I just want to complain about Gun Stores, maybe I'll feel better

[Gord]

And I'll do it with a smile just to keep you coming back to my store.

See... and that's where the lose the attitude part of the equation comes in. My local shops treat me like my breathing in their hallowed space is a personal affront to them. Would I buy from them at deeply discounted prices? No. Would I pay anything close to market value there? Hell no.

You, on the other hand, are the kind of FFL I wish I had. With that kind of attitude, I'd buy a few little things from you, a cheap gun maybe, and after getting that kind of reception, I'd be happy - especially if you were willing to talk to me frankly and honestly about your wholesale price on gun x - to give you a $50-100 profit if at all possible and reasonable (insignificant to you, probably, but the best I can do until I win the lotto... ), have you do all my transfers for full price if you wish, and order all my other stuff through you with your markup.

Gunshops are kinda like bars - you pay for the company you keep, and nobody wants to pay the cover charge to get into a place where the bartender's a jackass and your stoolmates try to force-feed you their preferred brand of pricey imported beer.

 

[lamazza]

and they all complain that we buy online...
I love it when they chant 'support your local dealers' and then treat you like crap when you shop there.

 

[TexasRifleman]

You, on the other hand, are the kind of FFL I wish I had.

Me too. If there were a dealer local to me like that I'd have never needed to start this thread. I'm bitching about more than money here

 

[Manedwolf]

One other thing that I find both amusing and annoying is the owners who apparently don't realize there's such thing as the web.

The old line of "Those are really rare and there won't be any more coming into the country!" doesn't work anymore when you've just been looking at the import houses' web pages and seen quite the opposite.

Especially when they tell you that about an overpriced C&R that's available by the case.

 

[Mr Weebles]

I'm very fortunate to have a great gun shop near me, even in the People's Republic of Massachusetts. The first time I was there I asked the owner if he had a certain rifle in stock and he said no but he could order it for me. When I offered to give him a deposit he said no again, and just said that if I wanted it he'd order it and in a few days when it came in I could pay for it.

Since then I've ordered a few other firearms and assorted accessories from him and each time he's been helpful and very thankful for my business. Also, every time I come in he welcomes me by name, no matter how busy he is. His employees are the same way, and extremely patient when you're "just looking," which can't be said for a lot of other places I've been to.

Is he the cheapest around? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But when I walk into a big box sporting goods store and the kid behind the counter ignores me for 20 minutes before bothering to say hello or tell me that he will be with me shortly, it reinforces how much I like working with someone who likes what they do for a living. And I'm willing to pay a small amount more to deal with someone like that.

 

[Falconeer]

You, on the other hand, are the kind of FFL I wish I had.

+1
I'm probably a store owner's dream customer; when I have the money in my pocket I'm looking to BUY! If you've got something fairly close in stock, I'll go for it even if I'm paying more than I necessarily 'need' to.

However I also remember the times I've been in those shops when I've been talked down to, ignored, or otherwise not treated like a human being. I'm not looking to be fawned upon!! Just some common courtesy. And I do have a point where I simply will not buy anything in a store.

 

[SamV]

Well I could start a extremely long-winded rant but I would just get myself all worked up. However, I have experienced the same things that all of you have. I found a dealer that I really like, prices are usually competive, they seem to really follow what everyone else sells for. They maybe a little higher than the "best" price, but service is good and the BS is very low. I have walked in and said ABC store is having a sale on this gun, it is a really great price, can you come close to it? Sometimes the answer is "yeah i think I can match that". Sometimes the answer is Wow, no I can't beat that, that is a really good deal, go snap that up." No hard feelings, I asked once about their attitudes on these deals. They told me, "If I can make the deal great, If I can't, but I treat you great, then maybe you will consider me for the next go around." It worked for me. Now if there is something I want and it is 10 or 20 bucks more than the best price, I know they will get my business without me asking for a deal.
And the best part is I don't have to listen to advice like "yeah, I can shoot soda cans all day long at 50 yards with my Kel-Tec free hand.

 

[roo_ster]

TexasSIGman:

Come east if you want a few decent dealers.

My favorite, Lone Star, is gone, but there are a few that are pretty good hearbouts.

Gunmaster
Good folks willing to chew the fat unless they are SWAMPED. In-house smith. Decent prices. Plano

Bullet Trap
Like GM, but no smith. Indoor range. Plano. Just sold my neighbor his pimp gun for $65 less than retail. If he was a member of the range, he would have saved an extra $20 off the price.
Pimp Gun:

Jackson Armory
My favorite since Lone Star burnt. Terrific guys behind the counter. Much more used than new, but that is the draw: you never know what'll be there. Dallas, Snider Plaza.

The Armory
Located in a bad part of Mesquite. Good guys, decnt prices. Smith next door. Mesquite.

 

[vynx]

I actually feel for the small independant gun store owner/operator.

Unless they can buy in quantity and sell a lot of guns and a lot of the same manufacturer they don't get the lowest wholesale prices.

The sporting good chains that sell the more common guns (think springfield XDs in the kit w/holster, mag's etc. or glocks) can buy in a larger quantity and offer sales prices to bring customers in. I cannot imagine being able to run a gunstore today and live off the sales...maybe as a hobby but not as a business.

With wallyworld selling ammo so low and the internet offering glocks at $450 how can a small store compete? I think the traditional small storefront has to change and start suplementing their business with internet sales, bulk buys, group buys on internet forums, being an active member of local gun clubs and by branching out into accessories as much as possible. Unfortunately, the world is changeing and it is not a good change for the small town gun shop where I used to hang out as a teen & pre-teen.

Today volume rules if you cannot buy and sell in volume you will not survive. Maybe a large number of small independant shops could group together like a cooperative and pool their resources so they could buy in volume and then compete by offering some better prices?

 

[Hawk]

Sure hope Pioneer wasn't one of the stops you made.

He was always well below MSRP on new and not too bad on used. I miss him. Used to be on Pioneer (duh) in Irving but has relocated to Euless - Bedford or some such. Kept the "Pioneer" name, though.

 

[Sevengunner]

NOVA Gun Shops

I'd be interested in hearing from colleagues in the Blue State section of Virginia. My dealings at Gilberts have been OK---I was able to buy below MSRP (they DO negotiate), and most of the folks are friendly---but I'm what other posters call a "codger" or otherwise unworthy because I've only bought a couple of guns so far after getting my concealed handgun license. I guess the question is: is there some exceptionally worthy place in NOVA to shop/buy guns?

 

[rbernie]

Gilberts was OK to me (decent prices, trying too hard to be tacticool), Clark Bros. in Warrenton was OK (kinda high prices but a lot of selection and a good ol' boy atmosphere), but I felt like I was selling my soul to the devil every time I went into Old Towne Armory (who sold me my very first firearm, by the way).

I hear that a really nice shop opened up in Manassas right after I moved away...

 

[atblis]

I always found

Clark brothers prices to be rather high (but I'll admit I am a cheap bastard).

 

[pete f]

Ok this gets my goat.

When you guys find a good dealer, KEEP him in business. Don't run off to the internet and save 4 bucks on a case of ammo, ask him what he can do. If he's close, (remember add the shipping and handling fees and all the rest to the the web cost, then by all means buy from him.

Every time you darken his doorway, buy something, Pay the man for his time in keeping that shop open. buy something that you know is high margin. a couple of bags of shotshell wads, maybe some solvent or some patches, some targets or a few boxes of .308. Consider it not as a pharmacy were there are twenty two others that can sell your lipitor to you, but rather as a community resource like the symphony or the parks.

Be nice to him, keep him in mind when you need stuff. If you have to drive a ways, oh well, you have to drive to go see the MLB team in town too. I have four shops I frequent. I really really like 3 of them but the 4th is a crusty guy BUT he stocks and knows all about old winchesters and colts and henrys and has a 98 % ++ bridgeport sharps "old reliable" that he will show you or you kid and tell you the story behind almost every gun in his place, IF he is in the mood, somedays he will just no. I put up with him for the days when he is in a good mood and "says hey, I was hoping you would show up, look what just came in the door, I could get 1400 for it, but I know you like and I can live with 1100." and your legs get all shakey when he walks out of the back room with a high nineties percent model 71 or 86.

Remember that being a snot to them just reinforces the bad attitude. In the big box store, be kind, cool and relaxed and walk away and then go talk to the MOD and tell them quietly who and how they are preventing you in good conscience from spending more money in their store. Do the same when you get good service.

In a small store I often bring CDNN or similar catalogs in my brief case in the store with me. When the counter guy is telling me that 899 is barely above cost for a 92f I say Au contraire and pull out the catalog. I was at a place the other day that was selling the CPO sigs for more than MSRP on new. That ended when I pulled out a catalog from their racks and showed them the new price. If a small store is 25 bucks more than big box, I have no problem with that, I figure they need to make that to stay alive. They do not sell 300 percent markup clothing to cover losses by the gun dept, do you really think Gander is selling at a loss when they clearance out clothes at 75% off?.

Figure that 25 bucks difference as your annual pledge to keep the small guy in business. just like giving PBS money to keep showing NOVA and Julia Child reruns. Drive around, find a good small shop, they do exist and then keep them in business.

 

[Rockrivr1]

Mr Weebles - What is the name of the gun shop you use? I'm in Mass also and am always looking for good places to visit. I typically visit Four Seasons or NE Trading Post.

 

[Correia]

I'm a gunstore owner.

Many of the complaints on this thread are totally valid, and are why I went into this business to begin with. I watched the bad ones, and thought I could do it better.

I think we do a pretty darn good job actually.

40% markup? Man, I could only dream of that. Try less than half of that on guns.