A New Reason To Hate Gander Mountain.

[Mac45]

Can't complain too much about the GM here in NW Indiana.
They do have silly prices, but now and then they have a decent sale. Some of the used prices are OK too.
I have no complaints with their customer service. I've always been treated well there.

 

[evan price]

Gander's prices are outrageous- they had trade-in pistols for more than new ones at the local shops, yes.
Their ammo is double WalMart.
Their reloading gear has gone from decent to dismal. Only shotgun presses now? They used to have Lyman, RCBS, Lee gear there a year ago.

If you want a canoe or some Chinese binoculars they probably have them.

GM appears to me to be K-Mart's sporting good section expanded into a store of its own.

 

[CajunBass]

Please folks support your local gun dealer.

Gander Mountain IS a local gun dealer. They're right down the street just before you get to the Wal-Mart.

I don't buy many guns there anymore, but only because I can usually find what I'm looking for somewhere else for less money, but they're an option.

 

[Rob G]

I'm always torn on shopping at GM. I agree that their prices aren't great, but their customer service, atleast at my local one, is fantastic. When I went to buy my last gun I went to 5 locally owned gun stores looking for what I wanted. None of them was at all helpful. The staff were completely unknowledgeable, they weren't interested in selling anything less than a grand (I was shopping 1911s). Finally I ended up at GM, in a foul mood from an unproductive day. Their salespeople were more than willing to help out, extremely knowledgeable, and their prices were pretty competitive with what I'd seen at other places.

I still don't think they're my first choice but I've had much better experiences with them than most of the local stores.

 

[SEMNshooter]

I frequent Gander Mountain often, 99.9% of the time I walk out the door with nothing. It is a great place to look. They have a pretty good selection. Usually I go there to get the feel of a new gun, I then spend 2-3 hours on the phone looking for the best price (usually Sportsman Warehouse which is 80 miles away) No reason to support the oil barrons if I'm not sure about a gun.

 

[EOTechRulesAll]

Gander mountain has ridiculous prices to the point where they want $150 dollars for an M44 Nagant that I am able to buy for $55 dollars direct from wholesalers.

The only weapon I ever bought at Gander Mountain was a Bersa .380 Thunder, which I snagged on sale for $199 dollars.

 

[ImARugerFan]

Good deal on used guns? Take your pick of all 12 of them. I even pointed out that the price on a used model was higher than the new one they had.

I'll have to upload a pic of the wingmaster I got for $175, and the S&W 639 I got for $260.

M44 Nagant for $150

Must be regional because here they were always $99.

I'm not saying it's a great store or anything, and I NEVER buy ammo there, but I enjoy checking out the selection and it's worth the drive because of the deals that pop up on the used gun rack on occasion.

 

[XDKingslayer]

Gander Mountain is actively pursuing other fine firearm retail establishments within 50 miles.

You should be upset with the gun store owners who are obviously only in it for a buck and were willing to agree to Gander Mountains terms.

This shows you what truly matters to these small shops that you prefer. Not customer relations, but money. Just like Gander Mountain.

 

[gpr]

G M

i can't wait till gm is open in west palm beach...it's just down the street...good or bad prices, i am a good shopper, not a problem...i am hoping for a range there......gpr

 

[K3]

Makes me appreciate my local shop even more. They are priced lower than Wal-Mart. He'll order anything I want, show me what he pays, and then adds a little for profit and transfer (not much at all), and it'll be on it's way quickly.

 

[alex_trebek]

Around here GM is no worse than the local dealers. When GM had a sale on wolf 7.62x39, the local dealer here admitted to buying the stock at GM and raising the price in his store. There are only two stores here that are worth going to, both are locals (if the definition of local includes 1 hour away).

One of the local guys here wont let anyone field strip his AR's "for insurance reasons." This is the same guy who sold me a SKS without a gas piston. I called to complain, and he acted dumb and basically told me to go away.

This guy also likes to sell used kimbers for $900-$1000 because its "like new" and the MSRP is $1100.

The other shops are no better in town. The point is dont support the local guy simply because he/she isnt a large corporation.

Get the cheapest price available, and let the market decide.

 

[Dorryn]

I dont need any new reasons to hate Gander Mountain.

 

[The Tourist]

I have decided to cut my ties with the Gander Mountain in my area. I was an independent contractor. As you might know, they closed the east side division of GM in Madison, and opened a new super-store just across the municipal line to sell handguns. But that's not the issue.

The new mananger had people apply for their own jobs, fired existing department managers and cut wages. I had a brief meeting with him about my future, and it was clear that Gander also begrudged the monies I was making sharpening. While the new guy was clueless about the differing service I offered, he seemed comfortable with a cheaper guy who just ground edges on a mechanized system.

I don't sell junk, I don't cut corners, so I wrote him a terse letter and fired him.

That's correct, I fired him. I don't have to work anywhere. I had no non-compete clause, no formal contract, and the guy who originally invited me into the store had transfered to a new location several years ago.

BTW, if you like very sharp knives and you hunt in the south central Wisconsin area, my best wishes.

 

[the pistolero]

Gander Mountain moved into my area a little over 2 years ago. Immediately the biggest gun store (Shooters Supply) closed down.

Wait a minute. While I don't know the whole story -- I know just what I was told by a former Shooters Supply employee -- this isn't right. Gander Mountain opened on Eastex in Beaumont in June of 2005. I remember it well. It was almost two years later that Shooters Supply closed down. And I don't know how well they were doing, but from what I remember they had both Academy and Gander Mountain both beat on price as far as guns themselves go. Which would lend some credence to what the guy from Shooters told me, which was that the owner just wanted to sell out and retire. And there's also BZ Gun and Repair in Groves, and Mike Smith Enterprises in Port Arthur. Oh, and Gary's Guns in Vidor, which has a lot of the same shooting-related accessories Shooters had (the selection of which, BTW, is a fat lot better than GM). Gander is trying to buy ALL these guys out?!

 

[entropy]

I really want to see them try to buy Stu Utgaard out.

 

[GunDoctor]

I'll jump on the anti-Gander Mtn. band wagon. I worked for them for a while after gunsmithing school. I fund them to be a company decent people should never do business with. I have several colorful metaphors for Gander Mtn. that wouldn't be appropriate for the forum.

 

[skinewmexico]

No worse than a corporate car dealer buying all the dealerships for 50 miles, like Lithia is doing here.

 

[45Guy]

I go there to look around, and on occasion handle a firearm or two, but almost never buy. Ammo is $5 a box more here for .223, Boresnakes are $3 more, and the list goes on. I did, however, recieve a Sig P6 from there for my 21st birthday. But I personally don't normally buy there, they are just in my list of "go in and browse stores."

 

[phantomak47]

the Gander Mountain in Spring, TX has a sweet Sig 220 for $899 that has already been run over by a truck, so you dont have to worry about giving it any character marks.

 

[GunDoctor]

$899 for a beat up Sig...sounds like them.

 

[Ratzinger_p38]

While GM is 'big' and has lots of stuff, I do find that the prices are to the point of being unreasonable. They must wonder why the Mosin-Nagants they had never sold (they had 4) - probably because they were almost double (about 175) then everywhere else.

Awhile back when I got my P38 from a local guy, after picking it up and taking it to the range - I find out it has a broken firing pin. I take it back and the dealer drops everything and goes to his suppler to swap. Comes back with the best one of the bunch - all matching and a perfect finish. Would such a thing been done at GM? Doubt it.

Another poster mentioned how local guys will tell you what they pay, or how much they'll tag on to a sale. GM? Nope. Stick it - that is their attitude.

They are definitely the Wal-Mart of guns - big and stupid.