Gun shop question

I had one, bought a decent amount of stuff off the shelf, had some stuff ordered (pre-internet), got along good with the owner. Overnight it seemed, transfers doubled, consignments were either not worth the time, or he kept half, shelf prices were 10% higher than other stores (though he SWORE he wasn't making much profit). The last time I went in to buy, he had started charging a CC fee. He had what I wanted, it was 30 minutes to the posted closing time. I told him I wanted it, would run drive the 2 miles to the ATM for cash and be back. 10 minutes later, I passed him pulling out of the driveway, 20 minutes before closing. I was at a different shop first thing next morning with the cash. Haven't bought from him since.

Yea, there was a local gun shop and range that was owned and operated by a very nice couple. He had his interests and she had her interests and they employed a handful of equally "nice" people, each of whom had a different interest which all collectively complimented each other. One of the female employees, who was the specialist in black powder stuff, developed cancer and we all had a benefit for her. Well.... one day this very great couple decided to retire and sold the business to a "ring knocker" who knew everything about everything worth knowing. The place went downhill fast in lots of ways, less reloading inventory, a lot dirtier - downright filthy, prices went way up and all that was on the shelf was black plastic "tacti-cool" stuff. Then, if that wasn't bad enough, it became the preferred local place to commit suicide. I don't remember if it was after seeing the 3rd or 4th body laying on the floor in a pool of blood that I decided using the range wasn't worth it any longer. In some places they didn't even bother getting all of the blood stains out of the concrete floor.

MosinT53Hunter said:

Has a local gun shop ever done anything that would make you not shop there again, after years of shopping at that establishment?

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Yes, it closed. Video never killed the radio star but the internet has killed many an LGS.

I used to go to a gun store / indoor range in Oregon when I lived there. I really liked that store and the shooting range. I bought several guns there. They did some gunsmithing for me a few times. I used their range nearly every week, especially in the winter.

The owner always seemed a bit tight but then I figured he had a business to run. I liked his staff. All a bunch of nice guys.

The first strike occurred when I wanted to sell back a pistol I had bought there. The clerk that sold me the gun told me the owner would buy it back if I wasn’t happy. It was a Remington R51. I didn’t blame the owner for not wanting to buy the gun back but I told him that his staff shouldn’t tell folks that if he wasn’t going to honor it.

The second strike was when the owner came into the range and soundly berated me and another guy (we were the only ones there) for handing guns back and forth. I was admiring his new Hi-Power and he wanted to see if he liked the feel of my Gen 5 Glock. The owner acted like a total butthead. Threatened to ban us for life. He totally overreacted.

The third strike came after I was gathering my brass one day on the range and the owner cane and told me any brass on the floor was range brass. I reminded him of the rules that say “you can retrieve your own brass from the floor if is behind the red line.”
He let it go that day but a week later when I went in he told me that I would “need to bring his brass back” and that I “was stealing.” I again told him the brass I retrieved was my brass. He said “Well, I will let it slide this time. Just don’t take any more in the future.”
I went home mad. I had spent a lot of money in his store and I couldn’t believe he was this petty and stupid. I got “his brass” and took it back to him.
I walked in, handed him the bag of 50 or so pieces of 9mm brass and told him “Here is that brass you claim I stole. Keep it. In the last 9 months alone I have spent $2600 here. In the 3 years prior I have probably spent nearly 3 grand here. You have lost me as a customer. Enjoy this brass. It’s the last thing you’ll ever get from me.”

It’s a real shame when some folks just can’t get out of their own way.

Yep ,when NJ passed the law that you need an FFL for private transfers. LGS raised transfers to $90.....never saw me again after many years of paying a little more than internet price there for guns.So much for customer loyalty.

badkarmamib said:

I had one, bought a decent amount of stuff off the shelf, had some stuff ordered (pre-internet), got along good with the owner. Overnight it seemed, transfers doubled, consignments were either not worth the time, or he kept half, shelf prices were 10% higher than other stores (though he SWORE he wasn't making much profit). The last time I went in to buy, he had started charging a CC fee. He had what I wanted, it was 30 minutes to the posted closing time. I told him I wanted it, would run the 2 miles to the ATM for cash and be back. 10 minutes later, I passed him pulling out of the driveway, 20 minutes before closing. I was at a different shop first thing next morning with the cash. Haven't bought from him since.

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Wait, you ran 4 miles in 10 minutes (2 to the ATM and back)?

MosinT53Hunter said:

Has a local gun shop ever done anything that would make you not shop there again, after years of shopping at that establishment?

Click to expand...

Prices compared to inet, raising transfer fees out the blue after I already had my firearms shipped there, changing range prices and rules (was $20 for up to 3 serials but they changed it to $20 per transfer), know it all overzealous employees... Mostly prices though.... I stopped going to one LGS because a range booth was $15 for up to two people. Then they changed the rule to $15 per person per hour even if you're getting just one booth.

MosinT53Hunter said:

Has a local gun shop ever done anything that would make you not shop there again, after years of shopping at that establishment?

Click to expand...

One, where the arrogance and demeanor of most of the sale's people means I'll never go back..Took it for a while, cuz they have a HUGE inventory(but expensive)..but last straw was I was looking at a Ruger Wrangler in the case..guy was hovering on other side of case..I asked about it, he pulld it out and held it...I reached for it..and he pulled the gun back, so I couldn't even hold it..with a weird look in his eye, like, "don't touch!!"..geez, a $200 revolver..adios..many better choices around here.

I have never had an experience so bad that I completely struck off a dealer.
There are several that are very low on the shopping list because of attitude or price, but as Grandma said "Don't cut off your nose to spite your face." If Surly Sam is the only source, then I will grant him the sale.

It is an American Man’s duty to be not so hamstrung that Sam is the only option.

I admit to putting up with some things out of convenience however...

Demi-human said:

It is an American Man’s duty to be not so hamstrung that Sam is the only option.

I admit to putting up with some things out of convenience however...

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I'll put up with a lot if the price is right... Heck most will. Everyone knows Wal-Mart has terrible customer service, but people still shop there because of their prices. Likewise, I probably hold my nose and would put up with some bull if some of these LGS had similar prices to online stores, but I'd be darned if I'm going to pay higher prices and get bad service.

LookAtYou said:

Wait, you ran 4 miles in 10 minutes (2 to the ATM and back)?

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Fixed it

badkarmamib said:

Fixed it

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Ah ok. I was gonna say I completely understand why you were ticked off, after all that effort lol.

Theres been a few that I stopped going to because they raised the transfer fee, seemingly overnight. In one case it doubled. Maybe I'm fickle but to me that's pretty close to situational exploitation. I think that's poor business.

Oh yes. Quite a few things will make me stop shopping at a gun store. For example, scanning driver's licenses (without informing the owner) whenever a firearm is bought, putting a metal detector at the door and doing pat searches, and insulting my wife.

I was thinking of buying a Beretta Storm carbine. The Beretta website dealer locator listed a LGS where I had bought a few small things in the past. I drove there after work one day. I was nicely dressed in a suit and tie. The counterman refused to even take the rifle out of the case unless I guaranteed to buy. I left and haven't been back since, never bought a Storm either.

SteadyD said:

Yes, it closed. Video never killed the radio star but the internet has killed many an LGS.

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The Buggles would disagree with you.

I've told this before but In 2012 I took a handgun to Specialty Sports in Colorado Springs to have some work done on it. I had already called ahead and the Smith knew I was coming.

I walked to the back of the store where he was working on a hunting rifle. He had the rifle in hand and was looking at the scope, I introduced myself and he aimed the rifle right at me. (please note I did not say "pointed it at me" I said aimed)

I stepped to the side and told him that I had the gun here to be worked on and that it was in the box with the part to be changed and that the slide was locked back if he cared to check the chamber. He aimed at me again and told me to just leave the gun on the counter and he’d get to it in a few minutes.

I stepped to the side again and said OK sure I just wanted to make sure you knew the gun was here and he did it again.

Long story short he did the work, I got the gun back in just a few minutes, the work was well done at a reasonable price AND NOT ONE DIME OF MY MONEY WILL EVER FIND ITS WAY INTO SPECIALTY SPORTS IN COLORADO SPRINGS AGAIN.

Gun store on Benton Tennessee was the place to go. Far prices on everything and a good selection. But when the 22 ammo run hit they up the $18.00 dollar box of 22 lr to $99.00 dollars. Then later it went higher. So that was it for me. Had several other gun stores in the tri state area do the same. I don't go there either.

MosinT53Hunter said:

I don't know, I think I would have just walked out and found someone else to work on my gun if that happened to me. Just my two cents. Wow.....

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There weren't many gunsmiths in Colorado Springs at that time.

If I need work done now I go to Red Leg Tactical on Powers and Wayonka in Colorado Springs

I stopped using a LGS as my FFL transfer place after the owner totally screwed up and sent 2 guns i sold to the wrong states, and It was a giant hassle, and in one case, $50, to get the FFL it was sent to, to send it back. I had two guys thinking I had scammed them, all due to my FFL screwing up the shipping. Soon after I stopped using him, he got into trouble with the BATF.

All of my frequented LGS’s have changed over the years, everything changes over the years. I have changed my shopping behavior with those changes; the most influential change (bar none) has been the internet. The internet is visited much more, the LGS’s much less - biggest reason being inventory availability and pricing.

Nope.
The gun stores that I've been using for the last 20 years or so have been fair and square with me.