I am really tired of good gun shops closing.

[meausoc]

I have noticed a bad trend of good gun shops closing. My friends shop closed last year. Now the new shop I have been going too has also shut its doors. He was also the only local Class 3 Dealer with a Silencer Shop Kiosk. The only shops left are the FUDD shops with questionable ethics, and the Bigger shop that still thinks a Basic AR is worth $1500 and thinks Bushmaster is the best thing on the market.

Is this a regional thing or is it also still looking bad in other areas?

Not for sure where you are in Southern Indiana but you can't be too far from Whitaker Guns in Owensboro, KY and the KY Gun Co. in Bardstown, KY that both have excellent selections and prices. Time for you to make a road trip.

[kwelz]

Not for sure where you are in Southern Indiana but you can't be too far from Whitaker Guns in Owensboro, KY and the KY Gun Co. in Bardstown, KY that both have excellent selections and prices. Time for you to make a road trip.

I have been to them. Like them both. But one is about 1 hour away and the other is 2 hours away. Although an hour isn't too bad. The problem is I still have to have any pistols transfered. I hate that. Stupid gun laws...

[SteyrAUG]

That's another problem with gun stores too. They are all way too old school and dont keep up with the time.

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You probably have no idea what it costs to update a range. In South Florida the local code and insurance requirements prevented anyone who wasn't already a millionaire from opening a range and you couldn't really update anything without being subject to those same code requirements. So we ended up with a bunch of dusty old ranges that one by one went out of business and closed.

We have a few super ranges where it costs something absurd like $40 an hour to shoot. That is what it takes to try and fund all the new 100% lead free CA approved ventilation systems that are required. Shooting NFA? Well hell that means they have to assign you a range officer for safety reasons. We were shooting Uzis and MP5s for a couple hours and it ended up being a hundred bucks and change. My annual membership fee at one of the local private clubs was $150 for the entire year and I could shoot as often as I wanted.

I know the owner of a pistol range that wanted to simply update their backstop to handle rifle round up to .308 and found out the cost of doing so to code would be more than the range generated in the last 10 years. It was simply cost prohibitive. I don't think anyone who isn't a business owner, and I don't mean somebody who has a consulting business, can even begin to understand.

Add to that the ongoing legal battles of local jackasses trying to shut your range down because they don't want to live or work near a gun range, never mind that the range was there since 1977.

Gun ranges are so catch 22 it isn't funny. If you live in the city every day is some new jackass trying to put you out of business in new and creative ways. Some people even spend money trying to put you out of business. If you live in a more rural area, everyone is like "why do I need a gun range, I can drive to the edge of town and shoot for free."

I was a member of a few private gun clubs which were member only, but even there you had locals trying to get you shut down because they thought SOMEHOW a bullet was going to find a way to their back yard and their kids were in danger. They had no interest in learning why that could never happen, the only thing they knew is they were horrified to find out the house they bought was within a half mile of a gun range where people shoot guns.

This thread sadly contains so many perfect examples of why gun stores, ranges and other things are going out of business. If you thinks it's so easy, everyone here who isn't happy with the local opportunities should try and open a gun store and a gun range and see just what is actually involved. If it was really that easy there would be half a dozen amazing gun stores and a couple amazing gun ranges in every town and they'd be making money hand over fist as fast as they could count it.

[SteyrAUG]

I have been to them. Like them both. But one is about 1 hour away and the other is 2 hours away. Although an hour isn't too bad. The problem is I still have to have any pistols transfered. I hate that. Stupid gun laws...

If you can develop a friendly working relationship see if they will hold things for you and just make trips every other month. If you have 3-4 firearms you should be able to do them on the same 4473.

When I was in Florida I did that for people all the time. Some guys would shop up and pick up 6 guns at a time that they sent to me over the months. Also I did a lot of stuff for deployed members who I might not see for 8 months but they might have a dozen firearms waiting for them when they get back. I wouldn't do it for everyone, but I did it for anyone who was decent and had legit needs. Guys who bought one handgun every month but lived two hours away...no problem...how can I help you.

[tvfreakarms]

You probably have no idea what it costs to update a range. In South Florida the local code and insurance requirements prevented anyone who wasn't already a millionaire from opening a range and you couldn't really update anything without being subject to those same code requirements. So we ended up with a bunch of dusty old ranges that one by one went out of business and closed.

We have a few super ranges where it costs something absurd like $40 an hour to shoot. That is what it takes to try and fund all the new 100% lead free CA approved ventilation systems that are required. Shooting NFA? Well hell that means they have to assign you a range officer for safety reasons. We were shooting Uzis and MP5s for a couple hours and it ended up being a hundred bucks and change. My annual membership fee at one of the local private clubs was $150 for the entire year and I could shoot as often as I wanted.

I know the owner of a pistol range that wanted to simply update their backstop to handle rifle round up to .308 and found out the cost of doing so to code would be more than the range generated in the last 10 years. It was simply cost prohibitive. I don't think anyone who isn't a business owner, and I don't mean somebody who has a consulting business, can even begin to understand.

Add to that the ongoing legal battles of local jackasses trying to shut your range down because they don't want to live or work near a gun range, never mind that the range was there since 1977.

Gun ranges are so catch 22 it isn't funny. If you live in the city every day is some new jackass trying to put you out of business in new and creative ways. Some people even spend money trying to put you out of business. If you live in a more rural area, everyone is like "why do I need a gun range, I can drive to the edge of town and shoot for free."

I was a member of a few private gun clubs which were member only, but even there you had locals trying to get you shut down because they thought SOMEHOW a bullet was going to find a way to their back yard and their kids were in danger. They had no interest in learning why that could never happen, the only thing they knew is they were horrified to find out the house they bought was within a half mile of a gun range where people shoot guns.

This thread sadly contains so many perfect examples of why gun stores, ranges and other things are going out of business. If you thinks it's so easy, everyone here who isn't happy with the local opportunities should try and open a gun store and a gun range and see just what is actually involved. If it was really that easy there would be half a dozen amazing gun stores and a couple amazing gun ranges in every town and they'd be making money hand over fist as fast as they could count it.

I think u kissed my point. I'm just saying some folks are just stubborn and want to stick to what they want to stick with. Bring in a modern gun or an ak, they have a certain opinion.
Not all but some do.
The ones we have here are fairly good.
And I get it's not easy. Especially in a state like California where I live.
We just had an outdoor range closed because of the city and imo doing probably some illegal bs just to get them closed down.

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[SteyrAUG]

I think u kissed my point. I'm just saying some folks are just stubborn and want to stick to what they want to stick with. Bring in a modern gun or an ak, they have a certain opinion.
Not all but some do.
The ones we have here are fairly good.
And I get it's not easy. Especially in a state like California where I live.
We just had an outdoor range closed because of the city and imo doing probably some illegal bs just to get them closed down.

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You are in CA and you want gun stores to bring in modern guns?!? You have a better chance of asking tobacco stores to bring in heroin.

And your gun range that just got shut down, I bet it was some Prop 65 nonsense. All they have to do is pass a ridiculous law and they can then enforce a ridiculous law.

[pinzgauer]

I believe part of the problem is the distributor model. Which then leads to buying groups.

If you are not part of a buying group you're basically not competitive because some of the local guys who are will sell retail what you would have to pay wholesale.

And then there's the locally owned mega local gun store (MLGS). Good guy, family business, has expanded well, kept decent prices, stocks a full range of accessories, and built a pretty decent range. Raking in the money. Started as a pawn shop in the late '70s early '80s but quickly became a hunting/fishing store

Still only pays the guys behind the counter and the floor walkers $11.50 an hour. But a lot of semi-retired like working there.

It's an old grocery store and I have seen 5 cash register lines 15-20 people deep, and that's the gun checkout line. With many folks buying multiple firearms. Not buying guns items goes to different lanes.

Commodity ammo like brass blazer 9mm is stacked on pallets spread throughout the store. One of the brass blazer 9 mm bullet weights is always on sale for that flyer period.

The one on sale will be $8 or $9, the ones not on sale will be a couple of bucks more. I don't fool with ordering blinking 9mm, not worth it.

When Walmart went wicked I was stuck as I normally bought my dove hunting ammo from them.

So I gave the MLGS place a try and was prepared to pay more to buy local and all that. Imagine my surprise when he had case lots the same price as what I used to get from Walmart.

I have gripes about them, but also buy a good bit of stuff. I still frequent small shops but I'm not going to pay $15.99 for 9 mm brass blazer.

Their new gun prices are just okay unless it's really on sale. But they're used prices are pretty reasonable and they have a decent selection just due to their volume.

Another small survival store got their FFL and added about an 8-ft gun counter which grew and grew and now he's got about a 30-ft gun counter and the best AR part selection in the Atlanta metro area.

He had to suck it up and get into a buying group and have made the difference. Whenever I can I buy from them because they stock the stuff I want and kind of stay current with some of the flighty AR trends.

If you have a concealed weapons permit and are willing to use their computerized system transfers and are free. they sell a lot of accessories and upgrades for guns ordered over the internet.

They regularly run loss leaders specials for Aero lowers for $49 and Anderson as cheap as $29. Thinking about it I've bought Aero receivers there for $39 on sale.

I do think they watch their inventory so they don't get stuck with stuff at higher prices. If they do, they'll mark it down to free up space and make room for what is selling.

I do think it's a tough industry & that unless you have a range it's going to be hard to compete with some of the older / bigger stores.

[1168]

You probably have no idea what it costs to update a range. In South Florida the local code and insurance requirements prevented anyone who wasn't already a millionaire from opening a range and you couldn't really update anything without being subject to those same code requirements. So we ended up with a bunch of dusty old ranges that one by one went out of business and closed.

We have a few super ranges where it costs something absurd like $40 an hour to shoot. That is what it takes to try and fund all the new 100% lead free CA approved ventilation systems that are required. Shooting NFA? Well hell that means they have to assign you a range officer for safety reasons. We were shooting Uzis and MP5s for a couple hours and it ended up being a hundred bucks and change. My annual membership fee at one of the local private clubs was $150 for the entire year and I could shoot as often as I wanted.

I know the owner of a pistol range that wanted to simply update their backstop to handle rifle round up to .308 and found out the cost of doing so to code would be more than the range generated in the last 10 years. It was simply cost prohibitive. I don't think anyone who isn't a business owner, and I don't mean somebody who has a consulting business, can even begin to understand.

Add to that the ongoing legal battles of local jackasses trying to shut your range down because they don't want to live or work near a gun range, never mind that the range was there since 1977.

Gun ranges are so catch 22 it isn't funny. If you live in the city every day is some new jackass trying to put you out of business in new and creative ways. Some people even spend money trying to put you out of business. If you live in a more rural area, everyone is like "why do I need a gun range, I can drive to the edge of town and shoot for free."

I was a member of a few private gun clubs which were member only, but even there you had locals trying to get you shut down because they thought SOMEHOW a bullet was going to find a way to their back yard and their kids were in danger. They had no interest in learning why that could never happen, the only thing they knew is they were horrified to find out the house they bought was within a half mile of a gun range where people shoot guns.

This thread sadly contains so many perfect examples of why gun stores, ranges and other things are going out of business. If you thinks it's so easy, everyone here who isn't happy with the local opportunities should try and open a gun store and a gun range and see just what is actually involved. If it was really that easy there would be half a dozen amazing gun stores and a couple amazing gun ranges in every town and they'd be making money hand over fist as fast as they could count it.

Race tracks have a similar problem. For some reason, people always want to build houses nearby. Then they bitch about the noise.

One of the biggest problems plaguing gun stores is us. Gun people are the strangest types of cheapwads. Dudes have like $20k worth of guns in their safes already and are trying to haggle over a dollar on a Tasco 3-9x40.

[SteyrAUG]

One of the biggest problems plaguing gun stores is us. Gun people are the strangest types of cheapwads. Dudes have like $20k worth of guns in their safes already and are trying to haggle over a dollar on a Tasco 3-9x40.

That is no shit. Will plop down $7,000 for a registered Uzi but will then buy used mags for $7 when they could buy NIW for $9.

[1168]

That is no shit. Will plop down $7,000 for a registered Uzi but will then buy used mags for $7 when they could buy NIW for $9.

I know (of) a few guys with machineguns. And for the most part they buy the shittiest ammo and mags. Its strange. Some even have garbage optics. They really eff up our resident brass rat. I chuck their shitty brass into the woods so he doesn’t have a stroke.

We seem to attract volume-over-quality types.