Links: Davidson's Gallery of Guns

In the good old days, you could buy a brand new firearm through mail-order and have it shipped directly to your home. No 4473s, no waiting period, no background check.

It's a little disappointing that we can't do the same in 2010, especially when the Web puts the rest of the world at your fingertips. Davidson's Gallery of Guns is a site that comes awfully close, though. Run by Arizona-based firearms distributor Davidson's, GoG allows you to search through their vast inventory for the gun you want, get several price quotes from neighboring dealers, and have the gun delivered right to the selected FFL without the need for any phone calls or separate order forms.

It's superfast (it's not unusual to order a gun on Monday morning and pick it up on Tuesday afternoon), though the prices tend to be slightly higher than average once you figure in the shipping. Davidson's gives you a nice lifetime replacement warranty for every gun you purchase from them, though, and their site is also very convenient. You can get in-stock notifications by e-mail, and they have little video features that showcase interesting guns. Finally, there are some exclusive items that are only sold through Davidson's - a S&W 642 with wooden grips, for instance. All in all, they're a stand-up outfit and a very convenient way to get a gun that might not be in your local gun stores or gun shows.