Holy mother of all mariachi midgets. . .

[Recluse]

I'm heading down a busy street towards my favorite chink-chow-chain restaurant listening to The Great One (Mark Levin for you closet liberals here) when during a commercial break, I hear a poorly done spot for a new Gander Mountain that has "just opened this week." At the end of the commercial, they give the address and it's in the same upwardly mobile rancidly overpriced shopping center where my targeted restaurant is.

Hmmm, I say to myself, I do believe after I lay down the chopsticks and read my misfortunes from the cookies, I shall drive down to the other end of this shopping center and check out this new Gander Mountain.

Upon walking in, this young high-school girl literally throws an ad at me along with a "grand opening specials" flyer.

As you walk in, you see all the outdoor and camping stuff. I no longer camp as I no longer will willingly sleep on the ground. I don't backpack or hike to new adventures, nor do I cook over an open fire in the middle of some wilderness.

The United States military cured me of all that.

Today, my idea of an adventure is landing my Cessna at a different airport. If I want it to be daring, challenging and exciting, I'll flight plan for an airport that's in charlie airspace. If I have a death wish, I'll flight plan for a bravo airspace arrival. Roughing it is a loaner car with no radio or a poorly working a/c. Sacrifice is when the hotel I'm staying at doesn't have a restaurant and I actually have to go out to eat.

So much for half of Gander Mountain appealing to me. Off to the firearms section I go.

I've seen overpriced merchandise before, but never like this. I looked around and some GM guy asked me if I needed help finding anything. "Is this Gander Mountain?" I asked him.

"Sure is," he assured me, then seeing the look on my face, "Why do you ask?"

"Because I thought I'd stumbled in to Cheaper Than Dirt, given the exorbitant prices you have on all this stuff."

I didn't write anything down, specifically, although I remember looking at some Blackhawk holsters that were almost 50% higher than they are at Cabela's. The Bianchi holsters needed a small mortgage. The handguns needed a large mortgage and to buy a long gun, you needed a government bailout plan.

Lots of tire kickers in who, same as me, were walking around shaking their heads at the prices. When I finally caught my breath, I headed towards the exit, never to return. But to get there, I had to pass through the gauntlet of cashiers, all of whom were dutifully standing at their station.

And not a damned customer one was checking out.

I give this place eighteen months. Tops. It's in the same exact building that Sportsman's Warehouse was in and who went belly-up a year or two ago. With a very good Bass Pro Shop less than ten minutes away and of which far better selection, more knowledgeable staff/employees and FAR better prices exist, Gander Mountain ain't gonna make it.

:coffee:

[Taylor]

Gander Mountain in Bowling Green sucks too!!

[Dale in Louisiana]

Gander Mountain in Beaumont, Texas has gotten a bit of my money.

Walked in there one day with my son and they had a rack full of used rifles. I gave a look and lo and behold, TWO Ross straight pulls in .303 British. Both had been Bubba'd, but one didn't look back and the price was right, so it came home with me.

A year later it was an M-1 carbine.

dale in Louisiana

[Charley]

Did you see the add in the Excuse Nuisance for Gander? Every advertised gun overpriced. Never bought guns from Sportsman's Whorehouse (actually, don't remember them selling guns), but did find markdowns on handloading supplies occasionally. I doubt I'll even drive across town to look at them.

[lavenatti]

My experience with the Gander Mountain in Middletown NY was similiar.

Walk in, shake my head at the prices, never go back.

[crawfobj]

I miss that sportsman's warehouse. Best reloading department I've ever been in.

I don't understand how Gander could possibly make it in that location. I guess they must do ok in smaller towns with no competition, but their prices are outrageous. This one is right around the corner from Academy, which will eat their lunch.

[Epd230]

I was in the local Gander Mountain and spent about an hour in the gun section. Looked at everything. Two employees present, never once approached me and asked if I needed anything.

Just like you, I didn't buy anything.

[Hickory]

8-9 years ago local Gander Mountain was closing out their black powder, picked up 4 lb for under $5 a lb. Even then I don't recall anything else worth buying.

[Boz330]

We have a Cabela's in Louisville now, love the place. I got one of their credit cards way back when I was guiding and was buying quite a bit from them. Actually got rid of my company credit card since they gave me nothing back. I let the points pile up till I see something that I really want and probably wouldn't spend that kind of money on and then use them.
Couple months back they had a Pedersoli Sharps on sale $200 off normal price. I decide to use my points on it and I'm checking out and the guy doing the paperwork asks if I'm a vet and I say yes. He knocks another 15% off of the sale price, most places won't give you another discount on top of a discount. Anyway my Sharps cost me $477 out of pocket. I was a pretty happy camper then and I'm even happier after shooting it in a black powder Mid Range Match this past weekend and shooting my best score ever with it.
I bought some stuff from Gander Mountain back in the 70s when it was mail order and wasn't very pleased and vowed to never do it again. I have bought a few items from the store in Bowling Green but only because it was on the way to deer camp and convenient. If something isn't right from Cabela's, which doesn't happen too often, they take care of it, no questions asked.

Bob

[Moonie]

The guy I took my concealed class from is a spokesman for Gander Mountain. He told us to go there and kick the tires, look at all the guns but do NOT buy from them, they are too overpriced. Now that tells you something, someone that takes money from them won't even recommend them to purchase from.

[alrighty]

I have now been to Gander Mountain in Paducah , Kentucky twice.I needed to get a Remington repaired , a 1187 that the interceptor latch stud had come off.I have all of the parts and they tell me the repair will be $150.00 plus shipping.A month later I go to pick it up and the price is now $197.00.
They tried to charge me for the parts that I had already bought.However the salesman to his credit called the gunsmith and agreed to correct the price.My first visit I did buy a 200 pack of .45 Blazer Brass because it was on sale at a decent post panic price as well as some food saver bags.The second trip I bought a couple of rifle slings that were marked down and some cleaning patches.
For the most part I agree the prices are crazy high but because of the lack of sales ,they have marked down all of their reloading equipment.They no longer have any other reloading supplies but a few shell holders and Die sets.
You would think they would be able to thrive in today's market.They have the buying power to compete with the other big chain stores but do to the crazy pricing the store was empty on both visits.Both times after leaving Gander Mountain I went to the other nearby small gun shops and they were packed and had some decent prices but the ammo was in short supply.I was able to pick up some powder , brass, and primers though.I even found some used but complete Dillon 550 conversions for $24.99 and $29.99.

[41 mag fan]

Got a GM here in Evansville In...I'll drive the 1:15 to Louisville to Cabelas or Bass pro before I'll buy from them.
I don't see how they stay open and keep spreading....they get business i'm sure, but not that much

[TheGrimReaper]

The Gander Mountain in Huntsville AL is horrible. The prices are RIDICULOUS!!! I don't even go in anymore. Not a deal to be found. I hope they go out of business. I figured they would have about 2 years ago.

[Bishop]

Cabelas has way better prices, and at least their staff knows the difference between Fin Fal and a DPMS semi auto 308.

[PS Paul]

Hmmmm. Troubling to hear that. After sometimes have to just wonder about the business model of some places. We have no GM's out here in Puget Sound (I don't think they operate out West), but pricing seems to be goin' up everywhere, 'specially firearms-related items. Too bad.

[mroliver77]

Hmmmm. Troubling to hear that. After sometimes have to just wonder about the business model of some places. We have no GM's out here in Puget Sound (I don't think they operate out West), but pricing seems to be goin' up everywhere, 'specially firearms-related items. Too bad.

I get a chuckle when people state they are waiting on things to return to "normal" before they buy. Maybe the new normal.

[MaryB]

You mean Gouger Mountain...

[merlin101]

We've had a G.M. here in Rochester NY for some time now and I've bought VERY little! The only thing that comes to mind was a little used Rem. 700 that someone misspriced and I called them on it, seems to me I got it for just under $230:bigsmyl2:. I think they've been trying to make up for it ever since!

[mroliver77]

You mean Gouger Mountain...

Har har har!!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

while the Minneapolis area have a few Gander Mountain stores, they just opened this one in April: "New Gander Mountain Firearms Super Center Coming to Rogers, MN" Rogers is just on the edge of the suburbs.
http://www.gandermountain.com/customer-service/about-us/news/2013/040513.shtml
Firearms Super Center should read Super priced Firearms Center

I stopped in a month ago, there was a used pre-lock 6" S&W 657 [not the hunter] Priced at $1495.

I asked why this was seemingly priced at about double what it was worth...NO words... The salesman just gave me the deer-in-the-headlights look as I walked out the door.

[country gent]

The Gander mountain here has a good selection of things and thats about all it has going for it.Being a black Powder cartridge shooter I was looking for ammo boxes that would hold 45-90 with a long seated bore riding paper patched bullet last time I was in there. Sales person was nice enough to inform me the round I had with me would never work or be accurate. Finding a sales person who can answer questions and be informative n there is not happening. Why I go to the local Gun store, family owned sales people are knowledgable in their areas, decent selection, and Im friends with the owners also. The big stores are cash oriented and always will be.

[Adam10mm]

I swore off GM about 10 years ago.

[km101]

I went in to the same GM that Recluse visited. I guess since it was a new store they were stocked up on everything. The first couple of days they were open, they even had .22 lr ammo! But that didn't last past the second day. At the end of day 2, no .22 ammo, most of the 9mm was gone and this is on ammo that is priced at 15-20% over Academy's price.

The long guns were priced a full retail, and the Sig and S&W handguns (the only ones I checked) were over MSRP! Feeling kinda' disappointed, I went to the used gun section. Big mistake! They had a S&W model 27 that was within $100 of new price. And the used long guns were horrible. . Browning sweet sixteen was $3200, automag in 30 carbine was $1600+, late war japanese type 14 with large trigger guard $2400, just to name a few.

They don't carry any reloading equipment or reloading supplies. No primers, powder, bullets, nothing! When I asked an Asst. Mgr. if they were going to carry reloading supplies, he said "they will be coming soon, I think."

GM has opened two new stores in Texas and both are in old Sportsman's Warehouse locations. I don't understand how they think they can do better than SW did and they are not even a full service outdoor store!?!? And they are higher than the surrounding competition. Not a business model that I would endorse!

[9.3X62AL]

There are no big-box outdoor stores close-at-hand where I live. The closest is Bass Pro Shops in Rancho Cucamonga, and their pricing isn't too crazy on fishing tackle. I bought a Penn saltwater conventional reel there about a year ago, the price on a new-series salt reel was fair--and well under MSRP.

Their outdoor clothing lines can be VERY reasonable, but I buy most of my stuff from a little feed and dry-goods place in Inyokern that literally has EVERYTHING, and superb sales staff.

BPS' gun prices are about middle-of-the-road, their ammo and componentry is over-priced and was prior to the Banic Panic. Adding on the time and cost of the 2-1/2 hour trip, Bass Pro doesn't get a lot of my money.

[David2011]

The (first, last and) only visit I ever made to a Gander Mountain was the same. I wanted some .45 cal j-words for a hunt 2 days away. I couldn't get to another store before they all closed so paid $29.95 for 100 Hornady XTPs. Midway was selling them for $18.95 at the time. Packages of targets priced at 9.95 were $5.95 at Academy just down the street. Copper remover was similarly overpriced.

David

[Bad Water Bill]

I bought a Savage M L from the store in Joliet Il because it was on sale BELOW MSRP and they were the only place within X hundreds of miles that even had one in stock.

While driving thru Wausau Wi I found a pristine Rem nylon 22 on sale for $100.00. Unfortunately I would have to wait 24 hours to take possession under Il law.

No problem said the salesman. I will ship it at no charge to your nearest store and he did. Yes it is a sweet shooter and was free from ANY marks on the plastic stock or the bluing.

When their Merrillville In store decided to get out of the reloading business I did pick up about 8 # of powder at over 50% below all other local prices.

Yes I did get lucky all 3 times as I have not been a real customer of theirs since they quit sending me the 5 page mimeograph copy of their catalog.

[9.3X62AL]

Recluse.......this thread title just about cops the prize for Most Colorful Lead-In Phrase for the month of August 2013. Artistic Impression/9.7, Technical Merit/9.8

[reloader28]

Sounds like the Cabelas in Billings. Rarely does anyone buy anything there because of sky high prices. Its fun to wander around in. They dont have much at all in the reloading section, Employees are idiots and gun prices are thru the roof.

I miss the Sportsmans Wherehouse. Now if I need something I go to Scheels.

[pergoman]

A few years back an employee in our local GM told me that they were unable to make a loan payment and were having an emergency liquidation sale of some old firearms inventory. He said that nearly every gun on the floor would be reduced by 50% from the lowest tagged price. They were marking them down after they closed for the night. The sale was to start when they opened the next morning. They had a lot of stuff that was undesirable and so overpriced that even at half price I wanted nothing to do with it but I figured I would come back in the am.
I was first in line waiting for the doors to unlock. I speed walked back to the firearms area and checked the prices on a few items I had seen the night before. At half price there were some great deals. I even opened one of their credit cards and took an additional 10% off my $20K+ purchase. I filled the car, drove it home, and left it in the garage. I grabbed a different vehicle and sped off to the next closest GM store where I was able to add more than $8K worth of must-haves to my collection. A few weeks later ATF was at my front door but everything was legit. I sold a few of the duplicates to pay for all of the others.
Other than that one great day, they have rarely gotten my money.

[9.3X62AL]

There are a couple really decent LGS here in town. Their gun prices are fair, a lot of the tool and component prices aren't bad. One of them got a little predatory about primers and some mystery metal, but I later learned that they were only passing on costs of acquisition. OK, roger that--but I can't help with that, either. On balance they have been pretty good to me and a lot of other folks. I'm not real prone to cruising many gun shops, except to hunt up odd-ball used examples.

[mroliver77]

We have only ever had one gun store with reloading components and such. He and wife got so sick of customers whining, taxes, forms and all that they closed it.

I then bought at a gun show an hour away. Prices are so ridiculous at shows here I quit attending.

If I really need something there is a Cabellas an hour and change away but I rarely need loading supplies these days.
J

[Bad Water Bill]

JD

31 posts have gone by and I am still patiently waiting to see the mariachi midgets or hear them playing. :kidding:

[Rick N Bama]

The Gander Mountain in Huntsville AL is horrible. The prices are RIDICULOUS!!! I don't even go in anymore. Not a deal to be found. I hope they go out of business. I figured they would have about 2 years ago.

With Larry's just south of them I don't have a clue as to how GM in Huntsville ever sells a gun! About 2 years ago I did get a decent buy on a brick of 22s there. I think that was the last time I've been to the store.

Rick