Local gun shops keep disappearing

[eastman]

I went to the local shop to pick up two incoming transfers today. While I was standing there, I saw a LNIB P-01 (2019 dated) in the case. Had to run home for more ca$h. Picking up the transfers put me in the right place for a sale during the shop's major renovation, so that worked out well for everyone.

[ZanderMan]

I’m fortunate to have a really good LGS.

Their recent major problem? They’ve been broken into TWICE in the past 6 months. And they’re across the parking lot from WM, next door to a Dollar General, and 100 yards from a Home Depot. Good location? Apparently not.

Crazy.

[COJeff]

Been noticing this here to in the Denver, CO area.  It can count at least 10 great LGS that have shuttered this year.  There was even a big player in Loveland, CO who shutdown this year due to competition from Cabela's. 

[BG ARMORY]

The only gun shop anywhere near my house was open for about 9 months and recently closed their doors. In my neck of the woods, it seems like the only shops that survive have a range and/or offer a slew of classes.

Doing classes and having a private range we could use saved our shop. I would build rifles or sell handguns to people and for 20 bucks they got 4 hours at a range and we would work through everything with them. Let them shoot our own rifles and gear and they would come back monday wanting to upgrade stuff.

A lot of shops are very focused on one thing, were a black rifle store, were a huinting store, we only like this or that. And that kills them.

Or they are just Aholes to customers. I got that from a lot of our customers that came to us.

[eagle-eye]

I guess we're lucky out here, we have some decent shops. My favorite one in town tries to compete with prices at Academy, which is on the other side of town. He's high on transfers, until he gets to know you. He asks $45 for new guys, but regular customers pay $25. A town about 10 miles from here offers classes and keeps good inventory and has been growing.
I see a lot of activity here locally on Armslist. I'm not sure how much it impacts the local shops but only one shop puts ads on it and they aren't growing or getting much benefit from it.

[ZanderMan]

I see a lot of activity here locally on Armslist. I'm not sure how much it impacts the local shops but only one shop puts ads on it and they aren't growing or getting much benefit from it.

I offered to put my LGS inventory on Armslist. He didn’t seem very interested.

[timetofly]

Recently the only Gun Store in town is closing.  This is very unfortunate since the next Gun Store with reloading supplies is 35 minutes away and their prices are much higher.  It's a shame and I will miss the convenience of buying supplies on demand, but mostly I will miss it being a meeting place to waste an hour of so.

[aandabooks]

I'm lucky that I have a great local shop.  I don't pay anything for transfers either in or out.  Most of my buys are right near dealer cost if I'm buying something he has in inventory.  I do a little machining for him on the side and he takes care of me.

2 of my other LGSs went out of business in the past 6 months and that leaves me with no walk-in and buy reloading shops.  I'm well stocked for the next couple years before I have to order online.  Hopefully I find something before it comes to that.

[RSR]

Doing classes and having a private range we could use saved our shop. I would build rifles or sell handguns to people and for 20 bucks they got 4 hours at a range and we would work through everything with them. Let them shoot our own rifles and gear and they would come back monday wanting to upgrade stuff.

What % of folks passed you up on that $20 4 hour training session?  B/c quite frankly -- that's basically you all just offering to do it for free plus whatever the range charges you. 
Also, I salute you for working to ensure your customers are responsible gun owners.  Seemingly small gestures like this are critical to the protection and expansion/restoration of our 2A rights!

A lot of shops are very focused on one thing, were a black rifle store, were a huinting store, we only like this or that. And that kills them.

Or they are just Aholes to customers. I got that from a lot of our customers that came to us.

I can totally understand how the black rifle stores went under.  Same for black rifle parts stores. 

The biggest thing I've seen in the way of being Aholes is just the ego factor -- the owner or whoever works the counter in small stores tend to declare their opinion as fact and if you don't follow their recommendations or offer alternative opinions, things go south...  That's why I offered the Comic Book Guy analogy earlier.

Personally, I think w/ walmart no longer selling pistol ammo, Dicks and other sporting goods stores getting out of firearms, palmetto state armory and other large online vendors having recently begun charging sales tax, that local gun stores will see a renaissance if they actually work to compete on pricing and have some sort of online inventory website where folks can reserve in stock guns for local pickup, and place special orders for guns online, etc. -- that is if local stores can keep pricing competitive at online prices plus shipping.

And perhaps, my biggest gripe with gunstores and gunshows is that you never know what they're going to have in stock, don't know the price of what they have in stock, etc, before you get there.  So the amount of time/value of your time wasted to find whatever gun(s) you're looking for is likely to never be offset by any pre-owned inventory deals you grab in your firearm retailer shopping circuit.

[Swamp ash]

On the other hand, I was never accustomed to a specific  LGS in the first place. Growing up, guns always came from the hardware store  .  I always wanted that Python that sat in the case up front, for years.

I think Gallery of Guns does a great job of combining broader distributor inventory with LGS delivery. And heck, this puts me into contact with businesses I did not know existed, who in turn, sell me sight installation service, parts, additional gun purchases, etc.

And lets be certain, my Cajunized PCR came straight from Monroe, LA to a very nice FFL. Same with my Ruger Mk IV replacement (Ruger traded me for a squirrelly Mk III) - it could not be sent to me directly because it was not registered yet.

[lewmed]

 We have a local gun store Ryker Arms that post it's inventory on line and up dates it every day.  The last 2 pistols I bought from them were my CZ Rami BD and my CZ 97 BD they were both priced a $100 less than our local indoor range. You would think the $350 yearly membership fee I pay at the indoor range would get me a little bit of a discount.

[rstrobel]

A big part of the problem is that many gun shop owners just have zero business sense. My LGS recently decided that they aren't going to do any inbound transfers from private sellers on gunbroker. They're going to lose $300+/yr in transfer fees from me. Best of all, I found a new LGS that charges half the price for transfers. I'm going to tell all my friends to go there instead.

[jwc007]

Hmmmmm. Come to Illinois. Laws that go full steam next year almost guarantee the small shops go away. And that was by design.

The local shops have already started to close down in my area of Illinois and my Pistol Club now has so few local dealers that we can no longer run Gun Shows.
Lost four local Gun shops in my area this year alone.

Currently, there are only two local Gun Shops and only one of them will I do business with.  Neither of them stock any reloading supplies.  The only shop that does stock reloading supplies is a hour long drive away in the next state, Wisconsin.  Currently, I'm well stocked for what I need in terms of Primers, Powder, and Bullets.

[COJeff]

Not only are the local shops disappearing, but did anyone notice that Copes is gone?

[rstrobel]

Not only are the local shops disappearing, but did anyone notice that Copes is gone?

They filed for bankruptcy recently. Very sad.