buds gun shop any good?

[Axis II]

I'm seriously thinking about getting a marlin 1895 45-70 from buds seeing how they are the best price with the marlin rebate but I've never dealt with them before or any online gun ordering and a little Leary about the whole process.

what if i get a bad model as far as fit and finish because obviously i cant see the rifle before purchasing it and having it sent to the FFL?

How are they able to sell firearms way cheaper then anyone else?

 

[Hanzo581]

They are able to sell cheaper because they sell so much. They get better deals from distributors. I've had no issues with them, but then again I never had to contact customer service. I have heard they aren't the best in that area. The only thing I can recommend is if you aren't satisfied with what they send, refuse to take possession. But be prepared for it to take some time to get resolved.

 

[Jason_W]

I'm seriously thinking about getting a marlin 1895 45-70 from buds seeing how they are the best price with the marlin rebate but I've never dealt with them before or any online gun ordering and a little Leary about the whole process.

what if i get a bad model as far as fit and finish because obviously i cant see the rifle before purchasing it and having it sent to the FFL?

How are they able to sell firearms way cheaper then anyone else?

I think it's the same way Wal Mart can sell basic goods cheaper than most other places. If you're willing to buy in extreme bulk, wholesalers will be more likely to cut you a deal on per unit cost, which can be passed on to the consumer.

I haven't ordered through bud's myself, but where I live, I'm not sure there would be any real savings all said and done. All the shops in my area charge $50-$100 for a transfer and then there are various punitive fees tacked on to gun purchases in California. But that's California which is a bizarro-land universe unto itself.

 

[Choctaw]

The last six firearms I bought were purchased through Buds. They aren't always the quickest to ship but I have had zero problems with them. Free shipping and no sales tax is nice. My FFL charges $10.00/per transfer.

 

[red rick]

They are pretty good , I have bought several from them . I did receive a shotgun from them that had a small blemish on the receiver and I returned it and was very satisfied with how fast they handled it and it didn't cost me anything extra . Just make sure you look over the gun before it gets transferred into your name or you will be dealing with the manufacture . I also bought a Colt 1911 from them , and it had a blemish on the hammer . You could not see the blemish until the hammer was cocked and I didn't do that until I got home to clean it . I dealt with Colt on that and Colt handled that to my satisfaction , all I wanted was a new hammer and I would install it . They asked for a picture of it and then sent me a new hammer and I received it in a few days .

 

[ilbob]

None of the FFL guys around here that I have talked with will deal with them any more. I don't know exactly why.

 

[Axis II]

Now how does transfer fees work? I used bud's website to check their preferred FFL and it showed prices from $10-50. is this just to have it shipped to them and they do the paperwork for the background check or is that just a shipping fee and then more money for them to do the background check?

 

[Axis II]

ive been looking for a decent price on the marlin 45-70 and everyone on sale and with the $100 marlin rebates are over $500 but bud's is at $400 said and done. kind of threw up a red flag for me.

 

[red rick]

But be prepared for it to take some time to get resolved.

My return and replacement was handled in a weeks time , I wasn't expecting to be so quick . My sister in law is a bud's member and hers was handled even faster and there was not anything wrong with the gun she received , I just told her it was not the one that I thought my brother wanted .

 

[red rick]

Now how does transfer fees work? I used bud's website to check their preferred FFL and it showed prices from $10-50. is this just to have it shipped to them and they do the paperwork for the background check or is that just a shipping fee and then more money for them to do the background check?

That is the latest information they have on what the FFL fees will be , but check with the FFL before hand and tell them you are having a firearm shipped to them . Bud's shipping is free if you do not want insurance . I always insure mine so that does add a small shipping fee .

 

[Hanzo581]

None of the FFL guys around here that I have talked with will deal with them any more. I don't know exactly why.

I'd imagine they were tired of transferring Buds guns while their overpriced guns were sitting unsold.

 

[squirrelmurder]

I have had mostly good experience with them. Shipping has been extremely quick, and prices are fairly low in comparison to others I have tried. The whole deal with two different prices is a little irritating to me- it costs more to use a credit card than to send a check or money order. You have to take the time to inspect the gun carefully, and I made that mistake once also. I have to pay 20 bucks for the transfer. I can say that I have heard a few horror stories about them but that has not been my experience.

 

[cfullgraf]

I've had good experiences buying from Bud's, but all my transactions with them have been "in house" as they have a satellite store near me in Sevierville, TN. As part of the sale, you get 30 minutes of range time at their indoor range. Unfortunately, I live too far from them for that to be convenient.

I order a gun and when it comes in, my wife and I make an afternoon of it. We pick up the gun, have lunch in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area and my wife shops a little at stores she likes to frequent.

The Bud's web site has a list of preferred FFL dealers that have worked with them. It will search by address/zip code and you select the radius of the search. I'm not sure how well they keep it up to date.

Bud's insists that it is the customer's responsibility to inspect the firearm before accepting it. All of my purchases have been in good shape so I have not tested their "reject policy".

 

[Hanzo581]

I'm seriously thinking about getting a marlin 1895 45-70 from buds seeing how they are the best price with the marlin rebate but I've never dealt with them before or any online gun ordering and a little Leary about the whole process.

what if i get a bad model as far as fit and finish because obviously i cant see the rifle before purchasing it and having it sent to the FFL?

How are they able to sell firearms way cheaper then anyone else?

Also, I've had great luck with grabagun in the past. They've even beat Buds several times for me. Not sure what exact model you're looking at, but it seems crazy to get this for $365 after rebate.

http://grabagun.com/marlin-1895g-45-70-18-5-lvr-bl-70462.html

 

[ilbob]

I'd imagine they were tired of transferring Buds guns while their overpriced guns were sitting unsold.

I have bought firearms from other places and had them shipped to three different of these local FFLs. They did not have an issue with other places - just Buds.

 

[Choctaw]

That is the latest information they have on what the FFL fees will be , but check with the FFL before hand and tell them you are having a firearm shipped to them . Bud's shipping is free if you do not want insurance . I always insure mine so that does add a small shipping fee .

Exactly. Buds has nothing to do with the transfer fee your FFL will charge. Some FFLs charge a lot while others much less.

 

[toivo]

I've bought several handguns from them. No problems. They even let me change an order to a different gun without charging me the fee that the "fine print" says they'll charge for changed or cancelled orders. Called it a "one-time courtesy" -- works for me.

 

[MedWheeler]

I love 'em. I've bought several handguns from them (no longies, yet), all shipped to my favorite FFL, a local pawnbroker. The last one was a Remington stainless Commander "enhanced" 1911. That order was placed late on a Friday night; the gun was at the FFL mid-afternoon the following Monday. This was two weeks ago.

My FFL charges twenty bucks, way low for around here (I've seen as high as fifty, likely by shops who would rather not deal with inbounds.) The NICS is another five.

 

[rskent]

I try to buy local, but if they don’t want to deal ….BUDS

 

[rondog]

You'll be better off buying a new Marlin locally, so you can look it over REAL GOOD! Especially the bore. Take a bore light with you.

I just bought a new 1894 from Bud's, which was drop-shipped from somewhere else. No issue with Bud's or the other place, but the bore looks terrible. Gotta shoot it to see if it'll shoot OK or not. Might be going back to Marlin/Remington.

 

[bikemutt]

As memory serves I bought two handguns from Buds. Both were handled professionally.

I would not buy a current production Marlin without inspecting it first, no matter what the cost saving.

 

[JeffG]

Yes! All of my transactions through Bud's were great!

 

[Hanzo581]

As memory serves I bought two handguns from Buds. Both were handled professionally.

I would not buy a current production Marlin without inspecting it first, no matter what the cost saving.

I wouldn't take possession of any firearm without inspecting it first...

 

[Axis II]

As memory serves I bought two handguns from Buds. Both were handled professionally.

I would not buy a current production Marlin without inspecting it first, no matter what the cost saving.

I'm really worried about that and that's why when ohio legalized them several yrs ago I didn't get one cause of too many issues. Id like to find a JM marlin but hard to find and used guns concern me I might get a lemon and out of luck.

 

[red rick]

Just don't except it if you see a problem , it wont cost you anything but your time . I would be more worried about the problems that you can't see until loading and shooting it . Those would be the same no matter where you bought it . Bud's also has or had a option where you could pay extra for lifetime warranty , probably cost an additional $15 dollars and Bud's will handle any problems and give you a refund if it can not be fixed . I would choose that option if I were buying a Marlin .