How do you feel about "Big Box Gun Stores"

T

TennJed

New member
I live in Mississippi just off the Tennessee state line (Memphis suburb). The gun buying options in a 10 mile or so area
(not counting Memphis - different state) are:

Sportman's Warehouse (Big Box)
3 dedicated gun stores
3 pawn shops

The last 4 guns I have bought have been from Sportsman's Warehouse because they had the best price:

Ruger MKIII Stainless $429
Kel Tec P11 $239
Taurus Judge PD $379
Taurus TCP 738 $199

For years I would have avoided buying from Sportman's Warehouse and support the local shops. I grew up in a small town and have seen first hand what Walmart and Wallgreens have done to the local grocery and pharmacies.

Well about 2 years ago the Sportmans Warehouse closed (along wiht another in Memphis). It stayed closed for roughly a year. Then last year it reopened (the one in Memphis did not).

During the time it closed I started reloading. At that time the only opition for Powder and Primers were to pay hazmat shipping or driving 45 minutes to the other side of memphis to go to Bass Pro (whose prices are higher thean SW).
None of the local FFL shops sold reloading components.

I was so glad when it opened back up because I could get my reloading stuff so much cheaper. I also started to look at the gun case and saw, to my suprise, their prices are generally the best.

I am at a crossroads about wanting to support the small guy vs the big box store. obviously the big box needs my business too (which is evident from the closing).

The fact that the little guy does not offer reloading and has higher prices on guns, i have to admit it is better for me if the big store stays open. I realize not everyone reloads, but the big box also has a much larger supply of all accessories.

The only thing the smaller ones have to offer me is used, but I really want to support the small guy, but I don;t want the big boys to go away.:confused:
 
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I, too, frequent SW for reloading supplies, just can't get the variety of powder, etc in my local gun stores. I haven't purchased a gun there yet, but probably will within 6 months.

Shoot Safe and Often
 
I think it's all about the price. I try to give my LGS my business, I don't mind spending a few dollars more for powder and primers and anything else they have on hand when I need it. But when you start talking $75 to $100 difference, well that's a whole new ballgame.
 
I am a small business owner and I really don't understand this notion of supporting me because I'm small.

Support me because my product is better, the advice is better, the knowledge is better, I have free coffee, my wife is cuter....

What does size have to do with anything? Walmart started out as one small store. When were we supposed to stop supporting them because they're not small anymore?

Pizza Hut sells pizzas cheaper than I can buy the ingredients. Go ahead. Try one. You'll pay more for mine next time. But don't support me because I'm "small". Support me because I'm better.
 
My Sportsman's Warehouse here is NOT better on price than my local guy. Where they do seem to excel is in selection. My two African rifles were in stock and at a better price than my local guy could order. So... those were the only two I've ever purchased.

The local S/W had a rough time during the bankruptcy reorganization and had NOTHING on the shelves for so long I got out of the habit of even stopping by. They seem to have lost their vision as far as shooting goes.

Peet, I agree with you on the "better" part. One local gun shop here treats you like a problem when you walk in the door. I'll pay more for something if the product and customer service is better. Unfortunately, there are a lot of small businesses that do not adhere to your philosophy.
 
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I don't have a Sportsman's Warehouse available, so I can't speak to that, but I do have an Academy Sports. I find it useful for checking prices and availability, and I find some things there that I can't find locally.

However, yesterday I did some online searching for a particular rifle I'm looking for, printed some pages and took them to my locally-owned shop. Told the guy what I was looking for and showed him the quotes from some online places. He told me that he could beat the offers, and while I'd have to pay sales tax I wouldn't have to pay shipping nor transfer fees, so I'm ordering the rifle from him. I asked him about a set of rings and he told me that I'd be better off buying those online. He can't stock every ring in existence and only carries the common ones.

I support my local stores if I"m able to do so. I've got nothing against the big box stores, but I'd rather my money stay in the local economy if possible.
 
I see both sides of your conundrum.

As a reloader, I like to try new powders. I can not justify the hazmat fee when I buy just one or two pounds of different powder. I buy them locally.

When I decide what powder I like, I buy it from Powder Valley. I can buy the eight pound bottles, including hazmat, cheaper than I can purchase them locally. (I usually buy primers from PV when I purchase powder, so my savings are that much better.)

I still buy my guns locally. I have not seen any "Got to have it now" guns that I want to purchase online.

Bullets: Depending on what I am doing with them, determines where I buy them. For most of my lead bullets, Missouri Bullet Company, 20 miles from home. Jacketed bullets, Sierra Bullets are usually what I choose (40 Miles from home, factory seconds sold by the pound).

So to me "Locally" has a different meaning "Made in my home state."

But even the big box stores hire local people. If they close shop, local people are out of a job and less money is put in to the economy.

Where I shop depends on customer service... AND I am willing to pay more for it. How much more? Depends on the situation.
 
I am a small business owner and I really don't understand this notion of supporting me because I'm small.

Support me because my product is better, the advice is better, the knowledge is better, I have free coffee, my wife is cuter....

What does size have to do with anything? Walmart started out as one small store. When were we supposed to stop supporting them because they're not small anymore?

Pizza Hut sells pizzas cheaper than I can buy the ingredients. Go ahead. Try one. You'll pay more for mine next time. But don't support me because I'm "small". Support me because I'm better.
Click to expand...

I understand what you're saying. I try to support my LGS rather than the big box stores, but I don't do it simply because they're small - I do it because they're a specialty store that's more likely to have what I'm looking for when I need it on short notice.

If I buy the "big ticket" items like guns from the big box stores to save money I jeopardize the continued existence of the LGS, where I can find things like uncommon ammo calibers, reloading supplies, cleaning products other than Outers and Hoppes, etc., that the big box store is never going to carry because those products are too specialized for them. And of course, it's nice to be able to talk to a really knowledgeable sales staff and just shoot the breeze generally. I want continued local access to those things, so I don't mind spending a bit more on a gun to help ensure that the LGS stays in business.

Same thing with my local fly shop - I can buy a fly line cheaper at Wally World, but I'd be hard pressed to find a nice dry fly neck or some Tiemco hooks there, so I pay a bit more at the flyfishing specialty shop for the former to preserve my access to the latter.
 
I think some of the local gun shops have forgotten that when you're selling commodity items like ammunition and off-the-shelf firearms, you can't charge "boutique" prices unless you're truly adding some value to the transaction. We're not talking about handmade boots here - I'm not going to pay a 10-20% premium compared to a big-box store or an online retailer when all you're doing is taking something down off a shelf and handing it to me.
 
I am a small business owner and I really don't understand this notion of supporting me because I'm small.

Support me because my product is better, the advice is better, the knowledge is better, I have free coffee, my wife is cuter....

What does size have to do with anything? Walmart started out as one small store. When were we supposed to stop supporting them because they're not small anymore?

Pizza Hut sells pizzas cheaper than I can buy the ingredients. Go ahead. Try one. You'll pay more for mine next time. But don't support me because I'm "small". Support me because I'm better.
Click to expand...

I grew up in a small town of about 12,000 in central MS. I worked for a family resturant since I was about 12. A lot of our regular customers were the town business owners. When the big box stores staring coming in these people stores started closing. We quit seeing them in the resturant and 5 years ago the resturant closed.

The idea behind supporting the small guy is most of the money stays local. The Owner will hopefully have a lot of extra income that will be spent in other local stores and shops.

Of course the product needs to ge good also
 
I typically buy older guns. So the big box stores don't usually have anything to tempt me with. And odds are if I want a new gun, out of the 3 or 4 local shops I consider the best one of them can get me the same price if not a little cheaper and treat me better whike they do it. I agree that you shouldn't support a small shop just because he's small. In fact there are some local gunshops I refuse to use for anything. Could be bad service, unfriendly people, astronomical prices, etc.
 
I dont buy guns off of the internet. But I do buy from who gives me the best price. Be it Box store or the local gun shop. Finances direct my wallet. Used guns and components "Primers Powders Projectiles." I purchase from my local dealer.
 
I don't like the chain stores very much. They tend to not have what I need. for instance, a gun shop I go to sells 000 12 gauge and 3 inch 000 .410 shells. I've never seen either sold anywhere else and it's a very small store. And another store I go to sells 10 gauge shells, no other place does. Gander Mountain can't even order them. As far as guns are concerend, one of the local stores suck because they don't sell used guns. There is an amazing gun store in Wayne County, I absolutely love it. They have a mass amount of used guns, and they aren't hidden behind the counter. Pretty much all of the long guns you can walk right up to and handle. In my opinion, that makes me like it so much more and puts them above the rest. I hate having to ask to a dozen different guns knowing I probably won't buy them. But if I can just look through them myself, I'll probably find one I have to have. If the store was closer, I'd be there a lot. Next time I go, I plan on leaving with a gun. I don't like them because I'm supporting a small store, I like them because they are the best.
 
I got my most recent gun from one of my LGS rather than at Bass Pro Shops. I got a Gen 4 Glock 27 for $550 NIB. Bass Pro wanted $600 for a Gen 3 and $629 for a Gen 4. My LGS even threw in a free hat and was nice enough to put all 3 of the pierce grip extensions on while I was looking for a holster.

Show Me Shooters in Claycomo, Missouri. Great shop.
 
I try to spread my purchases around to where I feel that I'm getting the best value for my money as well as the guns and products that I want.
A Cabela's store opened and the result was that some gun shops have closed while other new ones have opened that specialize or have sideline business; black guns, milsurp guns, gunsmithing services, manufacturing ammo, indoor range, training.
There's some good deals hidden everywhere and there seems to be enough economic support being shared by the area's shooting community to help support them all.
And I have purchased from them all at one time or another.
The same goes for buying on Gunbroker, online or from a local individual. When a gun is transferred in then the local gun shop that charges the lowest fee gets the business. So there's competition among the local gun shops too. Buyers shouldn't feel a need to pay more than they can afford, and the sellers should always try to offer the fairest deals possible.
Doing that will give us all a chance to continue doing enough business together so that we can all get by until there's a next time.
 
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