Big 5?

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TexasKid

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What is a Big 5? Im from the north Texas area and have never heard of one of these stores but i keep reading about awesome deals that id love to have. Where are thy located? Thanks in advance.
 
There's one down the road from me in San Angelo.

I can't say I've bought much in the way of firearms from them but i've gotten a couple good deals on ammo. They do have a decent selection of milsurp rifles and usually one goes on sale every Sunday.

They have some good pocket knives on sale routinely too. Take the wife along also since shoes are their big specialty.
 
I stopped into a Big5 store during a business trip to Abilene, I was totally disappointed!!
 
I miss Big5 now that i live in Texas.

I really enjoyed purchasing the military surplus rifles for some pretty great prices. I haven't found any real surplus guns while in san antonio in the shops.
 
They have them on the West Coast. They often have very good deals on Mossberg 500s and some other firearms. They don't have a large gun selection though.
 
I keep hearing about the great deals they have a Big5 like 70 dollar mosin nagants. I cant find em for less than 120 around here. Id buy a couple for 70.
 
They have a store here in Odessa and Midland Texas. As mentioned alot of the surplus rifles and other goods go on sale every Sunday. If you are looking for an old Mauser or mosin nagant they are wroth a look. I know the two stores here dont have everything up on the racks and those working the counter are more then happy to go in the back and bring up other rifles for you to take a look at. So dont buy that old beater thinking it's all they have , there is a good chance there is a nice one sitting in a box in the back.
 
they have one here in my little podunk town... not very good selection and prices are outrageous on ammo...

decent selection of shoes though .... lol

they do have mosins for under $100 and sometimes they have a hidden gem (I got an unissued VZ-24 2 years ago for $90 bucks on clearance)... also they have sales on mossberg 500 combos with 2 barrels..
 
well you know academy right? same type of store. i like big 5 more in my experince but i havent been around either much lately.
 
Im maily interested in the mil surplus guns. The prices seem awesome compared to what i can find around here.
 
TexasKid said:
Im maily interested in the mil surplus guns. The prices seem awesome compared to what i can find around here.

If you're interested in milsurps, you should get your C&R FFL (assuming you're at least 21). $30 for 3 years, and all the milsurps you could want shipped to your door.
 
We have one back in my hometown in good ol Colorado.
It's much smaller where I come from when compared to places like Sports Authority or Cabela's but I hit it up pretty frequently when I'm around.

The prices are kinda middle of the road on most things but sometimes they have a fair sale on ammo and some milsurps. But, on the whole it's more or less like any other such store (although as a previous poster mentioned they do have good deals on shoes).
 
Mixed Bag

I've pretty much given up on them.

I no longer see the knife bargains I used to see there, and the rifle prices have gone from okay to "meh" in the last three years.

My final "say what?" moment came when I found they were selling M1 Carbines in mediocre shape for $999.99 (that's a thousand bucks in English), when the local gun shoppes in the area were selling them -- examples in better shape -- for $600 to $800. There was one local shop that had an M1 Carbine for a $1,000; it came with 500 rounds of ball ammo and six magazines, and it was clean and tight.

So, I concluded that Big 5 (at least in my area) was going for "cheap and glitzy" on their (overpriced) knives ($80 for a knife available anywhere else for $20), while pushing the envelope on rifle pricing.

I haven't been back in more than a year. There are too many other local places that have what I need and want at prices that make more sense.

 
Big Five is kind of a strange store in terms of selection. It is definitely not a gun store, but you can find good deals. I just bought a Mosin from them a few weeks ago for under $100.

They did have some GREAT deals on knives when I was in there. I wouldn't just walk in expecting deals though; check out their website and see if there's anything that interests you in their weekly specials beforehand.

If you do decide to head in there and you find a milsurp rifle you're interested in, I would suggest asking to see any other inventory they might have in the back. Chances are the guns they have on display are the ones they're trying to move, not their best pieces.
 
The closest one to me is like three and a half hours. Somebody was talking recently about 70 dollar mosin nagants though and id drive that far to buy a couplel of them.
 
I check out their adds weekly. I often will find a knife from a brand I know for a "loss leader" price, ~ $15 to $25. I know these are almost always made in China. So...
My current daily carry knife is a Kershaw 'Chill'. $20.00 on sale.

Steel: 8CR13MoV, satin finish

Handle: CNC-machined G-10

Blade Length: 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm)

Closed Length: 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm)
$
Overall Length: 7 in. (17.8 cm)

Weight: 2.0 oz.
FEATURES:
• Locking Liner
• Pocket Clip
• Flipper

That is a great price for a great knife.
I just bought 3 Leatherman Wave tools for the car emergency kits. ~$20 each. $36.95 regular price. They don't say where they are made.

I often buy knives I like knowing I will give them as gifts or resell at cost to someone as a starter knife.

I only buy brands I know are quality: Kershaw, Wenger, Victorinox, CRKT, Kbar, Leatherman.

I stay away from the non-knife brands: S&W, Harley, Jeep, etc. They are selling a name.

Big5 ammo prices are not great around here (So. California). I can get better if I wait for sales at Turners (big hunting & fishing chain), or buy in bulk online.

Buyer beware, but they do have good deals on some advertised items. Check first, you may do better elsewhere. If you sign up online, they will send you "E discounts" occasionally.

If I was going to buy a Mossberg 30/30, 500 or 590, I would probably wait for a Big5 sale & get it then. Or check with my local FFL and see if they could match the price.
 
Their prices are normally outrageous, but occasionally they will have a decent sale on something. When I say outragrous, I mean a Yugo SKS for 699.99 normally, and 499.99 when on sale. Mosins are normally around 199.99 I think, and probably between 90-120 when on sale. Ammo is overpriced. Although, if you need shoes or any kind of cheap sporting goods, that you really want to be from China, they are your place.
 
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