LGS Prices

[Lo-Profile]

Just had a conversation with a buddy on LGS and small business pricing and wondering what everyone else does. We started the conversation because everyone around me has a gun we both want but it’s $50-$125 more than online. We get it, LGS are dying but around me they are actually popping up more and more. My buddies thought is “i’m not rich, so if it’s cheaper online or say Cabelas thats where I am going”.

I always check my LGS for something I want. Usually they can order it. They might match and sometimes beat the price of the gun, between shipping, taxes and fees (Credit Card or GunBroker maybe both) you might pay more.
I love my LGS, even during all the covid ammo BS, they always had ammo. Even to the point of getting a import license for guns/ammo

 

[Captcurt]

I have a close friend who owns our LGS. Known him and his family for 45 years. When I got my FFL I would send local customers to him. I couldn't beat his prices, he could get new items that were allocated and he sold for 10% over his cost on firearms. I found that it was more lucrative to sell consignments online for others. I didn't have money in inventory, charged a flat fee plus shipping and listing fees. Worked well enough for 12 years. I even sold his trade-ins when we had no local market for them. If I sell consignments now, he does the paperwork and shipping. Works swell.

 

[Barmcd]

Part of the problem here is the food chain. During the early and mid 90s my wife and I owned a brick and mortar Local Gun Store. There was no money in new gun sales. The problem here is all of the stores you mentioned, the big box stores are buying guns direct from manufacturer. They are buying thousands of guns every week for distribution to their stores. The LGS is buying through a middle man distributor. The small LGS can't buy from a manufacturer. Walmart for example was selling a Mossberg 500 for $10 over what I paid for one and that's before shipping.

The money for me was in used guns which I see now the big box stores even sell. My niche was reloading supplies and I had a connection for Vihta-Vouri powders, the stuff the big box stores didn't carry. There was no way I was going to compete with Walmart on new guns. Your LGS is not getting the guns you mentioned for the same price the big box guys are.

Ron

Its a tough environment for the little guy for sure.

 

[Axis II]

I usually stay away from LGS cause they are either run by curmudgeons or a 25yo with too much hair spray and a beard who thinks he’s a navy seal in a former life. Well, i found a LGS who had a rifle i wanted and she was only about $25 more than one store but after discounts it would have been $55 less. I woke up this morning and called the store that was $55 less and they said they were unloading the truck to call back tomorrow or tonight. I thought about it and called up the LGS and said whats the price. She was very nice to deal with on the phone and says $705 cash and $720 card. I said okay, i will see you in a few. When i arrived she was the only one working and was dealing with a guy trying to use a different address than on his ID and the phone ringing off the hook. She said please bear with me and i said its fine, take your time.

I got to looking around and prices were very fair. I’ve been eyeing a RI 1911 tactical in 9mm. She is on par with online and even beat a few online places. Had several revolvers too new and used and prices were very good. I overheard her on the phone tell someone that if she orders it that it was $499 and that she only marks guns up 10% her cost or 13% for credit card usage. I thought that was pretty fair. She said the more you buy from me the higher i will give you a discount.

We got to talking reloading supplies and she said she quit stocking them because she feels bad charging someone $100 for a brick of primers. I said well they are about $100 everywhere else so why not.

They didn’t have any optics so i went to a chain store. I stood there for 15min while everyone walked out of the back room and saw a few of us standing there and then went back in the back room. While waiting i looked up and there was the rifle for $699 and i could have got my 5% off. I stood at the optics case waiting for one of them to stop BS about going to Florida and how much he drinks and gambles. I said excuse me and was ignored so i said you guys lost my business and walked out. Sure glad i bought the rifle elsewhere. I planned on dropping $250 but drove 25min to another store and was met with great help.

I think i found my new favorite LGS though. She was super nice and when i walked out she says have a wonderful day and thank you so much for buying your gun here and called me by my first name.

 

[eharri3]

Our smallest stores tend to have the highest prices on pretty much everything. Bigger showroom style stores and those with ranges attached are generally cheaper for ammo and guns. They deal in more volume and the ones with ranges have range fees and club memberships to defray the merchandise costs. Online usually a little cheaper than bigger LGS before you deal with shipping and transfer fee which can cancel advantages out.

The small LGS down the street from me won't do any transfers at all on online orders of brand new guns but has a limited selection and prices aren't that great. Only offers certain brands. Last time I went in to ask about a Ruger Mark IV he said the only thing in 22 he offered was the one Glock or Sig style 22 semi auto on display. Next closest store a few minutes further out is ridiculously expensive on everything. I have never got a gun off the guy down the street but buy Ammo all the time. He has never taken it personally or asked me why I don't pick up a firearm there and thanks me for my ammo purchases.

Last couple firearms were purchased through a brick and mortar Sportsmanswarehouse and a large showroom local store where I frequently go to shoot. I got my Gen2 S2K in stock at the Sportsmans for 387 with rebate. The small local store said he couldn't get me one and was only stocking the FPC now that that was out. Sometimes he is able to order things, sometimes he can't get things at all through his distributers that a chain store will have sitting on the shelf ready to go. If you want a Glock or Sig pistol, Ruger or S&W revolvers or something like a low end to middle market AR he's gotcha. Anything more unique than that, he may or may not be able to get you one.


I don't buy much of anything online except a complete PSA AR lower here and there. When I do I ship it to the one small dealer a bit further away I have bought from before and have a relationship with who will just charge me 25 for the background.

 

[silicosys4]

I buy most of my guns online. I don't feel bad at all any more about walking right up to the LGS counter and ordering a gun from online that they have sitting right in the case. Not one bit, if it saves me enough money to be worth my time. The only good LGS owner here retired years ago. The rest are all the same.
These are the same gun shops that doubled their transfer fee as soon as UBC's became state law, have a 25% consignment fee, have ridiculous prices on anything new, receive guns coming in for that fat transfer fee but refuses to ship guns out if you need to send a pistol to a gunsmith, (This is the most frustrating one. Literally no way to send handguns out for service without an RMA from the manufacturer. Got an old gun that needs work? Too damn bad.)
and various other practices that have unfortunately led to my primary concern being my own pocketbook and not theirs.

 

[DeepSouth]

Interestingly ~10 years ago I heard “I can’t compete with gun broker prices” all the time at brick and mortar gun shops. Now days whenever I see something that is overpriced (imo) I hear “well that’s what they’re going for on gun broker”

I used to find a decent price online and show it to my FFL and ask what he could do, if he could come near close I’d buy from him. Since then he’s dropped his ffl and the other folks around me are more of the “You suck and we hate you” type. so I’m less concerned with keeping it local.