Big Box Sporting Goods Stores

[oneounceload]

Everything at Gander is at retail or higher; they ARE a retail store, so MSRP is one thing, but 15% higher is another. Nice place to go look and every once in a while you can find a deal, but not too often.

 

[Ed Ames]

I don't understand how Gander stays in business. The nearest GM to me is across the street from an Academy and it isn't unusual for both stores to have the same products. I have seen the exact same gun in both stores, with Academy's price $200 lower.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

The closest "city" to me is "The People's Republik of Lawrence", Ks..
No local gun shop there anymore, the last one closed a year ago.
Walmart on the south side sells guns, the one on the west side only sells ammo and there is a Dick's that's been open for a year or two. They have some of both.
For guns and reloading supplies the Cabela's in KCK has a better selection usually...

 

[Bigdog57]

The last cartridge gun I bought (locally) was a Henry Golden Boy I got at the local Bass Pro. My first purchase there just after they opened. They used a laptop to have customers fill out the Form 4473 online - first time I ever did that. Not a problem though, just different. Had just gotten my own laptop, so it wasn't totally new to me. The clerk handled other customers as I typed in my info.
A local feller on another forum said they may have begun stocking loading supplies - need to trek over there and check them out. Nothing I really NEED, but that doesn't stop us does it?
Dick's is closer (middle of town rather than clear across town) but they don't carry the selection that BP does. Dick's is in our old K-Mart building so I still mentally associate the two. Weird, I know.
Went to the new Academy Sports just after they opened (clear across town) but when I asked the old guy behind the counter if they carried any reloading stuff, he growled and barked "NO!". Put me right off, with such an attitude. I have not been back since, and see no reason to.

 

[oneounceload]

Academy will have better pricing on ammo than BP, Gander or Dick's.

 

[duckandquailhunter]

sometimes the small stores have stuff the big box ones do not

 

[PJSprog]

I have had very little luck finding reloading supplies I use in the big stores. Most of them seem to have a lot of empty shelf space to accommodate a few odd caliber die sets. Even my LGS had very little before moving, and none since moving. I understand. It's not the most popular activity, and stock is expensive. When discussing this with the LGS owner a couple weeks ago, he told me he'd been considering restocking, but already had a list at about $10K before he even started looking at presses.

On the plus side, I work just a few miles from Graf's Reloading in St. Charles, MO, and can (and do) hop over there at lunch when I need anything.

 

[jlr1962]

I've bought guns from places like Sportsman's Warehouse and Cabela's, due to better selection and price. (Caveat: At places like Cabela's, you have to combine sales with coupons and Cabela's points to get that good deal. And Cabela's is sending out far fewer coupons of late.) Service quality varies by clerk, but I've never had a really bad experience.

And I've found that some local gun shops I've entered are run by dishonest and obnoxious swindlers who SHOULD go out of business.

I have seen the same thing with the LGS at times. If they don't have price tags......, well they seem willing to charge an uninformed customer MSRP+++. That isn't right.