Your local GUN SHOP
- Thread starter leVieux
- Start date
The #1 community for Gun Owners in Texas
Member Benefits:
Fewer Ads! Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership Discuss anti-gun legislation Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses Discover free outdoor shooting areas View up to date on firearm-related events Share photos & video with other members ...and so much more!
Member Benefits:
Unlike here.
SloppyShooter
Certifiable
Oh yes we do....
My LGS is TGT and my FFL buddy.
How ‘bout them acronyms
STFU
IMHO you should shop locally or big box or online. What ever makes you a happy consumer. BTW if the local gun shop does not get with the times they will find themselves by the side of the road. A local shop I like is Wiley's in Wills Point TX. I bit off the beaten path and not fancy but friendly people and fair prices. Another one I like is Grab A Gun. On line but local for me. I have had great service, and always find their prices to be competitive and good service too. But you may not like these guys and that is OK too. Aint't America great.
Dropped by an LGS near my house last weekend with this thread fresh on my mind. Had a nice collection of surplus rifles, just a couple of handguns, no revolvers, zero reloading components and a bunch of cheap quality AR parts.
Guess I'll keep trying.
Guess I'll keep trying.
Every PC in my house including the server is built ground up... I'm going to start doing it with ARs too. I also appreciate the detailed response from A and P and next time I'm down that way I'll visit... Same thing with Payne.. I just live in the DFW area and not SE Texas
And SAMSF.. if you ever do open a gun store I might think about working pt there on the weekends if its within driving distance.
The go-to gun shop in my home town was Fry's Pharmacy. Old Mr. Fry had a very small but very posh gun shop behind the curtain on the back wall next to the sign that said "Employees Only".
When I was in my early 20s, I applied for work at a gun shop that was being built in SW Houston. A couple was opening it, doing much of the interior renovation themselves, and I was willing to pitch in before they opened.
I walked in and inquired. The man just stared at me. The wife started an impromptu employment interview, asking me to tell her about certain variations in S&W revolvers. That seemed to be a reasonable way to weed out people that knew nothing about guns so I started to answer but didn't get out two sentences.
The husband barked at his wife and told her they didn't need salespeople that knew anything about guns; they needed salespeople that knew how to sell. She slinked off into a corner like a wounded animal. He told me he'd never hire anyone that knew so much about guns and ordered me to get the hell out of his shop, pronto. I was happy to leave.
I think that place opened and closed within a year.
I'm catching up after being mostly away from the computer for a couple of weeks.
IMO, you're only NOT keeping it brief when you run into the per-post word limit.
Thanks but I'm reminded of an old saying that starts "You can fool some of the people all of the time..."
You succeeded. Considering some of the novellas I used to post, you really succeeded.
IMO, you're only NOT keeping it brief when you run into the per-post word limit.
ben: (per-post word limit) I actually was surprised when I hit post and it didn't kick it! I've learned to copy all of my posts before posting in case it deletes my hour's work and then I can just paste it or edit it.
Moonpie: re ordering from Buds inventory. If a LGS told you they weren't going to look for a gun for you and you already knew what you wanted, then you (and many on this board) are right. The LGS sucks and you shouldn't go there. Our website like many others ties into our distributors' inventories. We have about 100 guns in the store. Small shop. But we have about 8000 guns online. In fact, if you're not in our area and are just curious if your LGS could get a gun, check our website. All of us use the same half dozen or so distributors. We have maybe 10-15% markup on most guns. If a company has MAP, we honor MAP. We're 7.25% sales tax (outside the city, so 1% less tax). If you find a gun much cheaper than our prices online either the online company isn't honoring MAP or they are blowing out excess inventory. I have no problem doing transfers for people when they find stuff much cheaper online. I'll match the price down to the dollar if I can make more than my transfer fee ($25). $35 profit on a gun price matched is $10 more, or 40% more, than my transfer fee. So why not? Who wouldn't want a 40% pay raise? I just ask people to give me a chance to match the out the door price. But then sometimes they'll show me the Bud's cash price. That's NOT your out the door. Don't con me either. You'll pay the card price, maybe shipping, and a transfer fee. And, soon, Texas sales tax for online purchases. That's the price I'll match. So, if they wouldn't even look for your gun, shame on them. But if a distributor doesn't have it, then they really were stuck. Bud's might have got some on deal. Bud's does carry inventory BUT they also drop ship! It really pissed me off when I'd get a gun in from an online store and the packing slip said "log in from Sports South". So they just took the money and then called my favorite distributor and paid for it, but told them to send it to me. The seller made $100 on a gun. I made $25 on the transfer. The buyer didn't even give me a chance to match the out the door and they have to come here to pick it up anyway. So those are the real chapping experiences. Bottom line: shame on them for not trying; but not every gun is actually available. My website shows 5 distributors inventories. Wanna see what's orderable? Check my site. 8,000 guns. 80,000 accessories.
Southpaw: Buds isn't really a LGS (local gun shop). They're a B&M (bricks and mortar). Not to split hairs but if you order from them, they're not YOUR LGS. They are just a B&M with a large online presence. Many online stores have a small showroom because many manfs/distros will not sell to online only stores. So they have a small showroom and hours posted so they qualify. Now, Buds might have been a mom and pop at one time and became the Dell of online stores. Good for them. They win the online game (for now). When we talk about shopping at a LGS, it's as much about supporting your community. Bud's is not your community. Let's say you work for Exxon (corporate). Your job isn't really dependent on a local economy. But your kid waits tables at Chili's. You buy a gun in my store for close to what you'd pay online. I take that meager profit and eat at Chili's that week. Your kid happens to wait on me. I tip my standard 15-20%. Basically, I could afford to do that because you shopped with me that week. That's the "local" part of LGS. I'm about to put a flatbed on my wife's truck. I think my customer who owns a custom shop is probably going to be higher than the other bed shop. But he's bought several guns here and sent some other business. I even set up an account with Cimarron JUST to buy the gun he wanted. I told him I'd match prices and he said "just treat me fair. I know you need to make something on it." I still matched the online prices. And now I'm about to buy a $5000 truck bed from him. That's "local". I'm also about to invest in a customer's trucking company. He doesn't even buy a lot here, but he buys some stuff. And he's sent some other business. We've become good friends and now I'm putting $50k-$100k into his trucking business. Not even as a favor, but because he's doing amazing and it's a good investment. But that's local. None of those stories would happen if they bought exclusively online. You don't see that in the price tag. You don't see that when I'm $1400 on a gun that Bud's has for $1380. The relationships and the reinvestment in the community come from the "L" in LGS.
SQLGeek: re not tire kicking. I enjoy a good conversation. And talking to customer is part of customer service. But there's a delicate balance. Often a customer comes in and I ask if he needs help finding anything. He'll say "my wife was tired of me at home so I'm just out killing time." I still respect him, but he just said "I'm going to take up $10 worth of your time without paying you for it because I'm bored and my wife is tired of looking at me." The only thing worse than that is when he feels compelled to tell you about all the great deals he gets online. Customers will actually come in and brag about all their online escapades. I don't know why they feel compelled to do that. I'd be like if your wife just wouldn't quit talking about how great her exboyfriend before you was in bed. Look, I know you had sex with him. And I'm glad you liked it. But you're with me now. Can't we please not talk about it all the time! I don't need to hear about how big his package is (how cheap the ammo is) or how full his head of hair is (how you saved on sales tax). (not that this ever happens to me personally...just making up an analogy). I know people shop online but I hope if you're in my store you're considering shopping with me. If not, fine. But I don't want to hear about all the sex (shopping) you're doing elsewhere. Keep it to yourself.
...as for PC building, I'm not into gaming or anything anymore. Back in the 90s, even what would be consider "normal" PCs had a market for kids building them at home. I know there are some cutting edge custom machines being built but I'm just not in that market anymore. Glad to hear there's still a niche or cult market out there. Unfortunately I've lost my passion for cutting edge tech. Kind of ironic that I have a degree in electrical engineering but own a feed store/gun store and a hair salon even though I'm bald (the antithesis of low tech businesses). I doubt there are people trying to compete building econo-box PCs anymore. I suspect AR building is a good analog to that. Many people (ourselves included) are making businesses from building ARs. It's very much like the 90s with PCs. The people who know how to do it are doing it for the people who can't/won't learn themselves. Although, in 1990, we didn't have YouTube videos to show you how to assemble computers.
Moonpie: re ordering from Buds inventory. If a LGS told you they weren't going to look for a gun for you and you already knew what you wanted, then you (and many on this board) are right. The LGS sucks and you shouldn't go there. Our website like many others ties into our distributors' inventories. We have about 100 guns in the store. Small shop. But we have about 8000 guns online. In fact, if you're not in our area and are just curious if your LGS could get a gun, check our website. All of us use the same half dozen or so distributors. We have maybe 10-15% markup on most guns. If a company has MAP, we honor MAP. We're 7.25% sales tax (outside the city, so 1% less tax). If you find a gun much cheaper than our prices online either the online company isn't honoring MAP or they are blowing out excess inventory. I have no problem doing transfers for people when they find stuff much cheaper online. I'll match the price down to the dollar if I can make more than my transfer fee ($25). $35 profit on a gun price matched is $10 more, or 40% more, than my transfer fee. So why not? Who wouldn't want a 40% pay raise? I just ask people to give me a chance to match the out the door price. But then sometimes they'll show me the Bud's cash price. That's NOT your out the door. Don't con me either. You'll pay the card price, maybe shipping, and a transfer fee. And, soon, Texas sales tax for online purchases. That's the price I'll match. So, if they wouldn't even look for your gun, shame on them. But if a distributor doesn't have it, then they really were stuck. Bud's might have got some on deal. Bud's does carry inventory BUT they also drop ship! It really pissed me off when I'd get a gun in from an online store and the packing slip said "log in from Sports South". So they just took the money and then called my favorite distributor and paid for it, but told them to send it to me. The seller made $100 on a gun. I made $25 on the transfer. The buyer didn't even give me a chance to match the out the door and they have to come here to pick it up anyway. So those are the real chapping experiences. Bottom line: shame on them for not trying; but not every gun is actually available. My website shows 5 distributors inventories. Wanna see what's orderable? Check my site. 8,000 guns. 80,000 accessories.
Southpaw: Buds isn't really a LGS (local gun shop). They're a B&M (bricks and mortar). Not to split hairs but if you order from them, they're not YOUR LGS. They are just a B&M with a large online presence. Many online stores have a small showroom because many manfs/distros will not sell to online only stores. So they have a small showroom and hours posted so they qualify. Now, Buds might have been a mom and pop at one time and became the Dell of online stores. Good for them. They win the online game (for now). When we talk about shopping at a LGS, it's as much about supporting your community. Bud's is not your community. Let's say you work for Exxon (corporate). Your job isn't really dependent on a local economy. But your kid waits tables at Chili's. You buy a gun in my store for close to what you'd pay online. I take that meager profit and eat at Chili's that week. Your kid happens to wait on me. I tip my standard 15-20%. Basically, I could afford to do that because you shopped with me that week. That's the "local" part of LGS. I'm about to put a flatbed on my wife's truck. I think my customer who owns a custom shop is probably going to be higher than the other bed shop. But he's bought several guns here and sent some other business. I even set up an account with Cimarron JUST to buy the gun he wanted. I told him I'd match prices and he said "just treat me fair. I know you need to make something on it." I still matched the online prices. And now I'm about to buy a $5000 truck bed from him. That's "local". I'm also about to invest in a customer's trucking company. He doesn't even buy a lot here, but he buys some stuff. And he's sent some other business. We've become good friends and now I'm putting $50k-$100k into his trucking business. Not even as a favor, but because he's doing amazing and it's a good investment. But that's local. None of those stories would happen if they bought exclusively online. You don't see that in the price tag. You don't see that when I'm $1400 on a gun that Bud's has for $1380. The relationships and the reinvestment in the community come from the "L" in LGS.
SQLGeek: re not tire kicking. I enjoy a good conversation. And talking to customer is part of customer service. But there's a delicate balance. Often a customer comes in and I ask if he needs help finding anything. He'll say "my wife was tired of me at home so I'm just out killing time." I still respect him, but he just said "I'm going to take up $10 worth of your time without paying you for it because I'm bored and my wife is tired of looking at me." The only thing worse than that is when he feels compelled to tell you about all the great deals he gets online. Customers will actually come in and brag about all their online escapades. I don't know why they feel compelled to do that. I'd be like if your wife just wouldn't quit talking about how great her exboyfriend before you was in bed. Look, I know you had sex with him. And I'm glad you liked it. But you're with me now. Can't we please not talk about it all the time! I don't need to hear about how big his package is (how cheap the ammo is) or how full his head of hair is (how you saved on sales tax). (not that this ever happens to me personally...just making up an analogy). I know people shop online but I hope if you're in my store you're considering shopping with me. If not, fine. But I don't want to hear about all the sex (shopping) you're doing elsewhere. Keep it to yourself.
...as for PC building, I'm not into gaming or anything anymore. Back in the 90s, even what would be consider "normal" PCs had a market for kids building them at home. I know there are some cutting edge custom machines being built but I'm just not in that market anymore. Glad to hear there's still a niche or cult market out there. Unfortunately I've lost my passion for cutting edge tech. Kind of ironic that I have a degree in electrical engineering but own a feed store/gun store and a hair salon even though I'm bald (the antithesis of low tech businesses). I doubt there are people trying to compete building econo-box PCs anymore. I suspect AR building is a good analog to that. Many people (ourselves included) are making businesses from building ARs. It's very much like the 90s with PCs. The people who know how to do it are doing it for the people who can't/won't learn themselves. Although, in 1990, we didn't have YouTube videos to show you how to assemble computers.
(hey ben, ... OH! THAT MESSAGE! Just got the "don't exceed 10,000 characters warning".)
Levieux: re standing around listening to BS in the LGSs. Not sure which side you were talking about, but probably BOTH sides. I've heard some "gun gurus" spew the most unintelligent garbage. One customer who was supposedly an infantry officer spouted all kinds of nonsense. He was educating another customer of mine who wanted an ACOG for a AK47 about how he needed an ACOG that is calibrated with the BDC for 30 caliber bullets, not 5.56, so he needs the one for the 308 and AK47s. I just looked at him. Surely he knows that the drop table for a 308 isn't the same as a AK, or that the bullets aren't even the same bullet technically. Probably not. And he said it in a very show-off way (like the LGS help that many on here report about). More than a few times my customers have thought it was their job to sell my other customers and it's just really a chance to show off their (often incorrect) knowledge. Counter help (especially at certain box stores, but also LGSs) can also fill in the blanks with nonsense to sound smart. Of course, the customers are just as bad. The problem is the staff is captive whereas a customer can just leave. I have to pay my employee hourly wage to sit and listen to all of the customer's Delta Force missions, 1/2" at 2000yd stories, or about all the great deals they found online. I had another new customer who was new to reloading tell me all this stuff about reloading (mostly wrong) and about all the wonderful pricing on Midsouth, Powder Valley, etc. So now I'm in a pickle: do I educate him for free on reloading to keep him from blowing himself up or let him get what he pays for for shopping online? Of course I spent 45 minutes talking to him and warned him about this or that and about not substituting powders and what not. So he spent $1000 online buying presses and equipment and such...but he did buy a reloading manual from me that I probably made $4 on. He also asked me to match the price on powder with PV. I said no. Pay me the extra $2. Isn't your life worth the extra $2? Amazing. My worst one was when a customer berated me basically for 5 hours over 3 days buying 2 silencers. (I've told a version of this story in another thread before so sorry for repeating it). I'd say something like "and you can use this silencer for 300 blackout too in case...(you ever get into 300 blackout I was going to say)" "EXCUSE ME! DID I ASK YOU ABOUT 300 BLACKOUT?? Now. My next question is..." Ya, hours of that. So another customer just stood behind this guy for 45 minutes in line. The silencer guy then turns to him and says, "Okay. I'm done. You can have a turn now." He leaves. The waiting customer steps up and I tell him, "I'm so sorry. I kept thinking he was almost finished. I can't believe you waited that long and I really appreciate it." The customer says, "I just don't know how you took that much abuse for so long! I couldn't have done it! I just waited to see when you were going to break and you never did." I told him I make it a game. I always assume I'm on a hidden camera show or something. I think the guy waiting just got a couple bags of chicken feed. So, as a retailer, realize we get that kind of customer. I vent a bit and then forget it. Other LGSs get permanently scarred and then have the attitudes thinking everyone is a tire kicker unless they come in with an Airborne tat. Online stores never have to deal with that. When you go in LGSs, you'll hear some BS from the counter sometimes, but at least as much from the customers. Oh, and I frequently get taught about how nobody should buy a 1911 because it's too big and you can't carry it and conceal it and blah blah here's my carry Taurus or carry Glock 43 and... Hey, so what do you carry? I lift up my shirt to show my 5" shiny stainless 1911 in 45ACP (custom Bob Marvel class build on Nighthawk frame)...that he didn't even know I was carrying. It is a boat anchor, but it's also a good punchline to the "you can't carry a 1911" story.
Levieux: re standing around listening to BS in the LGSs. Not sure which side you were talking about, but probably BOTH sides. I've heard some "gun gurus" spew the most unintelligent garbage. One customer who was supposedly an infantry officer spouted all kinds of nonsense. He was educating another customer of mine who wanted an ACOG for a AK47 about how he needed an ACOG that is calibrated with the BDC for 30 caliber bullets, not 5.56, so he needs the one for the 308 and AK47s. I just looked at him. Surely he knows that the drop table for a 308 isn't the same as a AK, or that the bullets aren't even the same bullet technically. Probably not. And he said it in a very show-off way (like the LGS help that many on here report about). More than a few times my customers have thought it was their job to sell my other customers and it's just really a chance to show off their (often incorrect) knowledge. Counter help (especially at certain box stores, but also LGSs) can also fill in the blanks with nonsense to sound smart. Of course, the customers are just as bad. The problem is the staff is captive whereas a customer can just leave. I have to pay my employee hourly wage to sit and listen to all of the customer's Delta Force missions, 1/2" at 2000yd stories, or about all the great deals they found online. I had another new customer who was new to reloading tell me all this stuff about reloading (mostly wrong) and about all the wonderful pricing on Midsouth, Powder Valley, etc. So now I'm in a pickle: do I educate him for free on reloading to keep him from blowing himself up or let him get what he pays for for shopping online? Of course I spent 45 minutes talking to him and warned him about this or that and about not substituting powders and what not. So he spent $1000 online buying presses and equipment and such...but he did buy a reloading manual from me that I probably made $4 on. He also asked me to match the price on powder with PV. I said no. Pay me the extra $2. Isn't your life worth the extra $2? Amazing. My worst one was when a customer berated me basically for 5 hours over 3 days buying 2 silencers. (I've told a version of this story in another thread before so sorry for repeating it). I'd say something like "and you can use this silencer for 300 blackout too in case...(you ever get into 300 blackout I was going to say)" "EXCUSE ME! DID I ASK YOU ABOUT 300 BLACKOUT?? Now. My next question is..." Ya, hours of that. So another customer just stood behind this guy for 45 minutes in line. The silencer guy then turns to him and says, "Okay. I'm done. You can have a turn now." He leaves. The waiting customer steps up and I tell him, "I'm so sorry. I kept thinking he was almost finished. I can't believe you waited that long and I really appreciate it." The customer says, "I just don't know how you took that much abuse for so long! I couldn't have done it! I just waited to see when you were going to break and you never did." I told him I make it a game. I always assume I'm on a hidden camera show or something. I think the guy waiting just got a couple bags of chicken feed. So, as a retailer, realize we get that kind of customer. I vent a bit and then forget it. Other LGSs get permanently scarred and then have the attitudes thinking everyone is a tire kicker unless they come in with an Airborne tat. Online stores never have to deal with that. When you go in LGSs, you'll hear some BS from the counter sometimes, but at least as much from the customers. Oh, and I frequently get taught about how nobody should buy a 1911 because it's too big and you can't carry it and conceal it and blah blah here's my carry Taurus or carry Glock 43 and... Hey, so what do you carry? I lift up my shirt to show my 5" shiny stainless 1911 in 45ACP (custom Bob Marvel class build on Nighthawk frame)...that he didn't even know I was carrying. It is a boat anchor, but it's also a good punchline to the "you can't carry a 1911" story.
Oh absolutely. I rarely drop in a store just to BS. I don't have that kind of time. I may chat briefly if I'm in there and it's not busy. But then I run the risk of hearing such Fuddisms such as "Only assassins need suppressors." Oi.
And it's downright rude to tell the guy who's making a living selling guns and supplies how great of a deal you found somewhere else. I wish I could say I couldn't believe that but sadly I can.
I have too. I'm a basic consumer these days. I attribute that to doing this stuff all day long for work.
Indeed. I just broke things until I figured it out.
SloppyShooter
Certifiable
So much for the short posts....
Texasgordo
TGT Addict
Aah, now he's just showin' off.So much for the short posts....
Members online
- prisondoc
- Txdweeb
- Gordo
- ETH77
- Chuckcasey
- skfullgun
- ZX9RCAM
- TXAZ
- ronbwolf
- Mike_from_Texas
- Johnny Diamond
- mclipp
- Roscoe
- Nicholst55
- thescoutranch
- AlteisenMkII
- TJjerry
- zackmars
- jmohme
- dmwz71
- fordw60s
- rp-
- McCrapper
- bigdhornfan
- echo1
- Renegade
- rl96ss
- leVieux
- Darqhelmet
- Polkwright
- Jakashh
- chapel3929
- Buster1979
- mountainbull
- DinoLJ
- Nick!
- 13centkiller
- TXDANG
- Jeff S
- CJGarza
- GaryS
- Gulfpirate101
- glazer1972
- texcross
- targeteye
- BladeZealot
- Younggun
- BB76
- jwhistler
- BeatTheTunaUp
