Custom firearms · Parts · Builds · Gunsmithing · Training
01 · About the Shop
Conrad & Sons Guns is a family firearms shop in Imperial, Missouri, just south of St. Louis. We do not have a public showroom. Most complete firearms are ordered from our distributors. We keep some AR parts on site; those listings are marked on the website as on hand. We also build custom guns and offer gunsmithing, Cerakote, and NRA-certified weapons training. We are a Class 07 FFL manufacturer and a Class 02 Special Occupational Taxpayer (SOT). That means we are licensed to manufacture firearms and to make and transfer NFA items such as suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns. We take compliance seriously.
We are at 2210 Castlegate Drive, Imperial, MO 63052. We do not have a showroom. The shop is by appointment only. Firearm transfers are typically done Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Other days are reserved for stocking inventory and manufacturing. Call 636-229-1966 to set a time. Please do not walk in just because a carrier marked your gun delivered.
Complete handguns, rifles, and pistols; AR and AK platforms; stripped and complete receivers; barrels, slides, triggers, bolt carrier groups, muzzle devices, optics mounts, and other parts. Most complete firearms come from our distributors and are not sitting on a showroom wall. We do carry some AR parts on site, and those items are marked on the website as on hand. We also build custom firearms to order, finish work in Cerakote, and transfer NFA items as a Class 07 manufacturer and Class 02 SOT.
Yes. Please do not come in unannounced, even if tracking already says delivered. We have to log the firearm in our ATF software first, then we will contact you to schedule the transfer. Transfers are typically Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Other days are used for stocking and manufacturing. Call or email ahead for pickups, transfers, build consults, gunsmith drop-off, and training.
02 · Buying Firearms
Yes. Buying from a licensed dealer over the internet is legal when the firearm ships to an FFL and you complete Form 4473 and a background check in person before you take possession. The gun does not come to your front door. That is federal law, not a shop preference.
Yes. Serialized firearms and receivers ship only to a licensed FFL — either to our shop for local pickup or to an FFL you name in your state. Non-firearm parts generally ship to your door. Confirm with your receiving dealer that they will accept the transfer and what they charge before you check out. If that dealer later refuses the shipment, return freight and any restocking are on you. You are responsible for knowing the laws where you live before you order.
An FFL is a Federal Firearms License issued by ATF. Conrad & Sons Guns holds a Class 07 manufacturer license and a Class 02 SOT. We can manufacture firearms, receive firearms from other licensees, log them, run your 4473, and transfer Title I and NFA items to you. We verify other dealers through ATF’s FFL eZ Check before we ship a serialized firearm.
For any serialized firearm or receiver purchased from us as a licensed dealer, you must:
Be legally able to possess firearms under federal and Missouri law.
Be at least 21 to buy a handgun, handgun frame, stripped lower, or complete AR/AK receiver from a dealer; at least 18 to buy a rifle or shotgun from a dealer.
Present a valid government-issued photo ID that shows your name, date of birth, and current residence.
Complete ATF Form 4473 truthfully and in full.
Pass a NICS background check, unless you present a qualifying Missouri concealed-carry permit we can accept in place of NICS.
Missouri has no state waiting period and no permit-to-purchase requirement. If the background check returns a proceed, the transfer can be completed the same day.
Missouri does not require a background check when two Missouri residents transfer a firearm privately. We still recommend using an FFL if you want the sale documented and the buyer screened. Interstate transfers — even between private parties — must go through licensed dealers. We will not complete a transfer we believe is illegal.
A valid Missouri Concealed Carry Permit, Extended Concealed Carry Permit, or Lifetime Concealed Carry Permit may be used as an alternative to a NICS check under federal law. Provisional permits do not qualify. We are not required to accept a permit in place of NICS, and we will run a check anytime we have a question about the permit or the buyer. Bring the physical permit and your photo ID.
Federal law does not allow us to hand a handgun over the counter to a resident of another state. Out-of-state handgun purchases must ship to an FFL in your home state. That dealer runs your 4473 and background check. Long guns may be sold over the counter to out-of-state residents only when the sale is legal in both Missouri and the buyer’s state. Call us before you drive in.
Active-duty members stationed in Missouri can often complete a transfer here with military ID and proof of orders or local residence, even if their home of record is another state. Rules are fact-specific. Call before you order so we can tell you exactly which documents to bring.
03 · FFL Transfers
Buy the firearm from a licensed seller and have it shipped to Conrad & Sons Guns. Have the seller request our current FFL at sales@conradguns.com before they ship.
We receive the firearm and log it in our ATF software. Please wait — a delivered scan from the carrier is not a pickup appointment. After the gun is logged, we will contact you to schedule.
You come in by appointment with your photo ID (and CCW, if using one).
You complete Form 4473. We run NICS unless a qualifying permit applies.
If the check proceeds, you pay the transfer fee and take the firearm home. There is no Missouri waiting period.
Incoming transfers of Title I firearms (handguns and long guns) are $25 for the first firearm and $10 for each additional firearm on that transfer. As a Class 07 manufacturer and Class 02 SOT, we accept incoming NFA transfers of suppressors/silencers, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns. Those transfers are $75 per item with electronic fingerprints, or $100 per item without. There is no multi-item discount on NFA — each NFA item is charged the full per-item fee. There is no transfer fee on Silencer Shop orders when you select Conrad & Sons Guns as your dealer. Only Silencer Shop suppressors may transfer on a 4473; all other suppressors must go on an ATF Form 4. Fees are due at pickup. We do not release a firearm until the required paperwork, background check, and payment are complete.
Have your receiving dealer email a signed copy of their current FFL to sales@conradguns.com before we ship. We verify the license on ATF eZ Check before a serialized firearm leaves our inventory. The license name and address must match what we ship to. Firearms ship to the premise address on the FFL, not a P.O. Box.
Yes, when the transfer is legal. Both parties should contact us first. The seller brings the firearm. The buyer completes the 4473 and background check. We will not process a transfer to a prohibited person or across state lines without the required FFL-to-FFL steps.
NICS can return proceed, delayed, or denied. A delay means we wait for a final answer. If three business days pass with no resolution, federal law allows a dealer to complete the transfer (a “default proceed”). We decide case by case whether to default-proceed and we are never required to. A denial means the firearm stays here. We cannot tell you why NICS denied you; that goes through the FBI’s appeal process. A denied transfer is not a completed sale.
No. The person named as the buyer on the 4473 has to appear in person with photo ID, complete the form, and take possession. We will not hand your firearm to someone else, even a spouse. That is an ATF rule, not a shop preference.
Please do not automatically show up when the carrier marks the package delivered. We still have to log the firearm in our ATF software, and only then will we contact you to set a transfer appointment. Transfers are typically Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Firearms left past a reasonable window may incur a storage fee or be returned to the sender at your expense.
04 · Parts, Lowers, and Builds
Usually no. Under federal law the firearm is the serialized frame or receiver. A barrel, a slide that is not the frame, a complete upper with no lower attached, a bolt carrier group, trigger, muzzle device, handguard, or lower-parts kit is not a firearm by itself and typically ships to your address. Your state may still restrict barrels, uppers, kits, or magazine capacity — California in particular treats many of those parts differently. If the product page does not say “FFL required,” it is intended to ship as a part — but you still have to confirm it is legal where you live.
Most non-serialized parts: barrels, slides that are not the serialized frame, triggers, bolt carrier groups, muzzle devices, furniture, optics, and similar components. The simple rule used across parts retailers is: serial number = FFL; no serial number = ships to you, subject to state law. If you are not sure about a SKU, ask before you check out.
Yes. A stripped AR lower, a serialized pistol frame, and any other item ATF classifies as a firearm must transfer through an FFL. A frame or receiver is not a rifle or shotgun, so a dealer cannot transfer one to anyone under 21. The same 21-and-up rule applies to complete AR or AK receivers and to handguns. We do not ship serialized receivers to states that prohibit the sale.
No. Like most online dealers, we ship the firearm as the manufacturer packed it. We will not pull magazines, change a stock, or convert a configuration so it becomes legal in a restricted state. If the listing is blocked for your state, do not order it.
Yes. We build complete firearms from parts we stock or parts you supply, within the law. A custom build starts with a consult so we can lock in the platform, caliber, intended use, furniture, optic plan, and finish. The serialized receiver transfers to you through the same 4473 and NICS process as any other firearm we sell. We will not build a configuration that is illegal for you to possess.
A build quote typically covers parts, shop labor, and shop overhead. Cerakote, optics mounting, and extra gunsmithing are quoted separately when they are not in the base package. Ask for a written quote before we order parts or start the clock.
Often yes. Tell us what you are sending before you ship it. We inspect customer-supplied parts and reserve the right to refuse anything unsafe, out of spec, or illegal to assemble on the host firearm.
Call and book a drop-off appointment. Bring the firearm unloaded, in a case, with no ammunition in the case. We will write up the job, note the serial number, and give you an estimate when the work is clear enough to price. Turnaround depends on parts lead time and bench schedule.
Yes, if we have agreed to the job first. A non-licensee may ship a firearm to a licensed dealer for repair or custom work. Call us for the ship-to name, carrier, and packing instructions before you drop it at UPS or FedEx. Do not put ammunition in the box. We return the same firearm to you — or to your local FFL if the law requires it.
Yes. We coat complete firearms and individual parts. Color, pattern, and coverage change the price. Disassembly, masking, and reassembly are part of the job unless we agree otherwise. Ask before you assume a particular color is in stock.
No. We will not assemble, coat, or repair a configuration we reasonably believe violates federal or Missouri law. If your project needs an NFA tax stamp, bring the approved paperwork.
06 · Training
Yes. Instruction is available from an NRA-certified pistol, shotgun, and rifle instructor and NRA CCW instructor. Classes are scheduled by appointment. Call to ask about private lessons, small-group instruction, and concealed-carry coursework.
Missouri has allowed permitless concealed carry since 2017 for eligible adults 19 and older (18 with qualifying military service). A Missouri CCW is still worth getting — it is recognized in many other states, and a qualifying permit can stand in for NICS at a dealer. Training is required to obtain the permit. We can point you to the current sheriff-process requirements for Jefferson County and surrounding counties.
A valid photo ID
Eye and ear protection
A safe, functioning firearm appropriate to the course, if the class is live-fire
Ammunition only if the instructor told you to bring it — never bring live ammo into the classroom portion unless asked
07 · Shipping, Restricted States, and Orders
Yes. Qualifying orders over $500 ship free inside the destinations we serve. Firearms still go to an FFL. Oversized, hazardous, or special-carrier shipments may be quoted separately. Shipping on orders under $500 is calculated at checkout.
In-stock parts typically leave after payment clears. Firearms leave after we confirm the receiving FFL. Tracking is provided on shipped orders. We do not control carrier transit time once the package is in the system.
No. Firearms ship to the premise address on the receiving FFL. We do not ship serialized items or ammunition to a post-office box.
We follow manufacturer and distributor restrictions printed on the product and all federal and state law. Many items cannot ship to California. Some magazines, pistols, and feature-restricted rifles cannot ship to Illinois PICA jurisdictions, Washington, Oregon, Rhode Island, and other restricted states. If the product page lists a state restriction, that restriction stands. When in doubt, email us the item and your ship-to state before you pay.
No. A firearm or serialized receiver ships only to a licensed FFL. Parts that are not firearms can ship to your address if they are legal where you live.
Contact us as soon as possible at 636-229-1966. Once a firearm has been logged out and shipped to another FFL, or a custom build has parts on order, cancellation may not be possible or may involve a restocking charge.
08 · Returns, Payments, and Store Policy
Unused, uninstalled parts in original packaging may be returned only with prior authorization. Once a firearm has transferred on a 4473, the sale is final — that is the industry standard: the gun is used the moment it is in your name, even if you never fired it. Special-order, custom-build, restricted, and installed items are not returnable unless we created the defect. See our full Return & Exchange Policy for details.
The firearm comes back to us. You are responsible for return shipping. A restocking fee may apply, the same way larger online dealers handle a refused or denied transfer. Inspect the gun at the counter before you sign the 4473. After you sign and take possession, manufacturer defects go through the maker’s warranty, not a “return to cart.”
Tell us immediately and send photos if we ask for them. New-in-box manufacturer defects are usually handled under the maker’s warranty. We will help you start that claim. Shop work we performed that fails due to our labor will be made right.
We accept cash, Venmo, and all major credit cards. Credit-card payments include a 4% surcharge. Cash and Venmo do not. We do not complete a firearm transfer on a payment that has not cleared. Do not mail cash.
Missouri sales tax applies to qualifying in-state sales and local pickups. Tax on a shipped order follows the destination and the item. On a firearm shipped to an out-of-state FFL, tax is often calculated on the receiving dealer’s address, not your billing address. The checkout total is the amount due.
We do not operate a showroom. Most complete firearms are sourced from distributors when you order. Some AR parts are kept on site and are marked on the website as on hand. Listed quantities are not a reservation until the order is paid. If you want a specific firearm held, call and ask — holds, if we offer them, are short and may require a deposit.
Sometimes, depending on condition, demand, and paperwork. Call first. We only buy from people who can legally transfer the firearm to an FFL.
09 · Safety and Legal
Federal law bars possession and purchase by prohibited persons, including (among other categories) convicted felons, fugitives, unlawful users of controlled substances, people adjudicated as mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, people dishonorably discharged from the armed forces, people who have renounced U.S. citizenship, people under qualifying domestic-violence restraining orders, and people convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence. If any of that applies to you, do not attempt to buy a firearm.
A straw purchase is buying a firearm for someone else while claiming it is for you — including buying it for a prohibited person, or filling out the 4473 as the “actual buyer” when it is not yours. It is a federal felony. The person who fills out the 4473 must be the person who is actually buying the gun.
No. This FAQ is general information about how our shop works and how federal and Missouri rules commonly apply to dealer sales. It is not legal advice. You are responsible for following the law where you live and where you possess the firearm. If you have a legal question, talk to an attorney who practices firearms law.
Unload it before you leave the shop unless you have a lawful reason and a safe way to carry. Transport it in a case, with ammunition separate when that is the safer and more courteous practice. Lock it up at home so children and prohibited persons cannot get it. Missouri allows permitless carry for eligible adults, but private property, schools, federal buildings, and other posted or prohibited places still apply.
All firearm transfers are subject to federal law, Missouri law, and ATF regulations in effect on the day of transfer. We reserve the right to refuse any sale or transfer. Prices, stock, shipping offers, and shop fees change without notice. Product pages control state-restriction notes for that item.
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Still Have Questions?
Our team is happy to help with orders, transfers, builds, and gunsmithing.
