It seems a little wrong that we pay to try out a potential new firearm at the range. We don't pay a fee to test drive a car or to sit on a couch at a furniture store. So why pay to test fire a firearm. I understand the range fee and needing to use in-store ammo, but it seems like that should be it. I was just mulling this over yesterday and thought I'd throw it out there for comments.
Why do we pay to rent a firearm at the LGS?
DJC7
21 - 40 of 45 Posts
Lots ah good points here.
Keep in mind too that the renter has to clean the gun, inspect it, & keep it in good working order that the rentees has rented.
Yes they did remove it from their sales cabinet but it still has a used-resale’s value like < since the car parallel has been brought up > a demo has for car dealers. Car dealers get dealer incentives to cover their tryouts too, which demo`sales are all but 101% profit.
Ever seen a new car your interested in have say . . . 50-miles or so on the dash? When brand new cars hit the dealer`lot`s they only have maybe 2-miles to 8-miles tops on umm. I do believe that they can be sold as new or at least as a “Demo” with anything under about 4,999-miles on umm. Sometimes when it`s lunchtime the sales crew will tack ah dealers plate on the back & take ah brand~new car to Wendy's for ah snack. Or the sales personal may drive one "to-&-from" home for their personal usage too. "oh yes they can!"
I guess it's like electronics < tv's and the like > which they do give you a discount if you buy the demo/floor model.
And what`s not to say these said rental guns didn’t coming in as a used-firearm to begin with? Maybe not all of them but maybe some have?
Someone brought up being charged a fee for out of pocket shop expenses, which have always been apart of doing business in the service/repairs trade. Now these expenses have become a fee of norm and service venues are passing them onto the consumer; as their way`s of generating more profits.
Before you know it, they will be adding on ah over~head supplement`s fee to cover such things as; rent, electricity, tool`s depression, advertising, WC insurance, licensing, and those cushie waiting rooms too as “someone has to cover the out-of-pocket cost for those little screen tv`s and free coffee”.
I wish I could have tried it out, before I had to pay for, some of the "Crappie~Food" that I’ve eaten that I’ve had to pay for at some of the restaurants I’ve eaten in . . . . . yuck :dead:
Keep in mind too that the renter has to clean the gun, inspect it, & keep it in good working order that the rentees has rented.
Yes they did remove it from their sales cabinet but it still has a used-resale’s value like < since the car parallel has been brought up > a demo has for car dealers. Car dealers get dealer incentives to cover their tryouts too, which demo`sales are all but 101% profit.
Ever seen a new car your interested in have say . . . 50-miles or so on the dash? When brand new cars hit the dealer`lot`s they only have maybe 2-miles to 8-miles tops on umm. I do believe that they can be sold as new or at least as a “Demo” with anything under about 4,999-miles on umm. Sometimes when it`s lunchtime the sales crew will tack ah dealers plate on the back & take ah brand~new car to Wendy's for ah snack. Or the sales personal may drive one "to-&-from" home for their personal usage too. "oh yes they can!"
I guess it's like electronics < tv's and the like > which they do give you a discount if you buy the demo/floor model.
And what`s not to say these said rental guns didn’t coming in as a used-firearm to begin with? Maybe not all of them but maybe some have?
Someone brought up being charged a fee for out of pocket shop expenses, which have always been apart of doing business in the service/repairs trade. Now these expenses have become a fee of norm and service venues are passing them onto the consumer; as their way`s of generating more profits.
Before you know it, they will be adding on ah over~head supplement`s fee to cover such things as; rent, electricity, tool`s depression, advertising, WC insurance, licensing, and those cushie waiting rooms too as “someone has to cover the out-of-pocket cost for those little screen tv`s and free coffee”.
I wish I could have tried it out, before I had to pay for, some of the "Crappie~Food" that I’ve eaten that I’ve had to pay for at some of the restaurants I’ve eaten in . . . . . yuck :dead:
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101 Posts
I thought I wanted an LC9 but had never shot one. I liked it, bought it and the LGS waived the rental and sold it at a used price. I won all around and keep it in my pocket all the time around the house. It ALWAYS pays to cultivate relationships at your LGS. I do all I can with them before I buy online.
Cherokee Slim
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217 Posts
Sorry sir, you lose this bet.
While many things like clothes, electronics, greeting cards and such, DO operate with a huge margin, guns do not. There is about a 20% difference between dealer cost and MSRP on most popular handguns. Most reasonable shops give you about 10% off of MSRP, leaving them about 10% for profit. Your local shop doesn't make a lot of money selling new guns. They make the vast majority of their money selling ammo and accessories.
My LGS has a fairly unique program. If you are serious about wanting to buy a particular gun that is for sale, you can pay $50 to "test drive" it. If you decide to buy that gun, the $50 gets taken off the price.
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1,356 Posts
Depends on gun. most guns under say $500 $50 is about all you can add on them. since you have internet super stores that offer them at $10 over wholesale.
Having a product on the shelves seems a requirement, in order to have a customer buy it. Though, some are willing to buy sight-unseen.
But having a series of products able to be used, abused and put through their paces on a range costs money. It requires the purchase price of those guns (which will never see their full value recouped), staff to clean them.
On the one hand, it could be argued they can be effective tools to boost sales, potentially. But it's additional costs that must be borne by the business, and that's hard to get around.
Best solution I've seen, so far: have a "rental" counter; allow receipts for X number of rentals to be applied toward the purchase of a new gun from the shop. Everyone's happy.
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291 Posts
I could go with the test drive analogy if you were going to buy the specific gun you were trying out. Seems to me this is more like renting demo skis to see if you like 'em. I rented an M&P .40 just to see how it compared to my M&P9, but never had any intention of buying. I did rent a Nano once their too and wasn't impressed.
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400 Posts
This.
Having come from several other retail industries, I have been amazed at how low the margins are in the gun industry, and how little room there is for profit compared to other industries.
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9,410 Posts
That's why many LGS charge $25 - $40 for a transfer fee. That way they make a little money if they have to handle a firearm.
One of my LGS (a bunch of nice guys) inadvertently let me see his wholesaler page when we were checking to see if a gun was in stock at any of his wholesalers. His retail price on the gun I wanted is $884, and his wholesale price is $841. When the gun finally comes in, he'll make $43 on an $884 gun.
One of my LGS (a bunch of nice guys) inadvertently let me see his wholesaler page when we were checking to see if a gun was in stock at any of his wholesalers. His retail price on the gun I wanted is $884, and his wholesale price is $841. When the gun finally comes in, he'll make $43 on an $884 gun.
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12,638 Posts
I guess you have never heard of Hertz, Avis, Enterprise or any of the other companies that rent cars and I guess you never heard of companies that rent furniture like Rent-A-Center.
Have you ever heard of renting a boat, a jet ski, scuba equipment, skis, bicycles, mopeds, or anything else for recreational use like renting a firearm for target shooting?
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16,133 Posts
Why do you pay to rent a firearm if you think it "a little wrong?"
I don't think it's wrong, so I pay.
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1,169 Posts
Man, this simple little question really ruffled some feathers. lol My LGS charges $25 for the gun + $15 for the lane + ammo. So, for each gun I want to test out it's costing a minimum of $65ish. For those of us who don't have guns factored in to their budget and need to save up for quite a while just to buy one, a single rental can really set that timeline back. I understand better after reading the responses why it's necessary, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. On the bright side, I'm in Huntsville, AL on business and stopped by Larry's Pistol and Pawn after work today. For $10 and ammo, I was able to test out two pistols I'm considering but have not been able to track down until now, G26 and 19! Great deal and a great store!
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15,102 Posts
Because the GS is in the business of selling guns and ammo.
The GS that have ranges and rent, are doing what a car rental agency does.
Rents something someone wants to use, just like when you go to the bowling alley and rent shoes cause you don't have any.
The GS that have ranges and rent, are doing what a car rental agency does.
Rents something someone wants to use, just like when you go to the bowling alley and rent shoes cause you don't have any.
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1,018 Posts
It costs more than 6 bucks to clean the gun... solvents, someone doing it, clean rags...
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300 Posts
Take all of your money, if you have enough, and build or buy a range building. Outfit it to pass all inspections and requirements of the city, county, state, and feds. Then stock the retail part with guns and accessories after you get your FFL.
Then let everyone come and shoot YOUR guns for free, and after that you can sell them as used. In the meantime, try to make a profit on the range. Labor, employees, taxes, fees, city, county, state, and federal regulations are easy to deal with - and they are not expensive. Don't forget health insurance, business insurance, range liability, and your day will be paperwork, phone calls, and... more paperwork.
After closing each day you can deal with the other aspects of running the business - like cleaning the range guns!
Tell me where it's at when you get permits approved - I want to come and shoot a few guns I've been dying to try out but didn't want to spend MY money on. I'll let you buy them, and I'll shoot them for free. Then I'll look around for pricing.
Oh yeah, special importance - since it's a gun range and a gun store, defintely have a corporate attorney on retainer, a good CPA since the IRS will be watching you; and lucky for you those are not expensive either. If there is an accident of any kind, don't be shocked with the lawsuits. It's par for the course. A good attorney will, likely, keep you in good shape. Unless the DA goes after negligence. Then you're just screwed. Even if you weren't, someone's got to pay in our world - it could be you! Yeah! Welcome to small business 101.
GRAND OPENING - FREE GUN SHOOTING!
(This won't rile the locals, have some fun with it...)I forgot to mention the corporate structures to protect your families assets if the business melts down, or if there is an accident. And the other prior setup work that goes with the business. It's all easy, and cheap.
Good luck. I'm excited to be a first customer.
saa.
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16,133 Posts
Now I get it. I will say $25 is a bit steep from what I've seen (and in my opinion). Several ranges I go to have a price of $10 bucks. I don't think it's wrong for your range to charge that much, but I'm very very very doubtful I would rent a gun at $25 a pop.
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7,993 Posts
You aren't renting to 'test fire', you are renting to use their equipment. It's more akin to renting a rental car instead of test driving a new car.
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518 Posts
IMO,
Buy some land/farm.
You can test drive pretty much anything.
I took my neighbor's 50Cal for a test drive yesterday and all he charged me was
a 12 pack of Coors light!!!:danceban:
Buy some land/farm.
You can test drive pretty much anything.
I took my neighbor's 50Cal for a test drive yesterday and all he charged me was
a 12 pack of Coors light!!!:danceban:
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