Ever regretted going to a LGS?

So this little shop in Texas was having to be relocated due to a highway expansion project, then Covid set in…. Long story short they finally opened in their new location which is on my route to the rifle range. I’m all in favor of supporting small businesses with my cash so in I went. I won’t be back. Their firearms were without exception, all ‘tactical’ and heavily overpriced, as well as their ammunition, what little there was. The inventory on display was just that, display. I asked about one of their AR-15 on the wall and they told me I would order it and pay, then wait for them to call me when they get it in. I felt like I had committed to a purchase by walking in, so I bought a box of ammunition. Anyone else visit a shop and never went back?

 

Every time I leave with something I don't really need.

 

Unfortunately some of the small shops make it hard to do business with them. There was a smaller shop that moved into a slightly larger space a few years ago. I thought I'd check them out and give them a chance. I asked them about getting a CZ75B SAO 9MM. They didn't have one but the owner said he'd look for one. I checked back with him several times over a couple of months and got the impression he'd never even bothered to look. I searched around and found one and asked him about receiving it and doing the transfer. He wanted $100 on top of whatever fees there were after I did the leg work. Obviously it wasn't as if he had one and I found one online cheaper and expected him to tranfer it cheaply missing a sale. I gave him the chance to find one and sell it to me. He just had an attitude everytime I went in there. Another shop I've boughtst of my guns from gladly did the transfer. I was just trying to support a newer small store.Haven't been back.

 

The last time I wanted to do a private party transfer every local shop wanted $60 plus the $10 background check. That was the last time I went to any of them. They all wanted more for their used guns than the local Sportsmans Wharehouse was charging for identical new guns. I don't have any use for the local gun stores near me.

I really question if a LGS is a valid business model any more. At least in a smaller town like mine that is still big enough to have a few national chains

 

The last gun I bought was not available locally so I bought it on GB and had it sent to a LGS I hadn't done business with before. I mean how bad could it be? LOL the transfer fee was $50 and the background check $35. Nice place but I won't be back.

 

Two actually. Won’t mention names. The first is in Fenton Michigan. Have not been there in 3 or 4 years so they may have changed. Very rude and dismissive. They were bad when Dick owned it and got worse with new owners. Wife wanted to look at a Weatherby Camilla. The said the do not bother with women or children's guns. Pay list price, in advance, with another hundred for shipping. Needless to say it was purchased some where else.

Another is in Clare Michigan and is actually a large sporting goods store. Wife waited at the gun counter for over an hour while they waited on men that came up after her. Completely ignored her and she was actually holding about a grand in her hand where they could see it. If that isn’t showing interest I don’t know what is. She swears she would hunt naked with a spear before she would by anything from them.

Williams gunsite has always been good to deal with. Sometimes there has been some minor issues. However, it has always been when they are super busy, and that sometimes happens in any business.

 

Most every one I walk into. I know we all are different but the really clean stores with nothing but new inventory bore me and I generally walk back out. I long for the messy guys with old dusty stuff sitting in piles in the corners. new and used inventory, willing to haggle some, have things we have'nt seen in years (magazines or odd ball things, pits and pieces of mil-surp guns, smell like cosmoline and gun oil, wood crates here and there.) That is my kind of gun store. Guys wearing matching polo shirts, bright lights, polished neet and shiney display cases full of the latest and greatest new fad stuff, meh, move on.

 

Well, guys, get used to it. Regrettably, that's the way of the future. (And the present.) Plastic tactical sells and generates profits. The days of blued steel and wood are gone. Even in the hunting forums, or actually in the field, bolt action hunting rifles are stainless/ceracote and synthetic. Without having real numbers, just anecdotally, I'd surmise that AR15s out sell mil-surps by wide margins. Take a look around on your next trip to the range. Heck, I say a bolt action AR last weekend set up as a hunting rifle.

 

I really don't think it is. I wonder if gun enthusiasts really understand just how little profit margin there is in selling guns. I worked at a big box FFL chain store in my younger years. Our best mark up on a gun was only about $50, or about 10%. That was supposed to cover compliance with all laws and regulations, labor of putting the guns out every morning, and locking them up every night, end of year property taxes (we had a couple guns that had been there yearrrrs) etc. The guys over in the sports section clobbered the gun section every day with these little golf putter clips you put on your golf bag. Several hundred percent mark up; I sold 10 or more guns in a single day and still lost to those guys.

And with that little story, I'll take this moment to ask this: do you even want to buy a gun a from a small, sole proprietorship FFL? Almost all of them will eventually go defunct at some point. Wether that be in the short term due to unprofitability, or, in the long term due to retirement or death. And when that happens, where are all of those 4473s going to end up?

And that's all I have to say about that.

 

The flip side is, it seems a lot of people feel the national chains have onerous paperwork policies and indifferent customer service. I guess I’m lucky that I have some really good local gun shops.

 

Yes.

 

We had a little shop near by. Great prices and nice folks. They sold the shop. New owners are a-holes and prices are high. One time there was enough for me.

 

Yes to transfer a handgun for a GB purchase. $50 for the transfer and he wouldn't contact the sellers FFL saying he was too busy and insisted the seller's FFL contact him. I was anxious to make the transfer so I complied. When the gun arrived he told me I paid @$200 too much according to his book. It was a rare special contract run(DAO 3 inch barrel vs stock DA/SA 2 3/4") made for NYCPD not listed in his book. He disputed the length so we measured it at 3". I eventually went back because he often has older revolvers from estates for decent prices. After I bought a revolver from him he's a lot more freindly.

 

Only once.

The owner would let me see a 1911 but not open the slide to see if it had a supported chamber (not a Colt as none of them do) because I'd have cocked the hammer and made it used. What??? I never went back .

 

There's a few I avoid, not necessarily because I personally had an issue but some people just shouldn't be in retail. I had a buddy who was looking for a holster for some gun of his and the LGS didn't really have them organized from new/used/etc so he was just rifling through looking for one and the person behind the counter asked him if he needed help and he was like "nah, thank you just looking" and the reply was "yeah I see you like to do alot of looking with your hands". he was like well I'm walking out and my money's going with me and I won't be back.

I've caught some attitude from the same person so I avoid that shop which is unfortunate because I really prefer to keep the money local. My favorite LGS that was qbout 10 min drive from me that had excellent prices just moved about an hour north of me to a city and the prices went up along with the move . Sadly most of my firearm related purchases are going to be online from now on...... unless I feel like driving way out of my way just to pay 25%-35% more.

 

There's a small gun store down the road I have been in once. I was completely ignored, and I was the only person there. The worker there just sat at his desk playing on the computer.

I went by again a few months later, and as I pulled up at, say 2:55, they had already locked the door, as they closed at 3. I could see them inside.

I haven't nor will I go back.

 

YES!

I had worked a trade on Armslist (back when Armslist was a legit trading site).

I get to his house, he is 92yo, ex 29 yr Alaskan guide, wheelchair bound, hooked to O2, has a back bedroom stacked floor to ceiling, wall to wall, a wheelchair path to desk with computer.

He spent his days making trades, just to have people to talk to. We talked of Alaska, looked at pics and dug through stacks of guns and ammo for 3 hours. Left him with my phone number, if he just needed to talk.

Our LGS, I go in 2-3 times a year. Only when I need something specific, in, grab, go. Feel like I am swarmed by used car salesman everytime.

 

I had to chuckle reading the posts. I've had many of the same experiences; exorbitant transfer fees, impossible to find counter help. Some shops I won't go back, others only reluctantly. I've been dealing with a new place recently that seems ok. And there's another guy who thrives on $25 transfer fees.