Paying to pin mags on new pistol from dealer?

[Barms 88]

Helping a brand new FID holder look for a pistol.  He sent me a link to a dealer local to him.  He had pistols for sale with prices and then “comes with 15 round mags $40 to have them pinned”.   I have not been pistol shopping for years.  Is this normal now?  I don’t recall seeing that ever on the email lists I’m still on.   If this is not normal I’m going to tell him to save $80 and look elsewhere.

 

[JackDaWack 2,371]

Unless it comes with 10 round mags, just like buying anything else that's non compliant... your gonna pay for any addition work to make it legal. 40 bucks seems steep to pin 2 mags, but then again I've never paid for the service. 

[Barms 88]

I just figured if the guy has it inventory it’s ready to go NJ.  Not like he’s ordering online and picking up from the guy.  But if that’s the norm now......

[JackDaWack 2,371]

These days with shortages of popular firearms  you never know. 10 round "complaint" factory sku's are probably rare and these guys might as well sell something. They can't sell the mags as is, unless your LEO. Only other choice is to leave them. 

[Matroskin 27]

$20 per mag would be the highest I would go.

Otherwise just leave them and buy magazine online. 

[Bomber 295]

2 hours ago, Barms said:

Helping a brand new FID holder look for a pistol.  He sent me a link to a dealer local to him.  He had pistols for sale with prices and then “comes with 15 round mags $40 to have them pinned”.   I have not been pistol shopping for years.  Is this normal now?    If this is not normal I’m going to tell him to save $80 and look elsewhere.

 

Steve at Monmouth Arms get $25 per magazine. That said I wouldn't trust a modified mag for SD use. 

10 round factory mags can be found for most common pistols in the $30-35 range these days and will have better resale value. 

Or just pay a little extra and buy a 10 round mag version of the handgun he's looking for.

 

[Sniper 5,353]

23 minutes ago, Bomber said:

10 round factory mags can be found for most common pistols in the $30-35 range these days and will have better resale value. 

Most people buy extra mags above what their pistols come with. He should just tell the FFL to keep the 15 rounders and give him a few bucks for them, and just go buy 10 rounders somewhere online.

[Barms 88]

Thanks for all the replies on this one.  He is completely new to firearms and would probably pay $40 for a ten rounder online not knowing.   

[Bomber 295]

10 hours ago, Barms said:

Thanks for all the replies on this one.  He is completely new to firearms and would probably pay $40 for a ten rounder online not knowing.   

Probably cheaper to buy a ten round version of the handgun he wants then purchase extra ten round mags if needed.

Including the transfer fees it likely will cost the same or less than buying local with modified mags. 

For example, a 10 rd California compliant Smith and Wesson SD9 is also N.J. compliant.

Lots of 10 round SD9 models currently on gunboker.com now. Good entry level pistol at a reasonable price.

https://www.gunbroker.com/Guns-Firearms/search?Keywords=sd9&Sort=4&PageSize=96