St. Louis Gun Shops

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Mike's is always my first choice too. I think the prices are good and the folks are honest. I once watched a guy come in to sell (to the store) three guns he had inherited. Mike asked him what he wanted for them and the guy gave him a figure. Mike, without batting an eye, said that was not near what they were worth and then offered a fair price. Some places would not have done that.
 
2. Nassau is decent, but can be racist and might have an attitude.
He is pretty moody. And it's not getting better as he ages.
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If by "he" you're referring to Carl, he's actually dead. His wife is running it now and it seems like the number of guns in stock is down. Nothing concrete I can put my finger on but it seems she doesn't like the gun bidness like he did.

FWIW, I've had mixed experience with Mike's. I went in looking once and he was very helpful. I went in another time and bought a pistol and again, very helpful and a fair price. While there that time he found out I had some milsurp ammo he was interested in and asked me to bring it in. He wasn't nearly as friendly when I came back. To be fair he was kind of busy.

I had a really good expereince with Trail Creek Trade (the old Mid City). I took several guns of my fathers in there for an appraisal and they spent over an hour going through them and wouldn't take any money for their time. All he asked was first crack at a few he was interested in if I ever decide to sell them. On the other hand they were way high when I priced an M&P 9 with them
 
If by "he" you're referring to Carl, he's actually dead. His wife is running it now and it seems like the number of guns in stock is down. Nothing concrete I can put my finger on but it seems she doesn't like the gun bidness like he did.
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Was Carl around fifty, and a heavy smoker?
 
Was Carl around fifty, and a heavy smoker?
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I don't want to give the impression I knew him real well, other than buying a couple of guns during a half dozen visits or so over the years. I seem to remember him saying something about being in Vietnam, which would put him in his late 50's and up. I would guess early 60's. I don't remember a time being in there when he wasn't smoking.
 
I don't want to give the impression I knew him real well, other than buying a couple of guns during a half dozen visits or so over the years. I seem to remember him saying something about being in Vietnam, which would put him in his late 50's and up. I would guess early 60's. I don't remember a time being in there when he wasn't smoking.
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Thanks, now I know who you mean. Anything I was going to say-----well there's just no need to say it now. May he rest in peace.
 
Bull's eye

Although I found them helpful in talking guns and gun education on one occasion, I've since found them to have way too much attitude and not enough interest in actually selling a gun. Its worth stopping in to actually handle a gun or use the range, but I would never buy anything from them - certainly not from Pierce Smith. The range is small and usually pretty busy - expect to wait quite a while unless you come early or call ahead to see how busy they are. You'll want to go during the daylight anyway..

I have purchased from Midamerica http://www.midamericaarms.com/ and used them as a transfer ffl. I've found them to be intelligent, helpful and genuinely nice folks to deal with. No hassle and great service -- can't ask for much else. I will more than likely buy my next pistol from them in the next couple weeks. I've been in to denny dennis and found their service to be spotty at best. Slow, sometimes not much knowledge on the guns they had and really sketchy on availability and pricing. Nice folks otherwise and nice shop.

Thanks,
Mike
 
Mike's gets my vote. Good selection, friendly service, and good prices.
Mid America is good too if you're in SoCo.
 
Either Gateway Outfitters in St. Charles or TOP GUN in Imperial. Doug Smith at Gateway always makes you feel welcome and will never have a problem ordering something obscure.

I have never received better service than at TOP GUN in Imperial, MO. These guys will drop what they're doing to assist you and will never talk down, or act condescending. I think they actually enjoy waiting on customers. At least they make me feel that way. They're mostly geared towards handguns, but they do have several cases of long guns.

As for Mike's, I've never been there, but after reading this: http://www.missouricarry.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21475&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 I don't think I will.
 
New Member: Hello, and Thanks for the Mizzou Info

Please bear with me: It seems that my original msg got triplicated. Sorry.
 
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New Member: Hello, and Thanks for the Mizzou Info

Y'all:

I moved up to Missouri from extreme southeastern Kentucky very recently, and I was a bit (very, really) worried about certain ramifications of the move northwestward, especially when I-64 crossed IL (as it always does). Happily, I am finding this to be a great place for me both personally and professionally. The nearby Ozarks remind me of home and have their own distinct appeal. My area of domicile is beautiful, the air is fresh, and the top-hospitals are as good as Johns Hopkins (in Maryland *shudder) et al., where I did a few rotations. People are by and large friendly, proud-yet-humble and down-to-earth, to make a sweeping generalization. The climate is interesting: True 4-seasons. And the politics are gun-friendly, for the Midwest. And to think that I did so much of my clinical training in neighbouring Illinois. I'll say no more: Missouri is a different country, for which I am supremely grateful. I'm sure its "Border State" history might have much to do with a lot of what I find appealing here.

So far, this being my first day of membership, I am finding here a great, comprehensive forum with many thoughtful people that give/should give our sacred RKBA a good name--Highroad.org indeed. It saddens me to visit other forums that are filled with those who taint our mission and beliefs with hatred and other un-American ugliness. I quickly leave, disgusted. I wish they would evaporate but this is not a perfect world. Eventually, according to my beliefs, we will all be held accountable by God for, well, everything. Again, according to my beliefs, God is especially angered by those who hate others created in His own image. Doesn't even basic human decency endorse this?

RKBA is as American as our flag. As a combat veteran, a man who knows what responsibly and righteously used firearms can do in the defense of our nation, I wish to see this site's cause unite rather than divide citizens of the USA. I have treated rape survivors: RKBA often became an interest of theirs as they struggled to rebuild their shattered lives. Politics didn't mean a thing to them w/Re to RKBA, even for those whose beliefs were extremely leftist: They understood that good people should have access to the tools that can effectively stop evil thugs. Simple. I have treated fellow veterans struggling with PTSD who are humiliated by their state's disgusting treatment of our Constitution and of them: They were good enough to take up the most powerful arms overseas, but now they cannot own a puny handgun to defend their homes... Despicable.

I hope I enjoy my stay here. Be well, all of you, even the haters. And I will NOT frequent the gunshops that DARE to espouse hate (thank you to the MO members who identified those miscreants). They are a disgrace and let our Lord sort them out when their time comes. Nor will I waste my time @ the shops that have a reputation of treating customers (esp. young ones, it seems) with disrespect. Let them declare Chapter 11.
 
Mike's

Prices, @ least those advertised on-line for revolvers (I dig those), seem to be much lower @ Mike's in comparison to many. He charges for the gun and MO tax. That's it: No phony tack-ons. Looking for a GP100, I found that his price blew the competition out of the water. But I'm new to this fine state, so perhaps there are even more wonderful shops to be found.

As far as feeling @ ease in one store or another, that can very well be a function of highly personal variables, say, more a function of personal fit, you know, like hating a social gathering that your date is finding just peachy. Definitely: Book if you're being treated oddly/with utter disrespect. Heck, book if you just don't feel right. I would. It's our money! Let them earn our biz.

But as far as those "champions" of RKBA who have FFLs and dare to sell and distribute neo-Nazi lit (and other screeds), it would stand to reason that they would not be nice: The Nazis were our enemies in WWII, as we know (except for the traitors who supported them while our boys were dying), and they were very very mean. They were so obsessed with killing civilians that they spent most of their wartime money on just that. Their hatred was so absolutely rabid that they kicked out of Deutschland the very scientists who helped us beat the Axis. Thank you, Nazis, for helping us win the arms-race! Of course you know all of this. And you know that they committed genocide all over Europe. Deny that and you might as well deny that you exist (perhaps you don't).

I fought for my country and soaked up merely one piece of shrapnel @ the base of my neck, dodging everything else (you don't really dodge bullets and mortars, but we liked to think that we could)... Yes, I went after the colleagues of the dogs that blew up the WTC and the tube and buses in London. We had a great time taking care of the scumballs, even though fighting is terrifying. You're hiding something if you deny that.

Then in OUR USA, a neo-Nazi nearly killed me because he had a killing quota to fill for his awful "org." I don't need any body-art: I've got a cool collection of exit and entry scars. And, no, I do not set off metal detectors. Myths.
 
After spending several years in Illinausea before moving back to Misery, I'm a little out of touch on the St Louis gunshop scene, but here's my take...............

Nassau: Charlie The Snake is gone, but I still won't bother with them. Every time I went in there I got told what I needed, not asked, and they tried to sell me some crummy Kydex holsters at inflated prices.

Dunn's: No bad experiences there, fair prices. Out of my neighborhood and out of the way for me, or I'd go there more often.

Cabela's: Avoid the used guns like the plague, WAY overpriced, and shop carefully with the new stuff. Caveat Emptor.

Bass Pro: Some deals here and there, but Caveat Emptor also applies here. Some of their salesfolk are major arrogant jerks, and will call you a liar if you say something they don't agree with. Mostly the young ones. I don't bother going there anymore.

Mid-City: Good shop, but prices can vary. I've bought at least a dozen guns there, got good deals on most, but I'm a careful shopper. Found a few bargains there, and Greg (the tall one) is VERY knowledgeable on the older stuff, as mentioned.

On Target: Great people, fair prices. I've bought several there, and will likely go there first next time I'm in the market for a handgun.

Graf's: Mostly a reloading store (I'm in there several times a month) but they also have some long and short guns for sale, prices aren't great but not awful either. They occasionally have guns you don't see often.......usually when I'm broke.

Mike's: Never been, sounds like I need to go!

Denny Dennis: Snobby clerks for the most part, but a good selection and SOME decent prices. Shop around before you go there.

There are a few others, but I don't have enough experience with them to have a solid opinion.

An Aside: Nassau was located in Pagedale for many years before they moved west, not a very nice part of town. They took their broken boxes of ammo and dumped them into bins, segregated by caliber, and charged $1 a round. If you bought a .38, they'd sell you a cylinder-full of ammo for $6.

I was in there shortly after the New Year started (in about 1985), and the clerk I knew told me that the week before, they'd sold $5,000 worth of pistol ammo to the locals, at a buck a pop, in one day. I'm glad I wasn't anywhere near Pagedale that night at midnight! :eek:

Papajohn
 
Ever notice how when they were in Pagedale, when you went in the front door, the guy in the back always walked to the same place at the counter? I'm guessing they had one hella alley broom under that counter...
 
Mike's: Never been, sounds like I need to go!
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Keep in mind that Mike refuses to sell certain guns (FN PS90) to "civilians" because "it can pierce law enforcement body armor." He seems to not notice that it is only certain ammo (which we can't buy due to fed law), and that the ARs, AKs, and hunting rifles he sells will punch through body armor even more easily. I don't need low prices badly enough to patronize somebody who only views the right to keep and bear arms as fully applying to only certain parts of the populace.
 
Top Gun in Imperial gets most of my business and has good folks behind the counter for the most part.

I've only bought a mag from Mid-America, but they seem decent and when the mag had a problem they offered a replacement.

Trail Creek Trading in St Ann has a good reputation, fair prices, and a great selection of older stuff, with the knowledge to back it up.

Kirkwood Outfitters is closest to me, but their attitude gets on my nerves sometimes and their prices seem high. I was there once when a guy came in to buy a Hi Point and put down on the form that he was buying it for someone else. They let him fill out another copy so he could put down the right answer.
 
Bogie, I remember that, I also remember how they had certain "high-density" items like standing gunsafes strategically placed around the store. The whole place was jammed full of stuff, and looked like it had just been crammed in wherever it could go, but there was a definite method to the madness. I was in there one day when three local scruffians walked in, clearly casing the joint, and I went to cover at the same time as the staff. Nothing came of it, but the hair on our necks all stood up at the same time, these dudes gave the place a quick once-over and left.

My "safe spot" was in the southwest corner near the front, lots of heavy-duty merchandise there, and ample concealment.

Charlie's prices were never very good, but I bought a lot of reloading gear there in the 80's. It was easier than driving to K's in South St Louis!

Papajohn
 
Hey all thanks for all the helpful information on the shops in the area. As a matter of fact, I was just down by Mike's to pay a visit (unfortunately he was closed due to a vacation) and also stopped by C&S Metall Werkes (also closed until Friday so I got skunked.)

Anyway, I was wondering if there's any problems with a fellow from Illinois buying in MO? I'm also military so I don't know if that would change anything if there is a problem with it.

It's a bummer that I got shipped to another anti-gun state since I used to be in Hawaii as well. They were pretty terrible with their laws. Terrible being a gross understatement as when I went to buy an AR, I had to get registered and finger printed like I committed a crime before I could even think of purchasing one.

So back on topic, what I'm getting is that Mike's is a great place to go and he treats people well. That's great as I look like I'm 16 but I'm actually almost 30! How's the service at C&S? Thanks!
 
The service at C&S Metall Werkes is excellent.

They are only open on Friday's and Saturday's after 10:00 AM though.
 
Anyway, I was wondering if there's any problems with a fellow from Illinois buying in MO? I'm also military so I don't know if that would change anything if there is a problem with it.
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You can only buy handguns from the state you are a resident of. If you buy a handgun out of state it will have to go to an in state dealer and be transferred there. Federal law ok's long gun purchase from a dealer in any state with the stipulation that the seller follow the laws of the buyer's state. I don't know if you'll find any dealers in MO that will bother with selling a long gun to you or not, I've never tried.

If you're near scott, I hear curt smith sporting goods in belleville is pretty reasonable and there are plenty of pawnshops in this part of the state that are willing to do transfers for $20-30

It's a bummer that I got shipped to another anti-gun state since I used to be in Hawaii as well. They were pretty terrible with their laws. Terrible being a gross understatement as when I went to buy an AR, I had to get registered and finger printed like I committed a crime before I could even think of purchasing one.
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While Illinois isn't the most gun friendly state in the union, its not terrible. Illinois residents need a foid card to buy/have guns and ammo. There is no fingerprinting required, you send in a short application to the state police, a photo, $5 and with any luck it won't be lost and will be processed within 60-90 days. If you're downstate, and I'm assuming you are, there really aren't any restrictions on ownership. EBR's, normal capacity mags, etc are all fine. There is a 24 hour waiting period on long guns and 72 hour waiting period on handguns. Keep it unloaded and in a closed case when you're transporting it but there is no nonsense about locked cases, loaded mags being near the gun, etc like some states have.
 
While Illinois isn't the most gun friendly state in the union, its not terrible.
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I remember buying a shotgun at a gun show, and being surprised when a police man told me it had to be in a case to carry it out to the parking lot.

I guess the term "gun friendly" is subjective.
 
I remember buying a shotgun at a gun show, and being surprised when a police man told me it had to be in a case to carry it out to the parking lot.

I guess the term "gun friendly" is subjective.
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IL may not be terrible compared to, say, California or New York, but compared to Missouri, it's downright hostile.
 
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