[GunLvrNLearner]

Of Chain stores

Bass Pro Shops

Gander Mountain

Academy

Or any other...Who has the best selection?

[rcmodel]

Cabala's in this part of the country.

We don't have Gander Mountain or
Academy.

And Bass-Pro is definitely anti-small handgun, anti-CCW, and anti black rifle.

I went to their grand opening in Olatha KS, and there was nothing in the showcase with less then a 4" barrel, and nothing in the store even close to AR or AK related to be found.

rcmodel

[Deanimator]

Gander Mountain tends to be breathtakingly expensive. I've been thinking about a .40 S&W CZ75B. They were every bit of $100 more expensive at Gander than at local gunshows.

[Bw2k2000]

Sportsmans Warehouse is a good bet. They have a fairly large selection of both rifles and pistols, black powder as well as centerfire. The one I shop at does not stock Ak style weapons but the do have AR style weapons.

[texas bulldog]

cabela's seems to have the best selection around here, but it is also ridiculously expensive. academy has better prices, but limited selection. not bad, though, if you're looking for a glock or ruger pistol. i have yet to try sportsman's warehouse, though i plan to soon. never seen a gander mountain here, but it sounds like it has the same problem as cabela's.

[Rugerlvr]

Cabela's for my neck of the woods.

[gun4funtime]

The big stores are a great place to look and feel the firearms.

I know that Gander is very overpriced around here. Dicks sporting goods, well, I will just say they need some better sales people, and just a little customer service. Heck, that is when I try to buy something. So, I go find out what I like, Then go to my local smalll town, small business, get a better price and personal service, and feel great about it.

The local business will care about you being happy with your purchase. If you have a problem, most will try to make it right. The big box stores, well, not as good in my opinion. Have you ever heard, you'll need to call the manufacturer, you will need to send it to them? I know it is brand new, but you have to deal with it.

I think we all need to try to support our local gun shops and gunsmiths. If we don't they will soon be gone and we will be in need of them.

[Lucky Strike]

We just have Sportsman's Warehouse here.....they have a good selection of all types of guns (rifles, semi autos, revolvers, blackpowder, etc). Price is a usually around $15-35 or so more then at the local gunshop is what I've found.

I use it to handle a bunch of different guns and then i'll go to the local store to actually buy the thing since they don't have a large selection of guns in stock.

I have been to a Cabelas when visiting a friend in texas and their selection was larger (the old/expensive gun room was very cool) but the prices seemed very high. You'd think with that much inventory it'd be cheaper or something.

[sig2022shooter]

+1 Bw2k2000

We don't have a Sportsman's Warehouse where I live but I took a trip to MT a few months back and stopped by one to see what they had and was surprised at the large selection of handguns and rifles. Very impressive for a chain store. Not bad prices either.

[P90shooter]

Hey Bulldog where in DFW is cheaper than Cabela's? I know their ammo is over priced by their guns are the cheapest around, that I have seen. If you know somewhere cheaper please let me know cause I need another excuse to get a new gun.

[Loomis]

My experience is to STAY AWAY FROM CHAIN STORES!

They suck bad. THeir prices suck bad. Their salesmen are not very knowledgeable about firearms(as a whole) and they act like used car salesmen(as a whole) and generally they really pi55 me off the second they open their mouth.

Mom and pop shops are the best. Especially if one of them(the mom or the pop) is actually a real deal gun smith and the two of them actually live upstairs. If their home number and their business number are the same number...then you are dealing with a genuine mom&pop shop.

Sometimes pawn shops are darn good too. If you go to a pawn shop that has a HUGE selection of guns, and there is one guy behind the counter that does nothing but tend the gun counter and he's done it for 20 years or more in that same shop, and he's always dressed in vietnam era army surplus clothing, then that's likely a good place to buy a gun. Probably not a good place to sell a gun though.

Also, any non-chain store that is near a military base is a VERY GOOD BET for getting knowledgeable salespersons that really care about guns and won't rip you off.

That said, bass pro shops tend to have really good prices on certain items. Sometimes even marginally better than a mom&pop shop. But I still won't go there.

[Lucky Strike]

Wow....the Cabelas in DFW was the one i was talking about. Gun prices seemed really high compared to oregon. Of course your guys' housing prices were so low in comparison to around here that it made me sick so i guess higher gun prices ain't all that bad.

[texas bulldog]

P90sh(.)(.)ter,

i'm in austin rather than DFW, so i'm talking about the cabela's in buda rather than the one in ft. worth. in looking at exact same models, i found that the academy right down the road from me is at least $50 cheaper on any pistol. i didn't compare rifle, really, so i can't say.

so just go the closer academy, right? sure...but again, they have a very limited selection. a few glocks, taurii, rossis, rugers, and a smattering of j-frames. that's really it. at cabela's, i can find almost any brand, they're just at a price i'm unwilling to pay.

ultimately, i choose to do my research online (mostly here), buy on gunbroker, and transfer it trough a local FFL. now that i've found THR's own waterhouse for $6 a transfer, i just don't see myself going any other route when it's time to pick up another gun...

...unless it's at a gun show or a private sale.



ETA: if you can find one of the few wal-marts that still sell guns, you might try them for long guns. they can order more than the limited selection in the case. ask to look at their catalog. not sure if you can still get them to order handguns.

[Quoheleth]

texas bulldog, run up to Round Rock and check out Sportsmans Warehouse...ummmm...off of Henna/the 45-tollroad, I believe. They have a good selection of stuff, but it's all well behind the counter and you have to squint to see what they have. But it's all right there. Their reloading supplies are less expensive than Gander Mtn, too. Nice store...but limited sales staff.

+1 on waterhouse. He did a transfer for me last spring, all conducted by PM and email, without a single hitch. I keep his contact numbers handy just in case...and I'm in Houston !!!

Q

[The Lone Haranguer]

We have Sportsman's Warehouse, Cabela's, Bass Pro and Dick's here in Phoenix metro. None are perfect. SW has a moderate selection but good prices, Cabela's the largest selection by far but somewhat high prices, and BP and Dicks have neither.

[benderx4]

Gander just opened their first store in Florida and it has a very nice selection. Used guns are a bit on the scarce side, but they can search their entire Gander Mt inventory for you and have a gun shipped to your store. (That's how I finally found my HK P7M8 I wanted.)

They are, however, on the pricey side. You've got to wait on their sales and closeout promotions. I was able to buy a CZ75B and BHP at VERY competitive prices by doing that. They also have same-as-cash 90 day layaway.

At least in my store, they are very friendly, knowledgeable, and anxious to help a fellow gun enthusiast. Gunsmith on site is also a HUGE help when looking at used guns, etc.

[Kind of Blued]

I suggest finding a good, friendly, neighborhood gun shop and helping keep them open.

[lloydkristmas]

I worked at a Central Texas Academy during college and they had Sigs, Glocks, HK, Ruger, Taurus, XD, Beretta, Para Ordnance, S&W, Walther, CZ, IMI, etc. For rifles they had the typical sporting goods store type stuff, and toward the end of my stint there they began to carry AR's, Beretta Storm carbines, and even some SIG 556's

[mr.72]

Academy and Sportsman's Warehouse prices are just about the same, SW has a little better selection but rarely has what I am looking for actually in stock. They seem to go through stuff real fast. I don't like the way that Academy deals with gun sales with the ABSOLUTELY NO RETURNS policy and walking you out the door and handing you your gun when you are outside the building. Dunno how SW does it. I like how SW has ammo right out on the floor so you don't have to get the counter dude to hand it to you.

I have found my neighborhood gun store, while having a decent selection and being extremely convenient, has prices that are about 10% higher than Academy or Sportsman's Warehouse on guns and maybe up to double on accessories. Probably more like 20% above the "going rate".

I like to check Bud's Gun Shop online for prices just to be sure of what a reasonable retail price is. Usually Academy and SW are about 10% over these prices and the local neighborhood shop is more like 20-30% over these prices.

[Matt-J2]

I don't know how many local places there really are here, I can never seem to find the few I hear about.( I know a few in Oshkosh and GB, they're ok)
Lately, I've been at Gander a lot. Their prices are usually a bit on the high side(though I've seen good stuff in the used cases), but the service I get from them tends to be excellent.

[texas bulldog]

I worked at a Central Texas Academy during college and they had Sigs, Glocks, HK, Ruger, Taurus, XD, Beretta, Para Ordnance, S&W, Walther, CZ, IMI, etc. For rifles they had the typical sporting goods store type stuff, and toward the end of my stint there they began to carry AR's, Beretta Storm carbines, and even some SIG 556's

well, mine's missing some of those, notably the sigs and CZs. i definitely would have been price checking those if they had 'em. i also didn't see any HKs, but maybe they were just outta stock. they may have had some of the others, but nowhere near a full line. for instance, i think there may have been a beretta or two now that i think of it.

they do carry ARs...i won't deny that.

i would imagine the selection depends a lot on which particular store you're looking at.

[Creade]

Cabelas and Gander Mountain have the best selections of both new and used guns around here, but as mentioned, the majority of the time, the prices are horrible.

[presspuller]

Here Academy is the only dog in town. Prices are about the same as they are at the nearest Sportsman Warehouse that is 2 hours away.
I still do not like buying from a chain store by the way and only do so when I can't find it at a local place.

[Dickieray]

Gander Mountain is all we have in North Central N.C...(chain).They have a good selection, but, are high! I wish we had a Sportsman's Warehouse as you guys write good reviews about them. Someone told me that Gander Mtn. says they will match prices.........I don't know about that. We do have a couple of good gun shops within 20-40 miles and that is where I like to shop (where they know your name)!!!

[yhtomit]

My experience is to STAY AWAY FROM CHAIN STORES!

They suck bad. THeir prices suck bad. Their salesmen are not very knowledgeable about firearms(as a whole) and they act like used car salesmen(as a whole) and generally they really pi55 me off the second they open their mouth.


It all depends. My experience backs up yours in many stores, but the Gander Mountain in Harrisburg, PA I have been pretty well pleased with -- their gun guys have for the most part been quite straightforward, opinionated but not obnoxious, and have admitted instantly when they didn't know something, and tried to find someone who could fill the gap.

timothy

[un_lucky]

If you watch for sales Cabelas will have good prices from time to time. I just bought a nib 642 for $399.

[skinewmexico]

I was in Bass Pro in Grapevine the other day, and I was shocked at how much more expensive they were than my local gunstore. For half the service. Support your local gunstore!

[lee n. field]

MC Sports (http://www.mcsports.com/). The "local" one (~45 miles away, on the far side of the next city over), has a decent selection and tolerable prices.

Gander Mountain in the same city is pretty darn high, and never seems to have a single one of the loss leader handguns they list in their sale fliers.

[The Lone Haranguer]

If you watch for sales Cabelas will have good prices from time to time. I just bought a nib 642 for $399.
Agreed. And if you have a Cabela's Visa, wait for a promotional flyer offering $100 off a purchase of $500 or more ((includes tax; lesser amounts for lesser purchases) on the card. I got my S&W M&P (new) and 3913 (out of the Gun Room) this way.

[wingslevel]

i too have always preferred a local shop but now with a family and busy schedule finding the time to get to a range let alone browse the case are hard to come by. But with the chan stores either being near other shopping areas for the rest of my family and/or also carrying other products they are interested in it works out for me better. Much easier to slip away from the family enjoying looking at tents on aisle 9 to the gun counter then to head across town on my own to the gun shop.

as far as chain stores ive found basspro to be a joke on handguns but have found some good specials on remington/ruger/weatherby/marlin long arms on sale. and the military discounts at the end of each month help the price some too. bought 1 rifle and 2 shotguns there.

cabelas had a better handgun selection and also the staff seemed more interested/knowledgable then basspro though prices not much better everyday. but they do offer some good deals as mentioned before. have bought 3 rifles and 2 shotguns there.

gander mountain had a good selection but everyone ive been to seemed to have an attitude of we got we we got and thats good enough so was a walmart that sold handguns to me. never bought anything theres

in previous state sports authority still carried handguns and was just starting to discontinue them. got NIB 686-6 for $429, 60-14 for $319 and 629-6 for $419 so was happy with them during the sale. staff had no clue what they had and was amazed at what poor advise i overheard other customers getting. only firearms ever purchased from them.

sportmans warehouse has been a surprise to me. just bought my M&P340 there for a price Im happy with. saw one in a store across the stateline where i reside and liked it, they called the store in my state 15 miles away and had it put on hold and was all done quickly. have had subsequent dealings with them and they have always been very quick to try and satisfy what i wanted. will be buying things there from now on if they have it. much easier to drop the family next door to finish back to school shopping while i finish back to shooting shopping.

[HGUNHNTR]

Scheels All Sports

[cornman]

Gander Mtn. is not in the business of selling firearms. Just look at the prices..

[skinewmexico]

Bud's Gun Shop will usually kill any price at a big box store, even after shipping and transfer fees. And it doesn't take that much time to use a cell phone, and call a local guy and see what his cost. You don't have to go in.

[GEM]

In Austin or San Antonio (probably other TX locales) wait for a gun show and check out the prices on standard items.

The Saxet shows usually have some dealer with good prices on standard handguns and long arms.

[tension]

The Bass Pro near me offers concealed carry classes. They have a range also.
Their prices are very high for guns and ammunition.

[eatont9999]

I have to drive 40 miles through a few states to get to the Kittery Trading Post, but I can't buy any handguns there because my state sucks so hard.