Best and worst experiences in a gun shop?

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I've been asked for what I came to buy and cashed/out totaled to pay after owner grabbed the item, with an attitude he wasn't going to sell me anything else and to move on.....

I hope he goes out of business!

Also have been ignored because I wasn't from the area.

Both times had a nice stack of cash ready to buy something......THEIR LOSS!!!
 
38-45 Special said:
Hey guys. Just curious to see what kind of experiences you've had in a gun shop, or at least ones you'd consider memorable. Be it customer related, store owner, manager, or anything good and/or bad. I honestly have had good experiences when going to my local gun shop. Although there was one time I had just bought a handgun (Ruger LCR for those that care to know) and was waiting for the background check to clear, the clerk kept taking the gun out of the box and fondling it. Yes, he was legitimately fondling it.
Click to expand...
I bought my first handgun in 1974 in my birth state of New Jersey. Private sale. The process was excruciating.
In 1975 I moved to Fla and decided I'd make a Colt Combat Commander my off duty weapon. Went to the LGS, saw one and told the salesman, who turned out to be one of the owners, which gun I wanted. He had me fill out the 4473 and asked for payment. I paid for the gun and he handed it to me and said thanks.
I was flabbergasted.
"That's it???"
He laughed and asked where I was from. I told him Jersey and he started laughing. Said welcome to the Sunshine State. It's not quite that easy anymore, but it's light years easier to get a gun here now in 2020 than it was in Jersey 45 years ago. I don't imagine it has gotten any easier.
I spent a lot of money in that LGS while I still lived over on the West Coast before moving east.
 
Two of my worst experiences were in the same store, which is now out of business. Small gun shop in a small, speed-trap town. Time frame was around 2011.

First time: I go in the store, and before I can browse around, guy working there says "what can I help you find?". Great, right? I tell him. He hands me a business card, points to a web address, and says "if you go to this site you can see every thing we have in inventory."
Well, ok. But I'm here...now...in the actual store. Maybe one of us could look around and see if you have one? Almost like they didn't really want anyone in the store.

Second time: I walk in, and see something I want. It was an 1896 Swede Mauser. I have a C&R. I hand it to him. He says "that's fine, but I'm still going to do the background check. I don't want to take the chance it's not on the C&R list." I tell him the rifle is certainly over 50 years old, and he can easily check and see that it is clearly on the list. He's not having any of that. So I had to wait for him to do the background check and pay the fee. Admittedly, it's a minor thing, but should have been clearly obvious that this was an unnecessary step.
That was my last visit.
 
Worst was a local shop owner who essentially shoo-ed me out of his pawn and Gun shop when I brought in a MN 91/59. Told me to come back when I had a Garand to sell.

Pretty sure I saw one of those 91/59 that sold on some site for close to $1K.
 
Not a gun shop, though a gun show.

Was watching a vendor while he tried to show a customer how to install semi-auto drum mag into a 1927 A-1 Deluxe. Too painful to watch. Stepped-up to show how, and recommend to customer to buy a "3rd Hand" accessory.
 
Can't really say I ever had any bad gun shop experiences; most of my transactions have been positive and very beneficial (both to my wallet and my gun collection)!.
It also helped to have an old school buddy of mine working behind the counter at one the local sporting goods stores. He would put stuff aside in the back room, knowing full well I would eventually stop in to check out what was new, especially in the Used Gun display case. Picked up a couple of fine LNIB pistols that way, all of them at a very good price too!

My last memorable buying "spree" was at a nearby gun show. Got great deals on three guns, including a single action revolver (that I had been longing for for quite awhile), and a lever action carbine, chambered for the same cartridge as the revolver! Did a little wheelin' and dealin' to get the prices down and when I left there with all of them, I was feeling like I was walking on air!
 
I should mention that I had one really great buying experience some ten years ago. Went to a nice gun shop about an hour away from where I live. I knew the owner (had talked with him at most of the local gu shows which he had a table at), who is also a first class gunsmith, specializing in 1911s. I went to this shop looking for a new all purpose 1911 but wanting to keep it around $800. He took the time to show me several guns, starting with a couple of RIAs, a Remington R1, and a Springfield Armory. Went over the good points and the not so good points of each gun and then he took a couple of Colt Governments out of the case.

In his opinion, at the time, Colt was turning out some of the best product they had made in many years and proceeded to go over the gun completely, covering every aspect of it to show me why he thought the way he did about them. He never tried to upsell me (he had Dan Wessons, Les Baers, and Ed Brown 1911s in the case as well). When he was all through I decided to go with a Colt Government Lightweight as it felt just right with it's balance and handling. Then I came back a week later and bought a regular Colt Government because I liked them both that much!
 
All my LGS have very nice and helpful people working in them nothing bad to say. Several years ago, before they shut down,I bought a pistol at a Gander Mountain Store. I have a carry permit so I could take it with me the same day after I went through the 4473 form check. It was lunch time so they rudely told me it might take awhile. I was a paying customer shopping in their store with other items in my shopping cart. They began treating me like I was causing them extra work and I was told to sit down and wait. I told them I had items in my shopping cart that I needed to put back on the shelf. They couldn't haven cared less for my business. Got my gun and never went back.
 
Best experiences were years ago, a couple of really small gun shops I frequented enough to be on first name basis with the owners. Had happen a couple of times at both shops, walk through the door and the owner says "Hey, glad you stopped by. This guy has a gun you'll probably want" or "I'm not interested but that guy will probably buy it" and pointed at me. Got some pretty great deals on stuff I didn't really need or even know I wanted that way

Worst was buying a new Marlin in 17HMR, stainless with laminate. Paid for it, walked out the door and saw a jerk I never could stand. He asks (I think he thought we were friends) what I bought, so I told him. He says "I bought the same exact gun last week. You'll love it"
Walked back in, said I changed my mind and wanted to trade it in for the CZ that was like $200 higher. My now used, unfired Marlin depreciated $60 without ever leaving the property.
 
Lots of great experiences. I regularly shop at two different pawn shops and a local gunsmith. Both pawn shops have good firearm selections, and friendly knowledgeable staff and owners. Same at the country gunsmith. All are low key, and are good places to shoot the breeze for a little while.

No truly bad experiences, but some other local shops give me the feel that I’m just not welcome there - not one of their group.

Needless to say, you can guess who gets my repeat business.
 
I was pretty good friends with the owner of a LGS back in Tennessee, spent quite a bit of money in his shop over the years and got decent deals. Right before we moved to Florida I was in his shop looking at a used Beretta M9 that probably didn't have 25 rounds through it, absolutely no wear marks anywhere. I was fondling it and the owner came over and started talking about my move to Florida and that he would miss me and our BS sessions. I told him that the Beretta would make a nice going away gift from him, he laughed and said he couldn't make a gift of it but let him look up what he had in it. I got it for what he gave for it when he took it in on trade. I really miss that shop, friendly to everyone employees and they were quite knowledgeable.
 
Was at the LGS just looking around. There was a really nice Browning II .22 with a scope leaning against the wall. One of the best pieces of wood I’ve seen on a factory rifle. Almost perfect condition. I commented that it was really nice. He said they had just taken it on trade. So, I said I’d give them $200 for it

He says “OK”. :what:

Kept it for maybe 15 years. Gave it to my son in law for Christmas a few years ago. Total surprise. He was shaking so bad I thought he was going to drop it
 
Easy, in a LGS here in Albuquerque, the owner touched off a shotgun ND in the back room. The charge came high through the dividing wall towards the front ceiling. A miracle nobody was killed or hurt. Needless to say I've never been back.
 
Years ago, my wife won a Baikal O/U 12 gauge. Ugly as sin. Swung like a piece of lumber. Suggested we trade it for something she might like. She told me to buy a pistol. Wonderful woman she is. Went to a LGS, walking in with the box, the gun guy calls to me from the counter, some 30 feet away, about how if I was bringing the POS in there to try to sell or trade, I should just **** and take that POS back to my car. Thanked him for being the rudest MFer I'd seen in a long time, and told him plainly where he could shove the gun counter and everything in it. Turned and left, with the owner (different dude) chasing me down and apologizing. Fat lot of good at that point. I told him I understand his counter guy wasn't interested, and I understood his apology, but it would have gone a lot smoother if he would have handled it better. Told him I would not be back. Haven't been.

This same gun trade is also the best experience I've ever had at a gun counter...took the gun, then, same night, to the Holiday Sports that eventually morphed, years and years later, into Gander Mountain. Young guy working the counter, saw the gun, told him I was thinking about trading it, it was brand new. Said he's be interested in working something out. A Govt Target Stainless MK II Ruger .22 caught my eye. Don't remember the price, but suggested I might be interested in working something out, if he was interested. Remembering what I had in the Baikal (2 $5 raffle tickets) and the value of the thing on the market at the time, (they weren't highly regarded) I'm thinking my gun and a hundred should be pretty fair. Before I could open my mouth, the guy offers me said pistol, plus $100. Gave him the neck muscle stretch...Oooo, that's not what I was thinking... He goes to $150 and a brick of .22. Told him if he made it two bricks, we had a deal....
I've never run so fast in my life, and kept looking back to be sure I wasn't being chased.....
 
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FlSwampRat said:
I bought my first handgun in 1974 in my birth state of New Jersey. Private sale. The process was excruciating.
In 1975 I moved to Fla and decided I'd make a Colt Combat Commander my off duty weapon. Went to the LGS, saw one and told the salesman, who turned out to be one of the owners, which gun I wanted. He had me fill out the 4473 and asked for payment. I paid for the gun and he handed it to me and said thanks.
I was flabbergasted.
"That's it???"
He laughed and asked where I was from. I told him Jersey and he started laughing. Said welcome to the Sunshine State. It's not quite that easy anymore, but it's light years easier to get a gun here now in 2020 than it was in Jersey 45 years ago. I don't imagine it has gotten any easier.
I spent a lot of money in that LGS while I still lived over on the West Coast before moving east.
Click to expand...

I retired from the Navy in Virginia in 1995 and moved to Florida to retire.

I owned a Star/Interarms 9mm.

I called the local Sheriff's Office and asked them how I went about registering a handgun in FL.

The Deputy who took the call said, "You wanna do whut? Oh we don't down that down heah!"

I love Florida
 
Howland937 said:
Best experiences were years ago, a couple of really small gun shops I frequented enough to be on first name basis with the owners. Had happen a couple of times at both shops, walk through the door and the owner says "Hey, glad you stopped by. This guy has a gun you'll probably want" or "I'm not interested but that guy will probably buy it" and pointed at me. Got some pretty great deals on stuff I didn't really need or even know I wanted that way

Worst was buying a new Marlin in 17HMR, stainless with laminate. Paid for it, walked out the door and saw a jerk I never could stand. He asks (I think he thought we were friends) what I bought, so I told him. He says "I bought the same exact gun last week. You'll love it"
Walked back in, said I changed my mind and wanted to trade it in for the CZ that was like $200 higher. My now used, unfired Marlin depreciated $60 without ever leaving the property.
Click to expand...


As for the depreciation. I've seen that a lot. I've been told that once the gun leaves their inventory and into someone else's hands it can't legally be considered a new gun. Idk if that's true but that is how it's explained to me.
 
I generally have good experiences in the gun stores I typically frequent. Probably the single best experience was back in the late 90's. I was on vacation doing some camping in another part of the state, and I made a point of visiting some gun shops that were not part of my normal routine. I ended up at a shop owned by a guy I had seen at some past gun shows. It was an early August weekday, and he wasn't that busy. His shop is in a more rural part of the state, and while he had a variety of firearms, he definitely geared his inventory towards hunters (at least in that era. He had a rifle in his rack that I was interested in, so we started talking about some trades. I had one he was interested in, but it was back home. He set the rifle I was interested in aside, and a few days later I returned with my rifle and we did the trade. Then we started talking about single shot rifles, and he invited me into his house (attached to his shop) to look at his personal collection of Sharps rifles. We talked for some time about rifles in general. A really pleasant day all around.

My worst experiences tend to be when the gun store counter guy knows what you need or want before you even finish asking your question.
 
daniel craig said:
As for the depreciation. I've seen that a lot. I've been told that once the gun leaves their inventory and into someone else's hands it can't legally be considered a new gun. Idk if that's true but that is how it's explained to me.
Click to expand...

A lot like buying a new car. As soon as you sign the paperwork, there's a paper trail on that car taking it to a retail customer, whether that customer drove it or not. Guns can be moved between dealers with no hit to the value, but once it's in consumer possession, it's no longer new.
 
FlSwampRat said:
A lot like buying a new car. As soon as you sign the paperwork, there's a paper trail on that car taking it to a retail customer, whether that customer drove it or not. Guns can be moved between dealers with no hit to the value, but once it's in consumer possession, it's no longer new.
Click to expand...
Which is why a gun can at best only be unfired in box, not "NIB" once a retail transaction is made.
 
Back in PA I used to frequent a small mom and pop LGS. They were friendly and informative, good selection of reloading supplies, and good turnover of used guns. Bought my "best deal ever" SP101 there.

Only negative was that they would not receive a shipment from a private seller; FFL only. I'd have happily given them the business, but they were too risk averse.
 
No outrageous stories on either end for me...

Best was at the only LGS in my area a few months ago. My girlfriend was interested in getting her first pistol so we stopped by to look at what they had. Working the counter was a college-aged attractive female. Her and my girlfriend talked about the different options, colors they came in (LOL), and my GF was able to narrow down her choices. The counter girl was polite, didn't say anything incorrect or try to steer my girl to anything. My GF had a pleasant experience.

Only negative experience was the same shop when I went in looking for some boxes of .450 Bushmaster and the young man working the counter had never heard of it. I had to explain what it was. They didn't have any. That was about a year ago and they still don't stock it. Just not popular around here.
 
Just like anything else. The 80/20 rule. 80% are good people behind the counter. And usually will they have 20% that are jerks. Actually my LGS is 90/10.

For customers that come up to the other side. It is a different story. Some real weirdo people come up to those counters. I would say a Clerk at a gun shop has to have a whole lot of patience.
And then those idiots go to the range where the real fun begins.
Way too many stupid things at the range to list here.

WORST case-Went to buy a Pistol and they wanted $50.00 over MSRP. Told them I did not want any special deal, but would be OK to pay full MSRP as listed on the Manufactures web site. Clerk became rude and said no he would not sell at MSRP. This was no special gun, just a standard Beretta. Later his co-workers came up to me and apologized for him. They agreed he is a total jerk. Sad thing the guy is a manager.
I left went to Bass Pro Shops and got the gun for $50.00 under MSRP.
 
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