DMK
Member
How much would you expect to pay for a special order through your dealer (ie. a firearm he does not stock).
Would you expect to pay MSRP or better?
Would you expect to pay MSRP or better?
Special Order Firearm
- Thread starter DMK
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Ed Ames
Member
No.
I actually asked a dealer that once and his response was to look at me like I was daft and say, "Nobody pays MSRP unless they are an idiot."
I actually asked a dealer that once and his response was to look at me like I was daft and say, "Nobody pays MSRP unless they are an idiot."
There is no reason it should cost anymore than similar firearms in the case. It doesn't cost the dealer anymore to order it for you. I just had this experience looking for a blackhawk - .44 mag was $479, .45 colt was $479 but a longer barrel then I wanted, but to special order a .45 colt in short barrel was $499 + $20 shipping. If they stocked the same thing it would have been $479. Ridiculous!
I went somewhere else and got one for $479.
I went somewhere else and got one for $479.
OP
OP
DMK
Member
Well, the local dealer in my town acts like he's losing a sale on stuff he has in stock. Yea he's a bit of a jerk, but it's a small rural town. I don't have a lot of options here.
Educated Hillbilly
Member
I would pay his cost plus $20.00. I have a really nice gun dealer.
Usually if I want a gun my dealer doen't stock I pay for it and have him fax his FFL to the vendor for shipping. Local dealers usually charge ten to twenty dollars for a transfer.
Once, long ago I had a local dealer order a DSA FAL that was listed $1650, when it arrived he charged me $2000. Since I had him order it I felt obligated to pay, but now I let him know I'll go somewhere else to order guns.
Once, long ago I had a local dealer order a DSA FAL that was listed $1650, when it arrived he charged me $2000. Since I had him order it I felt obligated to pay, but now I let him know I'll go somewhere else to order guns.
Gunnerpalace
Member
A lot of the dealers here in MI charge 6% sales tax on the gun, wait didn't the ATF say that was illegal?
OP
OP
DMK
Member
$40 and makes me feel like I'm stealing food from his family at that.
JesseL
Member
One of my favorite local dealers (Bill's Trading Post in Prescott, AZ) seems to get most of his business by offering good prices on stuff special ordered through Davidson's. I usually see something like 20-25% under MSRP.
At may local dealer, I pay about 25% under MSRP for special orders. I paid somewhere around $480 for an Armalite 24 15 round "tactical" that lists for $630. I don't recall the exact price - it was $500.95 including sales tax, fees, and everything.
I paid right at $399 for a Blackhawk 45 LC convertible a while back. At that point, the MSRP was about $535 I think, so his prices seem to be pretty close to 75% of MSRP.
It should be less that guns in the case right? His had no inventory cost for a special ordered gun (in that it's not going to be sitting around in a case for 60 days), and he gets the money in advance.
Mike
I paid right at $399 for a Blackhawk 45 LC convertible a while back. At that point, the MSRP was about $535 I think, so his prices seem to be pretty close to 75% of MSRP.
It should be less that guns in the case right? His had no inventory cost for a special ordered gun (in that it's not going to be sitting around in a case for 60 days), and he gets the money in advance.
Mike
MilsurpShooter
Member
I wanted to order an Uberti rifle through a local dealer. Gives me a whole run'around, told me a price that was about $150 more then MSRP and then told me about the $60 transfer fee. Haven't been back to his store since. On the other side I ordered a Norinco Trenchgun from a not so local store, he originally quoted me at $350, got into the store to pick it up awhile later, charged me $150 saying a few other guys ordered them as well so he got a group discount on them.
brighamr
Member
The FFL I use lives 70 miles away. So why do I chose to drive 70 miles? He charges $10 to transfer ANYTHING legal I find on the internet. The other guys I met in downtown want at least $25 per transfer and the prices under the counter are highly inflated.
GBExpat
Member
What he said.
My town of 4,200 has a hardware store with a small gun section, mostly hunting stuff. Plenty of deer rifles and duck guns, and occasionally one handgun.
He does transfers for $15 for me all day long. He knows that even if he wanted to, he couldn't stock everything, and that if he pisses me off, he loses the $15 in transfer revenue (for what, 10 minutes of work?) plus any other money I'd spend in the other parts of his store. His prices are a bit higher than Walmart and Home Depot, but I still give him plenty of business.
I suppose he would be bothered if I was transferring in a Remington 870, but since my transfers have been AR lowers and handguns, why argue? It's worth it for him to take my money (at virtually no cost to him) and keep me smiling.
uneasy_rider
Member
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Actually, if you go in and special order an item, it might end up costing the dealer less than an item in stock, because he doesn't have to tie up his money, or his counter space with your special order.
Justin
Moderator Emeritus
Absolutely not.
sacp81170a
Member
The way I look at is that most manufacturers require their stocking dealers to sell a certain number of their guns and give them nice bonuses and perks if they sell more. When I special order something through the dealer, they get credit from the manufacturer for the sale, so I expect at the very least the price will be no more than similar models in the case. I've got a dealer who is a good friend and gives me a discount anyway since I do computer work for him for free, but I would expect normal pricing(same as their other guns) from any local gun store. The big warehouse stores, not so much. I'd rather spend most of my money with local businesses and help out the guys I know.
I'd expect them to make the same percentage as the guns he stocks. So, if for whatever reason, his dealer cost on this item is more, than I would expect to pay more (within reason) to keep his profit margin roughly the same. It's not like gun dealers are getting rich, it is a very low-margin, high item cost business with having to deal with the ATF on top of it. Most retail business get 50% + profit per item and nobody complains. Firearms are more like 8-20% profit for an item that costs hundreds of dollars to stock.
Ed Ames
Member
Not sure your net margin estimates ("50%+ profit") are accurate. Many retailers run a net margin of less than 5% and a really profitable item might have a net margin of 20%. Of course the gross margin (wholesale to retail price difference before figuring other costs) is typically higher but you've got facilities, insurance, staff, and other overhead to pay for.
Ed, I was thinking gross margin not net and real-world selling prices not MSRP. So average retail gross margin is ~50% and firearms is maybe 15% +/-...seems mighty tough to eek out a living as a gun store owner. I always wondered why most gun stores don't seem to have a great selection of holsters and other accessories...those will be at about the 50% gross margin and a great profit center.
Fisherman_48768
Member
Gunnerpalace
The dealer I go thru charges me the tax if he orders and pays for the gun, however if I order it and pay for it and all he has to do is provide the FFL and transfer the gun to me then he doesn't charge the sales tax because he didn't sell the gun. BTW: he also only charges $15.00 per transaction, one gun or 20.
The 6% sales tax is a state tax and has nothing to do with ATF and it's not illegal.
The dealer I go thru charges me the tax if he orders and pays for the gun, however if I order it and pay for it and all he has to do is provide the FFL and transfer the gun to me then he doesn't charge the sales tax because he didn't sell the gun. BTW: he also only charges $15.00 per transaction, one gun or 20.
It depends on how much business one does. If one purchases $20,000.00 annually, he or she would rightfully expect a better % discount than if one purchased $1,000.00 annually.
And, all joking aside, I know of shootists who purchase $20,000.00 or more in a day. One customer walked in and purchased 10 of a pistol that he liked. A few months later, she sold all of them...unused. Wow, to have that kind of money.
Doc2005
And, all joking aside, I know of shootists who purchase $20,000.00 or more in a day. One customer walked in and purchased 10 of a pistol that he liked. A few months later, she sold all of them...unused.
Wow, to have that kind of money.Doc2005
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