NE Ohio Gun store

[CRFPILOT]

Im in the gerater Cleveland area and wonederd where other Ohio residents find the best pricing on handguns and what dealers offer the widest selsction. I travel between Cleveland and Columbus often and try to stop at shops as I come across them. I have been to: B&T, Stonewall, Best Firearms, Gander Mtn and Fin Feather Fur.

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

 

[hksw]

B&T (Middleburg Hts.) is one of my regular shops. They are generally average in price but good service. Fin Feather Fur is usually slghtly cheaper. Stonewall is almost as bad at Atlantic Gun and Tackle for prices, which is, IMO, the worst (they do have layaway though). Best usually has relatively good prices (I usually deal with them at shows than at their shop so don't know for sure if their prices are different between the two). The GMs around here have been climbing in price very steeply in the past few years.

If you don't mind going east a little bit (about 1 hour from southern Cleveland), Great Lakes Outdoors also has pretty good prices. It is in Middlefield, OH and is the other (more) regular shop I go to. They have been creeping up in price over the past two years but they are still about the cheapest around here. Selection is not as diverse or numerous as FFF but a little more than Best. Ralph is trying to get as big as FFF but he isn't there just yet. He has a newer shop in Chesterfield that he bought when Pistol Pete passed away (bought out his shop and inventory).

B&T and Great Lakes are pretty much the only gun shops I go to nowadays and I've hit every shop in NE OH within and hour and a half from Cleveland. (As well as the big shops in central OH like Vances/Buckeye Outdoors.) For the best in high end rimfire target rifles, you can't beat Champion Shooter's in New Albany. I get all of my Anschützes and target ammo from them.

If you want to do transfers, MD Shooting Supplies will do them for a flat $20. Mike works out of an extension from his house and doesn't carry inventory but will do transfers no problem. Have bought a few things from Atlantic Firearms (not the same Atlantic) and CDNN through him. His house has a long driveway away from he street and so is hard to see as the driveway is right next to an optical store. He's on Pearl Road (Rt. 42) within a mile from B&T Middleburg Hts. (Across the street.)

LEOSS also does $20 transfers but he is in a residential area and runs out of his basement. Also no inventory. John is a peace officer.

 

[ar10]

Doesn't Buckeye Outdoors have a store up around the Cleveland area??

sorry about that. It's Cleveland Ave. Columbus

 

[greyeyezz]

I give a thumbs up to B&T Middleburg. Friendly and knowledgeable folks. http://www.btshooting.com/

 

[GMArthur]

Stocker's Gun Shop in Warren Ohio. This is the only gun shop I've been to where the prices match what I always see online and think why can't the locals give me these prices. It's nice to be able to handle the gun you want first and walk out the door with a reasonable price.

 

[Cover Dog]

+1 for Great Lakes Outdoor Supply in Middlefield/Chesterland. I buy alot of guns a year. Some online and some in thier store. Anything I see online I will always give Ralph or Sterling in Chesterland an opportunity to come close to the internet price.

Usually they can meet it, but I pay sales tax. When you figure in my cost for them to do the ffl paperwork on a gun I have sent in it just about equalls any tax I will have to pay. And profit is not a dirty work, if they make a little on me thats O.K. they have done me a favor.

 

[Deanimator]

LEOSS also does $20 transfers but he is in a residential area and runs out of his basement. Also no inventory. John is a peace officer.

+1

When my regular FFL accidentally let his license lapse, I bought a 40's vintage M&P through LEOSS. No problems and the guy was very professional.

Farther afield, I would recommend both Dick's Gun Room and Pro Arms, both in Cuyahoga Falls. BTW, does anybody know how to actually get to Pro Arms off of Rt. 8? Because of the maze of one way streets, I actually couldn't find them the last time I tried!

 

[Haywood]

Try Accurate Arms & Accessories Bunker and Ridge Road in North Royalton. Very small store but, they can get about everything.

 

[ZombiesAhead]

I haven't read this whole thread but here are my experiences from living just east of cleveland.

#1 for customer service - "Great Lakes Outdoor Supply." Branch in Chesterland (branch 1) was formerly "Pistol Pete's" before Pete passed on. Branch of GLOS in Middlefield (branch 2) has more of a "tactical" selection and probably does more business but it is further from me. I have ordered DSA FALs, Bushmaster AR's, etc, etc. through these guys. I have probably spent $5000 there this year and had NO regrets. Ask for "Mike" and tell him Alexis sent you. He is a great, younger guy and works both locations. He is not one of those old-timer guys who has no interest in novices to shooting sports. He will answer all your stupid questions.

#1 for general selection at one store - "Atlantic Gun and Tackle" in Bedford, OH on Northfield Road. These guys are typical old-timey gun-store A-Holes who don't want anything to do with helping you. I almost can't blame them as they reside in a poor neighborhood with many potential criminals asking to handle the biggest, baddest looking pistols. Good selection of pistols, rifles, shotguns. Not much tactical stuff and some downright silly gangbanger-looking stuff.

#1 for pistol selection and being able to order anything but -1 for being a chain store - "Gander Mountain" in Twinsburg. Some of the guys are very nice and not older gun snobs. I have bought pistols here and have been very happy overall. I just don't love chain stores.

Try Dick's either in Legacy Village, Beachwood or the one near Aurora. Both have excellent long gun selections (at least in 500/590's and 870's). There prices on the few desirable items they DO have are unbeatable. I paid $320 plus tax once for a Mossberg 590. BEAT THAT OTD! There 10/22 prices are great as well.

Finally, try out "TargetThing" ("Targething"?) at A and A shooting range way out east down 422 in Nelson Township. I hate to blow up the popularity of their range but they have a great range and one family owns the range and gun store. They have lots of cool milsurp stuff - some at reasonable prices. Some of it is so old it could be considered collector stuff. They are willing to negotiate and they sell pistols as well as rifles. They also have very good CCW/other instructional courses. I got my CCW certification here and I never leave the range without stopping by the store to see what dirt-cheap SKS's, Norinco AK's, (some) pistols, and lots of cool militaria type stuff.

Any other ideas or upcoming gun shows let me know. These are the spots I frequent.

EDIT: DO NOT MESS WITH SHERWIN SHOOTING SPORTS/BIG BORE SPECIALTIES in East Lake/Willoughby. They have a decent indoor range but they make you buy their own ammunition even if you bring in good brass-case - same stuff they are selling. They will order anything for you at decent prices but customer support is a joke. They recently pulled almost all long guns out of stock and pistol selection is as sparse as anywhere (except Dick's that has no pistols). If you know what you want and what you want to pay - and if you know what distributor is selling a certain rifle you may get a decent deal. If you are not 100% schooled in what you want/understanding of the firearm they will take your money.


PS - anyone know of any good retailers or private sellers in NE Ohio selling Sig Saur P6's at reasonable prices? Gander has jacked their price from about $170 with mag holster, 2 mags, and pistol holster up to $350 with one mag, no mag holster, and just a crap pistol holster.

 

[gbelleh]

I bought almost all my guns from B&T when I lived in Cleveland. Great service and decent prices. I seem to remember Best Firearms having low prices (tiny store though).

 

[Deanimator]

Try Accurate Arms & Accessories Bunker and Ridge Road in North Royalton. Very small store but, they can get about everything.

They're no longer Accurate. It's now another B&T location. Pretty soon, gunstores in NE Ohio will be like restaurants in the movie "Demolition Man", "Now ALL gunstores are B&T!" I was in there a month or so ago. They seemed to still be stocking and reorganizing after the transition.

 

[bonedust]

www.akrongunrange.com

Im one of the owners of The Marksman. we are a mid sized gun/archery shop/range on the south side of akron. we stock alot of pistols and (when possible) stock a good amount of tactical rifles. 50ft 6-stall pistol/shotgun range, 7 lane 20yd archery range, full bowsmithing services, class 7 gunsmithing on site. Our accessory selection isnt huge rightr now(as we are JUST getting a new section of the retail store remodled), but from what people tell us our prices are the best around.

 

[hksw]

Try Accurate Arms & Accessories Bunker and Ridge Road in North Royalton. Very small store but, they can get about everything.

They're no longer Accurate. It's now another B&T location. Pretty soon, gunstores in NE Ohio will be like restaurants in the movie "Demolition Man", "Now ALL gunstores are B&T!" I was in there a month or so ago. They seemed to still be stocking and reorganizing after the transition.

In this particular case, this Accurate is in North Royalton on Bunker Rd. which is still independent. I've met the guy since the old Erie Gun on Rt. 82. His prices are medium to medium high at Accurate. Nice enough guy though. Even shot Sporting Clays with him one time during an outing by a vendor I dealt with at work.

 

[huff]

Vance's outdoor, in the columbus has a large selection and prices seem fair.
I am Toledo and go to Col. often for work and stop in as often as possible.

 

[bonedust]

if you want a one day trip, head down to Vandalia in Dayton. it's by far the most impressive gun shop in all of Ohio...maybe even the tri-state.

 

[1911 guy]

First and most importantly, stay the heck away from A&A Trap and Skeet, the place off of Rt. 422. I went there exactly once. Signs say "Please don't shoot the buildings" and the buildings are shot to pieces. I wasn't exactly impressed.

Second, I really like Stockers Shop on Rt 45 in Champion. If coming from Cleveland, take 422 to 45, make a left at the bottom of the exit and follow 45 past the High School. Stockers is on the far edge of town (5 min) on the left. Good selection and prices. Staff won't jerk you around either. When my wife needed a handgun I turned her over to Bob and waited in the car. She came out with a Sig she really likes.

 

[StrawHat]

If you enjoy black powder, stop at The Log Cabin Shop in Lodi. They have been around for at least two generations and know their stuff. Dan is past president of the NMLRA and very active in 2A legislation.

 

[ultradoc]

Try Ohio Rapid Fire in Troy,Oh. I know it's a little out of your way but it might be worth the trip. They have pistols,rifles,class 3. Neat place