KABA
Member
I’ve purchased a pistol, a shotgun, and two rifles in the last three months. Three of the four were purchased through Internet stores or auctions.
I’d love to be able to buy locally. I’ve always believed that one should support the local economy. But I find it very difficult to do.
I live in the Florida Panhandle. There are four large military bases within an eighty mile radius of my home. And there are also several retired military around. And the mild climate locally is perfect for outdoor sports. You would think that this would be the perfect spot for a large gun shop.
But having visited several local gun shops I’ve found the following.
1.Poorly trained and ill informed staff.
2.No facilities for test firing a weapon or even to get a good sight picture
3.A very poor selection of guns and far too many guns that are in really poor condition.
4.And most importantly the prices are 15 to 40% higher than I can find on the Internet even when shipping and FFL transfer are included.
Just as an example I stopped at a place yesterday that advertises itself as “The largest gun dealer in the area.” I asked to see some inexpensive 22 pistols or revolvers. The first thing they showed me was an old Ruger Single Six, blued finish, and no mag cylinder. At best it would have graded out as about 75%. Their price tag on it was $450. The next item was a Stoeger Luger that literally looked like someone had used to drive nails with. Assuming it was possible to chamber a round I would have been afraid to pull the trigger. Their price on that was $199.
This seems to be typical of the other shops I’ve been in.
Are gun shops in your area this bad?
I’d love to be able to buy locally. I’ve always believed that one should support the local economy. But I find it very difficult to do.
I live in the Florida Panhandle. There are four large military bases within an eighty mile radius of my home. And there are also several retired military around. And the mild climate locally is perfect for outdoor sports. You would think that this would be the perfect spot for a large gun shop.
But having visited several local gun shops I’ve found the following.
1.Poorly trained and ill informed staff.
2.No facilities for test firing a weapon or even to get a good sight picture
3.A very poor selection of guns and far too many guns that are in really poor condition.
4.And most importantly the prices are 15 to 40% higher than I can find on the Internet even when shipping and FFL transfer are included.
Just as an example I stopped at a place yesterday that advertises itself as “The largest gun dealer in the area.” I asked to see some inexpensive 22 pistols or revolvers. The first thing they showed me was an old Ruger Single Six, blued finish, and no mag cylinder. At best it would have graded out as about 75%. Their price tag on it was $450. The next item was a Stoeger Luger that literally looked like someone had used to drive nails with. Assuming it was possible to chamber a round I would have been afraid to pull the trigger. Their price on that was $199.
This seems to be typical of the other shops I’ve been in.
Are gun shops in your area this bad?