Just how far will you go to support your local gunshop?

[mec]

Increasingly, they abandon certain product lines- like comprehensive reloading supplies and black powder accessories. If they want to surrender that business to internet/mail order that's fine with me as that kind of shopping has become both reliable and fast.

 

[CajunBass]

I've never bought a gun from Wal-Mart, mostly because they don't sell handguns and I don't have much use for a rifle or a shotgun. If I ever see one there I want, I'll buy it from Wal-Mart. Since the Wal-Mart is just down the street, I figure that's "local." I do buy most of my ammo there.

I buy my handguns where I find them when I want them. I think think three dealers in the last year.

 

[FPrice]

Ever ask the clerk at Wally World about his experience with feed jams?

Does he have a spare firing pin for a '69 Romanian .22 trainer in his scrounge box?

It's not just about the money.

Msgt B said it well. I would only add, would Wally World call you up and let you know that they have a good deal on a gun you have been looking for?

When your local gun stores go out of business because of Wally World style competition, and then Wally World decides that selling guns in no longer profitable and stops, who ya gonna go to?

 

[Hawk]

I suspect the DFW metroplex may be brutal as far as competition goes. Buying local entails no real sacrifice.

My favorite "small shop" routinely sells stuff close to the lowest price one can find online - say a "2" on a scale of "0" to "10", with "0" being some online credit card surcharging goober that you never heard of. Easy decision. This local guy even discounts Oakleys when you're looking for shooting glasses.

One of the larger shops isn't the lowest but who wants to buy a 3,000.00 shotgun over the 'net, sight unseen? Those things are supposed to fit. Can't see buying from a place where I can't get the "pick of the litter" and check for off the rack fit. Besides, the 3,000.00 was discounted to 2,500.00 or thereabouts anyway. And I get a decent trade-in when it's time to upgrade.

WalMart is a non-starter. The aggravation involved just isn't worth it. When I leave my local dealer's place of business my blood pressure is lower than when I went in. Wally world has never laid claim to that distinction. The last time I went in to save 1.29, my car picked up around 500.00 in "hanger rash" in the parking lot - I was going to ask if they had insurance to cover the deductable but I couldn't speak the language.

I buy used stuff online if I see something I want and its a dealer I trust. At present, that only amounts to three and they're all on auction arms.

 

[ScottS]

I had the same opinion of my local shop but decided to keep giving them my business. I've bought maybe 4 guns off them over the last year and a bunch of reloading supplies. All of a sudden they remember my name, and that Ruger Alaskan I've been looking for (for over a year) was sitting there "held" for me to come in. They do charge a bit more than what I can do online, but in terms of being able to trade, pick up used, buy primers, powder, etc, they're worth it (to me). Of course I live in the people's republic of Illinois, so anyone selling guns here is welcome!

Have a good one,
Dave

This guy is a lost cause. You can find write-ups about him in painful, and I mean painful, detail here and other forums. You can read all about it here: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=137060 How he stays in business is one of the great mysteries of our time.

Msgt B said it well. I would only add, would Wally World call you up and let you know that they have a good deal on a gun you have been looking for?

Neither will the prick at our local gunstore, so what's your point? I envy the guys with their pick of good gunstores nearby almost as much as I envy anyone with an Academy Sports nearby. (For those of you who don't know, whenever anyone talks about ammo prices, someone from the SouthCentral US chimes in and says, "Well, I just get it at Academy Sports," where it's like...a dollar for a thousand rounds. Academy must GIVE this stuff away, and I've never been fortunate enough to live in the like 3 states where they have stores. End of digression.)

When your local gun stores go out of business because of Wally World style competition, and then Wally World decides that selling guns in no longer profitable and stops, who ya gonna go to?

Has this ever happened? Walmart is the largest seller of firearms in this country, year after year. And it's all some secret conspiracy, right? If there's a market for something, someone will jump up and fill it. If it's not Wallyworld, it will be someone else. It's the beauty of the free-market. Pent-up demand (read dollars) has to go somewhere.

 

[mp2go1]

that depends....

being im in hawaii and there are only like 5 shops here.most are alright and i do not mind driving 20+ miles or so to buy firearms,ammo,accessories even if i pay a little more if they treat you right. but, as mentioned it depends on the level of service i get out of it. if nothing but rudeness and leaving the store feeling like i was just about to be ripped off, then why should i help support their business. im not in this to just get screwed over to help the store owners pockets. im better off giving my money to another business over the internet like tanners that has been nothing but helpful to me. id rather pay a ffl xfer fee than $1-200 over retail price for the same firearm and crap service. that could go towards accessories or ammo instead.

 

[browningguy]

Does he have a spare firing pin for a '69 Romanian .22 trainer in his scrounge box?

Who in the world would have one of those, probably aren't any in all of Harris County.

Oh, and I haven't shopped for anything at Walmart for almost 2 years. I do my discount shopping at Target, sometimes Meijers. Target seems to have less things made in China. [/QUOTE]

You do realize that Target is one of the most anti-2nd businesses around don't you. They won't even carry shooting magazines in their stores (although they do occasionally have a hunting type magazine), might offend the soccer moms.

 

[FPrice]

Neither will the prick at our local gunstore, so what's your point?

My FFL does. If yours doesn't, then find another dealer.

Of course there are customers my FFL won't do this for because they are, as you mentioned, pricks.

 

[Ala Dan]

I'm from what one might consider the "south central part of the United States"; but I've NEVER patronized Academy Sports, Dick's, or Old Joe
Blow's Gun Shop~!

 

[Zen21Tao]

When you think about it, the big stores like WM and Bass Pro Shops are going to be making a lot more profit selling for $495 than the small gun shop is making selling for $515 so the big stores are the ones that are actually taking advantage. They could sell for less and still make more than the little guy.

Everybody is free to make as much money as they can but if I get the idea that someone is out to take advantage of me, I have a really hard time doing any business with them.

From what I have heard Walmart actually takes a loss on the rifles they sell in order to generate residual ammo purchases. If this is the case I don't really see Walmart as "taking advantage" of the buyer. In fact, if a reloader buys a cheap rifle from Wally World then reloads his own ammo instead of buying from Walmart (or buys ammo elsewhere) that person is "taking advantage" of Walmart.

 

[The_Antibubba]

For what Walmart sells 9mm, .38, and 12 gauge for-often as little as a third the price as I can find it anywhere else-I'll buy that ammo there. And unlike my local gunshops, when an item goes on sale at Walmart, it really is a sale, and not just 25% off an item priced double what it should be. that being said, I'd never buy a firearm at Walmart unless I absolutely could not get it anywhere else for a sane price.

And for one other reason: I don't own a single "new" gun. My latest, a Walther P1, might never have been issued or shot, and that's as close to new as I have. I'm a surplus junkie!

And speaking of Wallyworld deals: I put a Sentry Safe on layaway last month for $199, down from $280. Well, I went to a different WM today, and the same safe was on clearance for $99! I cancelled my layaway and grabbed the other one. Now, having picked up my safe 3 weeks before I had planned to, it sits in the back of my SUV until I figure out how to get it up the stairs.



Anyone with a strong back in Sacramento want to help out a fellow THR member?

 

[heypete]

My local guy has had plenty of business from me.

Because? He is fair - does not rip me off - will order anything even tho his main inventory (on handguns) is modest.

He has done more transfers than I can shake a stick at for a mere $10 a pop - and even if his powders and primers cost more than I can get them for elsewhere - that ''elsewhere'' is a 40 mile drive - so time and gas, unless I go to buy a boatload of stuff.

I therefore to not begrudge paying a bit more many times - for convenience - and the knowledge that I get good attention and fair deals.

The whole thing is a two way trip - he does me good, I do him good - both of us finish with smiles!

Seconded.

But I'm incredibly lucky. My local dealer is fair, doesn't rip me off, is willing to order just about anything except off-list California AR receivers (and you can't blame him for that), does cheap transfers, has a good selection of in-shop inventory, has powder and primers for cheap ($18/lb of IMR 4064 and about $17.50 for a thousand CCI 200 primers. Other local shops charge about $28 for the IMR powder, so I'm happy.), remembers my name, shakes my hand, and makes me feel welcome.

Of course, I sometimes feel like Norm from Cheers coming in there. "PETE! Velcome back! Guess vhat ve just got in stock, eh?" Having two guys with Russian accents excited about some new gun they've got is always amusing.

His ammo prices are reasonable, but still a bit more than I can get most of the time. I'll frequently get the Korean .30-06 M2 Ball (PS stamped) surplus, even though he charges about $10 more per case than I can get it online simply because he charges a reasonable amount for good quality stuff and I like supporting the local guy.

I've recently been a bit short on money, so I go to the nearby Wal-Mart (actually a bit further away) to buy 200-600 rounds of 9mm, .380, and .30-30. Otherwise I normally buy them online in bulk, but I can't afford the bulk quantities now. I'd buy it from the local shop, but they don't have WWB value packs, nor the specific types of .380, .30-30, or other types of 9mm. Their selection of rifle ammo, for the most part, is excellent.

Now, if only California was a Class III state...