How are mom and pop gun shops still around?

[Streetglider08]

I am not one to buy guns or ammo online. I hate waiting for anything. There's about 6 gun shops, maybe more, within a half hour. Some big and some small. I buy from whatever place has what I want in stock. The biggest place has pretty much any handgun in stock, but are priced way higher then the other shops. Any time I want to check a gun out I'll go there to get a hand on one, then search the other small shops for availability. I will drive two hours one way to avoid ordering a gun from a shop close to me and having to wait. What can I say, I'm impatient.

I have been thinking about starting to buy ammo online, all the shops around here want at least $14 a box for 9mm. I shoot a decent amount and would save a ton buying ammo online.

Having a wife that is a small business owner I do what I can to support local businesses.

 

[Jim NE]

How are mom and pop gun shops still around?

My question is "How are Cabella's size stores still around?" And didn't Gander MTN just go under?

All I see at Cabela's is new stuff and overpriced used stuff...all of which is quite boring to me...and sales people who aren't all that friendly. A regional chain has a store here in town, and I go there to buy ammo and I've bought some guns there, too. They are the same size, but much more friendly than Cabela's.

My prefered LGS is a store that is even smaller than a mom and pop, but I've bought some of my coolest guns there - a great old Model 36 Smith, a four screw Model 15 (worn finish) and both a four and five inch Model 10, among many others. I've also traded into some great guns there, like a pristine high polished stainless Ruger single six Baby Vaquero in .32 and an almost pristine Colt Official Police from 1947. Cabela's either wouldn't have these guns
or would be asking too much or would never go for the trade deals I made with my LGS.

In the end, I think it's the trade deals AND GunBroker (or GunsAmerica) that make the small stores work. I've lost track of how many small shops I've bough guns from off of gunbroker and GunsAmerica.

But, to be fair, about 15 years ago it was hard for the small stores. They all went out of business when the big chain moved in. Now they can sell stuff online, so woo hoo!