Dumb things to tell a gun dealer

[Bigdog]

Sometimes it's the other way around, especially with Pawn Shops!
I found a Chinese T53 Mosin-Nagant carbine at a local pawnshop - tagged as "Japanese Rifle"! I asked to see it, and told the clerk what it really was - he asks me "Is it a rifle or a shotgun?"

I bought it as much to save it from such idiots as to add to my collection.

 

[foxfire]

Re: buying local instead of off the net
a little OT


[for the last 3 years I have always checked locally. first
I'd much rather keep the $ here, then send it out of state
in all, but one case I've had to go elsewhere for my firearms
some of the mark-ups around here are just incredible
even when figuring in shipping, transfers, etc.
10-20% more, does add up
makes me wonder how some of them stay in business
but then, there's one born every minute
and it does pay to ask the right questions]


"...do you mind if I shoot it while I'm here? I want to see if it works, I brought my own ammo..."




have tape, will always try again...

 

[Don Gwinn]

Griff, shop owners get a little tired of customers who won't spend money with them but want their level of service.

Dad was not an expert on handguns, but when it came to shotguns, rimfires, .22 mag and fishing tackle he was the local genius. If you had no idea what you wanted, you could walk into dad's shop and leave with the right stuff. He's not a gunsmith, but he would do very small stuff like replacing sights--stuff he'd done on his own guns forever. When a gunsmithing job came in he'd recommend a gunsmith a couple of towns over.

Wal-Mart, on the other hand, puts kids who know nothing about firearms behind a counter because they had too many people in housewares and somebody quit in sporting goods.

So everyone would come to dad and spend an hour or two of their time picking his brains, then they'd go to Wal-Mart to buy what they'd decided on with dad. And it was honestly surprising how many people bought the wrong gun, or the wrong barrel length, or whatever. But when that happened, did they go back to Wal-Mart?
No, that would be pointless. They came to dad, and if he wouldn't bend over backward to do the work for them or trade even up for the gun they'd wanted in the first place (because, although Wal-Mart was a lot cheaper, they didn't actually have the gun the goober had wanted) they'd stomp out mad.

Everyone from Microsoft on down gives breaks for their customers. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, and if someone is mad about it then he's got a long hill to climb.

 

[MonacanMan]

I've used the "I can get it cheaper off the net." statement before. The gun dealer wanted about 160 over the MSRP. I told him point blank that with his transfer fee, shipping+ insurance and gun cost I could get the gun for 300-325. He shrugged his shoulder, smiled and told me if I put money on the counter I coulds have it for 25 over what I stated(actually 354 out the door). I bought the gun from him. I have, since that time, taken 4 different people to his shop to buy guns and everytime he tells us what price he will take for the gun instead of trying to push the marked up price he has on it. I have seen guys run in and pay the tagged price....wish I could afford to do that.

 

[HSMITH]

I have used the "cheaper to order one" line too, when I saw a Yugo 48A (issued, in very good condition) for $399 I offered to buy it for what they paid + $25 + taxes and shipping from the distributor, and also would buy a military type sling and some ammo for retail money. They declined and told me that someone would pay what they wanted and had no interest in doing low margin sales. Last time I went in there, and recommend to others that they not go as well.

 

[Griff]

Oh, so it's an ethical thing. Thanks everyone.

 

[Hk Paul]

I can get it cheeper over the net.

Also my co-worker was with a coustomer for like 40 mins. The coustomer came back a coupple of weeks later with the same gun they where talking about...

 

[45R]

I want that stainless steel gun (due to the misconception that people have about stainless steel not rusting)

Then seeing the same person coming back to the shop wondering why there is brown spots on the gun.

The Cheaper on the net thing....hehehe
I was at a shop in the Sacramento area, they have this huge shop, but havent been in business for very long. To my surprise in the pistol cabnet I saw a NIB Kimber TLE for $899. (usual price for this gun around town is 700 and change) This was the advertised SALE PRICE!!! First thought was what kind of sucker would spend close to 1K after taxes and DOJ fees for a slightly modified stock Kimber. I looked at an XD40 for 500 dollars. (4" garden variety). I said hey I just got one of those. He said what did u pay. I said something like a little over 350 and some change. Kid said dude I could have beat that price by at least 50 bucks and given you a box of ammo.
Then precedes to tell me how to modify magazines for the XD40 and how he can special order me anything I want but wont give me a set price for anything...due to market demand. But claims to beat any game in town. I left and will never go back.


I have done many sales online. Probably the best service that I have ever recieved. Keeps the small FFL dealers in business. I would never say to a gun dealer I can get it cheaper online, but Why spend more when you save the money to increase your collection.

To the stores credit the owner is a really nice guy too bad the "kid" is giving him a bad name by his arrogance.

 

[Flash Hole]

I dont want to wait a week, I'M MAD NOW !
Homer J. Simpson

 

[RoyRapoport]

I've done the "uhh, I need help putting it back together again" routine (Ruger MkII).

I also walked into a paintball store and announced, relatively loudly, "I took apart my gun and attempted to modify it and have pretty clearly f**ked it up. Could you help me fix it, please?" Apparently I was a fairly rare breed -- most people do the "Uhh, I don't know how that happened" schtick.

I recently purchased a gun on the net for the first time. I did the math and found that I saved about 30% ($419 vs. $607 -- and yes, this includes the shipping fees, dealer fee, etc).

 

[spacemanspiff]

i went to pick up my Mauser at lunch today from the pawn shop/ffl, and decided to take a look at their shotguns and pistols. i could see a few decent shotguns, like a mossberg persuader and winchester 1300. but they wanted retail prices for VERY used hardware. the persuader didnt have a front sight, the heat shield was scuffed up, and they didnt have the pistol grip to go with it. $285 was their price tag. I can go to walmart and buy it brand new for just a few dollars more.
their winchester 1300 is the one that has 'alaska' and a picture screenprinted on the side of the stock, and walmart has that for $300, without the screen printing, $270. the pawn shop is asking $350 for the one with the screen printing on it.
looked at some of their colts and springfields, and decided to put them down when i discovered gooey substances oozing from betwen the frame/slide.

oh, and the guy at the counter, he said "Anything bigger than a .40 will persuade my attention."
i asked "so, a 9mm doesnt get much response from you?"
"nope. too many people walk away after getting shot with a 9mm. the boys in Vietnam found that out quickly."

they had a glock .40, first generation, i mentioned something about how i didnt realize just how big the frame is on it, he says "yeah it has to be, to accomodate that large .40 caliber bullet."
in my mind i go "hmmmmmmmm"
then he goes to show it to me, and says "prison guards love this glock. cops too." he pulled out the HK in .40; once again, "hmmmmm"....


btw, the Mauser, from CDNN, very nice! a few scrapes and dings on the stock, but the wood has a nice feel, and is in far greater condition than anything i've seen locally.

 

[Average Guy]

I've done the "uhh, I need help putting it back together again" routine (Ruger MkII).

What I did was take it to the local gunsmithery and have them reassemble it for me (I was afraid if I kept messing with it, I'd throw it across the garage). So what did I get for my $35? Some rather condescending advice that I didn't need to take the gun apart so much to clean it. Thanks, pal--won't be seeing you again.

Hey, I can field-strip and reassemble an M16A2 blindfolded, suckah!

 

[*8*]

I'm with some of the folks in here with the "I can get it for less directly..". Visited a few gun stores with overpriced guns.

Me: Good afternoon Sirs.

Gun store owner/employee: uhh

Me: I'm looking for an FMP G3 receiver

Gun store owner/employee: uhh.. we don't the have the FMP but here (pointing to a few stacks of G3 receivers) these are made by Hesse, cost $350. This here is made by Special Weapons, they don't make 'em anymore, you can have it for $499.

Me: You know what? I can get those POS for a hundred bucks from your distributor.

 

[Strings]

Goober: "uh... do you sell the guns that shoot the bullets that kill people?"

Clerk: "No... we're not allowed to sell those to the public. Only cops can buy those..."

 

[swingset]

I actually said this one:

Dealer (as I'm finishing my yellow-sheet): "You need any ammo or anything else while you're here?"

Me (as I'm buying new handgun): "You don't sell ski-masks, do you?"

Dealer (looking pissed): "I hope you're joking"

Me: "Yeah, I'm joking. I have panty-hose in the car".




He wasn't amused. At all.

 

[NewShooter78]

"So what do you think about (enter gun model here)?"

 

[*8*]

Anybody else? I'm positive some of you have a story or two.

I for one have a great deal of respect to most FFL dealers out there, most of them are honest and good folks but there are a few who are out to rip off gun owners, one of the reasons, why I took the time and hassle to setup an extra office space within one of our network operations center for our current 01 FFL and soon to be class 2, SOT.

For C&R types, I use my type 03 FFL. Save me a bunch and I don't have to deal with some dealers out there who are nothing but a bunch of "scammers". Like I said, most of 'em are fair but there are quite a few that shouldn't be in the business, ripping of hard working folks like you and me.