Does this town need a gun shop?

[dmax2500hd]

I have a question for all for you gun loving, shooting, hunting guys. Do you think this town needs a gun shop? Don’t take this the wrong way but I don’t see any inventory at the most frequented joints in town. When I mean a gun shop I am talking about a shop that has ALL of the latest guns, ammo, and accessories. I am not trying to nock the local stores like Flatwoods of Eastern. Just would like to get an idea for what you think about a dedicated gun shop.

Questions to you all,

What would you stock in manufactures?

What type for guns would you stock?

Would you deal in old firearms?

Or what don’t you see stocked around town that you would like to see in a shop?

[SongDoghunter]

I agree Dmax. Most of what is around town is either high end out of reach stuff or odd calibers that no one wants. We need a full line Remington and Browning, and Savage dealer for long guns carrying everything from the .22's to the large calibers. Dick's and Eastern carry 3 or 4 popular guns but don't begin to scratch the models available, especially from Remington and Savage. I think they need to loose the high grade glossy stocks and focus on hunting and shooting guns, not those that sit in a glass door cabinet.

[dmax2500hd]

Dog-
Sounds good. The reason I ask is I went to a local store to see if I could find a .40-70 lever action. They didn’t have it. I looked for simple scope mounts the other day, no dice.

[SongDoghunter]

brand new 45-70 Marlin lever at cash point pawn!

[manxxcatt]

It most certainly does. But unfortunately, I think the idea of a gunshop as a standalone operation, has been antiquated in the minds of the Wal-Mart/K-Mart (or whatever mart) shopper.

[manxxcatt]

Need an archery shop too, with a decent bowyer.

[sbkittrell]

The gun store with the largest inventory that I've seen around is Mackey's just outside of Plymouth but they are pretty high priced. They have thousands of firearms there. Bighorn outfitters in Greenville is going out of business, so Greenville doesn't have one at all. I agree about the accessories. Even Mackey's doesn't have much in the way of extras such as speedloader holders, leather holsters for revolvers and that sort of thing. I guess the internet can sell shippable firearms items cheaper than a brick and mortor store. Guns Unlimited in Ayden has an OK inventory, but they are overpriced too in my opinion. Anyway, I prefer to buy used firearms that are in decent shape from private people. As long as it's in good condition I see no need to pay extra for a new rifle, shotgun or handgun. Come to think of it, every single firearm I own was bought used, except for a Browning Pump.

[dmax2500hd]

I can understand where you guys are coming from. I do think that with the Internet is a valuable tool it just makes your business expandable. Give a dealer one more option and place to sell from. I even see places like Midway and Brownells as over priced with most items they stock. I think that if you hit your market you could make a lot of money. In this area you could make your money in assault style AR’s and AK’s. If you had a guy on staff that could screw the LEGO rifles together you could make a killing. Selling pistols, good quality hunting rifles would also be a moneymaker.

I do see, in my opinion, a lot of mismanagement at the local stores. I don’t understand how you stock items then run out of them. The store should know if I have 20 on the shelf once I sell 15 and have 5 left its time to reorder. They make software to tell you to reorder. Also if it’s after deer season, it’s now time to predator hunt so I should have stocked up on items for that season. The other thing is how do you employs not know what’s on order or when it should get there. I can’t count the time I hear we don’t know when it will be here. I find it hard to believe. When I buy something online I get a tracking number, and I track it. If I was a owner I would ensure my employees knew what was on order, how long it takes to get there from the time it was ordered, and when it was expected to arrive. So that guy that wants it can come back in and buy it. I don’t know how many time I spent money somewhere else. I go to a store they are out of it, and they don’t know when it will be there. I look at the next place if they have it I buy it. If someone at the store said I am sorry we are out, let me check and see when it will be here, or they knew then when it would arrive. I may come back to that store when it comes in.

Didn’t mean to rant but I would also make the best President of the United States, at lease I think so. I am well aware that I can only see this from my side of the fence; if I were on the other side maybe it would be different.

[manxxcatt]

lol...I dunno about president...how bout we start you out as Governor, or Congressman, and work up to it.... :)

[dmax2500hd]

Like I said, I think so, you may not “LOL”. I would not want to be a career politician, so no senator, congressmen, or governor for me, straight to the top job If not me then just a normal guy that drinks real beer, (more then just for photo ops), shoots guns and keeps them in White House, turns the presidential limo into a 4x4 truck (bullet proof of course) cusses when he’s pissed, and tells people what he thinks.

[SongDoghunter]

One of the biggest problems is the way the industry is setup. The annual SHOT Show was held about 3 weeks ago in Las Vegas. Every major hunting/shooting distributor was at that show and bought nearly their entire inventory of guns and accessories for next hunting season. With that said, an ignorant buyer screws things up for all of their retail customers like Neuse and Eastern. About June, the rifles and shotguns these distributors ordered from the makers in Vegas will start arriving in the warehouses. Neuse and Eastern will then order their guns as soon as the distributors offer their annual sale. Once Eastern and Neuse get their guns in and on the shelf in July, they put them on sale and have sold out by September when a lot of hunters want to go buy a rifle. The sad thing is, if they are not a factory direct authorized dealer, they can only get another gun from their distributor or another gun store. The single biggest problem in this area is that most dealers don't have enough operating capital to buy a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of guns and the ability to sit on them until they are sold. They have to sell them as quickly as possibly to turn their money over to buy more inventory.

[manxxcatt]

Like I said, I think so, you may not “LOL”. I would not want to be a career politician, so no senator, congressmen, or governor for me, straight to the top job If not me then just a normal guy that drinks real beer, (more then just for photo ops), shoots guns and keeps them in White House, turns the presidential limo into a 4x4 truck (bullet proof of course) cusses when he’s pissed, and tells people what he thinks.

Hey, I'm all for it, brother...If you meet the Constitutional requirements, and want to run, go for it...you have my vote. That being said, If you get elected, can I get an Ambassadorship, or maybe some really obscure Cabinet seat?

[manxxcatt]

One of the biggest problems is the way the industry is setup.

Without droning on with this one, you are exactly right Doghunter. Much like any industry where there is a very specific demand, the end consumer ends up getting "middled" by a distributor somewhere down the line.

[buckhunter]

i like the ole mom and pop stores myself but places like walmart and such have put them out of business.goshens in beauliville has more in it in the line of ammo than i've seen anywhere's else.

[dixieguns]

I don't understand why some gun dealers have such a hard time ordering a gun for a customer. One of the shops that I used to frequent here in Goldsboro lost 2 sales because of this. On 2 different occasions I went into the store and asked to order a specific gun. Both times the dealer tried to sell me something else similar that he had in stock instead of just letting me pay a deposit or pay in full up front and order what I wanted. When I wasn't swerved by their "professional" selling tactics I was just put off as somebody who wasn't going to buy anything and they just went on to other things. By"professional" selling tactics basically on both occasions I was told that I really would be much happier with what they had in stock as compared to what I was asking for. This costed this particular gun store 2 sales as I went elsewhere and found what I was looking for. Is it just me or have most gun stores customer service just gone to the wayside ever since the elections in 2008 when gun sales spiked.

[manxxcatt]

Is it just me or have most gun stores customer service just gone to the wayside ever since the elections in 2008 when gun sales spiked.

It's not just you. Buckhunter and I have gone on about this very thing, concerning a particular Sporting goods store in Jacksonville. Their customer service is more like customer who-gives-a-damn what you want, and if you don't look like you're carrying 10 credit cards in the pocket of your armani suit as you get out of your Mercedes to go in the store, they basically ignore you. Anyone who has met myself or Buckhunter knows, we just look like a couple of "good-ol-boys" and I guess our money isn't as good as other peoples. Maybe our dollars just haven't ripened on the vine long enough.

[dmax2500hd]

I feel all your pain. Like I said in other post to this tread. The reason I have been asking all of this is for most of the same reasons you guys are talking about. I get the same treatment.

If I was a gun dealer and had a customer come into the shop looking for something I didn’t have I would get it. If I could not get it from the distributor then I would be on Gun Broker or some other site. I know if I did this I may not make as large of profit as I would if I got it from the distributor, but I would have a happy customer. Now that I have a happy customer, that customer is more likely to come back to me to buy another gun maybe one I have on the shelf. That customer is now happy and what else does he need for the firearm? Ammo, gun case, scope, base, rings because who wants a gun sitting around they cant use. I know I will make some money on all that stuff. It’s a win win. Also some dollars are better then no dollars. Guns for most people are not like cars where they get traded in, we gun nuts always want more of them. If we have good feeling with a dealer then we will go back to them.

[buckhunter]

danny's pawn in hampstead will get you anything your wanting or try like hell too!the subject at hand goes back to when i was charter fishing,you cater to the people!you make the people happy and they will take care of you!word of mouth will either make or break you,and as me and manxx keep talkin about,there is one place in particular that i put down everytime i get a chance...there are two places i tell people about...eastern or dannys!

[dmax2500hd]

Flatwoods?

[aerosmith_99]

If you want a good gunsmith go to Miller's Gun on Haws Run Road. He also has books on many guns that he is more than happy to order for you. His place is right across from the Haws Run Rescue squad.

[buckhunter]

i know rick pretty good and he is one of the best gunsmiths i have ever seen but i do not consider him to be a gun shop like i'm thinking of.i like dealing with him though as much as possible.

[Cutter]

I have stopped going to that "F" place even if it is one of the few ranges around. The last three times I was in there, I felt as if I was bothering the help. Not the owner but I'm sure he has gotten complaints . One time I was interested in a particular BP handgun. The first thing out of his mouth was "what do you want to see in there?" First it was a job, because the clerk had to close up one building to go to the BP building. Then when I saw a gun that I was interested in that was a "used trade in" I mentioned Cabelas had the same one new at a lesser price could he come down a little because I wanted to give my money to a local dealer. "No" I was told price as is, I mentioned that ok but you get a Free Range visit with the purchase so that would ofset my cost, he said "no thats only with new guns". He tells me "you know you have to pay shipping on that one from Cabelas" and I mentioned that yes and I would have to pay more in state tax there. I gave up and left. Next time same guy in the store , I needed 36 cal balls for the Cabelas gun. Again I was asked what I needed in the other building and got a "not agin" look.This time I said never mind and left. The range is a whole nother story, where some of the range masters treat eveyone as gun noobs at the range for the first time. Customer service is what you pay for in a Mom and Pop type store. This service is a dis service.When the economy is teetering on the edge for these individual shops, treat the customer right, no matter how he looks or is dressed. Guess I gotta trade in my Tatoo'd arms for that Armani.

[dixieguns]

The last time I was in the Flatwoods I was actually offended by the way the clerk treated me. He actually huffed a couple of times and rolled his eyes on more than one occasion. I got so fed up that I finally left. I actually should have left sooner than I did. I have never been treated as badly at a gun shop as I was there. Needless to say I have never returned and never intend to.

[SongDoghunter]

I keep hearing horror stories about them these days. I used to go in there quite a bit 10 years or so ago and although sort of high priced, they used to be pretty friendly. I wonder what has happened?

[SongDoghunter]

I don't want anyone to feel that I'm bashing Eastern Outfitters, but I think they have gotten a little big for their britches! I sent them an email about 2 weeks ago to see if they had any interest in advertising on the forum and maybe participate with the forum shoot in the way of some banners or print material. Apparently, they don't feel the need to do anything of that nature as they never even gave me the courtesy of an email reply! I buy a few things from them when they are on sale but they are not my "go to" shop!

[buckhunter]

The last time I was in the Flatwoods I was actually offended by the way the clerk treated me. He actually huffed a couple of times and rolled his eyes on more than one occasion. I got so fed up that I finally left. I actually should have left sooner than I did. I have never been treated as badly at a gun shop as I was there. Needless to say I have never returned and never intend to.

same here!they stink.i'm ready to go to the range and pop off a couple rounds if you guys want to though!mite be fun.....

[buckhunter]

I don't want anyone to feel that I'm bashing Eastern Outfitters, but I think they have gotten a little big for their britches! I sent them an email about 2 weeks ago to see if they had any interest in advertising on the forum and maybe participate with the forum shoot in the way of some banners or print material. Apparently, they don't feel the need to do anything of that nature as they never even gave me the courtesy of an email reply! I buy a few things from them when they are on sale but they are not my "go to" shop!

i'll call them if you want me to doghunter,i know 3-4 pretty good and they owe me some favors.let me know,i'll see what i can do

[Grumpy_TWB]

I haven't been to Flatwoods in years and refuse to return; I want to be treated like a customer, not a nuisance. I don't know if morehead city is a little too far for you guys (it's closer than Jamesville, which is where Mackey's is), but a great gun shop is Hardesty Guns in Morehead. It's not the largest, but they have a good variety and can and will order just about anything you want as long as it isn't Class III. They have pretty good prices and aren't gonna B.S. you. B&R in Havelock is pretty decent, too, and has about a 200 yard range. Prices and selection isn't as good as Hardesty's, though.

[manxxcatt]

Anyone checked out Rays Guns up in Newport? I keep hearing the radio ads on WSFL.

[buckhunter]

hardesty's is the one i was asking about before,was wondering if they were still open and could never find out.remember manxx,hardesty's is the place i told you about in morehead city.anyway,glad to hear there still open and will have to stop in and check them out the next time i'm up that way.last time i was in there they had about anything you could think of in that little building!


as for rays in newport manxx-someone else on here had mentioned them[perhaps greasemonkey]and said they liked rays better than anywheres else.if i ever get some money in my gun fund we'll have to take a ride one rainy day.

[Grumpy_TWB]

I don't care for Ray's at all, but to be honest half of the reason for that is that I just don't like Ray. If you are going to make a trip out of it, you might as well go ahead and check out Terry Chadwick's gunshop in Little Swift Creek; he's the local gunsmith guru. It's in a building by his house like Mr. Miller's. I can't remember the address, but they'll be able to tell you at Hardesty's and Ray's (he does both of their gunsmithing work).

[manxxcatt]

This is what I have on it: may want to call to confirm...

Terry's Gunshop
1454 Old Winberry Rd
Newport, NC 28570
(252)726-2257

[Grumpy_TWB]

Yep, that's it. It's out in the middle of nowhere, and he isn't always in his shop, so you should give him a call before you head out there.

[buckhunter]

is that the place buy or somewhat around a bojangles?on the right on 70 east?

[Grumpy_TWB]

is that the place buy or somewhat around a bojangles?on the right on 70 east?

That is Ray's. Hardesty's is down in Morehead on 70 west before you get to the bridge over to Atlantic Beach, it's just before the Hardee's in Morehead. B&R is on Nine Mile Rd. just outside of Havelock. Terry's is out in the middle of nowhere about 1/4 mile off of 101.

[buckhunter]

thanks for the info.