purchase in Illinois

K

kot

Inactive
Folks,

some advice for a first-time buyer in Chicago please. My first time posting on your forum.

I am looking to purchase a SIG P229 E2 (new), any suggestions on how to proceed? Would you suggest buying online and shipping to a local FFL dealer, or would I be better off buying in one of the local stores? Any suggestions on reliable internet stores to order from?

Thanks!
 
As far a reliable online stores Buds Gun Shop is good.

Now if you have a good local kitchen table FFL then buying online makes good sense. You would find a better deal online as well as avoid taxes.

Dont try to go to Midwest, Megasports, etc and ask them to take a transfer. They all charge outrageous rates and when they will do it, its like pulling teeth. In the past Rinks has done one for me for $40 but that was only because I had a pistol on order for over a month and they couldnt get it.

So, find a nice, cheap ($20-$30) FFL and buy online.
 
I hope you have a FOID Card, and your CFP.
When I was in the market for a handgun, went to several stores and the only one that was customer focused was GAT GUNS in Dundee.
Good luck with your purchase.
 
Rinks in Lockport does not charge any extra fees for guns that they have in stock?

Not sure about ones they would have to order? I know they carry a lot of Sig's so they might have the one your looking for.

Their prices are good to even great on many of the guns they carry. I bought my CZ 75 and Delton AR there and the price was unbeatable by other stores in the area as well as any of the online sellers. On top of that they give you a free range pass and their range fees and cost of the targets are super cheap compared to any other range in the area. $9 all day (10-8) range fee and gun rentals are $6 all day.

I would go there more often but, I live over a hour away from them and I have my own outdoor range to shoot at. Rinks gets a (A) for a good family run gun shop. I would give them a A+ but, they could have a better selection.

Cabelas in Hoffman Estates can have good or even great prices at times but they are a big company and not a "Mom and Pop" shop which I would rather support.

Do not go to Mega "Buck's" Sports in Plainfield! They have horrible prices and the range fees are insane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:barf::barf::barf:
 
My comment about the fee at Rinks was only for taking a transfer from Buds. I had intended to buy a cbob from them but they werent able to get it. After awhile of waiting they let me cancel my ordr and buy online.

I would say GAT stinks.
 
Gat Guns in the Elgin/Dundee area has a huge selection and their prices are decent. They also have plenty of helpful people to assist you. Bud's is usually the best deal around. I suggest you at least go to a retail store to handle and actually look at all the options available. If you choose to buy online, the online vendors should have a list of FFL dealers in your area. You shouldn't have to pay more than $30.00 for a transfer.
 
Avoid JR Shooting Sports in Aurora, IL. They treat people like dirt. Have had several bad experiences with them and they look at everyone like they are better then you. Google them, youll get some other interesting reviews from other folks. :eek:
 
I agree that JR's is no good. Not only are they rude people, their prices are out of line.

1 example is this. About a year ago they had a 2007 DW Pointman for $750ish, I was there a couple months ago, same pistol now $1100.
 
Drive out I-90 and hit Cabela's first, then GAT. Cabelas stock is limited but their prices aren't bad for Chicagoland and as a big box then occassional run pretty good specials. Just a couple months ago they were running a special where a $500 plus puchase got you a $150 gift card. That will buy you some ammo plus compensate for Cook Co taxes. GAT has a much much larger selection, decent prices and the folks there are very friendly. The folks at Mega are friendly too, they have a large selection but maybe higher prices. Like the others, I recommend avoiding JR unless you like being treated like a suspect rather than a customer.
 
If this is your first venture in IL then you should buy locally. Buds does have top notch prices and service but shipping it to the local FFL is where the roadblocks can pop up. YOu got a lot of good advice here but being that Chicago just changed their laws (barely changed) then using your local resources is the way to go.

Rinks has good prices for something they have in stock. Their transfer fees are outrageous. They are telling you (without saying it) that they will sell you their gun for a good price but a gun from any where else.... forget it. They also have good prices on used/consignment guns but a poor selection.

Mega sports carries almost every gun presently made. They are displayed beautifully and you can drool all day. You can hold them and see if you like the feel, balance, trigger reach, etc but their prices are higher than Gander Mountain. :eek: They do offer a nice selection of rental guns but their range fees are high and you have to use their targets. It is modern state-of-the-art equiptment, though, where rinks is old school, dark lanes that has no heat or A/C. You can shoot, though, at a very reasonable price at Rinks.

Gander Mountain does have a nice selection but unless they are on sale they are really high. They are also under-staffed so unless you plan to buy that day you won't get much help with talking to someone and playing with the pistols.

Go the route of buying from a local shop to start with. They will make sure you leave there legal and compliant with local laws. If you haven't gotten all of your permits in order no shop will sell or transfer a gun to you. Their job is to make sure you can legally own the gun so if you are cutting corners you won't get what you want.
 
kot,

As a fellow IL guy(downstate for me, Litchfield, just south of Springfield) I would like to say congratulations on the changes in Chicago! Even though they arent enough, and we still have a struggle statewide ahead of us, its a start. Good luck finding your pistol of choice. Keep us updated on it, we like to hear stories with happy endings around here.
 
I personally feel that Mayor Daly has decided to not run for reelection because the gun ban was shot down. He was so anti-gun that I'd say he was the worst mayor in the country when it came to gun rights. He also led the way for the present gun laws which were pushed thru hours after the SC decision. He is a sore loser and Chicago will be a lot better off without him. Chicago had a huge victory in the courts when it came to gun laws but it had an even better victory when the jerk who runs the city decided he had enough. We've had enough of him and I feel it won't be long for IL to join the rest of the country when it comes to liberal gun laws and rights.
 
+1 for Rink's I have purchased 3 firearms from them so far.

They don't have a huge selection, but their prices are right. Everyone in the store is knowledgeable. They have the largest selection of Sig, Glock & Kimbers. So you are in luck in regard to having lots of Sigs to handle before you decide.

Just be careful you don't look at the used section or you may walk out of there with two guns instead of just the one you intended to buy. :D

Once again, prices are great.

I'm sure you are capable of mapquesting or have a gps, but another plus is Rink's is right off I-355 so it is very accessible and easy to find.
 
here is my .02

J&R shooting: ok prices , horrible customer service , well kept range and does allow rifles and shotguns but strict range rules I remember having a EZ9 jam so as i took the slide off to put lube in (it was a new pistol) they said "we don't allow oil because its flammable" i never stepped foot in there again.. and if you want a good laugh check out the $44.00 30rnd AR magazines , don't bother with FFL they charge $100 for a pistol

Megasports: high prices , and higher taxes , customer service is much better. on a non busy day they will offer to talk about whatever gun you thought about buying, large selection of ammunition at a premium but not outrageous, and a good selection of accessories, and a large range (if you were bringing a "birthday party" size group to shoot i would shoot here) I did have a problem when trying to order firearms, they were very hesitant and stated that what was on the floor was what they could get, also most of the Sigs only sold with one magazine

Rinks: range is small and the range is a bit dark but is half the prices of the first two ranges. the customer service is great If you can't find the gun you want there they will order it for you i wanted to order a custom shop gun after the first two shops above told me to shove it but rinks stayed on the line for 1/2 a hour with sig until they were able to order one for me. my friend purchased a glock from there not only for the great deal but the free range pass.

I usually use a FFL JK Arms in plano $25 for transfers, its not too hard to find a FFL for $25 in illlinois

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Rinks
 
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thanks

I would like to thank everyone for the help, and post a small summary.

I applied for the Chicago firearms permit and received it in the mail in three weeks. The process was uneventful -- I stopped by the police station with all the documents, filled out an application and got fingerprinted, paid the fee and left. The permit didn't come in a form of a plastic card, but as a piece of paper (which was a torn upper part of the application with a stamp and a label on it).

I started shopping for a firearm in July 2011, I was looking for a sig p229E2, and found it on sale in Buds for $740. This was about $200 cheaper than I could find it in local stores. I ordered it, and cleared through the FFL for $25.

Then I had to register it with the Chicago Police Department. I sent the application, paid $15 and got the registration back about 10 days later, no questions asked. The firearm will have to be reregistered for $15 every year.

Overall, everything went very well.
 
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