My local gun store is swamped with customers all the time now

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lionking

lionking

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Went to my local gun store yesterday, which I do fairly often to see what they have in trade in. They are a classic example of a mom and pop store family owned and operated with three outside employees.

They constantly have mass amounts of customers coming in lately, way more now than before March although business has never been bad for them. As I was there a herd came in, one because they had a concealed class scheduled which they have a lot of lately, and they have a 8 lane 25 yard indoor range which must be by appointment now because only half the lanes can be used due to COVID.

Listening to the people as I browsed many are first time gun owners. The gun store is getting some new inventory but it sells as fast as it comes in. I spotted a new Kel-tec PMR-30 .22 magnum they just got, which I had been wanting one. As usually since they know me I tried to haggle some on the price (hey gotta try) but new rules are no discounting guns. The daughter told me they are struggling to keep inventory and when no guns are able to be sold it makes it harder to keep employees.

So I pondered that a minute, made sense to me, bought the PMR-30 a bit higher than what they normally go (or did go for) which was $400 new around here before everything went crazy. Besides fact is it is true manufactures are struggling to supply stores, and don't think this situation is changing soon. Also for all I know manufactures might have raised prices also it may not just be the sellers that did.

So yeah, business might be booming, we are all glad that guns are selling and new shooters are getting in the game, but in the long term makes sense that when stores can't resupply, sales actually drops on the flip side.

So yesterday glad I supported my local store, AGAIN lol.
 
my LGS can only allow 5 people inside, due to the state mandates. once inside, they have (from what i can most certainly see) is full display cases, of NEW and used handguns, and full rifle/shotgun racks along the walls. they have ammo, cannot say however what they have, but suffice it to say, if i need 9MM or .45 ACP, they got that.

i was able to buy a new CZ 97B about 3 weeks ago, they had them in stock, but of course, i had to wait the obligatory 8 days before i could take it home.

they have no range there, and this place too, is family owned, and ALL the guys that work there are GREAT..!!

at the range i go to, they have 12 lanes, all 12 are open. thier used/new guns display cases are nearly empty, and you can see the dust on the walls, from the missing rifles.

what struck me "funny" is that since early February, i'd be about the only shooter there at 9 AM when they opened, so i could get the lane i wanted.

about 5 weeks ago, the place got flooded with first time gun buyers NOW wanting to learn how to shoot, those pandemic guns they bought in thier panic.......

last week, i was all alone again.. like WHAT DA HECK, all those pandemic buyers had all became expert shooters, and don't need any more practice?

yes, i too would rather spend my money locally, rather than online for my guns, and some ammo, but i will often buy things online, when i have to.
 
There is one LGS I like going to as it is very nice, laid back and friendly compared to others near me. The Academy near me is a veritable mad-house...bare shelves...even what little reloading supplies and kit they have are disappearing. Starting to see more ammo rationing sales as well. We have a gun show up next week...I'm afraid of what its going to be like as I really need to go look up some parts for my projects...it will fall to a coin flip I think lol
 
Coupla things.

Gun stores really do not need to be supported right now. As you saw, business has never been so good. Kinda why they are not gonna haggle on price, even for repeat customers. No need to. Few months down the road, they will need to haggle again and will need to be supported as folks tend to go to discount and online stores again. What I see happening in LGSs now is like what I see at auctions. Folks getting caught up in the moment. "OMG....there's a gun I might want, so I better get it, regardless of the price! Besides I'm already here!". I too regularly stop at my LGS to see what they have new and what deals they may have. Stayed the 'ell outta there for a few months because prices are too high, service is lousy and others must need it worse than me. Few more months and things will be back to normal and prices will be better.
 
db_tanker said:
There is one LGS I like going to as it is very nice, laid back and friendly compared to others near me. The Academy near me is a veritable mad-house...bare shelves...even what little reloading supplies and kit they have are disappearing. Starting to see more ammo rationing sales as well. We have a gun show up next week...I'm afraid of what its going to be like as I really need to go look up some parts for my projects...it will fall to a coin flip I think lol
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There is a gun show this weekend in my Tampa area and while I'd like to go to it just for the sake I haven't been to one in a while just not gonna do it due to COVID. Would also like to hang with musician friends and have a couple beers when they play out or get on stage myself for a few tunes but again COVID risk is too high and in fact when bars did open again a couple of my musician friends got it.

I don't have a Academy near me but do have a Rural King and they are overwhelmed in the gun section all the time also. Let us just hope that sooner than later we can reminisce and say good riddance to the crazy year or part of the year 2020.
 
buck460XVR said:
Coupla things.

Gun stores really do not need to be supported right now. As you saw, business has never been so good. Kinda why they are not gonna haggle on price, even for repeat customers. No need to. Few months down the road, they will need to haggle again and will need to be supported as folks tend to go to discount and online stores again. What I see happening in LGSs now is like what I see at auctions. Folks getting caught up in the moment. "OMG....there's a gun I might want, so I better get it, regardless of the price! Besides I'm already here!". I too regularly stop at my LGS to see what they have new and what deals they may have. Stayed the 'ell outta there for a few months because prices are too high, service is lousy and others must need it worse than me. Few more months and things will be back to normal and prices will be better.
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I'm staying away for a while now because the credit card situation lol! BUT honestly, I don't see or know for sure how long this madness will last, we have COVID, we have civil unrest, we have elections coming which we don't know the results yet, given that I have no regret just getting the Kel-tec now rather than waiting on a lot of maybe for later.
 
After seeing the video posted by the gunshow promoter yesterday im glad im not going. Yea they had a crapload of firearms on display but seeing that initial early morning line of probably a 1k people, I'll pass for now still.

I too am in the bay area, my local place near my job isn't nearly as packed lately but I've going in the middle of the day during the week. There inventory is still weak and I really don't think they are working hard to get more. I can say this because I goto other small stores in my area and they are always getting new stuff and both have 9mm ammo albeit with limits.

My closet Rural King ive stopped into twice in the past 2 weeks and they had a small pile of Geco 9mm, limit 2. I've bought my limit every time I go. Their firearm selection is bare for black rifles but they had quite a few handguns that were perfectly fine for carry and SD.
 
lionking said:
I'm staying away for a while now because the credit card situation lol! BUT honestly, I don't see or know for sure how long this madness will last, we have COVID, we have civil unrest, we have elections coming which we don't know the results yet, given that I have no regret just getting the Kel-tec now rather than waiting on a lot of maybe for later.
Click to expand...

^^^Kinda what I was talking about in my first reply. This is the mind-set behind the stampedes on Gun shops. This is why ammo, components and firearms themselves are virtually non-existent. It's not Covid-19, Civil Unrest and the elections.....it's the mind-set that there might not be any more, based on unfounded fear. No different than any of the previous panic based shoratges. No different than the toilet paper shortage a few months back. Anyone really run out of butt-wipe? Are the paper product shelves still empty at Wal-Mart? Nope. But folks posted on Social Media that is was gonna be gone and some folks got caught up in the frenzy and just had to run down and get theirs before someone else got it all. Same thing I see here. You stated that there were a lot of first time buyers there. Those folks probably needed a gun more than someone who already had plenty. Kinda where I'm at. I've got more than enough guns. I have plenty of ammo. I did my buying when it was a buyer's market. Like with toilet paper, I didn't buy 40 rolls for me and my wife and let some single mom with 3 kids have to use their T-Shirts. Covid-19 is still here and there is plenty to go around now that the panic buyers are done and have their closets full. Instead of paying a premium price for another gun I don't really need, I'll save my monies in case the dung gets deeper around my ankles. I don't see a need to contribute to the silly panic buying, when I already have enough. I don't see a reason to deprive someone who really needs a gun or ammo, because of unfounded fear.

JMTCs. You tho, are free to feel differently.
 
buck460XVR said:
^^^Kinda what I was talking about in my first reply. This is the mind-set behind the stampedes on Gun shops. This is why ammo, components and firearms themselves are virtually non-existent. It's not Covid-19, Civil Unrest and the elections.....it's the mind-set that there might not be any more, based on unfounded fear. No different than any of the previous panic based shoratges. No different than the toilet paper shortage a few months back. Anyone really run out of butt-wipe? Are the paper product shelves still empty at Wal-Mart? Nope. But folks posted on Social Media that is was gonna be gone and some folks got caught up in the frenzy and just had to run down and get theirs before someone else got it all. Same thing I see here. You stated that there were a lot of first time buyers there. Those folks probably needed a gun more than someone who already had plenty. Kinda where I'm at. I've got more than enough guns. I have plenty of ammo. I did my buying when it was a buyer's market. Like with toilet paper, I didn't buy 40 rolls for me and my wife and let some single mom with 3 kids have to use their T-Shirts. Covid-19 is still here and there is plenty to go around now that the panic buyers are done and have their closets full. Instead of paying a premium price for another gun I don't really need, I'll save my monies in case the dung gets deeper around my ankles. I don't see a need to contribute to the silly panic buying, when I already have enough. I don't see a reason to deprive someone who really needs a gun or ammo, because of unfounded fear.

JMTCs. You tho, are free to feel differently.
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To be straight I have bought quite a bit of Ammo, in the past 20 years. I did not need a crystal ball to see what was emerging in the future. And it was not because I feared a virus. And too be sure I am not panicked. And to say this is all just mind set is laughable. No this is not a mindset. What is going on away from the Virus is very REAL. It is Reality. You can travel a few places in your car, take your family what ever and get a good taste of REALITY. You can see it. No the reality is the fact that the worst is yet to come. Yes, there maybe some LGS's that have not reached the emtyness and bare shelves like some states. But just like any cancer it spreads.
Yes, we had a few big shows coming, but the last report was they are cancelled. And as I said on another post. Yes there was a time not too recently when OUR LGS's were swamped. Well, the truth now. Not even close.
 
My LGS is back to business as usual. We're out on the country a bit, so most people already have guns. Ammo on the shelf dipped a little, but they still have some of whatever you might want. I reload, so it's rare I buy ammo. Components are still there, though he hasn't had Acme 230 coated for several months. Got that online. He's sold a few more 9mm pistols, but there are some in stock yet. He'll still deal with long standing customers, but the newbs paid full price. Yes, his prices are a tad higher than the norm, but worth it for me.
 
Poper said:
Probably ran out of ammo and can't find any more.
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well i think this is correct.

when i was at the range lalst week, there was a guy and i'll assume his son with him.

one of them, i don't know which one, was having problems hitting the target.

the range guy said, see that guy over there ? (pointing to me), i told him to take paper plates with him to practice on, THEN use the targets he buys.

so i over heard that, and i gave him all my paper plates, musta been about 20, and he told me, that he only had 30 rds with him to practice with.

so yeah, i'd venture to guess he may have only bought a box or 2 of ammo, at the time of the gun purchase, and is holding onto the rest, as Paul Harrell would say..."precious ammo"
 
My LGS is busier than previously, but has 9mm in stock and told me one distributor had just reduced prices on 9mm (type unknown) from about $340 a case to $300. Black rifle prices did not rise significantly, although some used gun prices had firmed up.
 
I was at a, not quite local lgs, today. The place was packed couldn't get to pistol display cases or check ammo salinity, need more 243 win for reloadable brass, but long guns were in pretty good supply as well as reloading components, tools, prices were higher than I thought they should be, but that's supply and demand. I didn't buy anything on this trip at that lbs but did get a limbsaver slip on recoil pad for 19.95.
 
I think now is still the time to support your LGS, or maybe find a new LGS if your store does not value long-time customers. I stopped in the other day and asked at the counter whether they had any .223 or 5.56. Counter guy said he might be able to find me one or two boxes. Found the owner and asked, he sold me a case. Yes, the price was a bit higher than some times but not gouging given the crazy demand. This is a shop that remembers the guns and ammo I've bought there over the years.
 
wgp said:
I think now is still the time to support your LGS, or maybe find a new LGS if your store does not value long-time customers. I stopped in the other day and asked at the counter whether they had any .223 or 5.56. Counter guy said he might be able to find me one or two boxes. Found the owner and asked, he sold me a case. Yes, the price was a bit higher than some times but not gouging given the crazy demand. This is a shop that remembers the guns and ammo I've bought there over the years.
Click to expand...

Sounds great. My problem is that the LGS which I have been going to for years had almost the entire staff quite a few weeks back. Many had bee there for as long as I can remember. I wish them luck and good health.
 
No 9mm at my LGS. .223 gone too.
Shotguns, ARs and polymer 9mm seem to be gone as fast as they can get em.
Regular stuff takes a bit longer to get as well.

Folks needing stuff for hunting seasons and waiting til the week before the opener might be in for a surprise.
 
I've seen an interesting pattern in our LGS's. I live in (western) NY state, where there's quite a bit of red tape to navigate before being allowed to purchase (or even touch) hand guns. Long guns on the other hand can be taken home immediately by anyone who passes the background check (and pays for their purchase if course).

A large percentage of this run on guns is being attributed to first-time buyers. None of those people have had the time to navigate the red tape required for pistol purchases (in some counties the permit application can take over a year to be processed. Mine took 3 months a few years ago).

As a result, the only people in the state who can purchase handguns are those that went through the red tape long before any of this started. That group is comprised mostly of gun enthusiasts, or in general people who were already at least planning to purchase a gun if they hadn't already.

So what we see in our LGS's are empty racks of long guns (except a few items in odd calibers). But pistol cases are pretty much fully stocked. It's a very odd situation.
 
My LGS is down to about half as many guns and a quarter of the ammo that they usually have.
There are about as many regular customers as there are noobs that are about to handle their first firearm.
There are plenty of expensive sporting shotguns, but there's only one old bolt-action 20 gauge where the home defense guns are usually kept.
Interesting times... .
 
I dropped into Rural King in Zephryhills today. They had about 20 ppl in line waiting to pick up or buy a firearm, they had random hunting rounds and some target shotgun shells. I grabbed a few boxes of 7.62x39. Wish I had grabbed more of the steel cases Tula since it was $9 for a 40 rd box
 
Two true gun shops here and a few pawn shops. One is a "nice" store that is quite well stocked for a town our size. I wouldn't call their prices high, but typical. Slightly below MSRP in most cases.

Another, much smaller store, but they have taken the approach to sell in high volume at discounted prices. They never had a huge selection and nothing stayed on shelves long even in normal times at their prices. The brown truck was making daily delivers in the back door and stuff was moving out the front equally fast. They would order anything you wanted at prices that usually beat what I could order them and have a transfer done. Ammo was always at good prices. They really made a big dent in the bigger stores sales.

The bigger store still has a pretty good selection on the wall and behind the glass. Albeit at higher prices. About the only thing I've bought from the bigger store in a few years are reloading supplies which the small store doesn't carry. The smaller store that has gotten most of my business the last few years is dead. Customers come in, but there is nothing much to buy. I have had them order guns for me and had them in 2 days in the past. Now their suppliers are out of stock on everything. They have the same problem at the bigger store getting new stock, but they had a huge inventory in stock before things got crazy.

I don't NEED anything. I'm pretty well stocked up. But when I go to the range to shoot do like to be able to replace what I shot to maintain where I'm at. Ammo is coming in and available, just spotty. Nothing like the shortage of 22's a few years ago.
 
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