Licensed Dealers
Gun dealers may use different channels to attract sales: point-of-purchase advertising, newspaper display or classified advertising, Internet ads or ads placed in magazines such as Shotgun News, or at gun shows. Like any other retail operation, dealers will carry the most popular new guns, and some may be "authorized dealers" for one brand of gun or another, which means they carry a wider selection of a particular manufacturers' products--sometimes including models that wouldn't be available elsewhere.

Depending on where you live, private sales may not be exempt from the same laws that govern sales from federally licensed gun dealers.

Almost all gun stores, with the exception of big-box retailers, will carry a selection of used firearms as well. The dealer may have purchased these firearms outright or they could be on consignment, an arrangement in which the owner of the gun receives a portion of the sale price if and when the gun is sold.

Buying through a gun shop has several advantages. One, such stores carry a selection of different types of firearms, so if you're unsure of whether you want a Brand A or Brand B semiauto, you can compare their dimensions and feel right in the store. Two, gun-shop counter people--the good ones, anyway--are knowledgeable about their products and can help you make a good choice. Gun stores, as mentioned earlier, can also be an ally if your purchase doesn't function as it should.

Licensed gun dealers will conduct all the necessary background checks and walk you through all the federal and state paperwork. Depending on the jurisdiction, there may also be a waiting period before you can take possession.

Gun Shows
One of the great things about shopping at gun shows is that comparison shopping is easy because there are many sellers all in one place. Shop around a bit before buying and you will notice price differences. There is also a lot of variety at gun shows, so you may locate that hard-to-find gun you've been looking for. In fact, there is so much variety at gun shows, especially large ones, that it may be confusing and overload the memory banks. (Now, where was that seller's table?)

There's a belief that the best bargains are found at gun shows. My own opinion is that there are good and bad deals at gun shows, just like anywhere else. Nothing makes a gun show a special place for low prices.

Remember, despite what the mainstream media would have you believe, all gun laws apply to sales at gun shows, and the majority of firearm sales at gun shows are made by licensed dealers. However, private individuals may legally sell at gun shows where the law permits.

Private Sales
By far, most gun sellers are honest and law abiding, but the purchaser should take the same precautions with a gun seller as he would with someone selling him a washing machine or a car. If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.