Going to be taking a long weekend in a couple of weeks and only going to have time to hit one, maybe two gun shops on my down time. I see dons gun shop on the net and looks like a nice place but my question is are his prices and selection worth stopping at or is it one of those places that you go look and then buy somewhere else??.
Don's Gun Shop Indianapolis
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NoirFan
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I have no personal experience with Don's but some of my shooting range friends have reported a very uncomfortable vibe from the sales staff there. Supposedly they are very pushy if you look like you are buying, and very suspicious otherwise. I can only report secondhand so take that for what it's worth.
Gander Mountain in Castleton on 86th st has a decent display, including "tactical" rifles, pistols and shotguns. They are also one of the only places around Indy to stock premium defensive ammo.
Look up Pop Guns, they have a well maintained range facility but the store is small and it can get crowded on the firing line.
If you are coming to Indiana from the north it's worth your while to stop at Cabela's in Hammond, just off I-65. With a huge selection of new and used guns and a really cool milsurp section, it's the biggest and best gun store I've seen.
Gander Mountain in Castleton on 86th st has a decent display, including "tactical" rifles, pistols and shotguns. They are also one of the only places around Indy to stock premium defensive ammo.
Look up Pop Guns, they have a well maintained range facility but the store is small and it can get crowded on the firing line.
If you are coming to Indiana from the north it's worth your while to stop at Cabela's in Hammond, just off I-65. With a huge selection of new and used guns and a really cool milsurp section, it's the biggest and best gun store I've seen.
Actually we gotta do detroit on sat ( early till late) then stop in defiance oh sat night on onto indy sunday morning till monday night. So i will be coming down 69 from the east side of the state. But thank u for your advice. Will just play it by ear. My time in detroit will not allow me anytime at cabellas there but been there once and not my cup of tee. Maybe there is different prices in different areas but very very few things i saw there that i couldnt find way cheaper at home. The high end gun room was cool though. Maybe i will try gander mountain. The one up by us doesnt have the best selection but it has also been a few years since i have deen there..the guns i look for the most are on the used rack but thank you for your help.
strykerfire
Member
no to Gander Mountain. There prices on ammo is outragious. They wanted something like 85 dollars for a box of Remington GoldenSabre .45's. I laughed at the guy and left all the ammo on the counter for him to put up. But not because of the price thats not his fault, but him and the gun staff at Terre Haute's Gander Mountain are rude, don't want to get anything out for you and it's more like your a thorn in there side. They just want a check. And they dont even know firearms. He said the single action pull on the glock is what he hates. HUH?
jcwit
member
Dons gun shop--HAHAHAHAHAHA
Gander Mountain---HAHAHAHAHAHA
Check out the shop reviews here from all over Indiana
http://ingunowners.com/forums/local_gun_shops/
Gander Mountain---HAHAHAHAHAHA
Check out the shop reviews here from all over Indiana
http://ingunowners.com/forums/local_gun_shops/
Owen
Moderator Emeritus
Don from Don's guns is one of those gun shop owners that the media talks to every time something happens. Among other things, he's tried to shut down gun shows because they siphon off his business, which is mostly aimed at selling cheap guns like lorcin/davis at a high markup to people that don't know any different.
Bradis on 67 is a pretty good shop.
I know the owner of Beech Grove Firearms, who is a really decent guy. Haven't been to the shop, but knowing the guy, I expect it to be pretty good. A number of locals, including the world famous Tam, call it Death Camp Guns, because its across the street from a railyard that conspiracy theorists think is a FEMA concentration camp.
Bradis on 67 is a pretty good shop.
I know the owner of Beech Grove Firearms, who is a really decent guy. Haven't been to the shop, but knowing the guy, I expect it to be pretty good. A number of locals, including the world famous Tam, call it Death Camp Guns, because its across the street from a railyard that conspiracy theorists think is a FEMA concentration camp.
Owen
Moderator Emeritus
Going to Don's Guns is a lot like going to East St. Louis. You really don't want to go there. Bradis is on the SW corner of the Indianapolis city limits on State Road 67 (in Camby Indiana). Pretty nice little gun shop. The guys working there are OK but some of the customers are kind of scary.
RetiredUSNChief
Member
I'm originally from Indiana...and I've been to Don's Guns.
I was somewhat less than impressed, to put it mildly.
He used to have a very well known commercial where his line was "I don't want to make any money. I just love to sell guns!"
Beats me how he ever sold anything at all, with the prices he was asking and the quality of the weapons I looked at when I visited.
He also is quite well known for shady dealings, too...even made the news a few times as being one of the top five gun dealers who knowingly sells guns to criminals.
The location of his store isn't in what you'd call a "nice" area, either. I don't feel comfortable going there because of it.
Here's one link that pretty much sums up my opinion:
http://gunnuts.net/2008/01/28/indy-gun-shop-series-dons-guns/
Some news links:
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/26122472/detail.html
http://www.wthr.com/story/4942752/d...ers-selling-guns-to-criminals?redirected=true
If I were you, I wouldn't waste my time with Don's Guns.
I was somewhat less than impressed, to put it mildly.
He used to have a very well known commercial where his line was "I don't want to make any money. I just love to sell guns!"
Beats me how he ever sold anything at all, with the prices he was asking and the quality of the weapons I looked at when I visited.
He also is quite well known for shady dealings, too...even made the news a few times as being one of the top five gun dealers who knowingly sells guns to criminals.
The location of his store isn't in what you'd call a "nice" area, either. I don't feel comfortable going there because of it.
Here's one link that pretty much sums up my opinion:
http://gunnuts.net/2008/01/28/indy-gun-shop-series-dons-guns/
Some news links:
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/26122472/detail.html
http://www.wthr.com/story/4942752/d...ers-selling-guns-to-criminals?redirected=true
If I were you, I wouldn't waste my time with Don's Guns.
IndianaBoy
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- 1,551
Don is scum.
I wouldn't give that man a nickel.
I wouldn't give that man a nickel.
HoosierQ
Member
Worst gun shop in town...bar none. Nothing but crappy guns, throwing stars, and gold plated Desert Eagles. Lots of crazy rules...can't take or make a call on your cell phone for example. Awful, awful place. No ammo for sale hardly. I think there may have been 10 long guns in the store last time I was there probably 6 or 7 years ago. Very weird staff.
Stay away also from Pop's.
Bradis is good...know folks there. Ask for Dave...best beard in the country. Probably the best overall inventory in town.
Beech Grove Firearms is good. Small, but good. Ask also for Dave, different Dave...no beard.
Plainfield Shooting (or Shooter's) Supply is good. Not technically Indianapolis but just about 10 minutes west on US40. Maybe the best selection of semi-auto pistols in town. Saw a VP-70 there once. Lots and lots of reloading supplies.
Stay away also from Pop's.
Bradis is good...know folks there. Ask for Dave...best beard in the country. Probably the best overall inventory in town.
Beech Grove Firearms is good. Small, but good. Ask also for Dave, different Dave...no beard.
Plainfield Shooting (or Shooter's) Supply is good. Not technically Indianapolis but just about 10 minutes west on US40. Maybe the best selection of semi-auto pistols in town. Saw a VP-70 there once. Lots and lots of reloading supplies.
Hunter125
Member
I can vouch for Bradis and the Plainfield shop. Also, my dad has had bad experiences at Don's. Too bad Galyan's closed down. Now that was a good store.
That's about what I've read MANY times at http://ingunowners.com/forums/index.php. Do some searches there and you can find scathing stories about the man, the store, the prices, and the shady dealings.
I wouldn't set foot into that place.
Anytime you walk into a gunshop and see the entire glass display case filled with Lorcin and Davis "pistols" and the entire wall behind the counter hung with Lorcin and Davis "pistols" with pink and turqoise grips you know you came to the wrong place. It should be called "Don's Hand Grenades".
HoosierQ
Member
We'd love to have you shop in our town. That's the funny thing about Indianapolis. Despite Don's, Indianapolis is a good gun shop town. Good Mom and Pop gun shop town.
We used to have a fabulous big gun store, kind of a local Cabela's if you will, called Galyan's. Now those old-time hoosiers out there, I am not talking the more recent Galyan's chain that, yes, sold a lot of fine guns. Remember the place out in Plainfied? Back in the '70s? Right next to the current Plainfield Shooter's Supply? Rows and rows of used guns in racks on the floor. I saw Martini Henrys, Savage 99s lines up in rows, Model 94s. It was like a gun museum and they were all for sale! Tons of new guns of course too, behind the counter and under glass.
Anyway, Indianapolis is a great place to shop for guns. If you want to see a lot of guns, go to Bradis or Plainfield Shooter's. Beech Grove firearms is a small place with a sort of medium sized inventory. It's a relationship place that you have to go back to time and again I think. They've had some fantastic stuff for sale on consignment. I think they had 4 Python's at once there. Good stuff. Found a beautiful 10/22 there with a 22" bbl and the nice checkered sporter stock there...bought it. Been kicking myself for years. They had a very nicely bubba'd '03 Springfield...original stock cutdown job but done well. Bore was pristine. Metal was pristine. Peep sights. Price was good and I passed. :banghead:
Welcome to Indianapolis.
We used to have a fabulous big gun store, kind of a local Cabela's if you will, called Galyan's. Now those old-time hoosiers out there, I am not talking the more recent Galyan's chain that, yes, sold a lot of fine guns. Remember the place out in Plainfied? Back in the '70s? Right next to the current Plainfield Shooter's Supply? Rows and rows of used guns in racks on the floor. I saw Martini Henrys, Savage 99s lines up in rows, Model 94s. It was like a gun museum and they were all for sale! Tons of new guns of course too, behind the counter and under glass.
Anyway, Indianapolis is a great place to shop for guns. If you want to see a lot of guns, go to Bradis or Plainfield Shooter's. Beech Grove firearms is a small place with a sort of medium sized inventory. It's a relationship place that you have to go back to time and again I think. They've had some fantastic stuff for sale on consignment. I think they had 4 Python's at once there. Good stuff. Found a beautiful 10/22 there with a 22" bbl and the nice checkered sporter stock there...bought it. Been kicking myself for years. They had a very nicely bubba'd '03 Springfield...original stock cutdown job but done well. Bore was pristine. Metal was pristine. Peep sights. Price was good and I passed. :banghead:
Welcome to Indianapolis.
I lived in fort wayne for a number of years and my youngest son has a medcail condition that puts us at riley at least once a year. So i will plan on more visits. But i know my youngest daughter wants to do the zoo too so will just have to see how it plays out. I am really looking for another 3913 to replace the one (and only gun) i sold once..seen a few on the net but would rather buy one that i can lay my hands on.
RetiredUSNChief
Member
Fat chance. They've surely been burned off his skull by now, if history is any indication.
That man's been around for decades and people have been saying things like this for just about as long. Beats me how he stays in business. About the ONLY thing that can be said about him is that he LOVES to take your money.
That, despite his famous, long-lived commercial quote "I don't want to make any money...I just love to sell guns!" One trip to his store will tell you that he's a flat out liar.
You can probably search some old Don's Guns commercials on youtube...I can't do that right now, because I'm at work, or I'd see about posting a link.
HoosierQ
Member
Been awhile since I've been to Pop's. Co-worker of mine ended up with lead poisoning presumably from shooting there a lot. Plus the staff there seem to have some issues with courtesy. Not seen much in the way of inventory either...especially long guns.
Not even in the same category with Don's mind you...it is a real gun shop...just not on my short list of favorite ones here in Indianapolis.
Not even in the same category with Don's mind you...it is a real gun shop...just not on my short list of favorite ones here in Indianapolis.
Hunter125
Member
HoosierQ, that Galyans was the original, the others were extensions of that first store. I didn't realize they started with only guns, but that is where I bought my 870 when I was 14. It was by far the best, even though it may well have been the smallest.
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