Buying Your Gun: Does Where Matter?

[atctimmy]

I'm a lefty so I buy what I can find where I can find it. That usually means online.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[silo]

Interesting, guys. Was just wondering since, for me, price and the ability to fix my problems are #1 and #2 for me. I'm a small business owner, but I don't blame customers for going to either larger businesses or smaller businesses instead of me.

I was just kind of confused on why the lady wouldn't sell it to me for the same quote as someone else. She'd still make money on it (granted, $20 or $30), but instead some guy in his basement got the extra $20. In my opinion, I'd rather get something than nothing.

[farronwolf]

She might have made 20 or 30 bucks on that one gun, but what would it cost her to replace it. Was there another one available to replace it with? At 20 to 30 bucks per gun, she can't keep her doors open especially if there is a shortage of guns available.

I am leaving the office today to go pick up a 3" SP101. From what I can find online, Davidsons has Zero in their inventory, Buds has Zero in their inventory, but my guy was glad to put it back this morning when I called and asked if he would. It is the last one he has on the shelf, and it might be a month or so before he can replace it due to the shortage. I will bring him cash money so he doesn't have to pay CC discount and be short that couple of percent from those transaction fees.

It takes money to run a real business to be able to pay insurance to keep inventory, to pay utilities and all the other stuff that goes along with it. I dont' mind paying so he can do that.

[jhh3rd]

I have a favorite dealer that lets me drag out a layaway when times are tough. I buy ammo, magazines and knives from him too. Nice family owned business and worth the 35 mile drive. i think i have a layaway going on now.....

[nn]

I support my LGS as much as possible, if he does not have it I get what I want where I can.

[silo]

I wanted to update this.

Last night my extremely small, independent out-of-his-basement dealer calls and says my new Glock 26 is in, and I could pick it up this morning. Get there a bit early, do all the paperwork, have a great conversation, he talks with my kiddos while I'm picking it up, and was only $20 over cost.

This afternoon I decided to go get a new Gunvault Mini safe. My CCW instructor told us of a local place that has a good deal. My problem with this place is they've gotten HORRIBLE reviews on the Internet, mainly for acting incredibly pretentious. But there were a few people who said they were great and had fair prices. Nonetheless, I was just going for the safe.

So I get there, walk in, and it's reasonably busy. A man comes over and asks if anyone needs help, so I said that I attended the instructor's course, and said they had a good deal on the safes. He says, "Yeah." Walks over, gets the safe from another guy who seemed to have an upbeat voice, rings it up, and hands it over. No words whatsoever, even when I would say "thank you" after getting my card back and after he handed it to me. I even added a "have a nice day." I always make it a point to be extremely nice and thankful, but I got absolutely no response back from this guy.

I've honestly never been treated that way except for maybe two times at the local Wendy's drive-thru by teenagers who just don't care about their job. But I didn't really expect that from a gun store with customers willing to pay pretty large amounts of money for guns, safes, and services.

I'm 0/2 on brick and mortar gun shops around here. The first one the lady was nice but way overcharged, and the second was just appalling customer service, in my opinion. I guess I'll be sticking to my small dealer for guns and the Bass Pro Shop for ammo.

[SubNine]

I try to support the local gun shops but only the ones who treat me with respect and courtesy. If a shop has lower prices but doesn't treat me with respect and courtesy then I will go buy from the guys with higher prices but better service.

I know of one shop in my town that has continuously tried to push the Colt brand on me and I don't appreciate gun store clerks pushing a particular brand on me especially when I am interested in others. I don't care what they think is the best I know what I like. So I no longer to business with that particular gun store... not that Colt is a bad gun manufacturer I just think there are just as good if not better guns at better prices. That is just my opinion though.

[Rock and Glock]

I will only buy from brick and mortar mom and pop places when shopping retail. I usually only buy from one shop only anyway.

I'm a strong believer in buying from a local source and from a place that supports the community. I don't mind them making a profit, as they have mouths to feed too.

My feelings exactly. If, however, I find a great used deal on-line, like Kittery, I'll do that.

I like the Locals, and supporting same.

[Archie]

I'm aware of the cost of doing business and have no problem with keeping a decent gun store in business. That said, they have to have what I want. The down side is most want to sell what they have rather than what I want.

I don't buy hardly any 'new guns' anymore. New guns just aren't interesting to me. So I buy most of my guns at gunshows - from collectors and private parties. Being in PDSR California, I have to process all private sales through a FFL dealer.

Okay...

My local gunshop - and they occasionally have 'consignment' guns (gunshops in PDSR California can't sell used guns anymore) in stock - used to do private transfers. About a year ago, they upped the cost of a private party sale (PPS) from $35.00 to $125.00. I still go in and buy the odd brick of .22 lr ammo, or bullets. I still look at their consignment guns, and would still buy one if it took my fancy. But I found another FFL to do PPS when I need them.

I like the 'real' stores; they have stock and one can feel what one is considering. They typically have problem solving service. Some have gunsmiths and ranges and such.

But in my status as a collector, I'm not going to buy the .38 Special Whatgotcha they have in stock rather than the PPS for the 1927 Police Positive which is what I want. Some places just haven't figured that out yet.

And as far as the story about "... guy in his basement that hurts me and you..."; if I want guilt, I can call one of my ex-wives.

[TacticalSS]

I buy from a local shop. From my research I only paid $10 more on my last purchase then going to a big chain store. I also got a great deal on a Miami Classic too. So it probably paid for itself.

Where does matter, bad customer service puts me off and doesn't make me want to go to a store with that reputation. Big chain stores, to me, are there to sell things, not to help you. I've purchased two guns from big chain stores and the customer service just wasn't there.

[youngda9]

I've bought 3 (2 used and 1 new) pistols over the internet from forums WTS ads. I bought a forth pistol recently by having my local store do a price match with Bud's online price, that saved me $100 from what it would have cost out the door at the local sore.

If the brick and mortar store was within $40-50 I would give them the buisness...but most of the time they are not. I hope to buy my next pistol from the local store to give them the buisness...the problem is that their are such better lightly used deals out there that I am constanly searching for.

[gasmitty]

Being in PDSR California,

I guess there's a limit to my worldliness. What (or where) is "PDSR," California? Google was not helpful.

[CBXMan]

I've got 3 dealers within a 40 mile circle and they all sell at around cost + 10%. I'll support any local business that is within 15-20 % of internet prices. I run a brick and mortar retail store and I realize the sellers on the net are operating with a lot less overhead, but I can stay within 20% of them almost all the time.