Do you "owe it" to your local gun shop versus a chain or a gunshow?

[OEF_VET]

Black Majik,

Is it possible that the horrible condition those guns are in might be caused by repeated fondling by people who have no intention of buying them? Just a thought.

As for the poll, I shop around. There are quite a few shops in the local area, including two gun-stores and three pawn shops all within 5 minutes of my apartment. When I'm considering buying a new/used gun, I'll check out all or most of them, and buy where I find the deal I feel most comfortable with. I also shop the gun shows, but mostly buy ammo, reloading supplies, and accessories there, as the prices are generally cheaper than the local shops. The reloading gear is actually bought from a local dealer at the gun show (their store is a little too far to drive for a pound or two of powder). I've also been known to buy ammo and one rifle at Wal-Mart. I also use the internet to buy some accessories, particularly reloading gear as of late. Mostly I use the internet to research fair prices. Then when I see something at a store or gun show, I know if it's worth it to pay the shipping or the dealers' profit margin. Invariably, the dealers' profit margin is better.

Frank

 

[Werewolf]

If you'd asked your question a week ago my answer would have been a most emphatic "I'm a hard core capitalist - I buy where I can get the best price". Now I'm not so sure that is true anymore.

Here's why.

There's a shop here in OKC called Brigadoon Military Surplus. It's family owned and run. It used to be located in a hole in the wall shop that looked like the inside of a dungeon filled with old military gear of all kinds. I occasionally went there to pick up ammo, targets or some other accesories that they would usually have in stock but never purchased a weapon there. Once I went in and asked the owner about getting the gas tube off of a Saiga rifle. He balked at first but ended up showing me how to do it and I hadn't even bought the rifle there. I did buy some stuff from him that day for the Saiga but only after he gave the information and mostly because he shared his knowledge.

Then the shop moved to a much bigger location and I discovered that he had a much more extensive selection of weapons for sale than I'd thought. All the long guns are military but surprise surprise he had pistols and revolvers too. Tuesday afternoon while driving home with my wife I decided to stop in and browse his new store. I probably spent an hour in there looking at and handling various pistols along with my wife (who I'm trying to get into shooting). She handled a number of weapons (she really likes the snubbie revolvers - I refuse to get her one) and she liked a Taurus 9mm and the CZ75B in 9mm. That whole time the sales guy stuck with us - I even told him that we were price shopping at the time only and weren't looking to buy that day but guess what that didn't matter. He stuck and he let us handle, work the action of and dry fire every thing we were interested in. This guy - though not the most knowledgeable sales guy answered all of my wife's questions and never acted annoyed or condescending like so many other gunshop sales pukes I've dealt with have when I've observed them dealing with a woman customer. After all that I ended up buying a spare mag for a saiga and left.

When I got home I started researching the CZ75B which I'd heard good things about and ended up deciding to get it. I went back to the store that evening and bought that CZ and some ammo. They knocked a dollar a box off the ammo price (I didn't ask them they just did it). As I left the store the owner actually thanked me for my business and he was sincere - it wasn't just a BS sales line - he really meant it.

So what's the point of my long winded diatribe. That CZ was priced about $40 bucks higher than I'd have had to pay at another shop in OKC but I didn't care - I bought it anyway. I was impressed by my earlier visit there that day and how they had treated both me and my wife. I was more impressed with the owner's actions as I left his store.

By now a lot of you are thinking you got good customer service - big deal. Well - I'm here to tell ya that it is a big deal because in 30 years of shopping at numerous gun stores in Texas, Florida, South Carolina and now Oklahoma I've gotten what I consider good customer service in exactly 1 1/2 stores. I have become accustomed to gun store owners and employees being either total condescending a'holes or well meaning morons. Usually the attitude I've gotten from gun shops is you should feel priviledged that we're here to sell you guns so please act suitably impressed and grovel at our feet. There've been exceptions to that last attitude but not many. I had grown to accept a quality of customer service from gunstores that I would never accept from any other type of store.

A week ago customer service was not at the top of my list of important qualities in a gun store - now it is. I currently buy all my .40 S&W at Wally World for $11/100. 9mm costs around $10/100 at WW. I've been buying 7.62X39 from another store in OKC for about $1.90/20. I'll be buying all those calibers at Brigadoon from now on and paying the 2 or 3 bucks extra/100 (except on the 7.62X39 which is actually cheaper there) - why? Just because I like the guys that work there. Funny how good service and a genuine friendly attitude can matter. Who'd a thunk it?

 

[MoNsTeR]

I won't go over the 'net to save $25, or even $50. But sometimes the difference is a lot more than that, or my local shop just can't get it at all. In those cases, they gladly do a transfer for me. As for gun shows, I can count the number of good deals I've seen at local shows on one hand.

 

[Black Majik]

Black Majik,

Is it possible that the horrible condition those guns are in might be caused by repeated fondling by people who have no intention of buying them? Just a thought.

Absolutely,

But so do other large gun shops and they dont have guns that have nearly the condition I've seen @ Turners. Deep scratches in a gun makes me wonder how someone can get it to scratch that deep when they're looking over a gun in front of a salesman. I'd figure the salesman would at least notice any "somewhat" stupid gun handling that would allow the pistols to get to that condition. I know its over a long period of time but it just comes to show they dont care about the conditions their pistols are in.

Yuck...

 

[25/20]

Anymore, around here, I can only be a capitalist.

I found what i thought to be a cool shop, even worked for the guy a couple days, and whats his "dealer price"(!!!) on a regular old CETME? 500 bucks!!!

So, i could care less anymore, if they are friendly, great, but im not paying my money for a smile and a sales pitch, i'm there for a gun, and if its a good price you can be an a**hole all day and i won't care.

 

[fix]

Support your local stores. We need a gun store or two in every town. Don't make things any easier for .gov by concentrating our supply. It is for this reason that my goal is to open a store of my own in the next 5 years.

 

[Trisha]

Bailey's a small town, all of a block and a half long.

We do local retail purchasing as much as possible because they are our neighbors and many, friends. The prices are fair, the atmosphere something vanishing more and more these days, that intangible of having a home town. High school football is a big deal, and County politics (the dirt, all the dirt, and nothing but the dirt) are rehashed endlessly.

I'm hoping my novel gets published soon, because honestly, I can't wait to get to lay down twenty Ben Franklins at Bailey Guns and bring home a long-dreamed of pistol or two! They'll be my first stop.

I wholeheartedly agree - we need to have a gun store or two in as many towns as possible!

They're as American as the mom & pop diner.

Trisha

 

[Baba Louie]

Local shops definitely for 90% of my purchases here in Las Vegas. Bill's Buy and Sell, Master Shooter Supply and Discount Firearms have taken in several thousands of dollars from my wallet over the years.
The Oshmans, Sports Authority, Wal-Mart chains have gotten only hundreds (maybe several hundreds, well, maybe a couple of thousand, but NOT several thousand) by comparison and even then, only when they had something the other three didn't and I had money burning a hole in my pocket and needed instant gratification.
But I don't feel I "Owe" it to them. I just like being in their shops and kibbutzing now and then. I usually walk out with something or another, even if its just targets, earplugs and some ammo. Gotta keep their doors open somehow.
Knives, I'll buy on-line or at a knife show from the maker. Firearms, I like to BS with the sales staff or shop owner.

 

[P95Carry]

I buy locally first, then use the Internet if I can't find a piece, like preban rifles, that I want.

Pretty much with Blades here. I in fact use maybe three virtually ''local'' shops .. one in particular. If they do not get enough support thay will fail and then what do you do? No local convenience any more!

I put as much business as I can thru my most local and usual guy ..... he knows I scour the web for some less usual pieces and is well happy to do transfers ... at a mere $10! I cannot be other than delighted with that.

I also include some purchases thru THR where I feel I am dealing with friends .. and deals work very well. Again, my usual guy kindly and willingly takes care of the transfers.

Often, the extra costs involved with shipping etc ... negate any great advantage ... so once again if we into a few Dollars extra only ... local wins out.

 

[Mulliga]

Neighborhood gun shops are the backbone of America. Quite frankly, it's hard to get good service anywhere, and I'm willing to pay.

Case in point: After much price checking and buying advice from the owners, I bought a SAR-1 from M&C Army Surplus for 400 bucks. Much higher than what I would pay at the average gun show. But I get to shoot the rifle, examine it at home, and see how it well it works. I exchange it later for another SAR-1 with a straighter FSB and a better gas tube. I exchange the cleaning kit (it was all busted up and wouldn't open), the sling (it was out of spec and wouldn't loop onto the front), and one of the magazines (they even gave me a forty-rounder in return). Try getting this kind of service from a gun show...you just won't find it.

I plan on buying more guns from them, and they pledge to match competitor's prices...sounds good to me .

 

[Zach S]

I wouldnt go as far to call myself a loyalist, but I'd still rather support the local guys.

 

[thumbtack]

I have to leave my credit card at home when I go to the gun show, otherwise I will max it out on all of the good deals I find.

 

[Billmanweh]

I do most of my gun buying and selling here on the FS boards and then give the $20 for a transfer to my local FFL and buy ammo at Academy. Don't really have a favorite gun store. At gun shows I tend to look for face-to-face private deals.

 

[powderific]

I always support my local shop if possible. So far they have proven to be the most friendly and helpful salespeople, of any stores I've ever been to, not just gun stores. I have been to some horrid gun stores, but the ones i purchace from are uniformly excellent. My most recent purchase was a Colt Gold Cup Trophy. I had been in the shop for an hour debating what to get, and the salesperson allowed me to test fire a springfield first, then i told him i wasn't sure, left. Came back and he let me test fire the colt as well, at which point I put the gun on layaway. Would not have been able to test fire any other way.

This may not seem like a big deal, but I've been going to these stores since I started driving when i was 16. Most clerks at stores with any sort of expensive goods would give me the evil eye, but at these gun stores they were always polite and helpful. There are times when i went there simply because the salespeople at the major stores would not help me at all. Even at 18 the major chain stores in my area are very unhelpful. I love my local stores.

 

[Mike Irwin]

I don't "owe" anything to anyone in regards to a business relationship.

If a shop has good prices on what I need, and treats me fairly, that shop will get my business.

If, however, a shop is non-competitive or treats me poorly, I'm not a grass-roots agent of a social-services government looking to make subsidy payments on the apparent theory that "if it exists, it is worthy."

There are very few gunshops in Northern Virginia, and even fewer that are competitive with gunshows, or even pay lip service to being competitive.

Those that are, however, such as Virginia Arms in Manassass, I will more than happily buy from if they have what I want.

 

[Moparmike]

I try to buy locally, but I want to go check out a larger local shop as well. Unfortunately, the only gun stores are all in the town to the north, and not in my own. Damned liberals...

 

[JohnKSa]

If they have what I want for a reasonable price I buy local.

If not I order.

I buy local when I can NOT because I'm loyal but because I'm PRACTICAL.

I don't want to get an FFL, and even when I buy a gun mail-order or over the web, I still need an FFL to take shipment. So, I do my little part to keep the shops I like in business so I don't have to go to one of the unpleasant FFL holders in the area.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

When I first started buying, I tried to buy at least one item from each gun shop that I could at least find a reasonable price on, just to spread my money around to the local shops. Now, 2 or 3 shops usually have what I am looking for, and if they don't, I probably don't really need it!

Though when I go to gun shows, I do sometimes have to fight with myself 'cause I see so much, but then realize, one of my local shops is there and has the same stuff at the same or less price.

The only dark horse is CDNN, they always seem to have something I want to order, and have to order. I've been good so far, I haven't ordered from them this year... maybe next week.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I am amazed at the number of #1 responders. I have seen in various places that folks are willing to paying up to 10-15% more for the same item in order to buy it in a local gun shop as opposed on on-line or in a chain.

I shop the local shops fairly regularly and then balk for wasting time. The ammo is often 10-30% higher in price. The price on guns is anywhere from reasonable to 40% higher than at the gun shows.

With very few exceptions, buying at the local gun shops does not make sound financial sense.

Maybe I just have the wrong job and not income disposible, trashible income?

Like Zach S, I would like to support the local guys, but those guys don't seem to be working very hard to support me. Is it all about me? When we are talking money, the answer is YES.

 

[P95Carry]

DNS ..... I think there is - in fact know there is - a considerable variation in regional pricing. Both gun shops and even I suspect at shows when run in different areas. Your differential mentioned of up to 40% higher is I think not necessarily at all typical .. not here anyways.

Last 2 shows I went to ... I was almost amazed at some of the prices ... particularly on guns. Far from advantageous as I saw it. And let's face it - we are all price-driven to some degree.

I don't feel I ''owe'' my local shop as such .... but there is a certain degree of good will generated when a shop does things for you and in a sense ''rewards'' you for the business you give them ... sometimes only in small ways. For instance ... ''throwing in'' some items of cleaning gear or a box of ammo .. with a gun purchase.

Also - as I mentioned before ....... I think it will be a sad day when even more gun shops have closed down ..... not only will we not have that local convenience for easy purchases but also ..... where do you find your FFL for transfers!

 

[JohnKSa]

where do you find your FFL for transfers!

One of you guys who doesn't see the benefit of keeping local shops in business should go down to your favorite chain and try to get them to order a FAL parts kit gun for you from the Shotgun News.

I'd like to be a fly on the wall for that conversation...