Price Breaking Point From Buying At Your LGS?

[jonp]

I like to buy local if I can but I hit the limit with one store to the south of me a bit. They opened a few years ago and are pretty proud of their firearms. The recent SW Rebate had me stop buy and take a look at a Shield. I found them online for $320 or less with free shipping. I saw one place at $309. The local wanted $389. The price for a transfer was $35 new and $25 for a used gun. Too much for my blood. They are enamored with black guns anyways and if you express an interest in one of the few revolvers they have they pretty much snort at you and treat you like a red headed stepchild.

[Greg S]

It sounds as if selling guns is not their business but black rifles as a way of life. I've had the same experiance with a snot nosed kid. I asked him what he recommended and what he owned and then compared johnsons so to speak. To say the least, he came up alittle short and surprised.

I rarely buy something new although I just purchased my first new gun a 627 PC the other day. There was mainly half a dozen new one on GB, one used with a reserve above the new 'Buy It Now' prices. I only seem to buy new stuff if it is relatively new to market and their is a short supply or over priced in the used. For example, a Colt S80 Commander for 585 with less than a box through it, a no brainer.

I don't know where you live but I would search out local private FFLs who do business on line and also sell off their kitchen table. A good source of possibilities would be the auction sites Locate and FFL. Punch in you zip code and weed out all the bs store fronts that don't interest you. Most dealers are more about volume than BS. They have a lower overhead and a good friendship might form.

As far as the firearm in question, you need to do the math and figure out what is economical for your money and time. I despise the storesthat charge you a surcharge or 10-15% for something that they have in stock or can order.

[snowwolfe]

Here in Tennessee the sales tax is killing local stores. Even if the store can match an online price I will have to pay 9.5% sales tax if I order or purchase from a dealer. If I order it myself then it is a $25 FFL charge. The local FFL wins every time.

[mjkonopka]

At the shop I work at we have the shield right now for $290

[Remiel]

That's why I like the old codgers at my lgs, that have a few black rifles but have a good selection of used guns.

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[jonp]

Here in Tennessee the sales tax is killing local stores. Even if the store can match an online price I will have to pay 9.5% sales tax if I order or purchase from a dealer. If I order it myself then it is a $25 FFL charge. The local FFL wins every time.

I figure the state tax is the transfer fee so don't really include it when making a decision. The local just has to be in the ballpark and I'll do it but coming on $100 over the price elsewhere is not reasonable to me. The only thing in their favor is that they don't appreciate lever guns. In fact I didn't see one on the shelf but last year I wandered in and saw a used Rossi 45LC. Excellent shape and about $300 OTD. I think they were ashamed to have it on the shelf but I wasn't ashamed to walk out the door with it.

I know a guy 20 miles from me, on the way to the range coincidentally, that charges $15 and works out of his kitchen. I'll transfer through him from now on since my regular guy who charged $25 went out of business due to health. He was a good guy to sit and shoot the bull for a few minutes when doing the transfer and I'm sorry to see him go.

[richhodg66]

Hope it doesn't offend anybody here, but to me, black rifles and modern auto pistols are about as interesting as watching paint dry. I try to avoid stores where those are the bulk of their business.

Anymore, seems most of my gun purchases are from pawn shops. We have several around here where I know the owners, one in particular that has been a three generation family business and the guy there is a real solid pillar of the community and has always treated me very fairly on guns and some other things I've bought there. Seems the pawn shops are taking the place of brick and mortar gun shops anymore.

[waksupi]

Hope it doesn't offend anybody here, but to me, black rifles and modern auto pistols are about as interesting as watching paint dry. I try to avoid stores where those are the bulk of their business.

.

I agree. Recently a young guy who just got out of the service hauled out his tactical rifle, loaded with gizmos. Proud as could be with it.

However, all of us who he was showing it to are into muzzleloaders, BPCR, Winchesters, single action Colts, and Schutzen rifles. Not a soul showed the slightest interest in it, or even wanted to hold it. I told him those rifles have no soul. I could see that puzzled him.

Hopefully as he gets a bit older, and shoots with us more, he will understand.

[William Yanda]

For $10 more, I would still buy local, maybe more. I feel for the local guy who is charged more by his distributor than the big on-line sellers advertise for the same gun. Of course the lgs could buy from the on-line seller, but then how does he cover his overhead. And what is it worth to have someone in your corner if there should be a problem?

[Bzcraig]

Local FFL charges $20 to receive/transfer. I draw the line at paying 10% up to $500 to buy local, after that every man for himself.

[stubshaft]

I don't mind supporting my LGS. BUT, when the FFL fee's jump to $100.00 and the price is DOUBLE what I can buy it for online. Goodbye!

[richhodg66]

I found a guy locally who will do a FFL transfer for gunbroker purchases for a flat rate of $10. That's less than half of what the going rate is around here.

I still like to browse gun shops. And when you consider shipping and FFL transfers from online sales, it's good if you can get what you want locally.

[Snow ninja]

I like shopping local, and the last few I bought were from pawn shops. The hunt is half the fun. Not as much fun to just order online.

[Preacher Jim]

My local shop is cheaper than shipping and hazmat on powder gives discounts for purchases of quanity buys. I don't know what he charges to transferr cause I have decided I don't buy any more guns. I know he is fair on used gun prices and new in his case.

[54bore]

I like to buy local if I can but I hit the limit with one store to the south of me a bit. They opened a few years ago and are pretty proud of their firearms. The recent SW Rebate had me stop buy and take a look at a Shield. I found them online for $320 or less with free shipping. I saw one place at $309. The local wanted $389. The price for a transfer was $35 new and $25 for a used gun. Too much for my blood. They are enamored with black guns anyways and if you express an interest in one of the few revolvers they have they pretty much snort at you and treat you like a red headed stepchild.

Be the last time i walked in this store!

[GhostHawk]

I too have been doing most of my buying online. Finally found a decent FFL who emails me when the gun comes in, we work out a time to meet. 20$ and no sweat.

I tried my local pawn shop and they screwed up big time twice.
Now they got bought by someone who is concerned about their "image" so they are no longer selling guns. They will buy one and ship it off to a broker who lists them someplace.

Took the fun right out of going to the pawn shop friday nights.

Spent a lot of money there in the last year between me and guns and my wifes little Black Hills Gold Jewelry obsession.

[Tom W.]

The bulk of firearm sales in this area is pawnshops​. The LGS in Columbus will transfer a handgun to a specific pawnshop in Phenix City, which is just across the Chattahoochee here in Alabama, for $10. Yesterday I looked at the Redhawk .45 Colt / .45 acp at the clean upscale pawnshop here in Phenix City and they wanted $899 plus tax. The shop across the river wants $815 and tax, plus the $10 transfer fee. I think I'll find a Commander size Ruger or Springfield 1911.

[MT Gianni]

For an idea what an FFL transfer costs the local pawn shop does it for free for local residents. Nearest gun store is 60 mile round trip. The pawn shop does ask that you buy something if you transfer.

[jonp]

For an idea what an FFL transfer costs the local pawn shop does it for free for local residents. Nearest gun store is 60 mile round trip. The pawn shop does ask that you buy something if you transfer.

I'd buy a box of ammo and call it good. That is a good shop you have and if one near me did it for free like that I'd buy something anyways even if it was some Hoppes #9

[runfiverun]

half the fun of GOOD lgs is in the trading up or down of stuff you no longer have an interest in or know your no longer able to shoot.
and in digging through the little junk boxes scattered about the shop.
I got a pretty good 250 savage Ackley size and case form die set for 10$, and a good 6.5X 257 Rob. Ackley size die for 15$ digging through those boxes.
odd ball once fired brass sometimes, some partial boxes of bullets, felt wads for 12 ga shot shells, some over shot wads.
I even picked up 3 SAS swage presses, 3 die sets, the instruction booklet, and some other stuff for them for 200$ by looking in the scrounge boxes.

[David2011]

One LGS where I live was charging $75 for transfers if they carried anything similar during the AR crush a couple of years ago; $25 if they didn't have a similar item. I seldom see much interesting in that store. They're more-or-less a traditional LGS but the handguns are mostly new and modern, half of the rifles are black and they have little used stock. Used is more interesting than new to me, I guess it's the 'hunt' for something that not every store will have.

All of the local stores have pricing issues on reloading components. My break-even for local purchase vs. ordering is 2 pounds. I can order 2 pounds including shipping and haz-mat from the Internet outlets for the same price as 2 pounds locally so I will only buy a single pound locally when I really need (or want) something I don't already have. Primers were $5.50/100 when I moved here 6 years ago and they're still the same price so I buy primers when traveling or when making an Internet order.

I like getting a new gun just as much as the next guy but I'm not a trader. I tend to buy and keep other than some Mil-Surp inventory that was purchased as trading fodder or to update. My purchases tend to be to fill a pre-defined "want" so I prefer shops that have a nice used inventory. If they don't have anything I want today at least I'll want to come back later.

[Lagamor]

I support the local guy when I can and I'm willing to pay a little more, but $100 is too much.

[Plate plinker]

$35 for new and $25 for used? What a scam.

[Tackleberry41]

My LGS has always treated me well, tho his son took over, less deals than I used to get. Not outrageous on price, just not way it used to be.

It was odd I had a friend who worked in a gun shop, 2 of them. But my friend of the guy behind the counter deals were still more than chump off the street at my LGS. Never bought a gun thru the guy I knew, or more than a few magpul mags. His boss just had his prices jacked way up. And would raise prices if you were not of the correct political views.

They also had a serious thing about ARs and glocks. Basically if you weren't buying one of the 2, your an idiot. Oh they stocked other brands, for 'idiots' who wanted them. Only gun I managed to buy thru the guy was a bubba'd mosin they took in on trade. Gave the guy $250 for it, I gave them $50. They were just to lazy to part it out, the tinmey trigger was worth at least $50. Scope mount and bent bolt another $125 easy.

[WILCO]

Hope it doesn't offend anybody here, but to me, black rifles and modern auto pistols are about as interesting as watching paint dry.

Same for me, but then again tastes and preferences change. I've learned to refrain from saying "No way" and "Never".

[fatelk]

Hope it doesn't offend anybody here, but to me, black rifles and modern auto pistols are about as interesting as watching paint dry.

It seems like that's what sells nowadays, so that's what the shops carry. The LGS here is the same way; walls full of ARs, cases full of plastic frame autos, and everyone has a "tactical beard". :)

I think I'm going backwards. Twenty years ago I was a lot more interested in ARs, AKs, and the latest greatest. I guess I grew out of that over the years, and now I appreciate Garands, lever actions, and even flintlocks. To each their own.

[frankenfab]

The big problem in my area as well is the sales tax. $50 on a $500 gun. A transfer is only $25. Most of the dealers here are so small and low in the food chain that the big dealers on Gunbroker get such a discount they can sell you the gun and ship it cheaper than a local dealer can buy it for.

The few bigger gun stores around charge full retail for everything.

[wv109323]

My problem with LGS is that they never have what I want. My wants are specific and not mainstream. I got more than I can shoot now. My needs are mostly to keep what I got feed. Of the last 5 guns I have bought 4 were ordered off the web. I walked in to a pawn shop that had a mint Smith 686 that we agreed on a price.

[Harter66]

I have a guy out here that does 10% over cost and free transfers , $35 for a person to person when/if the law becomes enforced .

I shop around a lot . As a general rule I avoid anyplace that gets MSRP for guns . I have paid full tilt once or twice but in those cases it was for items that had been on the want list for a very long time and not readily available , sort of a buy it now or wait another yr to maybe see another one .
Over the years I've bought probably a dozen out of hock shops and generally offer about 75% of the tag price and listen to the oh man you're cutting use to the bones on this one story .

Powder and primers ? Most places here are within a few dollars of the online prices pre-haz-mat . Sales tax is a fact of life but region wide runs 7.5-8.2% there's a place that only allowed 1k primers but was a couple of bucks under the others . It's been so long since stuff was just on the shelf that I really haven't played $2 less per 1000 primers against the $6 more or less for the 8# of powder .

[MT Gianni]

I . Sales tax is a fact of life but region wide runs 7.5-8.2% there's a place that only allowed 1k primers but was a couple of bucks under the others
Montana has no sales tax nor does Oregon as far as Western States.

[shaune509]

Her in my town FFL transfers run $25 to $ 45, BUT they must collect sales tax as it is deemed an in state sale. And we were one if the first to get the Bloomburg transfer law on All transfers. Washington state.
Shaune509

[gatortommy]

Transfer fees around here are $35 plus tax!