simon
Member
My Pop is interested in getting a pistol. He lives in ABQ/ Rio Rancho.
Thanks for all replies.
Will forward them to him.
Thanks for all replies.
Will forward them to him.
? Good gun stores in ABQ?
- Thread starter simon
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My brother lives in the Abq area, and he just told me the other day that since Sportsmans Warehouse opened, one good gun store closed and another is about to.
You might have him get ahold of the New Mexico Gun Collectors Association (my brother is a member) and ask them.
You might have him get ahold of the New Mexico Gun Collectors Association (my brother is a member) and ask them.
nickthecanuck
Member
Ron Peterson's on Central and Washington is the oldest place in town. It is the place I usually go. They have a large selection of used guns in really good shape usually. Their prices are a little high but they are always willing to haggle. Most of their employees are not idiots. Most. I have met Ron and he seems like a really stand up guy; I am certain if I had a problem with something I bought from him he would stand behind it. The only thing I don't like about Ron's is that I get muzzle swept at least a half dozen times every time I go in there. Ron really needs to make sure his staff are retrained on the 4 rules.
Charlies is another place that has been around for awhile. It is on Menaul up by Eubank. They have a pretty good selection of handguns but are overpriced and not willing to haggle (in my experience). They are extremely helpful and have IMO a higher quality of behind the counter help than Ron's. One older gentleman who worked there talked to me about handguns for like half an hour after I had told him I was just a looking. I ended up buying a Kimber Warrior, mostly because I hadn't seen one elsewhere, but the nice chat we had made it easier to swallow the slightly inflated price.
Precision Arms is also on Menaul, East of Louisiana. It is almost not worth visiting. I go there just to buy XM193, which they always have in stock. They have almost no inventory and what little they do have is massively overpriced. The guys who work there are nice though. I think this shop will not be around much longer.
Absolute just closed down. I liked the place and the guys who worked there and their dogs. Very sad situation.
Shooter's Den for some reason is the place in town where you are most likely to encounter gang-bangers praising the "second trigger on the side" of a Taurus. I like the guy who owns it, he seems like a nice guy. Some of the employees have been jerks to me in the past (although admitedly I do look a lot younger than my age). They have not a huge selection of handguns but it is alright if you have pretty mainstream tastes. Lots of Surefire stuff, this is where I got my X200A. The only thing I don't really like about this place is the other customers.
Sportsman's Warehouse has really, really low prices but no soul. Also, all their firearms have been handled so excessively that they no longer feel new. On the plus side, they are really cool about letting you handle and dry fire a dozen or so handguns.
There is a shop in the North Valley that I went to once that I will now avoid for the rest of my days. It was small and creepy and the employees were exceptionally rude. I can't remember the name of the place because I never went there a second time.
Those are all the shops that I have experience with, I think there are others. I would personally send my father to either Ron's or Charlie's (or sportsman's warehouse).
Charlies is another place that has been around for awhile. It is on Menaul up by Eubank. They have a pretty good selection of handguns but are overpriced and not willing to haggle (in my experience). They are extremely helpful and have IMO a higher quality of behind the counter help than Ron's. One older gentleman who worked there talked to me about handguns for like half an hour after I had told him I was just a looking. I ended up buying a Kimber Warrior, mostly because I hadn't seen one elsewhere, but the nice chat we had made it easier to swallow the slightly inflated price.
Precision Arms is also on Menaul, East of Louisiana. It is almost not worth visiting. I go there just to buy XM193, which they always have in stock. They have almost no inventory and what little they do have is massively overpriced. The guys who work there are nice though. I think this shop will not be around much longer.
Absolute just closed down. I liked the place and the guys who worked there and their dogs. Very sad situation.
Shooter's Den for some reason is the place in town where you are most likely to encounter gang-bangers praising the "second trigger on the side" of a Taurus. I like the guy who owns it, he seems like a nice guy. Some of the employees have been jerks to me in the past (although admitedly I do look a lot younger than my age). They have not a huge selection of handguns but it is alright if you have pretty mainstream tastes. Lots of Surefire stuff, this is where I got my X200A. The only thing I don't really like about this place is the other customers.
Sportsman's Warehouse has really, really low prices but no soul. Also, all their firearms have been handled so excessively that they no longer feel new. On the plus side, they are really cool about letting you handle and dry fire a dozen or so handguns.
There is a shop in the North Valley that I went to once that I will now avoid for the rest of my days. It was small and creepy and the employees were exceptionally rude. I can't remember the name of the place because I never went there a second time.
Those are all the shops that I have experience with, I think there are others. I would personally send my father to either Ron's or Charlie's (or sportsman's warehouse).
Erich
Member
Sigh. Things have changed.
Ron Peterson's does not seem to be in a good place right now, but it's probably the best shop in town. While some folks swear by Charlie's, I've yet to find a gun deal there worth taking. And Shooter's Den seems to have some decent prices (and good prices on ammo).
Anybody remember the place that I used to manage, J. Bland & Son's Guns, Gifts & Gadgets? That was a nice store.
Ron Peterson's does not seem to be in a good place right now, but it's probably the best shop in town. While some folks swear by Charlie's, I've yet to find a gun deal there worth taking. And Shooter's Den seems to have some decent prices (and good prices on ammo).
Anybody remember the place that I used to manage, J. Bland & Son's Guns, Gifts & Gadgets? That was a nice store.
Tijeras_Slim
Member
Ron's occasionally gets good floor help, but there are some that aren't worth talking to... fortunately they're usually more interested in talking to each other. You do find things there that just don't exist in other shops.
I'm very partial to Charlies, and I have gotten pretty good deals there. This is probably due to taking the time and effort to be recognized as a "good customer." The high price criticism is partly because he takes in consignment guns the owners want inflated prices for and they sit forever.
Precision occasionally has a nice find, but it's a bit depressing to see how empty it is.
Shooter's Den has good ammo prices.
I'm very partial to Charlies, and I have gotten pretty good deals there. This is probably due to taking the time and effort to be recognized as a "good customer." The high price criticism is partly because he takes in consignment guns the owners want inflated prices for and they sit forever.
Precision occasionally has a nice find, but it's a bit depressing to see how empty it is.
Shooter's Den has good ammo prices.
nickthecanuck
Member
GG&G RULED!!!
That was the first American gun store I ever went to. I was like a kid in a candy shop.
That was the first American gun store I ever went to. I was like a kid in a candy shop.
Monkeyleg
Member.
Another shameless plug for one of the stores on my site, Caliber's.
From what I understand, it's one of maybe two shops with public indoor ranges in the state, or may be the only shop.
The owner, Don, seems like a really nice guy.
Any feedback from NM members about this store is always welcome.
From what I understand, it's one of maybe two shops with public indoor ranges in the state, or may be the only shop.
The owner, Don, seems like a really nice guy.
Any feedback from NM members about this store is always welcome.
garyk/nm
Member
I agree with everything Nick said. Good advice.
Nick, Was Los Ranchos the shop in the north valley? If so, I doubly agree. Bunch of jerks!
Nick, Was Los Ranchos the shop in the north valley? If so, I doubly agree. Bunch of jerks!
nickthecanuck
Member
That was the place! Never going back there.
I forgot about Calibers. They have an alright selection of handguns and they rent some too. They're also the only place I have found in town that stocks Hornady FPD rifle ammo.
Bwhahahaha! 
Good gun stores here in Albuquerque?
Admittedly if you have no back story the picture looks a bit different, but none of them are what you might consider good.
Charlies' IS high priced, and unless you are looking for an overpriced double barrel shotgun or Browning rifle you may be out of luck. Charlie Jackson in the back is good people, though, and he is a good gunsmith.
If I was a beginning shooter there would not be any place for me to go in this town. Few of the salespeople know enough, and almost none have sufficient patience to deal with new shooters. It is not easy, I admit, but someone has to do it, and I have watched a lot of potential shooters get turned off by the way they were treated.
It would not be hard to open a new gunshop here and blow the doors off most every other shop in town.
At least one more shop will close before the end of the year.
Good gun stores here in Albuquerque?
Admittedly if you have no back story the picture looks a bit different, but none of them are what you might consider good.
Charlies' IS high priced, and unless you are looking for an overpriced double barrel shotgun or Browning rifle you may be out of luck. Charlie Jackson in the back is good people, though, and he is a good gunsmith.
If I was a beginning shooter there would not be any place for me to go in this town. Few of the salespeople know enough, and almost none have sufficient patience to deal with new shooters. It is not easy, I admit, but someone has to do it, and I have watched a lot of potential shooters get turned off by the way they were treated.
It would not be hard to open a new gunshop here and blow the doors off most every other shop in town.
At least one more shop will close before the end of the year.
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