Why Gun Shops Fail

A big mistake I have found with hobbyist gun shop owners is stocking based on their own preferences. This is usually expressed in words like, "I know a lot of people want [fill in brand] guns, but I don't like them and won't have them in my store."

That might be justified with guns that have a lot of problems and come back for repair or return to the factory. But I have found it in cases where the guns were of reasonable, even high, quality, but the owner was just prejudiced. One fellow refused to carry Remington guns, saying they were "stamped out pieces of junk" and would sell only Winchesters. Another "didn't like the grip" on S&W revolvers and wouldn't stock them. Still another wouldn't sell "plastic pistols" or "military junk" or any rifle or shotgun with a pistol grip or a plastic stock.

Need I mention that all of the folks I quoted are now out of business?

Jim
 
That is a problem Jim Keenan. Though sometimes those view are justified. The Scheels in town flat out won't take Remington 710/770 rifles on trade in anymore because of the poor quality and large numbers of problems with them. The Cabela's offers people a fraction of their book value for the same reason.
 
I picked up a part time job at a local gun store and I have no problem telling anyone I don't know and the other guys who work with me are the same way. We were all told when the store owner hired us he was hiring a team and that as a team we should be able to answer ANY question that comes our way. If I don't know, someone else will/should. That is what customers remember and why they come back.
I also have opinions about guns and calibers. If you ask me, I'll tell you what I do know and what I think. But I can assure you that I have never tried to dissuade anyone from buying a certain gun. It's your money, spend it how you want. But by the same token, I'm not going to sell someone who has never fired a gun a snub nosed .357 Magnum because they want a carry piece.
 
One shop where I worked had a problem. He was a very nice guy, but he was a salesman. He was selling guns at that store, but he could as easily have sold furniture, cars, womens' underwear, appliances, or antique golf clubs. It didn't matter what he was selling, he was a salesman.

If a customer asked if a .25ACP Beretta or a .22 RG10 was a good elephant gun, our guy would assure him that there was no better gun made for doing in elephants, or brownies, or anything else the customer wanted to bump off. (OK, I am exaggerating just a little there, but not much.) Of course the customer would find out he had been had and the rest of us had to take the heat when he came back. But the boss liked our guy, as he had a great sales record.

I was the bad guy. I once waited on a guy who went duck hunting every year and came back with no luck and no duck. So he thought that a longer barrel gun would help, and wanted to buy a 30" barrel to replace the 28" that was on the gun. He asked me what that would do for him. I replied that it would put the end of the barrel two inches closer to the duck. He left in a huff (actually it was a Buick) and I got hell for losing the sale on the longer barrel.

Jim
 
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