GunAuction.com
GunAuction.com is a US-only online marketplace, founded in 1998, that auctions and sells firearms, ammunition, gun parts, air guns, knives, and accessories. It serves individual collectors, private sellers, and licensed dealers, monetizing via seller listing and final-value transaction fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersOrem, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What GunAuction.com does
GunAuction.com, legally AuctionArms.com, Inc., operates a US-only online marketplace for buying and selling firearms, ammunition, gun parts, air guns, knives, and related accessories through auction and fixed-price formats. Founded in 1998 as Auction Arms and later rebranded, the company is headquartered in Orem, Utah, and claims to be the oldest dedicated online gun auction website. The platform serves three primary user groups: firearms collectors and enthusiasts (buyers), individual firearms sellers, and licensed dealers/FFL holders, with all transactions requiring FFL-mediated transfers for regulatory compliance.
The underlying technology is a web-based marketplace with image hosting for listings, category and manufacturer browsing, search filters, saved searches, watchlists, and multiple auction mechanics including standard bidding, Penny Auctions (penny-starting no-reserve), BuyItNow (fixed price), Best Offer (negotiation), and HiLow auctions. Supporting infrastructure includes an FFL Network for locating licensed transfer dealers, an FFL Finders service for buyers, a free Bound Book record-keeping tool for seller compliance, and a 3-day buyer inspection period. The platform supports an integrated community forum and maintains organic social presence on Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.
GunAuction.com operates a transaction-fee revenue model, charging sellers listing and final-value fees while buyer participation is free. Detailed pricing is referenced via a Fees & Services page but not publicly disclosed. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, operates with 11–50 employees, and is geographically constrained to US buyers due to ATF and federal firearms regulations. Manny Dela Cruz is identified as founder and CEO.
GunAuction.com firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GunAuction.com
- Legal name
- AuctionArms.com, Inc.
- Website
- https://gunauction.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- GunAuction.com is a US-only online marketplace, founded in 1998, that auctions and sells firearms, ammunition, gun parts, air guns, knives, and accessories. It serves individual collectors, private sellers, and licensed dealers, monetizing via seller listing and final-value transaction fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GunAuction.com industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Firearms Auction Marketplace
- NAICS
- Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459), Used Merchandise Retailers (4595)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Firearms & Ammunition Retail (CRAMAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sports Collectibles Marketplace & Auction Platforms (CRAMAOAI), Sporting Goods & Outdoor Inventory-led Online Retailers (CRAFADAJ), Firearm Storage & Safety Retail (Safes, Cases, Locks) (CRAMAKAI), Reloading & Gunsmithing Supplies Retail (CRAMAKAF)
Keywords
Where GunAuction.com is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Orem
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
GunAuction.com business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Seller Listing and Transaction Fees: GunAuction.com charges sellers fees for listing firearms and related items on the platform. Sellers pay fees for auction listings and transactions when items sell. The platform facilitates the transfer of firearms between buyers and sellers through an integrated FFL network.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Seller listing and transaction fee model |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
GunAuction.com product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GunAuction.com operates an online auction marketplace where individual sellers and licensed dealers list firearms, ammunition, gun parts, accessories, air guns, and knives, and buyers bid on or purchase those items via the website. The platform supports multiple auction formats (standard bidding, Penny Auctions, BuyItNow, Best Offer, HiLow) and facilitates legally compliant transfers through an integrated FFL dealer network, with buyer protection via a 3-day inspection period and seller tools including a free Bound Book compliance tracker.
Product overview
GunAuction.com is an online firearms auction platform established in 1998 (originally as Auction Arms), operating as a multi-format marketplace for buying and selling guns, ammunition, gun parts, accessories, air guns, and knives. The platform offers various auction formats including standard bidding, Penny Auctions (starting at one penny with no reserve), BuyItNow (fixed-price purchases), Best Offer (negotiation), and HiLow Auctions. The core product suite encompasses Guns For Sale (with subcategories for rifles, shotguns, handguns, revolvers, antiques, C&R relics, Class III/NFA items, and more), Ammo, Gun Parts, Air Guns, Knives, and Accessories. Supporting services include a 3 Day Inspection Period for buyer protection, a Bound Book digital record-keeping tool for sellers, and an FFL Network connecting buyers with licensed firearms dealers for legal transfers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- GunAuction.com Platform Core online firearms auction marketplace enabling buyers and sellers to transact in guns, ammunition, accessories, and related items through multiple auction formats (standard bidding, penny auctions, BuyItNow, Best Offer, HiLow). Serves individual collectors, hobbyists, sellers, and licensed FFL dealers in the United States.
- Guns For Sale
Companies that use GunAuction.com
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
GunAuction.com technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
GunAuction.com partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NRA (National Rifle Association)coreGunAuction.com actively supports the NRA (National Rifle Association) as indicated on their website. The platform also supports the NFAFA organization. This appears to be an organizational support/alliance rather than a commercial partnership.
- NFAFAminorGunAuction.com supports the NFAFA organization alongside the NRA. This is an organizational support relationship for these firearms advocacy organizations.
- FFL NetworkcoreGunAuction.com operates an FFL (Federal Firearms License) dealer network that enables legal transfer of firearms purchased on the platform. This includes FFL Finders for buyers to locate nearby dealers for transfers, and an FFL Network for dealers to join and facilitate transfers.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
GunAuction.com competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Brownells: Brownells is a major firearms parts, accessories, and gunsmithing supplies retailer with a strong online marketplace presence. It overlaps with GunAuction.com's gun parts, accessories, and reloading categories, and competes for hobbyist and gunsmith buyer attention even though its core model is inventory-led retail rather than auction.
- AIM Surplus: AIM Surplus is an online retailer specializing in surplus firearms, ammunition, and shooting sports accessories. It addresses a similar enthusiast and collector buyer base as GunAuction.com, particularly in surplus, military, and collectible firearm categories, and competes for spend from hobbyist shooters.
Broad incumbents
- Sportsman's Warehouse: Sportsman's Warehouse is a national sporting goods and firearms retailer offering new and used firearms, ammunition, and accessories. While it operates primarily brick-and-mortar, its online channel competes with GunAuction.com for hunting, shooting sports, and firearms accessory purchases from the same customer base.
- Palmetto State Armory: Palmetto State Armory is a large direct-to-consumer online firearms, parts, and accessories retailer. It competes with GunAuction.com for buyer demand in modern sporting rifles, parts, and accessories, and represents a broader-scale incumbent in the online firearms commerce space.
- Bass Pro Shops / Cabela's: Bass Pro Shops (including Cabela's) is the largest US outdoor sporting goods retailer with extensive firearms, ammunition, and accessories offerings. Its broad incumbency in hunting and shooting sports overlaps with GunAuction.com's customer base, though it competes primarily through new inventory-led retail rather than auction marketplace dynamics.
Direct peers
- GunBroker.com: GunBroker.com is the largest online firearms auction marketplace in the US, directly competing with GunAuction.com across rifles, handguns, ammunition, and accessories. It operates a similar take-rate marketplace model with FFL-compliant transfers and is the dominant share-of-voice competitor in the same niche.
- Armslist: Armslist is a leading online firearms classifieds and auction platform connecting private sellers and FFL dealers. It serves the same buyer/seller segments as GunAuction.com with a hybrid classified/auction format, and competes directly for sellers seeking nationwide reach and FFL-compliant transfers.
- GunStar (by Holt's Auctioneers): Holt's Auctioneers operates GunStar, an online firearms auction platform alongside traditional in-person auctions. It competes with GunAuction.com for collectible firearms listings, particularly in the militaria, antique, and high-end European firearms categories where both platforms attract overlapping sellers and buyers.
- Rock Island Auction Company: Rock Island Auction is one of the largest firearms auction houses in the US, specializing in collectible, antique, military, and Class III firearms. It overlaps with GunAuction.com's collectibles and C&R categories and competes for high-value seller inventory in the same auction-driven price-discovery market.
- GunsInternational.com: GunsInternational is an online marketplace focused on new and collectible firearms listings from dealers and collectors. It targets the same firearms collector and enthusiast segment as GunAuction.com and serves as an alternative destination for sellers seeking auction and classified placement.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GunAuction.com social profiles
Digital presenceGunAuction.com financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GunAuction.com leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
GunAuction.com funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GunAuction.com M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GunAuction.com
What does GunAuction.com do?
GunAuction.com operates an online auction marketplace where individual sellers and licensed dealers list firearms, ammunition, gun parts, accessories, air guns, and knives, and buyers bid on or purchase those items via the website. The platform supports multiple auction formats (standard bidding, Penny Auctions, BuyItNow, Best Offer, HiLow) and facilitates legally compliant transfers through an integrated FFL dealer network, with buyer protection via a 3-day inspection period and seller tools including a free Bound Book compliance tracker.
Is GunAuction.com a public or private company?
GunAuction.com is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was GunAuction.com founded?
GunAuction.com was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is GunAuction.com based?
GunAuction.com is headquartered in Orem, United States, in the North America region.
How does GunAuction.com make money?
One revenue line is on record: seller Listing and Transaction Fees.
Who are GunAuction.com's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Brownells and AIM Surplus. Broad incumbents are Sportsman's Warehouse, Palmetto State Armory and Bass Pro Shops / Cabela's. Direct peers are GunBroker.com, Armslist, GunStar (by Holt's Auctioneers), Rock Island Auction Company and GunsInternational.com.
Does GunAuction.com have an API?
No public API is recorded for GunAuction.com.
What industry is GunAuction.com in?
GunAuction.com's product category is Online Firearms Auction Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAKAA, Firearms & Ammunition Retail, with a secondary code of CRAMAOAI, Sports Collectibles Marketplace & Auction Platforms. Its NAICS code is 459 and its SIC code is 5945.