Most deal sites sort by the price a store puts on the page. That number is the one least likely to match your receipt. A gun listed $20 cheaper can cost more once shipping is added, and every gun bought online picks up a transfer fee at your local dealer before you take it home.
Dialed Price ranks every deal by its delivered price instead. Here’s exactly what goes into that number, where it comes from, and what we leave to you.
The number on every card
Guns: store price + shipping + your FFL transfer fee
Ammo: store price + shipping, and the delivered cost per round
Every gun card spells that out under the total, for example $549.99 at store + free shipping + $35 FFL. If the total looks higher than what you see on the store’s site, that’s why: the store shows you the first number, and we show you all three.
Your FFL fee, not ours
Transfer fees vary a lot. Some shops charge $20, some charge $75, and some waive it for customers. So the fee is yours to set. Tap Change on the “Prices shown” bar on the Deals or Guns page, pick your dealer’s fee, and every price on the site updates. You can also leave the fee out entirely if you’d rather compare gun plus shipping only. The setting stays on your device.
Not sure what your dealer charges? Call and ask what they charge to receive a gun from an online order. Our guide to buying a gun online has a short list of questions worth asking.
Same gun, every store
We line up the same gun across stores by its UPC and manufacturer part number, so a comparison is always the same model, not a lookalike with a different barrel or finish. When a gun is sold at more than one store, you see one card with every store’s delivered price, cheapest first, and how much the cheapest saves you.
Shipping, modeled per store
Each store charges shipping its own way: flat rates, free-shipping thresholds, or rates by weight. We model each store’s rules and check them against real carts. Right now every store we track ships guns free, so where you live doesn’t change a gun’s delivered price. Ammo shipping is estimated from each store’s standard ground rates; where a store charges by weight and distance, the estimate can be off by a few dollars for your ZIP.
Checked again before you go
Prices and stock refresh several times a day. When you tap a deal, we check the store’s page one more time. If the price went up or it sold out, you’ll see that before you leave, along with the current numbers. If it’s still good, you go straight to the store.
What we don’t do
- No paid placement. Some links may be affiliate links, which can pay us a small commission at no cost to you. They never change how deals are ranked. The cheapest delivered price wins, whoever sells it.
- No “was” prices. A store’s crossed-out price doesn’t make something a deal here. We compare stores against each other, at the price you’d actually pay.
- No accounts required. Your FFL fee and saved guns live on your device.
Where we’re headed
We’re adding stores for guns, parts and ammo, then range gear and accessories. Price alerts are next: save a gun and get a heads-up when it drops below your number or hits its lowest price in 90 days. Have a store you want us to track? Email [email protected].