Hello all, I am in the market for a M&P Compact 9 or .40 and am just wondering the best way to buy one. My local gun shop charges $650 or so for one and I have seen them at Bass Pro for $579 but not the model with the thumb safety which is the one I want. Where is the best place for me to go to buy one if I do not have a dealer's license? I want to support my local guys but they are not willing to budge and after all I've bought from them, that infuriates me, so I'm looking elsewhere. I have heard Cabella's has a good deal sometimes but I couldn't find anything online about them.

Any input would be great!

Scott

There are some places like Gunbroker or Gunsamerica but you still need a dealer to transfer through. Your bigger chains like Bass Pro can sometimes find what you want at another store and ship it in for you. Larger gun shows where there are several dealers that have what you want sometimes results in finding a good deal. The thing is right now it's a sellers market because product is hard to get, resulting in premium prices and small selections.

If you're legal to own a firearm, you can buy from virtually anywhere without a dealer's license...but as mentioned above, you will need to have the gun transferred to your through a (FFL) dealer. That dealer may charge you a flat rate, or a percentage of the gun price if it's something he could have got you, or both -- depending on how greedy he is. I only deal with dealers that go that flat rate route, and going rate around here is $35.

One of my former favorite places to go to for guns wouldn't accept shipments from another FFL for an online purchase. He'd only sell his overpriced guns. I still stop in from time to time, but he's still over priced.

I've bought a few guns from him, but not in a while.....

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- The Federalist #46 -

As mentioned, most local gun stores will charge a flat fee for you to use them to receive your firearm. One local pawn shop in the town where I live will do it, think charges $25.00. Or find a buddy who happens to have a FFL. Might only cost you lunch!!

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Model 36, 39-2

I have never paid over 20 bucks for a transfer. I paid $15 for many years and that guy stopped doing it, so my current FFL dealer charges $20, but I recentlty saw where a guy in my gun club will do it for $10 for other members. I think Gunbroker has a list of FFLs and their prices in about every state and city and the shipping and FFL transfer is nearly always is cheaper than paying sales tax.

We have a local dealer that supports our local gun forum and sells M&P’s to forum members for under $500. You might check around for someone like that in your area.
I don’t know where you are, but if you are in Tennessee you are in luck.

Wow I see the M&Ps advertised around here regularly for 499.99, I have had mine for three years coming this November, I paid 399.99 back then. Just my opinion but I don't think their worth 650.00 dollars. Oh well if you want one, you just have do the best you can on price, I guess.

Google for Budsgunshop.com. Any time I buy a gun I check Buds prices first, because they are usually pretty hard to beat with their free shipping.

They have M&Ps for $399 with free delivery but I think the guns with the manual safety are about 35 bucks more. You should be able to find a local FFL that will do the transfer cheaply and you also won't have to pay sales tax.

That is a nice site. I will see if a friend with a license will order one for me from them. That would save me a nice chunk of money. They say they have them in stock too. Sweet.

You would do the ordering and pay for your item(s) through Bud's website. Then there is a listing of FFL's they have on file that you can choose to have the gun shipped to. If your FFL is not on the list, then he would have to send one into Bud's. You would then pay your FFL his transfer fee when the gun arrives at his place of business. Good luck!

Whelp, I called around and nobody has any M&P9c's, much less one with the thumb safety. I did see one on Bud's gun shop website and pulled the trigger tonight (pun intended!). I can not wait! It is the exact one I wanted, they had it in stock, I got it for a very reasonable price compared to anywhere else I've seen them, and it shoudl be here in 1-2 weeks. They are shipping to my local Bass Pro Shops which is pretty cool and easy. Bass pro was cool about it too.

I know you guys have all seen them, but I'll have to show it off once it gets here!

Thanks for the advice everybody :-)

I bought my M&P 9c for 489.00 in Massachusetts..

It should get here tomorrow, at least to Bass Pro. I have the tracking number so I think I will harass them when I see it is delivered. Hopefully I can pick it up tomorrow too.