Support your local gun store...

[moonshine44]

I'm planning to go to a one day shooting school in a nearby town this spring some time. The school requires factory loads, and all that I have on hand is my own reloads. I've been shopping the 'Net for ammo to use for the class, and found what I thought was a pretty good price...

The best gun store in the closest town to me is in the Ace Hardware store. I talked to the gun counter guy there tonight, and he will get me all the ammo I want for a total price that's less than I can have it shipped in...

I went there on purpose, because I know that they'll do their best to get people the best possible price, and he did it. I'll be buying from him when I get ready to do the school...

Support your local gun store!

 

[computeruser]

If only there were more places around with that kind of attitude. I sure as **** haven't been able to find them around my area of operations.

 

[Smokester653]

No way in @#$% am I going to support our local gunstores. Those dirty you know whats took advantage of the ammo scare and jacked their prices up and camped out in the local big box stores to buy the ammo up for resale. I would rather travel a thousand miles , hit a gunshow or buy through the internet than to buy from them.

 

[ColColt]

I was running low on CCI SP primers and also needed some 550 magnum primers. I called the locals Monday and they had neither but said to call back Friday(today). I called within the hour and they had one carton(1000) of the 500 primers but no magnum primers and the regular ones were $40/1000. That's ten dollars more than the last ones I bought. No support here when they take advantage of your needs.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

It seems we all have had a few bad experiences with local gun shops over this "shortage".

I said this a while back, the local gun stores who took advantage during the shortage will be paid back when things get back to normal. All we need to do is buy nothing from them and they will go away while in turn supporting the locals who did the right thing! I would rather have a few good shops around me who deserve my business than more than a few who don't.

 

[Smokester653]

Very well said ArchAngel. We have a couple of shops here that have stacks of ammo left over and I hope they choke on it.

 

[guesser]

In the small town where I live it is the True Value hardware store that has all the guns and ammo, prices are very competitive on all of it and its nearly 40 miles to a "gun store". If I need anything special he will get it for me. He has had American Eagle 327 Federal Magnum ammunition in stock almost continuously, I bought from him and built up my stock of cases for reloading. Good to have in town.

 

[JohnnieB]

I'm fortunate, there are two gunstores in the small town I live in and both are owned by fairly honest individuals. One is a pawn shop and does consignment sales while the other has mostly new stuff. I've bought new and used guns from both and both have been very customer friendly when problems arose as well as reasonable transfer fees.

Their prices for ammo/powder/primers are about the same as on-line when you include the shipping charges, but there's no Haz-Mat fee, so powder and primers are actually cheaper. If you order by the case and are willing to wait until their next stock order, it's cheaper than buying on-line.

One of them puts a price label on each item and sells them at that price until they are all gone, so you might find two (or three) different prices for the same item when the wholesale prices go up rapidly. If you are a repeat customer buying multiples of the same item, you'll probably get them at the lower price.

The other one marks the shelf and when the wholesale price goes up, so does the price of the older stock. Basically, the same pricing practice used by food markets and gas stations. Again, if you are a repeat customer and the ink on the new shelf label isn't too dry yet, you'll get the lower price.

In addition, they will usually meet or beat any price I bring in, if their existing price doesn't already do it.

In general terms, SWMBO and I try our best to support our local merchants, unless they have anti-gun signs on their door.

John

Added: The only change I noticed during the ammo shortage was one of them set back one box of ammo for each gun in stock and both of them limited number of boxes sold to each person.

 

[wnr700]

If you trust them and their judgement, I think they deserve a premium for that over an Internet shop.

When it comes to guns, I trust them more than I do the local pawn dealer. They work on them at a fair price and I trust their work. Unless it's a steal from Bud's, I would rather give my guy an extra $50 to $100 than see him go out of business.

Ammo... they are expensive. I plan to start reloading soon and they are in line with some of the gun show prices.

Accessories... they are higher but after S+H it's about a wash.

 

[rock doc]

If you trust them and their judgement, I think they deserve a premium for that over an Internet shop.

When it comes to guns, I trust them more than I do the local pawn dealer. They work on them at a fair price and I trust their work. Unless it's a steal from Bud's, I would rather give my guy an extra $50 to $100 than see him go out of business.

Ammo... they are expensive. I plan to start reloading soon and they are in line with some of the gun show prices.

Accessories... they are higher but after S+H it's about a wash.

Well put. I'd rather spend a few bucks more at my local dealer instead of Gouger Mountain. I refuse to buy ammo from them. At the local dealer, ammo is slightly more than from the internet, but factoring in shipping from an internet source, it is a wash. Same with firearms. Factor in the transfer fees, it too is about a wash. Taxes, now that's another story. That is often times a reason to buy from Bud's or an on-line auction (out of state seller).

My local dealer burned to the ground last summer, but they opened a temporary store across the street, but with less than 5% of their former wares displayed. Nice folks & customer service, so I'll do what I can to help them stay in business while their new store is constructed.

 

[Avery11]

I will support myself for good reason. If I buy for less here and there, I can buy more which helps everyone get a piece of the pie.

If the shops lower their prices, more people will buy from them. THe ammo scare ticked me off too and I think that really showed the true colors of some of these shops.

It's now a buyer's market...

Pigs eat; hogs get slaughtered.

 

[David LaPell]

The problem with the two or three local shops I have here is that they tend to gouge on ammo. During the craze, which in some parts here have not subsided, they were charging $40 a pound of powder. Primers, well $50 for 1000. I do think that is a little high. Another shop, $650 for an Ithaca Featherlight 12 gauge. Nothing fancy, just a late 1960's Ithaca Featherlight. Also the same shop that has a 50 round box of .38 Special 158 grain lead bullets for $26.
No, that's why I drive an hour and a half to buy my guns.

 

[scooter123]

At one point a local range/gun shop was selling 9mm ammo for 22 dollars a box during the ammo shortage. On the face of it it sounds as if they were ripping people off. However, in this particular case the ONLY 9mm ammo they could obtain was frangeable "range safe" 9mm and they were paying 21 dollars a box for it. BTW, the owner showed me his invoices.

 

[Grog]

the owner showed me his invoices.

<tinfoil hat on> Are you sure they were the real invoices? <tinfoil hat off>

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm fortunate, there are two gunstores in the small town I live in and both are owned by fairly honest individuals. One is a pawn shop and does consignment sales while the other has mostly new stuff. I've bought new and used guns from both and both have been very customer friendly when problems arose as well as reasonable transfer fees.

Their prices for ammo/powder/primers are about the same as on-line when you include the shipping charges, but there's no Haz-Mat fee, so powder and primers are actually cheaper. If you order by the case and are willing to wait until their next stock order, it's cheaper than buying on-line.

One of them puts a price label on each item and sells them at that price until they are all gone, so you might find two (or three) different prices for the same item when the wholesale prices go up rapidly. If you are a repeat customer buying multiples of the same item, you'll probably get them at the lower price.

The other one marks the shelf and when the wholesale price goes up, so does the price of the older stock. Basically, the same pricing practice used by food markets and gas stations. Again, if you are a repeat customer and the ink on the new shelf label isn't too dry yet, you'll get the lower price.

In addition, they will usually meet or beat any price I bring in, if their existing price doesn't already do it.

In general terms, SWMBO and I try our best to support our local merchants, unless they have anti-gun signs on their door.

John

Added: The only change I noticed during the ammo shortage was one of them set back one box of ammo for each gun in stock and both of them limited number of boxes sold to each person.

You can't ask much more from a business than that. Everyone has a right to make a living as long as they are fairly ethical while doing so. I don't expect anyone in business to give away their product, they have a right to make money just like any of us!

 

[GyMac]

I just went to the LGS yesterday and offered to buy 8 lbs of powder from them if they can get it for me for the cost that I can get on the Internet + HazMat and shipping. I'm just looking to come out even, not save money. They are checking into it.
Chris

 

[Fredo Batali]

I'm fortunate to have two local shops and a Canadian chain store in my area. I spread the wealth. I buy slightly higher priced guns from my favorite local shop (family owned and a gun smith on premises) really nice folks. I buy ammo and components from the other two. My "gun" store can't compete with the other two for low component and ammo prices. An example. My "gun" store charged me a $35.00 transfer fee for an internet purchase and $36.00 for a 50 round box of ammo (a caliber I don't handload yet). An identical 50 round box of ammo I bought at the other local store was $27.00 (the Canadian chain store was $28.00). I can do the math and see that I saved $9.00 on that box of ammo. That's 200 primers or half the price for a pound of powder. I really encourage the support of local merchants, but I won't be taken advantage of.

De Oppresso Liber

 

[infamous209]

I refuse to do business with LGS in my area. I wanted to buy a SW40VE they were priced at 375-429 pre-taxes and DROS. My cousins husband got me the gun for 349 out the door! Ammo wise Wal mart has 22 cci mini mags for 6.47 my LGS have them for 10.00+. Screw them I will stick with walmart and the internet.

 

[TACC1]

A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR ME

My gunsmith is great to all his customers, so, when I was going
to order a new gun, I asked him to order it for me, so he'd get a piece of the action. I've known him for about 30 years, and have never heard a word said against him. TACC1

 

[26Ford]

In Florida my experience is the only people treated right by the LGS is L.E., that's all. I'm 100% for them getting special treatment, but us civilians dont deserve the trash treatment though either. Of course there will be some to dispute my statemant, everyone has a right to his or her opinion. I just gave mine. Simple fact of life- treat people or customers how you would want to be treated, OR DONT COMPLAIN WHEN PEOPLE BUY ON-LINE! I buy ON-LINE, that's were I get treated fairly. 26