Favorite and least favortie gun shops

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I'll throw another vote to Four Seasons Guns. Good prices and polite staff.

The Worstest: WallyMart. The one closest to me lost their ammunition dealing license recently. Good thing, say I.
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You must be refering to the one in framingham. At least sports authority still sells ammo.
 
Favorite:
1) The Powder Room in Powell OH (best attitude - very homey- decent low cost range - low transfer fees- just OK inventory and prices)
2) Vance's Shooters Supply (best inventory and prices - production line "service" "take a number pal")
3) New Albany Shooting Range N.A.S.R. ( Outstanding range- good inventory- high prices (including outrageous tranfer fees)- attitude toward customer falls somewhere between excellent and awefull, depending on the employee).

There are some stores that fall in my least favorite category, but I won't mention them by name. Truthfully, Im not sure if I remember their names exactly...but one is in Westerville OH and another is in New Albany OH(Not NASR). Haven't been in them for a long while. I don't go there due to the attitude of the owners. They don't like people, and don't want to be bothered by them ...and I'm happy to oblige them.
 
Here are a few more for SE Pa.
Quimby`s in Dublin,Pa. Small family owned/run shop. No black guns. Decent selection for the size of the shop. Real friendly staff. Good selection of used guns for good prices. Archery and clothing too as well as gun repair. I`ve bought quite a few toys there.
Defcon 1 in Coopersburg Pa. Rt.309 Lots of black guns,some Class 3,decent selection of handguns. Blackhawk dealer. Prices aren`t that great but the guys are cool and they`re a little flexible. Good trade in prices too.
I agree with the previous posts about Tanners. Good shop,nice staff,great selection. I have to get over there again sometime soon.
Gun and Archery Outfitters, I was just there today. :) Their prices always struck me as high. I`ve never bought a gun there but I do buy ammo,they always have a pretty good selection of 10mm.
Donn`s Gun Room, I`ve bought a few things there. Prices vary,usually pricey. Staff varies.
Target World, very pricey. Usually arrogant,rude staff. Except for the last time I was in,they were super friendly and really nice. I think I may have taken a wrong turn and gone to the Twilight Zone instead. ;) Marcus
 
BarnsBeware, you must have talked to the younger white guy with a buzz cut (Matt?) at Rettings. He's been great to me- really friendly and helpful even though he knew I wasn't in there to buy just yet.
On the other hand, there are a bunch of jerks there too.
I guess I'll be nice and delete all the fingerpointing I originally typed about Retting's.

I've gotten good service from Red Star. I've never bought anything from them, but the two or three times I've been in there, the salesmen were really friendly and eager to show stuff to me without my even asking. From what I understand though, this is an exception.

The general consensus here is that both these shops get a :fire:

I've heard good things about L.A. Guns in the way of their service. Their prices are outrageous for ammo and new handguns, but their service the one time I went in there was really good.

I'm still looking around for another gunshop in the area because I've decided that Retting's isn't getting a single penny more out of me. As of right now, Turners is where I'm dumping the most money. Their selection is OK and their prices are good for the area.

They're not a gunshop, but I also want to plug The Firing Line in Northridge. The manager, Ross Miles is so friendly that I often feel guilty for not buying any ammo/supplies!
 
marklbucla-

Yeah, its gotten to the point where I can't even walk in RS anymore. I will admit that the older guys seem pretty cool, but most of them probably think I'm just some young punk who came in to ogle, which is what I usually do a couple weeks before I buy.

As far as Retting goes, I'm surprised to hear you had a bad experience. I heard the general consensus was that they were pricey, but not jerks. I talk to all the guys there, and they all seem pretty cool to me. Some are a little more tongue-in-cheek, but I've never really had a bad experience with any of them. And for the record, Matt is pretty cool.

I'll make a special effort to give Red Star another try though. I hate having bad feelings about places (especially gun stores), and I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt. I just wish I didn't get the feeling that they look down their noses at younger customers.

Then again, we're pretty much starving for good gun stores here in LA, so I guess you take them as you find them. These two are much closer to me than Turners or LAG, but I hit them occasionally too.
 
Come to think of it....

Maybe redstar was a little eager to help because I was looking at their FAB-10's! I can't imagine those are selling well at all!
 
in my experience

Best:
Foutain Firearms
Hwy 6 and Bissonnet in Houston

good selection, decent prices, only a few of the "me behind counter me all knowing" moments that are rife almost everywhere. majority of the time the staff are as helpful as you'd want, though a bit busy at times (one of the most popular shops in houston)

Place i hope for improvement in...
AAMI Firearms in Angleton
Local "Mom & Pop shop" (literaly husband, wife, and a family friend who last time a checked was living in a RV out in the junkyard behind the shop),good service average selection for the size of the shop (25-30'x40'), unfortunately their overhead drives their prices on many new guns up, to the point where many times, like now when i want a SA 1911, it's actually worth the drive to fountain or even carter's country in houston.

so-so (ie some good some bad):
Carter's country (Houston area chain with three locations)
one off of Hwy59 near sugarland has ok service, good selection, good prices on MOST of the guns actually IN the store, but woe unto you if you need something ordered etc (think near or at MSRP)!
other downside is that the "home office" has instituted a real corker of a BS line to be given if/when a customer asks about a brand or line of firearm that is not carried By the store... "those products did not meet our quality standards" which translates out to "the owner of this company (C.C.) either does not LIKE that line for some unknown reason, or they won't give us a big enough 'bulk buy' cost cut for us to make our accustomed margin"
this is a store that sold $220 "firestorm" 1911s (a LLama trade name IIRC) had over half of them COME BACK as defective! STILL sells these as a price point gun below the SA mil-specs. but will NOT EVER stock a savage rifle or mossberg shotgun:fire: this just don't add up to "quality problems"
too bad they're the only semi-decent place that carries my preferred cleaing gear (pro-shot)

Worst (local)
three way LOCAL tie
AJC sports Clute
overpriced, surly staff, owner has stated that he does not give a flying rats rear for his walk in customers, that HIS Business is at the shows and over the net, that he simply keeps the shop open to have a way to make money while storing his stuff between gunshows. one of the "Public Affairs" officers for the local PD (ie one of the guys who does the DARE programs and other little bits of PR adn dealing with the public) who is also one of our local CHL instructors once told me "(the owner of AJC) has been one of my best friends for half my life, He's also one of the Biggest A-Holes i've ever met"

Collector's Firearms,
for all of the reasons listed a page or two back by LeonCarr.... PLUS the fact that they are the one's stocking those hideous abominations that you'll find in the "-insert pistol type here- PUKE!!! :barf: " threads in the auto handguns forum.
these guys along with teh next are the way they are because they happen to be in an area that is overpopulated with people that have a surplus of money and a deficit of time (IE rich, don't know better, don't have time to find out). last time i was in there they had an OLD used SA "Mil-spec" priced like a NIB NRM Colt.

Top Gun
an indoor range and classroom center that has a small gunshop. will try to sell you an entry level High Standard 1911A1 for $500 (MSRP is around $480) owner will lie like a bad rug adn tell you that HS will "eat anything you feed it, they just put this tag on there about '230gr harball ONLY' to cover their tail this thing will swallow ANYTHING" again their sales come from a customer base that does not have the time or inclination to shop around.

all time worst
GunWorks
Raleigh NC
grew up about a half hour from this place.....
overpriced on most things surly jerk behind counter, bad info half the time when you asked questions, couldn't look at a pistol without a permit (NOT state law then don't know about now, but then only THEY were that way).
best way to sum it up......
Anybody Know if it's even LEGAL for a person on heavy anti-psychotics to posess an FFL (esp someone who reportedly was still "borderline" even ON the meds).
 
i shop rettings...consider this...being that it is one of the few shops in west LA..the shop must have a many "customers"..it would rather not deal with at all.."hey, can i see that dirty harry gun.."

First couple of visits, i felt they did not even notice me...and the owner could care less...now several of the sales folks recognize me and i understand the "vibe" in the store, particularly on weekends.

yesterday the owner sold me some ammo and he did recognize me..but still..its not a hardware store where you swap "war stories"..if it turned into that, you would need a reservation to shop there.

prices seem a bit under MSRP and they do transfers...have not tried to deal with them on "web price" vs store price..but I'm sure they do deal.

My other gun store choice would be oaktree in newhall, which has become my fave range.

wolf
 
I like the Gun shop here in Ozark Mo. The guy specializes in military rifles. He has them out so you are free to handle them without asking for everything. He does have his handguns locked up though. I also like Gunslinger Gun shop in Springfield Mo.
Honorable mention- The gun shop in Claycomo Mo. The ONLY gun shop I have ever been to that I didn't like was one in Nixa Mo. I walked in to look at some things and was treated like I was bothering them.
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I might just have to make a trip out to Ozark, then.

The gunshop in Claycomo is the Centerfire range. I have a membership there and will take my CCW there when the time comes. Fun place to go and very nice people. I didn't end up buying my gun from them (didn't have quite what I wanted) but I have been back to purchase other stuff and shoot at their range.

So far, every place in the Kansas City area has been good to me. Good advice all around as well. Denny's Guns, Bullet Hole, Gun Shop. All good places to go.
 
So far in th Nashville Area I have found the following:

Better than most:
Middle Tennessee Guns and Ammo, Symrna, TN
Mike is a nice guy ex Army knows his stuff prices are great, does tranfers for 10 bucks very small shop limited selection

Gun City: Nashville, crazy prices service is good though 2 old guys in there are fun to talk to indoor range

On Target Murfreesboro good guys, indoor range they like to do consignment for you, too bad it burnt down, they are rebuilding

Usletons Goodletsville
Prices are so so indoor range that costs way to much to shoot on, modeartely friendly staff, they cater to all the Nashville Big Wigs


Worst
Specialty Arms LaVernge
Over priced over rated, sells alot of junk guns unfriendly act they dont even want you there. They treat you like you are stupid, they throw out alot "knowledge"
 
Scheels

Put an 870 on layaway at the one in Eau Claire, WI before they told my friend that they didn't carry the Berreta Storm because it 'isn't politically correct' If the 870 weren't such a good deal, I'd have told them to keep it.
BTW, they had several Savage 110LE's and Rem. Sendero 700's, not to mention a whole wall of 'black' Browning weapons, and the Storm is politically incorrect?!:barf:
Thumbs up for the Mercantile, downtown Eau Claire, many very politically incorrect guns:D , and nice folks to boot.:) D&B in Eau Claire is also a nice place, not too many places leave a dummy sten gun out for folks to handle, lotsa milsurp guns and ammo, they let me try a case out with one of their Kel-Tec SUB2000's to checkfit for mine, ammo prices are kind of hit and miss. I found a 250 rd. 'battle pack' of Santa Barbra 9mm for $28, but they tried to charge me $80 for a 340 Rd. tin of Albainian 7.62x54R! I politely passed. I'll be back to all three places, but only to pick up the 870 at Scheels.:rolleyes:
 
Near Orange County CA,

I'll second a much earlier plug for Gold Coast Trading in Westminster. I overcome their stiff pricing by ONLY buying from 'em at the local gun shows. Walk in the store and prices are inflexible. Go to the show and they'll deal.

Turners chain is like an upscale Walmart. Their people know more about guns, but not a lot more. I like their ammo sale prices and selection though. They get a decent amount on consignment too, worth shopping every couple of weeks.

I also have to put a positive note in for Flag Guns in north Fullerton. I went there to buy a six-pack of 357/38 Spec snap caps, needing one more to fill a 686+. They wouldn't sell me the pack, just broke it open and GAVE me one for free. Tiny shop, not a great selection, but I'll have to buy something there to keep up my good karma.
 
Galyans in Danver's has great prices and selection but there have a few really bad salesmen and one good one. They got a kid behind the counter that just doesn't want to help you.
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Went here on Saturday and bought my fist box of ammo:D
 
TEXAS

I have seen a few SE Texas shops listed here and I need to add name to the growing list of people that think COLLECTORS gun shop is just bad.

They have a very impressive inventory but their prices are absolutely OUTRAGEOUS. Period. I have been there twice and I left both times wondering how they stay in business with prices like that.

I would also like to add that, for a city the size of Houston, most of the gunshops here suck. When I lived in Michigan, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and North Texas I was always able to find a decent gun shop. Since I moved to Houston I have not been able to locate one that has reasonable prices. Thanks GOD for the gunshows that roll through town every month!

Rant OFF.
 
Dug up this thread the other day, and I would like to add one of the top ten worst gun shops in the United States...


The Powder Horn on Cape Cod, Ma is worst gunshop I have ever gone to. Every time you enter their store, the stop whatever their doing and follow you around as if you are going to steal something.

They have used guns that are way overpriced, I found a beretta 92 that was heavily used over $200 than the same pistol NEW at Fourseasons in woburn.

I asked questions and they were extremely rude to me and didnt seem to know much about their products.

I cant understand why this place is still in buisness..........
 
Mostly I buy on online auctions, I've been very lucky so far. No dogs, yet... I don't really have a favorite gunshop anymore.

Its not really a gunshop but Dick's sporting goods is my least favorite place to ever be except for maybe prison or Hell. I hate that place with a passion. I really liked it when it was a Gaylan's and bought three guns there.
 
Jim's firearms in Baton Rouge, La.- outstanding selection everything from Tauras to Les Baer to Styer AUGs, great staff

Benton Shooting Supply in Benton Tn. - Again, outstanding selection, all long guns are out in the open not behind the counter. You can handle a thousand guns if you want. You can compare guns back and forth all day long without dealing with a salesman. Great gun shop out in the middle of nowhere.

Gunshops in NW Florida are horrable. All reloading stuff has to be mail ordered. Mike's here in P'cola has improved a whole lot though.

Off topic, here in Pensacola, there is an old defunct gunshop with an indoor range waiting for someone to buy it. Just about no real competition and plenty of shooters. It has been for sale for a couple of years.
 
My two favorites in the Baltimore area are:

Duffy's gun gallery (for friendliness and good prices)

and

Walter's Gun Chamber (for selection)

Continental Arms is also pretty good.

Least favorite gun shop? that's an oxymoron to me!
 
Favorite: Mid south firearms in NC. Really nice selection of older collectable firearms.

The bullet hole in Monroe, nc nice people and I use their range alot.

Jim's in Fayetteville, Nc nice selection prices tend to be on the high side though. really good layaway policy they will give you up to 2 years on those really expensive items.

Least favorite: Hyatt's in Charlotte, nc expensive and sales people have no clue to what there trying to sale. And they want $100 more than MSRP on a blue Colt Goldcup.....***?

:evil:
 
Favorites in decending order:

  • Mandall Shooting Supplies, Scottsdale AZ (RIP). Sadly, the owner retired and it is no longer in business. It was one of a dying breed. A place to shoot (Range in the basement), buy guns, and generally hobnob and shoot the S**t!!!!

    Pistol Parlour, Mesa AZ. Good prices. But no range and more impersonable.

    Lone Wolf Trading Company, Glendale AZ. Good prices. Not a place to hang out or shoot (no range).

Least favorite.

  • Straight Shooter Guns. This goof told me that it was against federal law to carry in a gun shop!!! On my way out, I told him he was, to say the least, F'ed in the head. He was/is a major Jennings/ Bryco dealer, presumably he has a lot of gangpunk customers. I never see anybody else in the store when I go by. Oh, his prices are through the roof!!!


    Quality Gun Works, Tolleson AZ. This guy is alright, as far as it goes, but he has weird hours (he closes at 1400 hrs on a SATURDAY), and his selection sucks!!!!
 
It seems like there are 2 or 3 others with this same name in posts above.Maybe the name causes it.
Don's in North Little Rock has the very worst customer service I have ever seen in any retail establishment. They have that "better than thou" and "I know everything about every gun ever made" down to an art.
Sure is a shame because for a town this size there are hardly any true gun stores.
 
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