When I go to purchase my lower I know that I need to have it sent to an FFL dealer or something and then pay a fee or whatever in order to get it. I just wanted to get a little more detailed info on how to do this. Do I just go to a local gun dealer with a FFL and tell them that I want to purchase a lower and have it sent to them? Then once they get it they call me and I come in and pay fees or whatever and it's mine? How exactly do I go about this thanks!

(If you haven't noticed, I've never bought a gun before ;) )

Find a source for a lower.

[url]www.quanticoarms.com[/url] for example.

Ask him what FFLs he has on file in your area.  Contact the FFLs and ask them if they will do a transfer for you.  Buy the lower, and have it shipped to the FFL.  Once the FFL receives the lower, go and fill out the 4473, pay your fee and get it.

Congrats on wanting to become a gun owner.  Black Rifle Fever is an affliction worse than plague.

One is not enough...

Tell me about it. I haven't even bought anything for my first and I'm already planning my second! ;)

Thanks for the information!

Finding a dealer close to you who is willing to do the transfer for an affordable fee *can* be difficult...and the fee can vary widely from area to area.  

I'm lucky that there is a place like Virginia Arms close to me...$20 a pop, and they do it with a smile on their face.  I've heard horror stories of places charging a fee AND a % of the purchase price, but never run accross it myself.  

Gunbroker.com has a listing of folks in each state that do them, you might want to check there as well.  

Once you have decided where you want to purchase your lower from, go to Gun broker.com.  They have a listing of FFL's in your area (by zip code) and what they charge for the transfer.  You can get there from here
[url]http://www.gunbroker.com/user/DealerNetwork.asp[/url].
 Then contact the FFL and tell him/her what you would like to do, and get them to send a copy of thier FFL to the company you are purchasing from.  You pay the company for the part, and your FFL for the transfer.  When the part comes in go fill out the paperwork and pay your transfer fee, and take it home!

Also, check the state tax laws in your state.  In my state of Indiana and neighboring state of Kentucy, the dealer cannot LEGALLY charge you sales tax on the lower, as you did not purchase the lower from him, only transferred it through him.  I hear of a lot of dealers in other states (I do not know the legality of this practice in other states) that charge you a sales tax on the transfer.  What a load of crap that is.  If your dealer tries that (ask before you ship) call around and ask other dealers if they do that.  If they all do, I guess your state allows it, but KY and IN do not.  Also, find a dealer and try to establish a relationship with him.  Over time, you will save a ton of money.  My dealer, whom I've been doing business with for over 20 years, only charges me $10.  A stranger through the door gets hit for either $20 or $25.