Gun Store Supports On-Line Sales Ban

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BarryLee

New member
I saw this on another forum apparently a Texas gun shop owner went on a local radio station advocating for the end of on-line ammo sales. He seems to have dual motives of pacifying the anti-gun crowd and improving his business.

While I realize gun owners are a diverse group and have differing opinions on these issues it just kind of bothered me. I’m curious if any of you have heard of other brick and mortar businesses using the current outcry to oppose on-line sales?

The business in question is a place called Tactical Firearms in Katy, TX. Now, I do not know this guy and he may have misspoke or something, but just for reference I have included a link to his comments on the radio show.

http://www.ktrh.com/player/?mid=22310941

http://tacticalfirearms.us/
 
I used to work for a gunshop owner who thought gun shows and internet sales should be banned.

He wouldn't do either, and he resented the fact that they took sales away from him.

He also was one of those greedy "price is MSRP + whatever the hell I feel like charging on top of it" SOBs. The gunshop was just to support his other hobbies, and he also resented that it wouldn't support his other interests to the level to which he liked.
 
So you don't think there's anything wrong with this because he's in it to make a profit? At the expense of some more of our freedoms and it's not a problem? I say there's a whole lot wrong with it!!
 
Not to get political but I can see where he is coming from. The big online dealers usually beat the local competitor in price and it is driving the small businesses out. He is trying to stay in business. Do I think he should have gone on radio? No. But he is using this opportunity to his advantage.
 
Maybe he should just start selling online! "When in Rome...." Would be fun to go to his shop, look around, pull out the trusty cell phone, and order some ammo from AIM Surplus. :eek:
 
He is trying to stay in business.
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There are ways for a brick-and-mortar business to compete with the internet that don't involve supporting a dangerous ban.

Of course, it's not the first time some in the industry have done something like this; it's just that the internet makes things more transparent now.
 
Sounds like a crappy businessman who doesn't have what it takes to compete in an open market. So he's trying to get the government to tilt things in his favor.

"If this is gonna shut 'em up" Clearly he has no idea how gun control works in addition to having no idea how to run a competitive business.
 
I emailed this guy with some choice words last night and today he replied. I've got to hand it to him, he's changed his stance and was man enough to admit he was wrong. I would be interested in hearing his radio interview tomorrow. This email is also posted on the home page of their website.


Mario,

First, I want to get it out there that I DO NOT support an ammo sales ban. I am never comfortable with any idea that puts “firearms” or any “firearms related item” and “ban” in the same sentence. I am not a traitor to the 2nd Amendment. I believe all law abiding citizens should be able to possess as many firearms as they want. Fear is used as a tactic regularly and after the most recent scare with the UN Treaty, I must admit that I felt threatened. Threatened that they would sign something into law that banned firearms and this ammo deal seemed like an easy compromise. Here, have the ammo deal but keep your eyes off of my guns.

My opinion on the online sales ban was clearly made out of being uneducated in the way that laws are passed. I honestly did not see an issue with banning online sales of ammo. I have never purchased ammo online, even before I opened this store 2 years ago, so I really didn’t think stopping online sales would be a big deal. I said “if you give them an inch, they will take a mile” and I truly did not believe that this was giving them anything. The phone calls and emails that I have received have told me a completely different story. The outraged citizens that heard my radio interview and took the time to call or email to voice their opinion, also took the time to talk to me, to explain to me where I am missing the point. I had no idea how passing something into law works and how allowing online sales to be banned opens the door for that law to be amended to change the type of ammo, or the amount, or caliber… the list goes on and on.

When the comments and emails started coming in after the interview I definitely did not understand the anger. Some people claimed my statement was based on greed, based on profit- and this is absolutely not the case. My prices are competitive with online pricing and in most cases after shipping I beat online prices. I do not gouge our customers like some have speculated. Tactical Firearms is the largest class III dealer in the US, 1 of 3 master distributors of Fiocchi Ammunition, and I strive to offer the best customer service to everyone that walks through the doors. My business runs on volume and the prices are set to drive that volume. My opinion was not formed from fear of competition but the lack of experience with purchasing ammo online and the lack of knowledge of politics.

I am all about protecting our rights, including our right to privacy. When they passed the law that requires the Southern states to file multi-rifle reports I upgraded our FFL to become a manufacturer so that, by law, I was not required to file those reports anymore. I was contacted by the ATF and asked if I would please still file them as a courtesy and I let them know that it wasn’t going to happen.

I have posted contact information for our local government on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/tacticalfirearms and urged our customers to contact them and fight for our rights. The idea that anyone believes that I support anything anti-gun is heartbreaking but this experience has certainly opened my eyes and I have learned a lot in these past 24 hours. I see it now. I feel foolish for thinking there was such thing as compromising in this regard. Matt Patrick with 740 AM has invited me back on the show tomorrow morning 8/3/2012 to clear the air.

Jeremy Alcede
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I'm done buying from this guy. I'm sure the music industry would like to ban the iTunes store as well. I hope he goes out of buisness. I'll buy from buds and get it transferred, or support Spectre Firearms on Spring Cypress. To many good gunshops in Houston to put up with his crap.
 
Well, I have no problem giving the guy the benefit of the doubt. However, it is important that we in the shooting sports stay vigilant. Our adversaries may not only be the anti-gun crowd, but possibly an otherwise decent guy that just doesn’t totally get it.
 
Saying what he did will cost him money. I don't mind giving him the benefit of the doubt but I would not buy anything there even if he were 2 blocks away. I'm sure there are others in his area that feel the same way.

I haven't seen it mentioned but I suspect reloading components would be next.
 
Crony capitalism is killing our economy. It is guys like this, usually on a larger scale, that got us in the mess we are in today.

Competition is good. Our currently work at a company that is releasing some really terrible products and have that ability because our only major competitor is worse. As they improve, it is forcing us to do better. It would be very convenient if some congresscritter were to suddenly propose a law that might slow them down or knock them out of the market. In the long run though, that would be bad for our customers and eventually bad for the company when it is forced to compete.

He's not being a shrewd businessman. He's essentially saying the rights of his customers come secondary to him making a buck. Sorry, I can't get behind that.
 
He also was one of those greedy "price is MSRP + whatever the hell I feel like charging on top of it" SOBs. The gunshop was just to support his other hobbies, and he also resented that it wouldn't support his other interests to the level to which he liked.
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Sounds like a man with a good solid business plan.:rolleyes:

There is a pawn/gun shop close to me that the owner has the same feelings toward the Internet/Gunbroker/CDNN and will not give any sort of discount if you ask about buying a case of ammo verses a box. Will not do INTERNET transfers and threatens to turn you into the state for avoiding paying sales tax on an INTERNET purchase. Needless to say that was the last time I set foot in his business. He was also extremely rude to the salesman at CDNN. We all know where his picture is in the dictionary.
 
a Texas gun shop owner went on a local radio station advocating for the end of on-line ammo sales.
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this also is why class 3 gun dealers support the "ban" for reasonably priced full auto guns, if that restriction were lifted they would lose million$ of dollar$ !!

YES !! greed is a powerful motive for the almighty $$$$$$$$$ :mad:
 
this also is why class 3 gun dealers support the "ban" for reasonably priced full auto guns, if that restriction were lifted they would lose million$ of dollar$
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I deal in Title 2 weapons, and I know several other folks who do. We do not in any way support the NFA. Trust me, losing the horrible amount of paperwork overhead would be a blessing.

Then there's the fact that the six-month wait and $200 stamp puts a real damper on sales. Most machine guns aren't stocked or sold by NFA dealers. They're usually transfers, so it doesn't matter if a beater M-16 is $3000 or $30,000. They collect the same amount, and with less hassle in the former case.

Now, I have spoken to machine gun collectors who hate the idea of repealing the NFA for the same reasons you mentioned. What's interesting is that, for the most part, those aren't "us." Most don't even shoot; the gun is simply a commodity.
 
Tactical Firearms would never get my business again if I lived near his business. His words will cost him business, he is an incredibly stupid businessman.
 
Kind of like Harley lobbying for and getting tarrifs on Japanese imports in the 70's. Instead of making a better product they tried to get the government to help them out. In response to the tarrif the Japanese started assembling their bikes here.

Why should the government force people to buy crappy products or deal with bad service?

When businesses get artificially propped up it encourages terrible business practices. It's not anyone else's fault that you can't compete. Businesses that succeed recognize challenges and develop solutions. (Make better products or inferior service)
 
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