Your LGS

We have one near us who likewise has adapted. They have a beautiful store. The inventory is excellent and they have a decent website. They have good prices on some items and others are a bit expensive. So I shop them first and decide what to get with them.

We also have a home based FFL nearby who has good prices so he’s a favorite and he does my transfers.

As you said some businesses have adopted andcan compete. So I try to shop wisely and give them my business. Supporting local businesses isn’t just throwing money at ones who overcharge and don’t adapt.

If the price is close (it sometimes is) I’ll buy from my LGS. If it’s more than $50 difference, I’ll order online and have it shipped to them. They know they can’t always compete. And they’ll tell you so. But occasionally, they blow the internet out of the....web?

My LGS is always competitive on gun prices. They always match a price, with transfers and taxes, and a lot of times will be lower. Reloading supplies can be a little higher across the board, but not much. It is worth the few dollars more to keep them in business to me. The box stores have really lost their appeal with poor customer service, an overall decline in product knowledge and price increases.

Unfortunately, I haven't found a LGS in West Houston area that is competitive. If someone knows of one, please let me know. I too, want to support local business, but I won't overpay to co it.

If my local store is within $50 to $75 I will buy local.

I have a great LGS! Unless he can't get the gun, he's always competitive and often less expensive. Does cheap transfers, too.

I never buy any firearm from the internet. I always support my LGS and buy from them. I've heard too many horror stories about not getting what you thought you were paying for. It's very important to me to get my hands on a firearm before I buy. In the long run I don't think I've paid a significant amount more and I always know what I got for my money. Besides I was buying firearms related stuff long before the internet came about. I guess I'm just used to doing things the old way.

Like others have said, I'd much rather support a local brick and mortar shop than order on-line.

I'm blessed to have several gun shops within like 8 mins of my house. Counting pawn shops I think 7 different stores that carry guns that are that close.

There's only 1 that I do business with though. They treat people awesome, they really want your business, and they happen to have fantastic prices. Cheaper than what I can find online or anywhere around town.

With all that said, I would pay this shop a little more if need be just to do my business there. They have treated me well, above and beyond.

If you include in-state gun stores that set up at gun shows (I'm thinking Trader Jerry's, for example), then, yes, I would agree that they're worth dealing with. I've found that the truly local brick-and-mortar gun shops in northern Virginia (the few that still exist) are a complete waste of time. (The reason is that high real estate prices and rents cannot be supported by the low profit margins in this industry. To have a viable gun shop you have to be located in a lower cost area, or at least own your own real estate.)

AlexanderA said:

If you include in-state gun stores that set up at gun shows (I'm thinking Trader Jerry's, for example), then, yes, I would agree that they're worth dealing with. I've found that the truly local brick-and-mortar gun shops in northern Virginia (the few that still exist) are a complete waste of time. (The reason is that high real estate prices and rents cannot be supported by the low profit margins in this industry. To have a viable gun shop you have to be located in a lower cost area, or at least own your own real estate.)

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Trader Jerry’s has two stores. I’ve been to the one in Salem. They have a huge inventory and staff are hit or miss. Most are ok to good but I’ve had a few that weren’t helpful. Overall though they were one of the shops I dealt with locally when I was in SW Va.

And yes they’re a shop that understands tha5 they have to compete. So they go to all of the gun shows and use volume to help make m9mey.

As for No Va being originally from there, you’re description is perfect.

I always check with my local gun shop when I want to buy a new gun. I tell him the prices I have found on the internet and he tells me if he can match or beat them. The last 3 new guns I have bought were from his shop.

Mine is pretty good price wise, usually within $20 or so of what I see online outside of really good sales or something of that nature.

We have a couple of family owned LGS' who's prices are always close, if not lower than what I can find online. With Illinois trying to put them out of business with legislation that recently passed, we can either support them or watch them go out of business. I'll no longer shop online, as I want them to stay in business.

It depends on the value/cost of the gun. I always use my LGS, but I buy <$400 guns. There are usually (slightly) lower prices on line, but it becomes a wash with shipping and transfer fees. I also don't have a problem paying a little more at a local shop (I'm in IL too).

I always price locally and on the internet. Sometimes an internet price can't be beat.

I prefer to buy from my LGS though to support their business. I do buy a lot of my reloading equipment from them also. They're a good gang, and if I spend a little more to help support them, I'm ok with it. In the long run, the money I've wasted buying locally will be a fraction of a fraction of what I've spent in total, and a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of what I've saved overall in my retirement fund and bank account.

I have bought on line and did quite a bit business with my LGS. The guns I buy on line are usually used and ones that the LGS's in my areA don't have in stock. So far I've had good transactions on line but the key is to check out the ratings of the seller. I really scrutinize the feed back they have received from other buyers and the number of sales they have made. As others have stated after you factor in the shipping and transfer fees that gun on line may not be the bargain you initially see. I supported my former LGS and bought from him even if he was a few dollars higher than an internet sale but since I moved to Florida I haven't found a LGS yet that isn't real proud of their guns with prices that reflect that. I did find an FFL that only does transfers and his price is extremely reasonable.

sparkyv said:

Unfortunately, I haven't found a LGS in West Houston area that is competitive. If someone knows of one, please let me know. I too, want to support local business, but I won't overpay to co it.

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I use to live in Houston. Not sure of a LGS in your area, but if you reload, 10 ring is a great little shop. Prices aren’t necessarily cheap, but competitive, and they’re well stocked, knowledgeable and nice guys.

https://www.10ring.com

I have a few LGS that are pretty good on prices. Mainly the used guns are what I look for.

Except for Vances, the biggest local store here, most are close to the MSRP.

My local stores are all competitive with non-sale, or distributor pricing (I can get those thru another local ffl buddy). I try to buy most of my guns locally, and buy all my reloading (except bullets, shipping cost makes them to expensive to buy off the shelf) and as many parts locally as possible.

The last 3 or 4 firearms I've bought tho we're from the interwebs or via distributor, as they were special, or sale, items.

sparkyv said:

Unfortunately, I haven't found a LGS in West Houston area that is competitive. If someone knows of one, please let me know. I too, want to support local business, but I won't overpay to co it.

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Lone Star Defense & Arms. A little hole in the wall type gun shop in Spring Branch. Good, down to earth people.
They sell consignment with low fees and they'll bring in items through their online store* at usually competitive prices.

https://www.defenseandarms.com/

*GearFire distributor

Keith G said:

I use to live in Houston. Not sure of a LGS in your area, but if you reload, 10 ring is a great little shop. Prices aren’t necessarily cheap, but competitive, and they’re well stocked, knowledgeable and nice guys.

https://www.10ring.com

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A nice reloading shop. I picked up black powder supplies from them years ago. Too bad I'm not a reloader and the black powder bug never bit me, otherwise I'd visit there again.

My LGS is just good. You would think they would carry more accessories, you can't make any money
on guns.

I call my local pawn shop "The Museum". Guy thinks every gun with a minor anomaly is "rare",
a third of the guns are marked "not for sale". He's got an AKM on the wall for 4300$. Who in their
right mind pays that for an old, used AK? Same guns, week in, week out. I hope he has other
profitable avenues in his pawn business, because he's got gun sales cranked up to a standstill.

The pawn shop I purchase most from will sell anything they can get from their distributor with 10% added on. That usually makes them competitive to anywhere else I look. Although...I did order and buy an AR-7 from them a couple weeks back for what was a few dollars less than anywhere else I looked, and I was happy for awhile, only to see the local Academy circular in the Sunday newspaper beat the price I got by $25. Oh well, support your local LGS!