Why brick and morter are dying

You have a point. No 'brick and mortar' store can reasonably stock (dang near) everything. That includes scope rings, scopes, after market stocks (thinking of rifles, but handguns as well) and holsters. Not to mention reloading components.

On the other hand, I find 'local' places more likely to have 'odd' guns that I collect. The auction places have collectables, but typically they are over priced and the 'bidding' systems are so complicated they are nearly rigged against guys like me.

Not to mention, 'local' places can have a human face and some knowledge - or not. On line merchants are excellent IF one knows exactly what one wants or needs.

I also prefer 'local' dealers as I prefer to spend my money locally as much as possible.

The problem is compounded by the fact (or at least long-held claim) that dealers make most of their money on accessories, ammo, clothes, cases, scopes, and other incidentals, not really on the guns they sell, which only account for a small portion of their income.

So when the only thing you HAVE to go into the store for is the lesser part of their revenue, and they can't possibly, POSSIBLY compete with the enormous inventory of gun accessories, ammo, clothes, cases, scopes, and other incidentals available online at the click of a button, it's a tough business.

One might say that customer service, assistance with choices and options, and the depth of knowledge available at your local gun shop is what REALLY keeps folks coming in the door and dropping their money. But...well, the other great truism about gun shops is in regards to the "legendary" helpfulness and customer service the industry is plagued by.

A good shop is worth a lot.

Maybe you should have used that old fashioned thing called a PHONE and called ahead of time - would have saved you all that time and gas....................

im not gonna lie.....i really dont like gun stores....and i generally try to avoid them if possible.

i have never been in a gun shop that struck me as "professional".....

they are almost always staffed by a guy and a few of his buddies...who do nothing but gripe about politics, and have anti obama propaganda posted around the shop( i dislike obama as much as the next guy, i dont need a lecture on it every time i buy ammo)....and the stores are always cramped and disorganized.

all i want in a gun shop is a courteous and professional staff, a clean and well laid out shop.....i want to feel like im in a proper business, not a political rally.

i feel like a lot of these shop owners would benefit from taking some basic business classes.

Can't disagree here. I've been frustrated enough with gun shows the last year lacking things I have been looking for and not having them at good prices, gun stores are worse because they have even less and higher prices.

Recently I went to see what my lgs had for .45 Colt and they had all of three boxes, none of them cowboy action. I didn't bother to look at the prices, it would probably have been $1.50/round they were selling the stuff for. I see it all the time with ammo or accessories: they either don't have it or have it extremely high priced.

I did find out though my lgs will reload .45 Colt for cowboy loads and the cost is $22 per 50 rounds. So that's a good deal I'll go back for many times, but other than that, the local stores are only good for buying guns and things like powder and primers/caps to save on the hazardous shipping cost.

At this point, I will only buy ammo online or from big retail chains selling them on sale and will only buy accessories and magazines online.

There are something along the lines of 70,000 FFLs in this country.

Most are home based and their margins are 10% at best - not enough to cover an hour of labor, transfers, depreciation of stock, etc.

Brick and mortar stores aren't much better. They may have higher inventory, but play by the same rules and have higher expenses.

Neither can compete on accessories with the big box stores or Amazon where they sell $1 over wholesale.

Had a LGS open up across the hi-way from our shop a couple years ago, great prices, the 2 guys knew there stuff, would order me any gun I wanted, and in the first year, I probally spent close to $3k in there. They only lasted about 14 months. If the wife called the shop and I didn't answer the phone, she finally wised up and started calling the gun shop. I sure do miss that place.

Simply put most brick and mortar stores are not even trying to compete and fight back the huge corporate businesses that are going to stomp them to the ground if they don't.

Most buyers think they will get away with saving a few bucks by buying from entities determined to destroy the spirit (which they seem to be doing a good job of already) of the small businesses in the community they live in.

When all small business competition is wiped out, even the pitiful speck of whats left for a large part due to the slob, stooge, lazy, know nothing mentality of a lot of small business owners today, watch the prices go up and the quality of the cheap garbage sold get even worse, High quality products will become priced for rich people. Why not since they will control all the supply.

Then everyone will consider themselves lucky if they even get what they pay for.

That is what you'll get if you participate in the canibilization of your own community.

I put forth considerable effort to buy American, buy locally (brick and mortar,) and buy quality. The fact of the matter is I find it takes considerable effort and more often than not yeilds no fruit but I can only do what I can do.

My local stores are better, now, than they ever have been. We have one that has a LOT of stuff...it is just impossible for them to have it all. In order for them to stay in business, they have to have more of the things that I am not looking for...which they do. I typically want something very specific and they typically do not have it...but occasionally they will. Just the other day, I went in looking for a specific type of hammer extension...and they actually had it. I am friends with them all and I buy from them when I can.

I've not always been a fan of some of these LGS, big or small, myself. I could probably find a set of extension rings at a LGS in the big city some miles away. But, having to be in a silver finish too, I might well be out of luck. Depending on the area, I suspect a customer coming in and requesting rings that must be both extension and, silver in color, may be an infrequent occurrence. In this case, I can understand even a large LGS not keeping them in stock.

I will always use my LGS first. I only go the web after I have checked around. It will be a sad day if they were to close. I like to spend my money in the local area where my tax's will be used.

I've seen both ends of the spectrum in the Chicago area. We have one who's employees are so rude and owner so dishonest that the only reason they stay in business is because they have one of the few ranges in the area. We're lucky to have a couple that are well run, who's owners and employees are friendly and knowledgable and have reasonable prices. I make sure to patronize them. I don't want to see the day where we need to order guns sign unseen through an internet based business.

Not just gun stuff "brick and morter" stores. I hit 4 different stores in town today just looking for a jar of Sno-Seal....:banghead:
I like it for the holsters and knife sheaths that I use when hunting.

I think you are confusing your definitions, I don't consider a big box store a LGS. A real local gun store will have a lot of odd ball stuff that has been on the shelf for years when you need it. They will have good information to help you make decisions concerning loads, accessories, and cleaning supplies. The big box stores will have someone who knows nothing about anything except that they may make a bonus if they sell you something.....

My local gunstore is owned by a crotchety old geezer (same age as I am) who has been gunsmithing for a long time and knows what he is talking about. He does not have time to worry about pleasantries and he does not tolerate BS from internet know it all's who tell him that they can buy it cheaper online, but instead just asks them why the heck they are in his store if they already know where to buy it. I love the place......

I was shopping for a new handgun recently and decided to save some money and buy it off the internet. I looked at six different pistols and they all felt exactly the same in my hand, kind of like a computer mouse.

I happen to have a great LGS near me. He doesn't always have everything in stock, but he can always get it for me. He's a good guy and knows his business.

There are others, though, that I've been in once and that was more than enough. Not all are created equal.

One important aspect of bricks and mortar is the ability to see what you will get, to hold it and to take it home with you. One of the reasons they're dying is that all folks seem to understand these days is lowest apparent cost now. We save a few bucks and lose a part of our community.

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The only gun shop around here that had a good supply of reloading components and equipment closed when the owner retired. None of the remaining ones have stepped in to fill that void. They also don't stock many scopes, rings, or bases. And never carry magazines for anything that isn't common.

1) Large internet stores have huge selections
2) Large internet stores run on ultra low margins
3) Shopping online is awesome. You get reviews. You get specs. You can easily do comparisons. The store never closes. Returns are easy and painless.
4) Shipping is cheap and fast now.

Amazon is cleaning up in the non gun retail space quite nicely. They don't do gun stuff well so Midway and Brownells are picking up the slack there. I keep waiting for either to do a version of Amazon Prime for free shipping. For those of us who order quite a bit that would be nice...

Gun stores will have to adapt. The newish gun stores in my area derive most of their revenue off of the shooting range and classes. They sells guns but don't make much money off that. They sell accessories but I don't think that is a huge business for them. They sell used guns and do OK there I think. All of the local gun stores used to charge $25 for a Transfer but they all bumped that up to $50 now which is probably the same margin they get on most new guns.

There used to be a few crusty old stores in my area that had guns for sale at much higher prices then I can find online and accessories for sale at 2x what I can find online. Their service was the typical "gun store commando" variety. They are all gone now. I don't really miss them.

Iv yet to find a gun online I couldn't get cheaper at a local shop or big box store in person how ever the exact dodad or magazine I want is a whole nother story as well the in person place cant sell me what they don't have

alexander45 said:

Iv yet to find a gun online I couldn't get cheaper at a local shop or big box store in person how ever the exact dodad or magazine I want is a whole nother story as well the in person place cant sell me what they don't have

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I'm the complete opposite, I can ALWAYS find what I want cheaper online, and you can dodge the tax on top.

A couple of years ago a shop opened up less than three miles from my home. I was excited at first, but it didn't last long. It was easy to see why.

Most of the pistols offered were in the $700-$1000 range. The exception were a few basic Glocks for $550-$600, and some of the new-gen .380s for a bit less. Rifles and shotguns were garden variety stuff, with prices that didn't inspire much interest. Months later, there were only a handful of used guns. I asked the owner about it and he said he didn't want to deal with the hassle of used guns.

Ammo and accessories were reasonable, and I'd usually buy a box of .40 or something when I visited. However, I soon tired of the politically-charged atmosphere that was always present there. Connecticut suffered some huge setbacks recently, which obviously ticked off a lot of people, myself included. But I was invariably dragged into the same old griping and I really didn't want to keep beating that dead horse.

I was disappointed to see him go out of business, but he didn't seem to be helping himself out much. At the very least, aren't used guns a significant portion of revenue?

Strange. I was looking for some silver rings for one of my rimfires last night, too. Ran into exactly the same situation as you. Had to order from Amazon.

Aside from the unknowledgable staff, many brick and mortars just do not have the same offerings as online shops. Somethings gotta change or they'll go under.

Maybe you should have used that old fashioned thing called a PHONE and called ahead of time - would have saved you all that time and gas....................

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...for silver scope rings? Er, every store should have at least one model in stock. Now if you're talking powder or 22LR, sure - but I don't even bother with the physical shops for anything that could be remotely hard to find.

I mean, why spend time calling stores, waiting on hold, and then getting told that it ain't in stock when it can be ordered in 5 minutes online with free shipping (Amazon Prime) and I get it delivered to my home or office?