I recently took advantage of the new rules allowing more than one firearm DROS per 30 days and went to my local FFL to finally pick up two stripped lowers I had sent to them over four months ago. But I was hit with a bunch of unexpected fees that seem like total BS.

I bought these PSA stripped lowers for $30 each during a sale, but now my invoice shows them at $60 each—there’s a long story behind how I got them cheaper. Anyway, here's the breakdown of the fees I was charged:

• DROS: $37.19
• Admin Fee: $15
• FFL Transfer Fee: $60 (for each lower)
• Excise Tax: $13.20

I understand the DROS fee, but what’s with all these extra fees? And how am I being charged an excise tax when I bought these firearms before the tax went into effect?

In total, I ended up paying over $185 just to pick up two $30 stripped lowers. This is exactly why I’ve started working on my FFL 03 paperwork.

Update:

I now know why I was charged the excise tax. You must pay that excise tax if you purchase a firearm before July 1 but finish the DROS after July 1.