Help me understand this gun shop practice.

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JamesMcD

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I went to a reputable local gun shop today, and there was a Browning 1910 in the display case which caught my eye. The tag read "$150 (missing magazine)". My question is: If magazines for this gun are available (such as @ Bob's Gun Parts online, for $35), why doesn't the shop buy one and sell the gun complete? It seems like they would make more money this way.

This may be a stupid question, but I'm sort of a gun neophyte and I just thought this was odd.

-James
 
They probably only gave some poor slob 25 bucks for it on a trade, and if they can make $125 profit without turning a tap, they will.

Buying used mags or aftermarket mags means someone is going to have to make it work with them, and time is money. If they sell it without a mag, it's somebody else's problem getting it to work.

rcmodel
 
I've always wondered why they don't give you a box or two of free ammo with a purchase. Seriously, you need it to fire.......right?

It's used and "as is", buy or don't buy, it's up to you. Maybe the shop is waiting for the one customer that has the mag but not the gun.
 
As mentioned, the person who sold them the gun sold it sans the magazine. You can find a replacment at gunshows, GunParts Inc., GunBroker or even that awful EPay.
 
Lower prices look more alluring. Kind of like how you can buy "core systems" for a video game system. You may still need to buy a controller, game, memory card, etc. to actually play it but hey...look at that price!
Either that or they tried some mags and couldn't get it to work with them :)
 
a lot of times used guns are on consignment and the gun shop does not actually own them.
 
I've always wondered why they don't give you a box or two of free ammo with a purchase. Seriously, you need it to fire.......right?
Click to expand...

Most of the dealers have a walmart in there area who they have to compete with on the gun prices. When walmart sells a gun at about what an independent dealer can buy one from the wholesaler for there is no room to allow for throwing in ammo it would eat up a good portion if not all of the profit.

Now as far as the original post it is probably a consignment or just a low end gun that they don't want to put any time into.
 
the shop may also do this as a form of full disclosure. original magazines generaly increase the value of the gun. especialy if it is older or rare. if they were to buy an aftermarket mag and sell the gun "complete" at a marked up price a posible buyer may be discouraged do to unoriginal parts.
 
I got a great deal on an Acera rifle because it did not have the magazine. Gander Mountain had the box, all the paperwork, etc, but no magazine. It was on clearance, and the sales guy said they handled Browning magazines, but could not get one for the .300. So after some negotiation, and calling the Browning parts number to confirm availability and price, $35, I was able to talk them down to $350 for the rifle. Called Browning again on the way home and ordered a magazine (they only sell one of the Acera mags to each customer) and was shooting it the next weekend. Of course I told the sales manager that the magazines were $70, plus shipping, and tax brought them up close to $85, he believed me and dropped the price to cover that. Only problem was getting a buddy to order me an extra magazine, but got it worked out and have a great set up.

Work the deal, even if you are at a chain store.

Sometimes missing parts are a good way to get a cheap gun. It is often worth the effort on your part.
 
Of course sometimes the reason the magazine is missing is that another good, honest customer stole it.

As for "throwing in a box of ammo" that custom went west a long time ago and is not likely to return.

When I bought a Moore teat-fire last fall, I tried to get the dealer to throw in a box of ammo. No luck.

Jim
 
Acera said:
Of course I told the sales manager that the magazines were $70, plus shipping, and tax brought them up close to $85, he believed me and dropped the price to cover that.
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I really don't see lying about the price of the magazine to get a good price on the gun anything to be proud of, especially when you knew for sure the cost. :confused:
 
Funny, I had the opposite problem with the throwing in the ammo thing. Was nogotiating the price of a 10/22 at an Amy-Navy/Pawn shop that also sold ammo and was within about $10.00 of the price I wanted to pay. The owner said he would through in 200 rounds of cheap 22 but not come off another $10.00 in price.
 
Funny, I had the opposite problem with the throwing in the ammo thing. Was nogotiating the price of a 10/22 at an Amy-Navy/Pawn shop that also sold ammo and was within about $10.00 of the price I wanted to pay. The owner said he would through in 200 rounds of cheap 22 but not come off another $10.00 in price.
Click to expand...

500 rounds at retail is 15 bucks. It was cheaper for him to bait you with the ammo.
 
Might be worth buying the gun at that price, even without the mag. I am certain you can find magazines for it somewhere out there.

Point of fact: we actually found one of those in Iraq.
 
With ammo prices taking three major hikes in price this year alone;
dealer's can't afford to throw in a box of ammo with every firearm
purchase. As much as we would like too, it just doesn't make sense
on firearms that are already discounted $10-20 each~! :(
 
Probably because the dealer knows that if he went to the trouble of procuring a magazine and marking the gun up accordingly, most guys would still b***h that the price was too high.

There's always somebody out there who wants something for nothing.
 
I've always wondered why they don't give you a box or two of free ammo with a purchase.
Click to expand...
the small time dealers used to do this, but people being as they are, looked at nothing but the advertised price at the big discount stores and went there to buy their guns instead. if you added up the cost of the gun, the ammo you had to buy seperatly, and the trip to the gunsmith to have something tweaked, it was a way better deal to pay the little bit higher price at your local small town dealer who took care of all the small stuff so you would keep coming back to his store. so now the little guy, who was doing his best to give you GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE, and take good care of you, went out of business. fast forward several years, and now you go the the big discount stores, and complain about poor customer service. all for the sake of saving a dollar.
 
Lone_Gunman I considered it a bonus on my part because they were lazy and did not have the business responsiblity to properly sell their product.

Of course I am not disparaging people in your profession, I am sure all the guns you sell are all LNIB and no scratches, etc. (Yes I have read your posts:barf:)
 
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