Moral Dilemma-Internet Purchase vs. Your FFL

[bosshoff]

The Future is here

Just like every other small business in the world, the local gun shop has been drastically effected by the internet. Everyone now has to compete with the big chains (wally-world) and home FFL: dealers without the overhead of a store. Is this a good thing? I say yes. To tell you the truth, I can't remember the last time I learned something in a gun shop. Most of the time, like, you get to meet the guy with the inferiority complex who is a "wanna be cop." Capitalism is king. The internet genie is out of the bottle, and not going back in. I'd hate to be a small gun shop, it sucks, but it is reality. Find a guy who does transfers, buy somehting from him once in a while, and ship whatever you want to him. Only a really dumb FFL won't realize that the future is here, and he can either make $20, or not. I certainly do not care who gets my $20.

 

[odysseus]

There is no moral dilemma with capitalism.

Sure there is, that's what this thread is about. Sometimes the WHOLE picture is not present if all you think about is margins in a price. In some areas it takes a lot of $$$ to keep open a shop since most of the rulers that be make it hard for you. I used to do business with one shop since I was a kid getting fishing gear, and then got firearms. The family had to close out because they could not economically fight the city which imposed an "exit tax" basically to tax firearm sales out. A lot of LE's of that same city were pissed, since that was the only real place to go in town.

There is more to it then price in what I am getting. Of course, abuses in price gouging are bad and I am a free market guy, but I also realize what a local FFL can provide and appreciate a local service to those that don't gouge. Of course, I also buy from Internet markets a lot too. It's just that I am going to support a good local FFL when I can and it makes sense.

 

[Standing Wolf]

There is no moral dilemma with capitalism.

Possibly not, but there's no shortage of questions and issues.

 

[SShooterZ]

I had a similar situation happen with my FFL.

Bought a new XD-9 for $200 less than he was selling and he got all pissy with me telling me he "was helping me put him out of business".

They way I look at it, I wouldn't buy the gun at his price anyway so he never had my business to lose.

It's an easy $25 and they get ticked. That I will never understand. :banghead:

 

[Edmond]

The guy's putting himself out of business if he gets pissed about making $25 for some writing and a phone call.

 

[psyopspec]

The guy's putting himself out of business if he gets pissed about making $25 for some writing and a phone call.

Actually, not even the call. ND law nixes the NICS check for permit holders.

 

[aguyindallas]

Well, if nobody minds, I am going to give a little plug for my local FFL.

They actually run a full business out of their house. They have a good inventory and will do any transfer you want, with a smile.

They charge 15.00 to transfer, which I think is more than fair. In addition to that, you can even request the transfer online. You can go to their website and just input the persons info that you are buying from and they will send the FFL on that alone. When the gun comes in, they email you (as if you are not already checking everyday as you wait for your new toy to arrive)

www.sportingarms.com

Great folks!

 

[Sir Aardvark]

Hey everybody.....

just wait until the government starts taxing all the internet sales - it's bound to happen sooner or later. This should cheer up your local FFL dealer because if you now have to pay taxes, it will remove one more incentive to buy elsewhere.

 

[Old NFO]

That works at Palmetto, not so much at Shooter's Choice. The guys at Palmetto know me, know that I won't hesitate to order something off the net, and they aren't offended if they can't compete with a price I find. They'll just say, "no, I can't compete with that - get it from the other place."

Too true Liquid- When I come back to town, I'll stop in at Palmetto or Lawmans, but I don't even set foot in Shooter's because of their attitude. Before I moved up to VA, I got the 3rd degree about a new pistol I took to Shooter's to get a holster for. I finally told the old guy that I paid $120 less over the net and he called me a liar. I had the transaction receipt in the car, got it and showed it to him, and he STILL said I was lying that, "Nobody can sell a G26 that cheap." I walked out and won't be back- EVER, I also won't shoot there anymore either. I don't care how many matches I miss, I won't give them a dime. Last time I looked, we were still customers...

 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

I stumbled upon an old retired gentleman who runs a reloading shop out of a trailer in his backyard. He keeps his "shop" open not so much to make a profit, but to have a place for the local shooters to hang out.

He maintains an FFL exclusively for people who want to mail order firearms. He doesn't stock any firearms to sell, he has the license just to do transfers for his friends. He'll do the transfer for free if you shoot the breeze with him for an hour or so first. He'll also happily teach you how to reload, how to hunt/fish anything, or how to refinish or rebarrel that old mauser. And if you're up to it, he'll let you challenge him to a shooting contest right there in his backyard. (You'll lose, trust me...)

If your local store is pissy with you for wanting a transfer, find someone else. There are people out there who enjoy helping shooters, and aren't in it just to make a quick buck.

 

[SapperLeader]

I really like my ffl and his shop (Virginia arms, all Virginia residents should check it out). I try not to transfer anything in that they carry. If I do, I take the price of the gun on the internet, add shipping (20-30) and transfer fee (20), take the total and look at the price of the gun in the case. Every time it’s been within 10-12 percent. When this happens, I buy from VA Arms; if the price isn’t that close ill transfer it in, but most of the time I will buy it from them.

So far the only gun I transferred in that Va Arms has carried was my browning hi power practical and there was a big difference on that one since I bought used, and they only had new ones. I like to help out my local shop as much as possible so they will stick around for transfers and when I want to look at guns.

Other side of the story is when a shop treats me bad I take my business elsewhere. My first and last gun I ever had transferred into Shooters Paradise was a Springfield Loaded 1911 in 9mm. I was filling out the paperwork(40 dollar charge) when I hear the sound of the slide hitting home, the hammer falling, and then watched as they cocked the hammer by hand. Bad enough to be handling my new gun without my permission but to start dry firing and hand cocking it!

Worse was when they didn’t stop when I asked. That was the last transfer I ever did with them, and I purchased several other guns at other shops rather than purchase from them.

So to recap, support the local shop whenever you can but don’t get hosed in the process either.

 

[Super Trucker]

I will pay up to $50.00(max) more to keep the local dealers in business.

 

[SapperLeader]

Super Trucker - i used to say 50 max, since most of my gun purchases fall between 200-500 dollars, but there are several guns on my wish list that approach 1000 dollars, and in that case by case basis I would use the 10% rule even though it might be over 50 dolllars.

 

[Super Trucker]

SapperLeader - I guess I am spoiled in that I have about 10 dealers within about an hour of me. But 1 I go to regularly. I look at the total price (shipping, transfer fees etc.) and than use the 50.00 rule. Even on the Kimber CDP, Which I can get shipped in for about 90.00 less. I understand that I like to keep my money local, but I also don't want to put somebody else's kids through Princeton. I guess I'm just cheap, since the Kimber in question already has about a 95.00 profit involved I hate to add more than 50.00 extra on top of it.

 

[sturmruger]

I am in the same boat as you are. I have been shopping around for a XD9 5" for months. I finally found a nice family business in NC that has XDs for $419. My local dealer was going to charge me $525 for the same gun. With all the custom work I am doing I can't afford the extra cash to my local guy. I think we are going to continue to see changes in the gun business.

 

[priv8ter]

My local dealer

My local dealer is more in business for gun smithing than selling guns,so they usually only have two or three guns in inventory at a time. The owner/operator Mitch is the one who put me onto Davidsons for ordering guns. Told me I could save 5% by going online myself and placing the order instead of asking him to do it.

That and in the past, he was very helpful when I was looking for information and on making firearms recommendations.

In the past, this method of buying a gun, through Davidsons, was always much cheaper than any of the other small gun stores in the area. Sportsmans Warehouse moving in kind of changed that. If they have the gun in stock and on the shelf, it is cheaper than it is through Davidson's. However, it's not usaully cheap enough to make me deal with some of the folks at that store.

For me, I'd have to save about $30-40 to make Sportsmans Warehouse worth the effort. Now...I do go there to do some fondling before I order agun online though.

greg