A reasonably priced rifle at Gander Mountain? Be still my heart!

[.45Guy]

I stopped at the local Gander Mountain today, and to my suprise saw a 1952 vintage Model 70 in .30-06 sitting on the used rack. Well, I was in need of a laugh, so I decided to check the hang tag... $760... Not a steal, but far better than the $400 bubbaed Enfield I had seen a few years back. Who knows, maybe there is hope for them yet!

 

[cpirtle]

People tend to dog Gander a lot but the same ignorance that prompts them to price a used Tikka T3 at almost a grand also works to the buyers advantage. You just have to go there a lot.

Here are some of the deals I have gotten just in the last year, all were LNIB unless noted:

FN SLP - $500
Ruger 10/22 WMR - $150
Winchester 9410 packer - $325
Mossberg 500 Home Defense - $111
Browning T-bolt .17 HMR - $275
Marlin 45/70 Guide Gun - $275
very early Marlin 39a (90%+)- $225
Winchester 97 factory riot (95%) - $325

There are more I can't think of and I won't go into all of the pistol deals I have scored there over the years. Last time I bought a gun the guy at the counter joked I had almost 50 purchases at that store and I never buy from them unless it is a good deal.

I bought the SLP from them when they were selling on Gunbroker for over a grand (in December IIRC). I was going to just turn it over until I shot it and became smitten.

The guns that are over priced sit forever but when they put grossly underpriced ones out they usually sell withing a day or two. I make it a point to stop in on my lunch at least twice a week. I should keep my mouth shut though, the more price savvy gun buyers stay away the better it is for me

 

[Acera]

I found and bought a NIB Browning .300 Win Mag. Acera for $350 a couple of years ago from them. Got a discount because they did not have the magazine, and did not want to go to the trouble of getting one. (Acera mags are a PIA to get, and Browning will sell you only one.) I had watched the price drop a few times. It also helped that the majority of customers in there had not a clue what that gun was.


I just wish they would send some lackey around with a silicon cloth wipe the guns down once in a while. It irks me to see new guns with rust on them, but sometimes they make a deal on that stuff.

 

[cal74]

Closest Gander I have to me is St. Cloud, MN (3 hours) I always stop on my way up to Duluth. Their ammo is always nuts, but every time (2-4 times a year) I'm in the store there's at least 2-3 good buys on various guns. Last time I was up there I found a very clean Winchester Classic for around 450.00 that I kick myself for not buying as it was gone when I came back through a few days later.

I've also bought A LOT of archery stuff, stands and odds & ends there, plus quite a few shirts and such throughout the years.

 

[Publius1688]

I like my Knoxville Gander, and go there quite a bit. The gun guys are great.
Prices are all over the place on used weapons, though. I'd really love for an employee to explain how they price out trade ins. I bought my Walter P38 there, about two years ago, for around $230.

 

[vit]

Somebody screwed up if you see something at a decent price Got a new looking Mossber 590 for 200 bucks, it was marked as 500. A badly hacked up Krag was marked 1200 bucks, it's been there a few years. I think it's down to 900 or so now.

 

[.45Guy]

Vit, is that the one in Germantown? That is where I saw the 400 enfield.

 

[vit]

Vit, is that the one in Germantown? That is where I saw the 400 enfield.

Yes, you must have seen the Krag then. It actually looks better now than before as all those people handling it, has removed some of the rust.

 

[Dr_2_B]

I probably need to visit Gander from time to time

 

[DennyF]

Don't think I've ever seen any real bargains in the used rack at a Gander Mtn. store and I have checked two of them over the years. Mostly buy used guns at a large shop near my hunting camp and have found some great deals there over the past 30 years.

The Harrisburg, PA Gander Mtn. store did have one rifle that wasn't overpriced like most of their used stuff is and that was a minty Savage laminated thumbhole 22, for about $50 less than the same rifle, new, in their racks.

Ditto on the rusty fingerprints on rifles in Gander's used rifle racks. Never made much sense to me why they'd permit such a thing to occur?

 

[mgregg85]

I got my mossy 590 in very good condition from gander mountain for $200 after tax.

 

[UniversalFrost]

some of the gander mt. shops also sell on gunbroker.

i scored a bultercreek 10/22 kit ( stock, bull barrel and 25rd mag) new for $100 and then also picked up a new 24" blued with 3 choke tubes 835 12 gauge barrel for $50. This was from a gander mt. store in WIS selling on gunbroker. They still sell on GB, but their prices have increased and have not seen any good deals lately.

cabelas has good deals as well. the store in chandler AZ i scored an RCBS turret press for $109 on 4th of july weekend. gun prices are crazy, but a buddy picked up an duo tone FNP45 for $400 and I picked up an XD45 stainless slide and dark earth frame for $375 (was missing the paperwork, mag loader and had a slight mark on the side that buffed out).