According to a recent press release, RentAGun is a new “online firearm rental platform” that allows customers to browse a selection of pistols, rifles, and shotguns, select the models they’d like to rent, and pick them up from their local gun dealers. The company markets the service as a “try before you buy” experience for customers that also opens up a new source of revenue for gun dealers, who can charge fees for transferring the guns and benefit from “increased store traffic, accessory and ammunition sales, range use where applicable, and downstream firearm purchases from customers.”
What RentAGun doesn’t highlight is how this business model makes it easier for people to obtain firearms — including AR-15s and other assault weapons — in a country already saturated in guns and gun violence. RentAGun joins an industry that has embraced email marketing tactics, flash sales, and “shoot now, pay later” financing to attract customers.
The RENTAGUN MODEL
RentAGun says that it is designed to help people who would rather not rent guns at a range, buy a gun without trying it, or trust a “YouTube guru who got the gun for free and needs the affiliate sale.” According to the company, “We let you rent firearms online, pick them up at a licensed [gun dealer] near you, and return them when you’re done. No sales pitch. No commitment. Just hands-on experience with the guns you’ve always wanted.”
Customers can choose from up to 180 different firearms and rent them individually or build “Sampler Packages” to rent multiple guns for concealed carry or home protection at once. Or they can subscribe to “Essential” or “Pro” membership plans that let them rent one to two firearms per month. In this way, the company promises that customers can “Shoot more. Spend less” and enjoy the “freedom to try everything.”
During the checkout process, customers must choose a local Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) to receive the gun. There, they will undergo a background check (or provide an acceptable “Brady alternative” permit) before taking possession of the gun, which they can hold onto for anywhere from seven to 30 days before returning it using a prepaid shipping label.
What Guns Can You Rent?
RentAGun currently offers 15 different semi-automatic rifles — including AR-15s, MP5s, and at least one AR-10 — that cost as little as $8 per day to rent. The most expensive gun available is the Barrett M82A1, a .50-caliber sniper rifle powerful enough to down helicopters, disable vehicle engines, and penetrate armor at great distances, making it an attractive choice for criminals and terrorists. While a brand-new M82A1 costs over $9,000 today, RentAGun offers it for just $188 per day.
Notably, RentAGun automatically applied a $200 coupon code when The Smoking Gun reviewed the company’s checkout process.
Customers can even rent the MCX-Spear, the civilian version of the U.S. Army’s new M7 rifle, which fires high-velocity 6.8x51mm ammunition designed to penetrate armor at a distance. The RentAGun website notes that the rental model is a short-barreled rifle — meaning it is subject to National Firearms Act registration requirements — but does not state that customers must submit an application to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) before they take possession of it.
In short, a person who normally couldn’t afford a military-grade assault weapon can now rent one for a fraction of the gun’s price. As one customer stated in a testimonial on the site, “This scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had…it’s like a playground for people who take shooting seriously.”
terms and conditions
RentAGun’s Terms of Use make it clear the company has positioned itself to avoid almost all responsibility for what happens once a firearm leaves its hands. Renters “assume full responsibility for the lawful, proper, and safe use of any firearms,” and the company disclaims liability for “any injuries, death, or property damage resulting from the use or misuse of rented firearms during the rental period, regardless of whether the firearm malfunctions or the incident is caused by operator error or negligence.”
The agreement relies on the renter’s own promise to be safe and legal, and purports to release the company from responsibility for any harm caused during the rental period.
Ultimately, RentAGun represents yet another step in the gun industry’s continued effort to make firearms as accessible as possible while taking no additional responsibility for how those weapons are used. By lowering costs, streamlining access, and packaging guns as subscriptions and experiences, the platform expands the pool of individuals who can obtain firearms without ensuring that there are mechanisms in place to prevent criminal misuse or harm.