TruthTellers
New member
This is the problem I've run into with every store for a decade now. I remember when I was 17 I really wanted to buy Grand Theft Auto IV for my Xbox and so I went with a friend into town to get it and I remember telling him, "They'll have the game... for Playstation."On the flip side...
A couple years ago, I spent a few weeks scouring the region for a Ruger Super Redhawk or Super Blackhawk in .480 Ruger. At the time, I was leaning toward the Redhawk and would have taken almost any barrel length except for the Alaskan "snubby". But I couldn't come up with ANYTHING.
I had to turn to the internet. It was so difficult to locate enough revolvers in the hands of dealers that I felt I could trust, to even get a good idea on price, that I actually ended up looking up regional phone books and calling hundreds of gun shops, sporting goods stores, and pawn shops all over the country.
I found about a three dozen .480s total, and about a dozen potential candidates with photos, but most were eliminated for various reasons -- up to and including $130+ for shipping.
Finally, I found the best price on what seemed like a good revolver (first run SRH 7.5").
It arrived at the LGS, and the owner asked, "Why didn't you buy the one right there? It would have been cheaper." I turned around to see a 9.5" SRH .480 Ruger sitting in the revolver case across the store.
I had to remind him, "Because you didn't have one when I was looking, and you told me you didn't want to find one."
It would have been cheaper. But I can't buy what's not available.
Sure enough, they have it for Playstation and not Xbox. Couldn't buy it.
Fast forward a decade (oh God, I can't believe it's been 10 years) I hit the same snag with gun stores, even gun shows. I go to a gun show in New Hampshire and look for the North American Arms black powder revolvers... nobody has them. I go to a gun show in Indiana, nobody had any Kel Tec's.
Even when my lgs have something I want, it's not exactly what I want. Sorry, I don't want a Glock with the MOS mount that I'm never going to use. Sorry, I don't want to spend more than double on a used Ruger SP101 over a used Charter Arms .357.
Nobody around me sells .327's, nobody seems to have any antique rifles from the 19th Century, nobody carries any single shot muzzleloading pistols.
Even if they did, I have to wait 8 days to take possession of it and if it's something that costs over $500, it's cheaper for me to buy online and avoid sales tax.
$130 for shipping is ridiculous.