TenRingGuns.com
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Hmmm
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There are also things LEO's don't know/skills that need to be refreshed, but that's why they train.
Sounds alot like my experiences... I have dropped $10k in the last 6 months at a gun shop because they have shown me great service. The guys are knowledgable, and the prices are comparable. I could buy on line and saved a few hundred dollars off of ALL my purchases, but I like the guys. They know my name when I walk in and give me great service, and they should! I have spent a few dollars in there. I have a gun shop near the house that is even nicer, with an indoor range. I shoot there all the time. I dont buy my guns from them though. Partly because they dont take American Express. This was the main reasn I chose the other shop. But they gave me excellent service, and I have stayed loyal.I'll leave the names out ...
LGS #1 - tacticool staff pretty much ignores potential customers that are either (a) not regulars and/or (b) tacticool. Tends to price at or above MSRP, selection is heavy on black rifles and HK pistols, and not much else. Very high FFL transfer fees for the area, and actively discourages transfers (one of the staff actually said the tired statement that "if we don't have it, you don't want it").
LGS #2 - good ole' boy staff, very quirky, pretty opinionated, especially if you ask about a gun he doesn't have in stock, or doesn't like. Not much new stuff, but a fair amount on consignment at OK prices. Shop is a real mess though - disorganized, cluttered - like a army surplus shop after an earthquake. Friendly about doing transfers, but can also be disorganized during the transaction.
LGS#3 - staff with very professional demeanor, friendly but businesslike. Good selection of handguns (well rounded, for anyone from the cowboy action shooter to the IDPA/IPSC crowd). Well organized store. Good selection of accessories. Experienced gunsmiths on staff (including a manufacturer-certified armorers), at reasonable labor and parts rates. Friendly and very smooth FFL transfers.
LGS#1 and #2 soured me on the whole idea of local shops. LGS#3 brought me back home.
Though LGS#3 is quite a bit out of my way, they have become my one-stop shop for all manner of accessories and services. Though a lot of my purchases have been either transfers, they have gotten my business for the transfer, for the leather, and for a fair amount of a bit of maintenance services. Example: When I transferred a Sig p6 online though them, I ended up picking up a holster, having the sights replaced, and tuning it up.
In fact - and maybe this is the punch line - he's probably made a lot more money from me in services than he ever would in margin on firearms purchases.
Selling guns requires knowledge and the staff needs to be able to answer questions. For example, I know things because I was a cop that the average gun owner doesn't but I pass my knowledge on to my customers and learn something new. But I also learn from them too.
That is correct. Retail gun shops make money on accessories and services, not on new firearm sales. New firearms average 10-15% gross. Have a gunsmith on staff? Cha-ching!TITAN308 said:Did I miss something?
I was under the impression that gun stores get a majority of their money from transfers and "misc items" for guns (like ammo, targets, etc etc) not the gun itself.
I detect a tone of agitation and defensiveness in you post.
Clearly, you're unaware of the 1000's of hours of training that LEO's receive. LEO's do know more about guns, tactics, etc. than most gun owners, there's nothing to assume, that's a fact. There are also things LEO's don't know/skills that need to be refreshed, but that's why they train. The job requires the ability to be continually learning new things all the time.
What do you like or not like about them?
Do you buy from them? Why or why not?
As I've said before, this is the classic any-two-of-three situation...
Good prices
Good selection
Good Service
Pick two.
Cheaper is not always better, how many mom and pop stores are no more because of the Big Box stores? Yes your saving a few bucks but you have no customer service and nobody working for your business.