Online component ordering?

[kmw1954]

Was thinking about this while doing my evening dishes yesterday. What this really comes down to in my mind is cost vs. convenience.

I used to buy from Cabela's because it was convenient. Sure I paid a couple dollars more at times but I could drive to the store quickly and have what I need in hand w/o having to buy a years worth. At least that was until the BPS buyout. So I have compared the everyday costs between a Shop that is 2 hours away with the everyday costs of buying online and having to pay Shipping and Hazmat fees with a number of online retailers. To be cost effective I would need to buy roughly the same amount of materials either way. What I found is that when using everyday pricing and NOT waiting for sales or Free Shipping or Free Hazmat the local store comes out slightly ahead. Where it loses is with the inconvenient drive.

As for bullets, that is a no worry. No hazmat on bullets, Berry's has Free shipping on any order over $75.00 and RMR has Free shipping also. But then Cabela's does still run sales on Berry's and Xtreme that I have seen as high as 20%.

 

[SCC]

At least when we pay Hazmat for ordered powder/primers there is some rationale for the charge. How about this: I rent a 6Kpsi nitrogen tank that I use for charging airguns. I can see paying a Hazmat fee when I exchange the tank for a new fill. Handling a 6Kpsi tank is somewhat hazardous, N2 itself not so much. However, every year I pay the rental on the tank and they charge me another hazmat fee. I suppose its because the bill is hazardous to my wallet. What a scam.

 

[Axis II]

For those who think the hazardous materials stuff is a scam it kind of is. I work for a chemical factory and we ship hazmat stuff all the time via UPS and fedex. They must placard it accordingly and have proper paperwork because it either goes on a plane or train and cannot be shipped on certain trains or planes depending on what it is. I asked the local fedex pickup guy if he's hazmat certified and he said no if its under a certain weight then no hazmat license. I asked the shipping guy who is hazmart certified and he confirmed what the driver said. Only thing I can think of is they charge extra to handle the materials a different way. They have to pay a guy to sit in a hazmat class and pay for labels and special deliveries so I guess that's where the hazmat fees come into play.

 

[kmw1954]

For those who think the hazardous materials stuff is a scam it kind of is. I work for a chemical factory and we ship hazmat stuff all the time via UPS and fedex. They must placard it accordingly and have proper paperwork because it either goes on a plane or train and cannot be shipped on certain trains or planes depending on what it is. I asked the local fedex pickup guy if he's hazmat certified and he said no if its under a certain weight then no hazmat license. I asked the shipping guy who is hazmart certified and he confirmed what the driver said. Only thing I can think of is they charge extra to handle the materials a different way. They have to pay a guy to sit in a hazmat class and pay for labels and special deliveries so I guess that's where the hazmat fees come into play.

Try running that past a firefighter or EMT that is responding to an accident that has a chemical spill or fire. Ask them how concerned they are to know what is in that container. The shipping companies are not the ones that set the regulations. Have you ever seen the regulations for storage of bulk Gunpowder and Primers?

 

[Axis II]

Try running that past a firefighter or EMT that is responding to an accident that has a chemical spill or fire. Ask them how concerned they are to know what is in that container. The shipping companies are not the ones that set the regulations. Have you ever seen the regulations for storage of bulk Gunpowder and Primers?

I know the shipping companies are not the ones and I agree it should be placards on the fedex trucks but they haul so much stuff and according to work and fedex it’s based on weight of the hazardous materials. If all he has to do is placard the box with say marine pollutants and cannot go on passenger airplanes and it’s say 5lbs fedex can carry it without a haz endorsement from what I’ve heeh told by the fedex driver. Now anything over a certain weight they must use a semi. I’ve saw semi come in picking up 1 5gal bucket of stuff strapped down to a pallet because they weight was too heavy for fedex to pick it up. I’m guessing the hazmat fees pay for the shipping training and also special delivery such as cargo train only. We have stuff that can’t go on a plane period so it goes by train or truck.

 

[kmw1954]

I spent 17 years as a Receiving supervisor for a distribution company, Wife now has almost 30 years in the business and half of that time was dealing globally with chemicals for industrial water treatment. As for UPS, FEDEX or any of the small carriers, I'd barely trust to ask them what time it is let alone what the Hazmat regulations are. Again I dealt with those people twice a day every day. Once in the mornings for deliveries and once in the evenings for pick-ups. They know how to drive their routes and not much else.

 

[Skipmeok]

www.midsouthshooterssupply.com has specials that require no hazmat fee. Sometimes it's just a matter of buying Shooters World powder or a set price point of powder to get the free hazmat. That's the best time to stock up on powder and primers because you save the fee. Powder Valley (http://www.powdervalleyinc.com) has prices at or below Midsouth Shooters Supply so it's always best to shop around. For brass, check out www.OnceFiredBrass.com... again there are some pretty good savings through them.

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