Are Online Retailers Killing Local Gun Stores? Should We Care?
- Thread starter livingston
- Start date
Marine Cpl
.577 Tyrannosaur.
Gun stores will get my business on the rare occasion I buy a handgun because it's easier. But for everything else, they force me to go online. Why won't they sell bulk ammo instead of just 20 Rd boxes? Why do they never have the top 3 defensive hollow points? (HST, Gold Dots, Critical Duty) Why do they only sell cheap leather and floppy holsters from Uncle Mike's? Why don't they sell quality weapon lights or red dots instead of nothing at all or when they do, shit from NcStar?
There basic model is long guns behind a counter, handguns behind glass, ammo in 20 Rd boxes, and expensive paper targets and cleaning supplies from Hoppes. That's it. No AR handguards. No back up iron sights. No tactical sings. No load bearing vests. Nothing.
There basic model is long guns behind a counter, handguns behind glass, ammo in 20 Rd boxes, and expensive paper targets and cleaning supplies from Hoppes. That's it. No AR handguards. No back up iron sights. No tactical sings. No load bearing vests. Nothing.
Some places have all that. It's just that the average gun consumer is looking to buy the cheapest stuff possible.
The Gander Outdoors by me has a good deal of the things you mentioned. The magnified scopes are all budget models but for red dots they have Trijicon, Eotech and Aimpoint in addition to the cheaper ones. They have bulk ammo and sometimes run good enough deals on the boxed stuff to buy in quantity. I cleared their entire stock of 7.62x51 Agulia ammo when they were selling it for $12 per 20. Good amount of AR accessories though most Aero precison and Magpul stuff. Good selection of kydex holsters too.
Last edited:
Wraith
.45 acp
I will agree 100% that their typical accessories are shit. Civil Armory (Pleasant Valley) keeps my business because Derek is a great guy and the rest of them helpful if you ask the right questions.
The shit they keep in stock though is fucking awful. I’d love them to have a few loose .223 Wylde barrels with a 5% markup. Some Magpul, Bear Creek, Aero Precision. I’d pay 5-7% in addition to cost to buy local. I won’t, however pay $60 for a poverty pony lower.
Wraith
.45 acp
Those average gun owners probably never had the pleasure of a good holster or optic. Or they’re unfortunately not familiar with the quality difference between 9mm HST and the cheap hollow point.
Bustedknees
12-gauge slug (smooth bore)
I like gunauction.com ( used to be auction arms ).. not as big as gbroker, but better policies to protect the buyer.. and the penny auctions are always fun chance of buying cheap..
Outpost Armory in Christiana TN (43 miles south of Nashville along I-24) has a lot of what @Willjr75 is wanting, especially high end optics.
Lots of cool guns, it's Barrett central in there, and lots of bulk ammo. The ammo prices are high though.
Like I mentioned elsewhere SPAR Firearms in Mechanicsburg PA has tactical goodness till bursting in their small shop, they have a decent amount of mid grade glass with some high end stuff like Nightforce.
I have never been in there yet but Eurooptic in Montoursville PA specializes in really high end optics of all sorts and in stock in store too.
There are good shops out there.
Lots of cool guns, it's Barrett central in there, and lots of bulk ammo. The ammo prices are high though.
Like I mentioned elsewhere SPAR Firearms in Mechanicsburg PA has tactical goodness till bursting in their small shop, they have a decent amount of mid grade glass with some high end stuff like Nightforce.
I have never been in there yet but Eurooptic in Montoursville PA specializes in really high end optics of all sorts and in stock in store too.
There are good shops out there.
I still have all the pics I took inside SPAR from a months ago but never posted if anyone is interested.
You use Bill?
STS556
.223 Rem
Yup. He’s a good guy to deal with.
Bustedknees
12-gauge slug (smooth bore)
I'll add a well deserved reference to one of my favorite shops in the North county..
Lyons Falls, Lewis county, you'll find Cataldo Electric.. Bob runs a very small shop selling washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators , and guns too.. He's an old timer , a Korean war vet who doesn't hear well but likes to talk and sell guns.. A small messy shop in a small village worth a drive if you like the old fashion way of buying..
Lyons Falls, Lewis county, you'll find Cataldo Electric.. Bob runs a very small shop selling washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators , and guns too.. He's an old timer , a Korean war vet who doesn't hear well but likes to talk and sell guns.. A small messy shop in a small village worth a drive if you like the old fashion way of buying..
Kitchen Counter FFL.
That's right. Gun stores (should) have us by the balls as only they can do transfers, and they STILL screw it up. That's bad.
Eddie Gunks
.338 Win Mag
I need to start a thread about how most if the gun owners are the dumbest fucking “people” on the planet!
Really. It is amazing. I came to realize why many shop owners have bad attitudes.
In the end i closed my retail space to walk in customers as it was/is such a PITA to fral with these folks.
It is far easier to online. Better hours. Easier work. Far less frustrating. Really.
Really. It is amazing. I came to realize why many shop owners have bad attitudes.
In the end i closed my retail space to walk in customers as it was/is such a PITA to fral with these folks.
It is far easier to online. Better hours. Easier work. Far less frustrating. Really.
Robin
.577 Tyrannosaur.
Well, there you are.
Robin
Robin
kev74
20×102mm Vulcan
I only made it up to your place 4 or 5 times. It couldn't have been that bad.
Exonautic
.308 Win
I like going to gun stores if only to talk and get some opinions on what I've been considering lately. I'll pay a bit more for a gun just for knowing that i have a place to go if i have any issues with it. As for ammo, i tend to buy a box or two every time i go into a store as a self-imposed bullshit tax. But if i were to ever put in an order for a case of ammo it would have to be online because most guys i would be cleaning out if i purchased on that level.
On the flip side, plenty of gun store owners think owning a gun store makes them knowledgeable on the subject.
Right up there with "my cop friend told me..."
Exonautic
.308 Win
All you have to do is put the idiot test on them. Ask them something you know and that you're pretty sure they don't know. If they give you a wrong answer than it either means they're an idiot with bad information or they're too proud to tell you they don't know. I always trust the man who tells me they don't know something.
BDinPutnam
.475 A&M Magnum
So open the capital-intensive, heavily-regulated (federal, state, and local) retail outlet you want. Free markets are awesome- build it and you will come. Profit margin is important in store front retail- how many cases a week of Critical Duty do you think your local store would sell? How much do you think it would cost them to order it in and have it sit on the shelf?
^^^Never met you, did business with you, feel like I know you.
Marine Cpl
.577 Tyrannosaur.
I'm not in the gun store business nor want to be. That's like saying since you hate McDonald's or your local pizza shop, you need to open your own restaurant.
And a far a Critical Duty goes, they have no issues stocking up on critical defense or even hydrashoks. Yes. I've seen those on the shelves still. Gander Mountain in Middletown used to order HST's a lot because they would sell out. I hated Gander but shopped there because they had it and apparently I wasn't the only one since they used to go fast along with their bulk specials of Blazer.
Last edited:
If you still ran HSTs I'd sell you some. SG sells it cheap.
Marine Cpl
.577 Tyrannosaur.
Thanks but 124 gr NATO ball for me. I have thousands.
BDinPutnam
.475 A&M Magnum
Uh, yeah- that's exactly what I'm saying.
"Fuck you local pizza place, why don't you sell tacos?! ASSHOLES!!!"
Marine Cpl
.577 Tyrannosaur.
Bad analogy. Pizza shops sell pizza. Gun shops sell guns and ammo. Not much ammo though.
Mmnnnnn... tacos..
BDinPutnam
.475 A&M Magnum
You want your local pizza shop to stock all kinds of fancy cheese because you like the fancy cheese.
And you want to buy 8 ounces of it on a pie every three or four months (or possibly once).
Look at it from the incoming receipts for a retail shop.
Marine Cpl
.577 Tyrannosaur.
Oh. Come on man. You are reaching. The demand is there obviously if people can't find it and turn to online to get it. Even the online retailers can't keep it in stock.
Unless you are saying that nobody buys or carries HST'S, Gold Dots, and Critical Duties and they are low sellers.
Eddie Gunks
.338 Win Mag
Ha ha ha. So true. Many gunshop owners can be pretty fucking stupid. They make up shit cause the “think” it, not cause the reaearched it or actually READ the law
There was a dealer at a gun show asking me questions about the legality of the rifle. And when I asked him if he had actually read the law he looked at me like I had four fucking heads. Fucking moron.
I had instructed my employee that he could not answer any questions unless he was 100% sure of the answer ....BASED IN ACTUAL FACTS!
BDinPutnam
.475 A&M Magnum
No, my point was you want someone else to run your wish list as their retail inventory and assume they either carry nothing else, or you are the only customer base they have.
Marine Cpl
.577 Tyrannosaur.
After those 3 hollow points the most carried in the US? Yes or No.
Do people buy thousands upon thousands of those rounds every year? Yes or no.
Do online retail outlets sell out of those 3 often and put up notify by email notifications when restocked? Yes or no.
Would people that buy those carry rounds online because they can't find them anywhere else buy them in nearby gun stores to avoid shipping charges? Yes, no, or maybe.
It's not only what I want like you are alluding to. Based on sales, it's what Americans want. It's like if a gun shop didn't sell Glocks even though they are the most popular handgun in the United States and forced people to buy them online instead. Besides me, everyone buys those rounds for carry. Well not everyone but most. Most don't carry ball like I do.