Really Bizarre Shopping Experience!!!

oneyeopn

oneyeopn

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Today my wife and I took a drive to Hays, Kansas to pick up some tires for our School Bus sized SUV. Because I hadnt been there in almost 15 years and one of my favorite places to order things from is there, we went shopping. I am not going to name the business, lets just say it has a serious "redneck" name. The store was empty, they had stuff left on one wall, choke tubes and scope mounts with some cleaning supplies, they had some gunpowder, not anything I use, and some Hornady Bullets, They had a beautiful Barrett 50 on one wall (by itself) and a few guns on another wall (very few) none tactical. I have bought quite a few things online from this company. They had some CLP in the cleaning supply section and I never have tried it so I picked up a 4oz. bottle and went to cash out because they didnt have what I was looking for but thought while I was there, I would save the shipping. As we were standing at the cash register with the CLP the kid working mumbled something about they werent able to keep up with their online orders. I said I understand with all this crazyness. So I was waiting for him to give me the total which he didnt and so I said to him "Do you mean this is already sold?" and he meekishly said yes. He wasnt doing anything when we walked into the store. He could have been filling internet orders but nope, and there was 2 other customers besides my wife and I. So I didnt purchase the 4oz. bottle of CLP and I calmly walked out the door and we got in our car and left. I understand business and how it works but, I will not order from there again nor will I recommend them. I understand when someone orders online that they have bought and paid for the product but when that happens you get your backside out there and pull it off of the shelf, you dont have a customer come in and expect to buy it.
This thread may get moved, I wasnt sure where it was supposed to go but for Sporting rifles this business is a big supplier and the cupboard is bare....:(
 
Online isn't much better these days. "Hello and thank you for calling Natchez. We are experiencing a greater than normal volume of calls. You are caller number 67. Your estimated wait time is 28 minutes"

That happened to me the other day when I ordered my new scope.

I feel for anybody shopping for anything remotely related to guns these days
 
Grover,

Some of the price gouging we are seeing is beyond excusable. Given the buying frenzy, I expect to see elevated prices. But when this is back to "normal", I'm not going to forgive and forget those companies that really tried to screw us over.

For instance, I was just looking at Cheaperthandirt, and they have Lake City 62gr green tip, 20 round box for $34.59!!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me? How about some Armscor 55gr FMJ for $19.59, the cheapest round in stock.

I will NEVER buy from these guys again.

On the other hand, yesterday I ordered some American Eagle 55gr FMJ for $9.99 from Cabela's. That's close to a "normal" price for ammo, they've done the decent thing and will always have my business.

I'm making my personal list and have a long memory. I will take every opportunity to remind others when this is over.
 
Stebo said:
Grover,

Some of the price gouging we are seeing is beyond excusable. Given the buying frenzy, I expect to see elevated prices. But when this is back to "normal", I'm not going to forgive and forget those companies that really tried to screw us over.

For instance, I was just looking at Cheaperthandirt, and they have Lake City 62gr green tip, 20 round box for $34.59!!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me? How about some Armscor 55gr FMJ for $19.59, the cheapest round in stock.

I will NEVER buy from these guys again.

On the other hand, yesterday I ordered some American Eagle 55gr FMJ for $9.99 from Cabela's. That's close to a "normal" price for ammo, they've done the decent thing and will always have my business.

I'm making my personal list and have a long memory. I will take every opportunity to remind others when this is over.
Click to expand...

I agree I am making a list of places I will no longer do business with. I am adding Ammotogo.com on that list. They had .223 green tip for 39.99 per pack the other day in stock. Thats just insane to gouge loyal customers.

As far as that 55gr American Eagle goes that's what I was seeing it cost before the run on everything. I wish they still had some in stock I would gladly order a few boxes. I try to check places daily to see if they have any instock.
 
I find it funny how so many of us in this forum think along the same lines. I understand making money while the sun shines, but if something is sold you do not leave it out on a counter only to have a customer walk up and then tell the customer...oops I am sorry, its already been sold, both my wife and I didnt understand what he was trying to tell us and she is sharp as a tack. He wasnt doing anything when we came in there, i was also looking for scope mounts and a heavier buffer. They had the scope mounts but mounts that just 5 months ago cost me $20 were now over $40. Reputations are being made and lost and thats a shame. I sold a Marlin 336 in 30-30 2 weeks ago because I really didnt use it and I wanted, I mean really really wanted a Hi Point 4595ts, I have wanted one since before there were even rumors of making one in 45acp. I found one on GB, it had been on GB for well over a month and had been relisted. I bid more than the MSRP and ended bidding almost $100 over MSRP. The day before the auction ended someone ran the auction up on me. It has been relisted, thats how I know they ran the bid up. I searched hard and found a dealer in Fl. I paid MSRP and will have it Tuesday. There are honest people out there, we just have to look for them. :D
 
It's a shame that we have to go find the honest people thou. I would have to say the full on panic buyers have just about wiped out the firearm market and the almost all the stores around here are inflating their prices to match. I stopped in a LGS last week and they had a bare bones basic M&P15-22 for $600. And the worst part is someone will pay that price.
 
oneyeopn said:
I find it funny how so many of us in this forum think along the same lines. I understand making money while the sun shines, but if something is sold you do not leave it out on a counter only to have a customer walk up and then tell the customer...oops I am sorry, its already been sold, both my wife and I didnt understand what he was trying to tell us and she is sharp as a tack. He wasnt doing anything when we came in there, i was also looking for scope mounts and a heavier buffer. They had the scope mounts but mounts that just 5 months ago cost me $20 were now over $40. Reputations are being made and lost and thats a shame. I sold a Marlin 336 in 30-30 2 weeks ago because I really didnt use it and I wanted, I mean really really wanted a Hi Point 4595ts, I have wanted one since before there were even rumors of making one in 45acp. I found one on GB, it had been on GB for well over a month and had been relisted. I bid more than the MSRP and ended bidding almost $100 over MSRP. The day before the auction ended someone ran the auction up on me. It has been relisted, thats how I know they ran the bid up. I searched hard and found a dealer in Fl. I paid MSRP and will have it Tuesday. There are honest people out there, we just have to look for them. :D
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I have posted on different forums in fact I was a member of another forum for the longest time. This forum has a much more mature attitude. I think that is partly due to the fact Smith and Wesson's are a more mature brand if that makes since.

When I go to the range I tend to see way more immature shooters using popular "Plastic Pistols". I once was at the range in fact and I seen a guy shooting a "Plastic Pistol" sideways.

In fact I one time had a run in with someone at the range with a "Plastic Pistol". The guy was shooting a 40 and it keep throwing brass into me so I moved down to a different stall away from him and he followed. I said something to him about it and was told something not very nice and to leave or deal with it.

He decided it was time to move when i started shooting full powered buffalo bore's thought my 686. I gotta admit the recoil and pressure that thing produces is something else if you don't have your mouthed closed it will take your breath away. .

I think that's part of why we have a more mature audience Smith and Wesson isn't known for there plastic pistols as much as for there revolvers. I have noticed the same trend with 1911's. The attitude on a sight dedicated to 1911's seems to be more mature also.
 
It's tough to be a parent and advocate gun rights, at least I am having a tough time. My wife of 19 years and I have 2 boys aged 12 and 8. Both of them are very respectful and responsible around firearms because I have raised them that way.

My oldest boy flat out refused to shoot my .22 the first time I took him shooting because he was worried about meeting my safety expectations. He is a good shot. I took him Fall turkey hunting in Iowa this year and we both had a blast even though we didn't harvest a bird. I am hoping to to take him turkey hunting this spring.

My 8 year old also went turkey hunting with me this fall. I missed a 20 yard opportunity to bag a bird because we had the sun in our eyes at dusk.We still replay what happened. He is also an amazing shot with a 22.

He also had to serve an out of school suspension because he snuck a .22 round out of a box I had left on the kitchen table after purchasing while I used the bathroom.He took it to school to show his friends. Needless to say he was in a world of trouble at home for that. I hope to go turkey hunting in the spring with him too.

All 3 of us take medication for Attention Deficit Disorder. My oldest boy has an autism spectrum disorder, similar to to diagnosis of the "evil monster" who perpetrated the recent massacre. He came home from school crying the day after that asking if he was going to do end up doing that when he grew up. I hugged him as hard as I could and told him that there was no way he would ever be able to do such a thing.

My 8 year old was really scared by the shooting. The day after I was replaying some phone messages and there was one about emergency help to home owners- a mortgage refi message- and he thought it was a message about helping school kids in an emergency.

I am trying to be a parent. It's hard work. Our kids are our future.

Sorry if this is too personal or offends.

I should add that neither boy has shot my M&P15t yet. The deal with both of them is that once they can shoot 5 rounds from my Remington 597 in the 10 ring at 50 yards they can graduate!
 
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Stimulate.........

I'm not sure how our politicians struggle with stimulating the economy...especially when the answer is right under their noses.

Simply publish a few articles a week hinting at banning ownership of specific items such as eggs, paper towels, lawn mowers.....etc, like they have with firearms.

Sales will skyrocket and the economy will flourish! :confused:
 
Stebo said:
Grover,

Some of the price gouging we are seeing is beyond excusable. Given the buying frenzy, I expect to see elevated prices. But when this is back to "normal", I'm not going to forgive and forget those companies that really tried to screw us over.

For instance, I was just looking at Cheaperthandirt, and they have Lake City 62gr green tip, 20 round box for $34.59!!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me? How about some Armscor 55gr FMJ for $19.59, the cheapest round in stock.

I will NEVER buy from these guys again.

On the other hand, yesterday I ordered some American Eagle 55gr FMJ for $9.99 from Cabela's. That's close to a "normal" price for ammo, they've done the decent thing and will always have my business.

I'm making my personal list and have a long memory. I will take every opportunity to remind others when this is over.
Click to expand...

Stebo, I don't like the prices either, but on the other hand, I wouldn't call it gouging. Cheaper Than Dirt and Cabela's both have a brick and mortar store near me. If I wanted to go shoot today and had to buy ammo, guess what...Cheaper Than Dirt has it in stock. All Cabela's has is a sign on an empty shelf.

I guess my point is that Cheaper Than Dirt is following marketing 101. When demand is greater than supply, prices go up. As demand drops, the pricing will go back down. By raising their prices, they are controlling the demand at their store and are able to keep some quantities in stock.

My buddy went to the gunshow today in Dallas and 5.56 was selling for $1 per round, so it isn't just Cheaper Than Dirt. It is what the market will bear today.
 
cyphertext said:
It is what the market will bear today.
Click to expand...

Cypher,

I'm the guy you can find recently stating on this forum that an M&P15 OR is worth whatever someone will pay for it. I do get it. The free market is one of the things that has made our country great, and I want our retailers and LGS's to be successful and profitable. That ultimately means more choice and lower prices for all of us. But rifle prices are elevated, in part, because they are being purchased then turned around for resale, NIB. It makes business sense for a LGS to also raise firearm prices. Ammo is different, there is no aftermarket resale. Some retailers are simply receiving ammo through the same distribution method as before and at the same or near same wholesale cost, and adding $15-20 to the price of a box.

I was at the range on Friday, and they had PMC, Federal, and AE displayed on the counter. The PMC was selling for $11.99, what I view as a reasonable price given the current climate. The range is making a profit, and will continue to get my business.

Gander Mountain was on my way home, so I stopped in. They had no 223, but a small amount of 22LR. It was selling for the regular price, and Gander is still making a profit. They will get my business in the future.

Cheaperthandirt is free to charge $34.95 retail for an item they probably paid $5-6 wholesale. There will be someone desperate enough to pay that price, and Cheaperthandirt will take advantage of that person's desperation. I am free to never forget their greed and will never do business with them again. I also hope many others also remember this.
 
oneyeopn said:
I find it funny how so many of us in this forum think along the same lines. .... . There are honest people out there, we just have to look for them. :D
Click to expand...

Except for the lovely young ladies who are members, we are just a bunch of old guys -- of course we think alike. After a couple of gun ban scares and primer/powder/ammo shortages, we just refuse to pay outrageous prices.

Carry on with your preparations. :D
 
SanJoseScott said:
My local Big 5 has PMC 55 grain in stock at $11.99 per 20. Last Saturday I bought 5 boxes for $9.99 each. I am a firm supporter of Free Markets but I also support my right not to buy from them.
Click to expand...

They raised the price two bucks and you think that's bad? I think that's pretty reasonable considering. Its called supply and demand. This is not like CTD price gouging.

Rootbrain
 
My lgs is one of the good guys ( Mikes outdoor ) in north west florida if they have an item it sells for the regular price .
 
I was at The Cabela's in Hammond Indiana Back on the 7th of December when I bought my M&P15OR,they had quite a few AR rifle's in stock,not to mention full shelves of ammo,well I bought 2 Magpul 30 round Pmag's they had racks full of them.
I went back there on the 14th of December (the same day of the shooting) and bought 3 more of the Pmag's,Thats when they were talking about the shooting while I was there,and they all said 'watch the people are going to stock up now"
Well I went back there to pick up some things I ordered for my wife for Christmas on the 21st there was no bulk 223 or 5.56 nothing on the shelves for the same ammo,a lot of the popular ammo was sold out!
And not one AR rifle where there was a full display rack a few week's earlier,and not one magpul magazine at all that was the same for other high capacity magazines! sold out!!!
I was there Friday to look at a .380 for my wife the store was empty nobody there,they had got in a lot of ammo .223 American eagle varment $10.99 for 20 rounds and 5.56 some brand I never seen before $9.95 for20 rounds and some 380 the guys were saying that they have hardly any semi-automatic pistols left,a few were saying that people that some were just buying to sell guns ammo and magazines at an inflated prices!
my brother said he seen on eBay magpul pmag magazines 3 for $100.00 they were $14.99 each at Cabela's.
I'll just wait a bit before I buy any more ammo.
 
Now that I have slept on it I have some additional thoughts, those with a brick and mortar store have to make payroll this month and next, The Store I went to didnt raise their prices during the recent "explosive" weekend when everything went through the roof. They just sold out.

It bothered me that I was holding the CLP in my hand and then couldnt buy it. Thats probably a different deal, heck I dont know. But it was wrong by any standard.


Engineer1911..you are right, for the most part we are a bunch of older gentlemen (guys) who were raised differently than today's societal rules. We have seen at least 4 wars and vividly remember the nightmare of southeast Asia whether we were here or there, and have since seen Historys mistakes repeated and basically find ourselves in no position to fix it. A person who stops and thinks about that can find that it is a little difficult to accept.

I am typing very slowly and choosing my words with a lot of thought. Not easy to do when your name is Grover. LOL

WoodGhost....Thank you, thank you! I too am ADD along with my wife, we have been able to be successful in our lives. I have a nephew who has been compared to me his whole life, I was kind of a black sheep, I thought and lived outside of the box. He is ADD and was told by his parents (under moments of anger) that because of that he would never be able to finish anything. (I became upset with that).

When I had to retire do to health and moved back home where land was cheap and family was plenty, he found out that both my wife and I are the same way. To say the least he was amazed, it encouraged him to work harder. He has now finished a mechanics education at a technical college and is working and doing well. I dont know if ADD is a real thing or its that fact that our education system didnt allow us to fully realize our mental abilities and we just became bored easy because of it. Anyway thank you!

This is something I really like about this forum, a nice intelligent conversation amongst like minded individuals...

My New Gun Gets here tuesday and I am so excited :D :D
 
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As a retail Store and online i can understand this 1000%

I have been in cabela's store that is 1mile from me and nothing In stock... I ordered from them online and have 10 boxes of .22 Federal Bulk waiting for me now... I am also about to order some PMC .223 and .357, .223 is backorderable and cheaper than Last time I purchased them


The box store rely on bulk purchases and sales and as long as the Margines maintain they are usualy fine and dont need to price Gouge


Anyways.... Time are different for sure....

Stav
 
HotRoderX said:
This forum has a much more mature attitude. I think that is partly due to the fact Smith and Wesson's are a more mature brand if that makes since.

I think that's part of why we have a more mature audience Smith and Wesson isn't known for there plastic pistols as much as for there revolvers. I have noticed the same trend with 1911's. The attitude on a sight dedicated to 1911's seems to be more mature also.
Click to expand...


I'd say the M&P handgun or as you put it "plastic pistols" crowd,is different here and much/just like the AR-15 and AR15-22 crowd,it's all one brotherhood that gets along with everyone. Only difference NONE of us drink the "kool-aid". For the most part we are just happy gun owners that have some of the same guns and also get along with each other.
 
oneyeopn said:
I dont know if ADD is a real thing or its that fact that our education system didnt allow us to fully realize our mental abilities and we just became bored easy because of it. This is something I really like about this forum, a nice intelligent conversation amongst like minded individuals...
My New Gun Gets here tuesday and I am so excited :D :D
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BINGO !!! WE were the other small percentage they couldn't deal with. There were the slow learners,the quicker one's and then "us". "Us" were the one's they couldn't keep up with and they didn't know how to handle it. So THEY never let "us" reach our full potentual. Good thing "us" were never quitters.... I was never considered ADD,but I got you on "Black Sheep".

Back on track... WE want photos of your new firestick as soon as you can post them. ....I know,I know you have to shoot it first. :o
 
Pretty deep for a AR thread. Be careful or such talk may cause a earthquake in the national debate because everybody knows that AR owners are not real people.

I too am a member of other boards and stumbled onto this one while researching what turned out to be a really (did I say really) fine .357 Magnum revolver. My buddy pointed me to S&P15s and I found this particular forum and I feel like the crowd here is rather unique. No flames or crazy rants just feels like a bunch of people I would love to have a beer with and solve the worlds problems.

Heck, this squid even gets along with a jar head and that is something!

BTW: Single father of 3 here and my kids christmas present to their dad is shown below (I bought the accessories, but they paid for the rest)
 

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My favorite pistol is manufactured in Ohio, it is the cheapest gun I have ever bought (except for my Marlin 795) but definitely the cheapest handgun bu it is also the most accurate handgun I have ever purchased and I used to hunt with scoped pistols almost 30 years ago. Its a Hi Point and it has a lot of plastic...but it fits in my price range. I have well over 2k rounds (45acp) through it and it still shoots great and accurate. Just had to say in defense of semi-plastic pistols. My next gun come hell or highwater is a 1911....:D

We are a group of unique individuals, as the padre said he was afraid to say what brand of rifle he had, but he wanted to be HERE! We truly do have different tastes in firearms, Some of the optic choices you all go with would not work for me, mine would not work for you, argument not even a little bit. We all own other guns, and our choices are so wide across the board...but when it comes to basic beliefs there we are side by side!!!! I really like this forum!! :D :D
 
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SanJoseScott said:
I found a great one for you (see below). Figured a Marine deserved nothing but the best!
Click to expand...

Scott I think I have to go take a shower.....I laughed so hard when I saw the pics....thank you sir, your alright for a squid!!! still LMAO!!! :D
 
yes it is.... its not in my price range but I would buy it in a sec...plus my 45acp carbine will do great for self defense.
I bought a set of the 45 deg offset rifle sights to try plus some other toys for my carbine...we will just see how it works out this week.
 
SanJoseScott said:
Pretty deep for a AR thread. Be careful or such talk may cause a earthquake in the national debate because everybody knows that AR owners are not real people.

I found this particular forum and I feel like the crowd here is rather unique. No flames or crazy rants just feels like a bunch of people I would love to have a beer with and solve the worlds problems.

Heck, this squid even gets along with a jar head and that is something!

BTW: Single father of 3 here and my kids christmas present to their dad is shown below (I bought the accessories, but they paid for the rest)
Click to expand...

We're just one big happy family. :o

NICE KIDS !!!
 
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