment gateways to process transactions securely, ensuring that your messages and financial transactions are safe.
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Can You Get Scammed on GunBroker? Yes, scams do happen on GunBroker, but they’re avoidable if you consistently follow these rules:
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Rating system
Want to see if a buyer is legitimate? Check their user rating. GunBroker allows you to provide feedback ratings ranging from A+ to F.
The higher a person’s letter rating, the more reputable they are. GunBroker also has this feature to help you find safe, trustworthy buyers.
Flexibility
GunBroker started as an auction site, but it’s a flexible gun sales platform. It offers a variety of listing formats, like auctions or BuyNow!, so you can choose the best option for your transaction.
3 Tips for Selling on Gunbroker
Follow these tips to generate more sales on GunBroker:
1. Check Gunbroker’s selling advice
GunBroker only receives payment when you get paid, so it has an interest in your success as a seller. That's why the platform provides a free knowledge base just for sellers.
You can find advice on GunBroker’s portal for information on:
- Listing items.
- What to do after listing items.
- Pricing and tax.
- Checkout and payment methods.
- Shipping costs and invoices.
- Tips on improving your listings.
- How to resolve common problems.
Some of the information might seem simple, but if you’ve never used GunBroker before, it’s best to read these helpful articles for best practices and selling tips.
2. Sign up for Gunbroker’s optional Services
As GunBroker is an auction site, you’re competing against over 1.6 million listings on the platform. It can be tough to get traffic to your listing even if you do everything right, which is why GunBroker offers Optional Services.
Optional Services are buy-ups to market your listings. You’ll pay a small fee for the extra options, but these features could help you get more bids and sales. GunBroker currently offers several upgraded services:
Showcase listings
For $4.95, GunBroker will display your listing on the Home Page.
Featured listings
For $2.95, GunBroker will give your listing more visibility in search results.
Highlights
For $2, GunBroker highlights your listing in yellow to make it stand out.
Boldface title
For $1, get your item title bolded on the search results page.
Colored title
Choose from red, green, or blue for $1. GunBroker encourages combining this with Boldface Title for more visibility.
The downside to these fees is that you still have to pay them even if your item doesn’t sell.
However, if you’re an experienced seller on GunBroker, the platform offers discounted fees in exchange for your loyalty.
3. Use firearm-friendly data integrations
If you’re selling guns online, you know how overwhelming it can be to manage all of your data and listings. You want to focus on growing your business and providing good service, but the paperwork often gets in the way.
Instead of doing everything manually, opt for a firearms-friendly data integration and automation solution. Spark Shipping automates software integrations to streamline your business, keep you compliant, and give your shoppers a better experience.
Spark Shipping automatically splits firearms to send to an FFL holder of your customer’s choice, making it easy to comply with federal law while streamlining your business.
How Our GunBroker Integration Works
Spark Shipping automates the connection between GunBroker and all your vendors. We work with any vendor, supplier, manufacturer, or warehouse regardless of their format.
Here’s how the Spark Shipping integration with GunBroker works:
Product uploads
We gather complete product data from all your vendors and consolidate it in an easy-to-use product catalog personalized to you.
This allows you to upload product data to your GunBroker account easily and conveniently in the format GunBroker requires.
Inventory updates
With Spark Shipping, you never have to worry about telling customers you can’t fulfill their orders.
Our one-to-many mapping links a single product listing on your GunBroker account to multiple vendors. Our tool then sends real-time product updates from all of them, ensuring you can always route orders to an in-stock vendor.
Pricing
The integration provides real-time pricing updates and margins that are always maintained regardless of price increases.
Order fulfillment
Each Spark Shipping listing that you have can track different SKUs, vendor identifiers, stock quantities, and unit costs for each vendor it’s linked to. We can automatically route orders to the correct vendors for you when customers place them in your GunBroker store.
Tracking updates
Spark Shipping automatically updates your GunBroker store with tracking numbers, and your orders are marked as sent as soon as your vendors return tracking information. You can configure your GunBroker shipping cart to alert your customers via email about their orders.
More Tips for Selling Firearms Online
Spark Shipping makes it easy for you to dropship firearms online. However, there are some other things you can do to ensure you sell successfully:
- Research local laws: Some states and regions have stricter laws about selling firearms. Always check your state and local regulations before starting to sell firearms.
- Get to know your target market: Do your research and gather sales data on your target audience. This should help you provide value to your shoppers and choose which guns and accessories to dropship.
- Market your products: Marketing modern firearms requires high attention to detail. Research the products you want to sell and share engaging marketing content with your audience.
- Find a reliable payment service: Stripe, Shopify Payments, WooCommerce Payments, and PayPal don’t process payments for firearms and accessories. You need to find a reliable payment processor for credit card processing. On GunBroker, you can use their built-in payment gateway for secure transactions.
Simplify Selling Firearms With Spark Shipping
GunBroker is one of the best online platforms for selling firearms and accessories. Rather than trying to find a local buyer, you simply list your products on GunBroker and connect with hundreds of potential buyers nationwide.
Manually listing on GunBroker shouldn’t be a problem if you sell a few items, but what if you make a living selling firearms? If that’s the case, you must manually manage your listings, inventory, and customer communications, which is time-consuming.
That’s where Spark Shipping comes in. We help gun sellers streamline everything from sourcing to data management to tracking. Our GunBroker integration helps you simplify and automate the entire process of successfully selling firearms and accessories on this platform.
Firearms sellers rely on our automation platform to:
- Fully integrate with their suppliers’ data feeds.
- Automatically upload products.
- Sync inventory data with vendors.
- Automate ordering, fulfillment, and tracking between your store and all suppliers.
- Send tracking information to customers.
Visit our website to get a free demo and see how easy it is to sell firearms with GunBroker and Spark Shipping.
Selling on GunBroker FAQ
Can you make money selling on GunBroker?
Yes, many sellers make good money on GunBroker by reaching buyers nationwide. Auctions can drive up prices, especially for collectible or hard-to-find items, while fixed-price listings offer predictable profit. Just remember to factor in GunBroker’s final value fees and shipping costs when setting prices, as this will help to protect your margins.
What are the rules for selling on GunBroker?
To sell on GunBroker, you must comply with all federal, state, and local firearm laws. Firearms that require an FFL must be shipped to a licensed dealer, who will run the buyer’s background check before transfer. You also need to verify your identity with GunBroker, follow its listing guidelines, and only accept approved payment methods.
Where is the best place to sell your guns online?
It depends on your goal. For national reach and auction upside use GunBroker; for dealer/flat-price sales try Guns.com or GunsAmerica; use Armslist for local classified-style sales, and consider consignment or GunBroker Valet if you want a hands-off sale.
Do You Need an FFL to Sell on GunBroker?
No, you don’t need an FFL just to list an item. However, if the firearm requires an FFL transfer, the buyer must provide the receiving FFL, and you must ship the gun only to that licensed dealer.
Always verify the FFL’s license number and address (use GunBroker’s FFL finder or the ATF eZ Check), retain copies of the paperwork and tracking, and don’t ship until payment has cleared.
Who pays for shipping on GunBroker?
Shipping costs are set by the seller in the listing, so the buyer usually pays shipping unless the seller rolls it into the sale price or offers free shipping.
Your listing should clearly state who pays shipping, whether you charge an FFL handling fee or offer insurance. Also, explain how you’ll ship, for example, will it be insured or signed for?
Can you sell antique or black powder firearms on GunBroker?
Yes, but it depends. Federal law often treats true antiques (generally pre-1899 or certain non-fixed-cartridge replicas) differently from modern firearms, while black-powder/muzzleloader items are judged by their design and ammunition.
State and local laws, plus carrier rules relating to hazardous materials, can change what you must do.
You can reduce issues by following these steps:
- Label the item correctly in your listing (antique, replica, muzzleloader, or modern) and state whether an FFL transfer is required.
- When unsure, ship to an FFL. Ask the buyer to nominate a receiving FFL, verify the dealer’s license/address, and keep a copy of the paperwork.
- Don’t ship loose powder or primers. Instead, coordinate shipping/handling with the receiving FFL and follow carrier hazmat rules; consider providing special shipping.
- Check local laws first, as states treat antiques or black-powder items differently.
How do you verify an FFL dealer on GunBroker?
Here’s how to verify an FFL agent:
- Get the FFL details in writing from the buyer. Ask for the dealer’s name, full address, and FFL license number.
- Confirm the license matches the dealer using GunBroker’s FFL finder or the ATF’s license lookup, and ensure the address is a physical dealer location (not a PO box).
- Call the dealer to confirm they accept transfers, verify the license/address verbally, and note the staff member you spoke with.
- Record all relevant information (screenshots, emails, license copy, call notes) and ship only to the verified dealer's address after the funds have cleared.
What payment methods are allowed on GunBroker?
Use GunBroker-approved payment gateways, Escrow.com, or cleared-fund methods (money orders, cashier’s checks). Don’t accept off-platform apps or processors that prohibit firearm sales, and wait for funds to clear before shipping.