Should i ask the gun store owner if he ?

[chetrogers]

Now i dont do much buying at gun stores "usually buy from friends ect" but if the store that i go to doesn't have a specific gun i want can he get it for me..This mite sound stupid but i dont want to ask if its something the owners dont do..He has a smaller store that doesn't have alot of guns but i like going there..thanks for any info

 

[PATH]

Most good purveyors of fine firearms will order your firearm. Where I work you put down a down payment and pay off at delivery of said gun to you.

 

[priv8ter]

Should

Chet, they should be able to get something for you. Now, you could pay more for certain guns, since they might need to go through a distributor first, but it never hurts to ask.

I very rarely buy a gun 'off the rack.' Just something cool about seeing it show up in it's own box.

greg

 

[six 4 sure]

I would think that most good gun stores should be able to order any NEW rifle you would want. As long as it's something common/popular they won't have a problem. The more exotic the gun, the greater the problems.

six

 

[Majic]

Only if it's new from the factory. Don't expect him to hunt around for used, out of production guns specifically for you.

 

[dinosaur]

Sure. The last new gun I bought was from a guy right down the road from me. He`s a small dealer and works out of his house. He orders it and then he goes and picks it up from the distributor. I figure it costs a little more but if you`re not in a hurry, it`s worth the convenience. Right now I`m having a used gun delivered to him.

I see him 3 or 4 times a week at breakfast so if I need something, it`s convenient in that respect also.
Another reason I use this guy is I`m always looking to add to my collection of used guns. I tell him what I`m looking for and if he gets one, he`ll remember and give me a call. You get lost in the shuffle with a big dealer.

I still look around at other dealers because the big guys may get something I like. That`s called impulse buying and can really get expensive!

 

[cool45auto]

I wouldn't think it would be a problem as long as you wanted to buy the gun. If you just wanted him to get a gun so you could look at it that'd be different.

 

[RandyB]

Being a lefty, I have had numerous guns ordered custom for me with no hassle. Just the other day I was at a store looking at a Ruger SP101 and asked if they carried one in 3". The reply was no the 2 inchers sell better, but we can order one and have by the end of the week. A gun store can only afford to keep in stock what sells, but they generally will order just about anything if asked.

 

[Dave R]

Agreed. Most will order something for you. Most will also give you a price, too. As in "how much would it cost to order in Tikka in .223?"

Another option is an FFL Transfer. If you find a gun you like on the Internet, and that gun requires an FFL Transfer (most do unless you have a C&R License), many dealers will do the transfer for you for about $25-$50.

Of course, what that means is the price you pay is the Internet price, plus shipping and FFL transfer fee. So if the Internet price is within $70-100 of the store price, I buy from the store.

 

[MJRW]

Whatever you do, don't make it a written request. There's no telling what he will order for you.

 

[chetrogers]

I was thinking of asking him if he could get a Taurus revolver for me.."Not sure on model yet"..Nothing used it would be new

 

[444]

As far as I know, this is SOP.
I have done it dozens of times. If I go into my dealer and want him to order something for me, he calls his distributor and if they have it in stock, I get it the next day.
I have done this at several dealers, and as far as I know, it happens every day. This is good for the dealer. He doesn't have to tie a lot of money up in inventory. In fact, he doesn't have to tie up any of his own money at all.
I have also had my dealer get me any number of used guns. I tell him I am looking for a Model 19. He picks up his copy of gunlist and starts making phone calls. Now, I have been in a lot of shops that wouldn't be bothered with actually making an effort to sell something. If that was the only choice I had, I would buy a copy of Gunlist and make the calls myself. Once I decided on something, I would have the dealer order it for me.

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

I had a local dealer order a winnie 9422 legacy in .22 magnum a few years ago. The dealer was more than eager to help and I wound up with a very nice rifle that was supposedly "hand picked" out of distributor inventory.
I was very pleased with the transaction and got a free box of cartouches & a T-shirt.

 

[Sunray]

If a dealer, no matter how big, won't or can't order new firearms from a distributor, he's not much of a dealer.

 

[Croyance]

Yes, it is a customer driven buisness. If he won't order one, you can look for a place that will work with you. Is this really different than ordering a Big Mac without onions?
Before the actual order is placed, it would be good to find out the price. It would be bad to come back, find out it costs $100 more than you expected, and walk out. Even worse if to order it just so you can see and feel it. Also find out what happens if it is defective in some way.
If their regular distributor doesn't carry guns from that manufacturer, it may take longer and cost more.