Support the local gun shop or transfer away?
 

There is a small gunshop locally here that I've done some price checking at. They sell pretty much everything, but their prices are rather high. For instance they quote $450 for a WASR-10. Do you go price shopping when it comes to these mom and pop outfits or do you support them like a local hardware store? I don't mind spending a few extra cents on a screw or a few dollars more on a screwdriver. But the markup here is like a full 100+ dollars. At what point does supporting your local mom and pop stop and good value shopping start? Is it considered "rude" to request FFL transfers constantly? Do they make anything off them?

Re: Support the local gun shop or transfer away?
 

When buying online, you have to factor in shipping and FFL fees, and shipping time. I don't see why the gun shop should mind doing the FFL transfer... it's basically pure profit for them (whatever they charge to do the transfer) for doing almost nothing.

I recently made a couple of purchases online, but only because the "local" stores around here are a bit lacking. The purchases are costing $25 each for shipping, and then the FFL fees, and it's a bit more of a hassle than just going in and picking one out, but at least I'll have what I want.

If I had a good relationship with a local store, I'd probably be willing to pay a bit more than would online or elsewhere, just to support them. We had a local hardware store nearby that I used to support as much as I could... preferred going there to Home Depot any day, and they had things the bigger places didn't. Unfortunately they ended up going out of business. Don't have any such gun shops around here (nearest one is 20 mins away and pretty lame, like I said), or I'd probably do the same.

If your shop will do a transfer for free, then I'd probably go ahead and buy online. If it's $100 bucks less, and you figure $25 for shipping, you're saving $75. Tempting. :wink:

Re: Support the local gun shop or transfer away?
 

I've found that my local shop is only about $10 more than buying online + shipping + transfer. I buy local unless they don't have/can't get something I'm looking for.

Re: Support the local gun shop or transfer away?
 

I usually tell them what I can pay for it, including shipping/transfer, and see if they'll get close. Last week I recieved a rifle I'd bought on July 28. It took 33 days to get it in my hands (long story), so shipping can sometimes be a pain, and I'm willing to help the guy out a little bit, but not 100FRNs worth.

OTOH, I was once a "support your local dealer" type. After spending literally hundreds of dollars extra "in support of" my local gunshop, they went out of business. They didn't notify me, I just dropped by one day to find the store bare, including a couple hundred bucks worth of suff I had on consignment.:rant: It took me months to get my suff back, and I had to threaten bodily harm to get it then. IOW, the local mom and pop doesn't always turn out to be the best thing since sliced bread.

Re: Support the local gun shop or transfer away?
 

My local shop is an overpriced shit hole. Except for my pistol (because of legal issues) I transfer everything

Re: Support the local gun shop or transfer away?
 

Find the cheapest price on the internet and have it transfered.
I can usually save at least 20-30% under what the local guys are selling for.
I support my wallet FIRST and the local gun shops a distant SECOND.:D

Re: Support the local gun shop or transfer away?
 

Beck when we had a "mom & pop" gunshop, i tried to support them. At first they were a bit high with prices, but after we started to build a relationship from me going in there all the time to buy ammo and just look around, they started to make me some good deals. We were eventually on a first name basis and i could pretty much get whatever I wanted from the catalogs at a pretty miminum markup over cost. I also consigned a few guns with them and that went smoothly too. Nowadays the "mom & pops" around here are pretty much gone, so i don't feel any loyalty to support one national chain store over the other. Whoever has the better price wins now. I do miss the "little gunshop" sometimes.

Re: Support the local gun shop or transfer away?
 

I am a firm believer in supporting the local economy. There are exceptions, but whenever even feasible I like to spend locally. I firmly try first though.

Re: Support the local gun shop or transfer away?
 

There is no reason to use a local gunshop aside from convenience. If they are charging you more than $25, you are being victimized.

My "local" gunshop wants $75 for all the "work" they have to do on a transfer. I no longer buy anything but odd/ends there, and hardly ever take time to go in. Other places are $25-$50.

Re: Support the local gun shop or transfer away?
 

I was trying to support my local store but when I went to order a Golden Rod for my safe they tried to mark it up more than 100% from what I could purchase it for online. I told the proprietor about it, and informed him that they had lost me as a customer. I have two private people who have FFLs and that is where I'll make my purchases from. One charges 10% and the other who is even more reasonable charges $20 per order.

Re: Support the local gun shop or transfer away?
 

You get what you pay for. If you are on a budget then go cheap. If you got some extra bucks, what's the harm, if you support the momnpop shop then they will treat you right. But thats a luxury these days I guess.

Re: Support the local gun shop or transfer away?
 

This subject actually allows me to bring up a similar topic that IS actually related.

While I do understand that $100 is a LOT to buy from your local 'mom & pop' type gunstore, allow me a question.

IF you purchase your firearm from a wholesaler, you GOTTA get it shipped to you (never free), then you generally pay SOMEONE with an FFL to process the BATF NCIS background check paperwork, with their fee added in.

So, here's the basic issue I've been seeing lately.

A LOT of local 'mom & pop' gunstore are literally disappearing. Here in Denver, they have been dropping like flies during the first winter freeze. LITERALLY. We have lost five gunshops that have been in business well over ten years just this year alone.

Mainly because the gun business as a whole has very little 'wiggle room' and if you actually think some 'mom & pop' gunshop is making big money, you might want to go in on a slow day and actually have that conversation with them.

You will find out that MOST of them operate on VERY small margins, generally LESS than 5% PROFIT on most firearms sold. Ammo, maybe a little more. MOST 'geegaw' can definately be marked up.

But here's the thing. IF that mom & pop shop go out of business, tell me WHERE you plan to have your 'wholesale firearm purchased from where ever' transfered TO? The mom & pop shop one town over? Across town if you live in a bigger town like Denver?

Plus, you shrink from that $100 mark up. With that markup, do you also have to pay some kind of S&H? How about paying to have THEM process the BATF paperwork? Most that I'm aware of 'include' that in the price. Some don't, but they are few and far between these days.

So, go in. Talk to the owner. You might be surprised how much it actually 'costs' them to get that WASR-10 TO YOU. That $100 may not look too bad after you do. And like I said, they are closing in record numbers, so your ability to 'go to the next store' is rapidly disappearing.

Something to think about the next time you decide to buy online. And this is the EXACT reason I turned down a shop I was offered at almost an obscenely low price (cost of inventory ONLY - all fixtures and gee gaws were literally free). But the guy who bought that shop went out of business in less than four years after he purchased it.

Small businesses these days have it as tough, if not tougher than the big chain or discount sellers. NOT that it's any easier for them. The bigger stores generally just have more 'beans' to back their play. Just food for thought.

Re: Support the local gun shop or transfer away?
 

[fact is most small shops are doing it for fun. thats why they're closing. its not fun to bust your ass full time and not get paid what you could stuffing bags at the grocery store

smart move

Not just gun shops either; the walmarts beat the hardware stores, local groceries, you name it-- beat nearly all of em all out of existence not so long ago.

Why, wallew, even in an industry like your precious lawyers that you love so much, the big firms have pushed out the "little guys." Solo family doctors are going the same ways.

Commodification and globalization are affecting everything.