Your LGS

Love my LGS. He'll order guns just so i can check out the ergos. I usually buy the gun.

I think some of you guys have more user friendly LGSs/pawn shops/etc. than I do...

My LGS hate competing for my business so they don’t. There is a store 2 towns over that does a killer business by buying in bulk and offering a better deal. It’s not hard to figure out where to go down here.

I have 4 that I deal with primarily one is in northern PA two about 7 miles west 2 towns over and one 45 miles north.
I don't mind spending a little more to keep them in business.

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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chicharrones said:

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

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Thanks for the tips, guys. I may make a trip out that way and have a look see.

GunnyUSMC said:

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.

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How I do it with mine too. I always try and give the local shop a fair chance. Knowing the shop will make sure I don't get a "defect" (i'm looking at you, S&W, and your canted barrels) is worth a couple extra bucks.

Lawton, OK lacks a gun store. Closest gun store is Duncan, OK. That store owner opposed Constitutional carry: i won't buy anything from him.

My guns are bought from a pawnshop owner and FFL who charges $40 above his cost.

There is a fairly new gun store close to us (well 10 miles is close when you live in the country) being run by a young couple. They have done a couple of transfers for me for only $10.00 (my CCL does make it easy). After The Lady brought herself a Ruger SR22 from them last year she declared that we were going to buy all of our future guns for that gun store even if it cost us a little more.

I’m lucky having a LGS that is excellent (Moe’s Hardware, Black River Falls, WI). Huge inventory, competitive pricing for the most part, and competent-but not arrogant-staff.

there was a local shop that I had visited only once due to the unfriendly staff. Years later they moved to my side of town, and I finally stopped in to check it out. One of the old staff was there, everyone else was new, and they were all friendly and helpful, including the old guy!
I'm in there a lot now. Nice store, lots of accessories and they are sorta the AR go-to shop in town..

If you want to help your LGS, buy accessories there. That's where the profitable markups are.

I had a gun shop two blocks from me. They did my transfers and I tried to buy from them as much as I could.

Unfortunately they had to close up after only about 4 years. It was owned by two old retirees. Cancer got one of them. Made me sad. The other guy couldn’t keep the place going on his own.

Bass Pro is a ten minute drive from my house. I don’t buy guns there. But it’s a pretty store.

Steve S. said:

I am purchasing a new rifle and was shopping price on the net; I also called my favorite LGS to get an OTD quote. I guess that I was conditioned to think that brick and mortar could not compete with net pricing but to my surprise, I was wrong - my LGS (including sales tax) ended up being $75 cheaper when all of the extra charges (shipping, transfer) were included in the internet pricing. I learned something today; some brick and mortar has adapted or the net has gotten greedy (or both).

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My LGS generally has pretty good prices, close or equal to most online stores. I don't mind spending a few dollars more at my LGS, both to support a local business, and also to scratch my "immediate gratification" itch. I think they also do business online, so that may explain their comparable pricing.

I think the only guns I've bought from online sources were two models that my LGS didn't have in stock and was not sure how long it would take them to get for me.

Rock185 said:

I think some of you guys have more user friendly LGSs/pawn shops/etc. than I do...

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No doubt I'm lucky with my LGS. I've been into more than one shop that seemed to actively go out of their way to discourage new customers. The LGS I mentioned above it around 15-20 minute drive from my home. There used to be another local shop within walking distance of my home. He sold everything for full MSRP, and his charge for transfers was 2-3X the other shop. Needless to say he's not around anymore.

Have three LGS that I've used (2 aren't real close) and they each have had good sales, but only once in a while.
My favorite and closest is a mom/pop feed store grown into a general store that charges a flat 7% markup from factory price - they get most of my biz.

I have three LGSs that I frequent. One is primarily consignment items, one carries a great many rare and older guns, and the other is almost all new and specializes in MSWs. My range also carries a pretty decent selection of new guns.

The range store told me flat out they can't compete, and a few years ago I found something priced $250 less than their asking price. When the owner didn't believe me, I showed him the website (CDNN) and he said it was under his cost. They do offer a minor discount for range members but it ain't great.

The other LGSs are competitive on their used items, and the consignment LGS let you make an offer thru them to the seller. I've gotten some amazing deals that way. Finally, my LGS that carries primarily black rifles is very competitive on pricing, and better for me also waaaaay undercuts everyone in the metro area on FFL transfer fees. They are always very interested in my new-to-me toys when I buy older lever action rifles or SAAs and use them for the transfer.

The big box stores can't/won't compete on price, and they sure as heck could never compete on the customer service.

I work for a LGS. Primarily a used/consignment store. We sell new guns on a special order basis. We also do a lot of transfers. I'm often shocked at the prices people pay for things. Quite often we could have gotten it for them at a lower price once shipping & transfer fees are taken into account.

If my local store can get it, the price is usually the same or cheaper. I've run across a few that they didn't have, and were unable to get that I ordered. They do $5 transfers and most of the time it is only worth buying online if shipping is free.

I'm getting to the point that I will only buy from Academy. I've gone into a few of our gun stores here, and we have a lot, and every one is way high on everything. I have bought three from one but it has poor salesman, didn't tell me till I was checking out that the gun was used.Bought my xde from another but the attitude was very bad and price was very high, only bought the gun because nobody had one in stock in town. They won't see me again because they told a vet he couldn't get the "vet" discount because he wasn't a vet, he's a VN vet with 3+ yrs service. Other LGS I've been in don't have what I want ANY time I go in there. Really a pain.

I like to handle the actual piece that I am going to buy. I have up to this point with a single exception purchased from my LGS. My LGS couldn’t or more likely didn’t want to through the trouble to get me the Anschutz rifle that I wanted.

I buy very few new guns. Maybe 1 every 5 years. If I do, one of my best friends has several Pawn Shops and a Fully Stocked Gun shop and I will buy them from him. He orders and I pay. Don't even bother to go online and check prices. I know he is going to do me the best he can. I do buy a lot of used and trade in guns from him and we have a good time dickering over prices but he treats me well. He recently had a sale on Winchester 9mm ammo at $10 a box OTD. You don't know how many people told him they could get 9mm from Academy for $1-$1.50 less at Academy. But the same people want him to take in their old beat up guns on trade. I think all of us get caught up in what the price is but not what the value is. The Local Gun Shop will trade. They give advice. They can teach you how to operate a gun safely. Too many times I see buyers not only on firearms and ammo, but almost anything, worry about the price but don't take a minute and compare the true value and what kind of bang you are actually getting for your buck.