Gun store problems

[divemedic]

I was looking for a Kimber Ultra Eclipse, so I went to the Kimber website to look for dealers in the central Florida area. While I was at it, the wife wants a new Glock 19 so she can come shoot IDPA with me. The first store I visited was Shoot Straight in Apopka. They had no Kimbers, and said that they were so busy selling other guns that they would have to look into getting the one I wanted, and would call me when they found out availability.

Then I went to Addison's Guns in Kissimmee. When I went in there, the clerk was busy telling the couple looking for their first gun about US gun laws. He was totally off base with nearly everything he said. Then he told them that the only state in the US where open carry was legal was Arizona.

I told him that Virginia allowed open carry, and I though TN did as well, as long as you had a CWP. He told me I was wrong. I went home and looked it up, and it turns out I WAS wrong- Alaska, Vermont, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, West Virginia, Kentucky, and New Mexico allow open carry as well. The dealer was totally off base.

Those two dealers just lost about $1,600 in sales today. Considering my firearms budget, this cost them some serious money.

Are there any gun stores around here that are knowledgeable and don't try to treat you like an idiot, or baffle you with BS?

I am beginning to wonder.

 

[Sevens]

Ohio allows open carry also, without a concealed carry permit. Problem is that most folks don't realize this, and when they don't realize it, they go a little goofy and THEN you have to hope the local police are up on the laws.

No matter how legal open carry is, inciting panic will get you detained and possibly charged.

Sorry I don't have any suggestions for local Florida gun stores, but you may have to either WAIT for a few months or up your tolerance for inconvenience... because the business is still nuts for most any gun dealer.

You might contact Wild Alaska on these forums who sells guns at a store in Alaska and would be more than happy to try and find what you need. You will have to come up with a local FFL who will receive the handgun for you, and you will pay a fee for that service.

Right now is a pretty tough time to be a customer in gun sales. If it looks like a gun, people are buying them and most every gun store is struggling to meet demand.

 

[Piper Cub]

Have you thought of going thru like Buds Guns on line and finding a FFL to do the transfer?

 

[lomaxanderson]

Buds

has No Kimbers in stock and now wants to auction them instead?...was there today looking online...good luck in the hunt

 

[divemedic]

I already have several Kimbers, and Colt 1911s, but I think that the Eclipse looks cool. I must have one. I bought my wife a new gun in November (a Sig Mosquito), and I am buying her one this month (a Glock 19), so I get to get another as well. (My taste is more expensive than hers)

 

[HappyGunner]

I have to agree with the first poster, you sure find a lot of very uninformed or just stupid sales people in a lot of stores. And this is not just the case with firearm stores. When I need something really bad I will disregard the stupid people in stores, but for a lot of things I will try buying them online from quality Web. stores.

Because of stupid sales people at a local store I bought two digital cameras from online Web. sites. Spending around $2000 saving about $600.

I tried going to a local T.V. store but after walking around around 20 minutes and not a single human even said hello. I went to Best Buy if I had not really been in need, my 18 year old Sony had quit. I would have bought online also. but I did get great service and a fairly good price on a 32" and 46" flat screen T.V.s

Back to many of my local firearm stores they just seem to be raking in the money with many first time buyers, and could care less about their older customers. Just my 2% on what happening today.

 

[jdscholer]

It is a sad fact that most sales people - for any product- get most of their knowledge from on the job training. It shouldn't have to be your job to train them, but like it or not you are part of the process. I've been on both sides of this training process (which never ends), and hopefully will have a good amount of useful knowledge to share for awhile before I retire. I think that a smart sales guy/gal can pretty much recognize the truth from the BS that they hear, and the smart customer can also. jd

Read signature line below.

 

[scorpion_tyr]

A business lost a great deal of money that I was ready to give them yesterday. I went in to a gun store/range that I had never been to since I'm new to the area, and was looking around for about five minutes. I had already seen at least one handgun I wanted and was willing to buy when I changed my mind.

A young man (18-20 years old) came out of the back room and up to the counter. He obviously worked there and saw another young man of about the same age logging in some new guns.

"Oh, cool! I've been wanting to check out one of these!" He said as he picked up one of the guns. He handled it for about five seconds without noticing that the muzzle was pointed right at me. He then pointed the gun at the front window, without aiming, and pulled the trigger three times. Luckily the gun wasn't loaded.

That's exactly how it went. He never once cleared the weapon, and yes there was a magazine in it. He didn't even crack open the slide. He never looked out the window to see if there was anyone out there.

I was going to wait 10 seconds so I started counting in my head. When I got to six and none of the other 3 people who worked there said anything I turned around and walked out. I'm not a wealthy man, but I had around three thousand dollars to spend that day that I now will spend elsewhere. That's also the only indoor range that I know of in this town so now they've lost a lot of money from me going there to shoot once a week.

Maybe I should have said something, but I didn't trust my mouth because I was very angry about what had just happened. At least he instinctively pointed the gun away from me when he pulled the trigger. Had he not done that I would not have walked out so quietly.

I'm only 25, but I really miss the gun stores I'm used to where the youngest guy behind the counter was 50 years old.

 

[PSP]

Those two dealers just lost about $1,600 in sales today. Considering my firearms budget, this cost them some serious money.

Are there any gun stores around here that are knowledgeable and don't try to treat you like an idiot, or baffle you with BS?

I don't see a problem. You aren't asking the clerk to build your gun, be your lawyer or represent you in congress. Who cares what gun law knowedge he has or lacks? If he could answer questions pertaining to the sale of a gun, then he did his real job IMHO.

 

[scorpion_tyr]

You aren't asking the clerk to build your gun, be your lawyer or represent you in congress. Who cares what gun law knowedge he has or lacks?

Unfortunately most people new to guns take the word of a gunstore worker as good as gold. I'll be one to voice that I'm really sick and tired of some people behind the gun counter putting urban legends and such into peoples heads. I can't count the times I've had to correct people when they've tried to tell me that my Black Talon ammo is illegal because it penetrates bullet proof vests.

The last thing I witnessed was a good friend of mine walking into the gunsmith's shop with the AR-15 he built himself. The gunsmith saw him and the first thing out of his mouth was "Boy do you even know how to handle an AR-15?"

My friend responded honestly: "Yeah the Marine Corp tought me how to handle one pretty good before I went to Iraq the first time.

Another gunstore owner told me Black Talons had a "teflon coating" while he was sitting on his computer looking at porn. Google is your friend.

Those of us that take the time to research things because we enjoy them usually know better than to believe everything we hear. People who don't know anything about firearms or are new to them sometimes don't know any better and only assume that someone who makes his living in the business is an expert on all things that go bang.

Sorry to gripe so much. I'm not complaining about every gun store employee, just some. I've also seen a 17-18 year old kid working behind the gun counter at Wal-Mart that really knew his stuff and could prove it. It was very entertaining to watch the 50 year old veteran hunter turn to him when asked a question about personal defense ammo.

 

[B.N.Real]

Just be glad you know the truth.

When a gun store let's this kind of employee sell guns,it's a bad sign.

Shop elsewhere.

Here in Northern Virginia,because most gun shops have ex police and military people running them,the law bs factor goes way down.

But the other bs factor makes going to the gun store a fun day away from work.

 

[Don P]

Divemedic, give this shop a call for availability
Florida Gun Exchange, Port orange Fl. phone # 1- 386-304-9499. I know they did have them and Glocks are in stock. Only thing to waste is a call. Good luck
You could also try A1 Firearms,Lakeland Fl # 1-863-646-3144 and Buck's Gun Rack, Daytona Beach, Fl # 1-386-252-8471 or 1-800-717-0727

 

[Playboypenguin]

Have you thought of going thru like Buds Guns on line and finding a FFL to do the transfer?

Not all gun shops are staffed by morons. Find a local shop that knows how t treat customers. Buying from on-line gun dealers takes money out of your community and consolidates it in areas that do not benefit you in anyway. People bitch about declining economies and loss of jobs in their areas and then go and buy products from out of state. It just doesn't make any sense. Plus, you usually end up dealing with jerks who do not give a darn about you once they have your money when you buy online.

Plus, I would never buy an item as expensive and as non-returnable as a firearm online without being able to handle it. Not knowing how many guns I have had to pass on in my life because it did not pass the hands-on inspection ion the showroom floor.

 

[HappyGunner]

I agree when buying a firearm it's best to look at it with your own eyes before laying out the money. I take a lot of B.S. and unneeded Info. from a few of my local gun stores when buying a new firearm. They have what I want and if the item in good to go and the price is fair, it's a done deal.

One of the really good things about the firearm forums, is there is a lot of very smart people posting on them. So you get a lot more good Info then bad. in the forums then at any firearm store.

 

[vytoland]

treat you like an idiot, or baffle you with BS

this attitude is every where , aint nothing new

 

[OldCorp]

Makes me feel pretty good about the shop that I work. The owner will only allow very experienced and knowledgeable, mature shooters to work there. A total of four (4) retired LEO's and a few part-time guys in their early 30's that are active competition shooters and are engineers by trade.
No gunshop commandos or fools there. Very large and loyal customer base, because people know that they'll be treated with interest and respect.

I absolutely HATE the commonly-found gunshop staffed by people who behave as if you have just severely inconvenienced them by walking in the door.

 

[Don P]

Divemedic, I was at the Florida Gun Exchange this morning and they have in stock 11 Kimbers, 3 Les Baers, and 1 Ed Brown. I do not know the model #'s of the Kimbers and many SA 1911's along with S&W 1911's.

 

[flight954]

There are a couple places here in Texas you may want to consider
AJC Sport Shop-Alvin TX
Bachman Pawn-Dallas TX
At on time AJC was one of the leading Kimbers dealers in America

 

[chucksolo69]

Open Carry is legal in California too, as long as the gun is NOT loaded; if you carry unoaded though, you will have every cop in the state stopping you to make sure that the gun is indeed unloaded. We have an org her in California/San Diego County called OpenCarry.org that has actually tested this and it forced the SDPD Chief to issue a memo to his troops informing them that it is legal in CA to carry unloaded. All they can do is ask to inspect the gun to make sure it is unloaded. They guys who do carry unoaded carry the gun on one side of their body and carry fully loaded magazines on the other side or in their pockets.

 

[Shadi Khalil]

About every weekend I go to the guns store to buy myself something, anything, a box of ammo, spare mag, cleaning brush, anything to tame the monkey. Well one time I was with my GF and she spotted a K9 and really liked it. It was used, the price was right so I said, "lets take a look at it" By the time that happens I've already made up my mind and I just want to give it a once over. Well we stood by the counter for a good twenty minutes while clerk after clerk passed us by. Finally one walked by on his cell phone, did a double take and said "y'all need anything?" We just turned around and left without saying anything to the guy. The next day is sent the owner an email and he asked me to come in and he would personally help me. No thanks. That's my back up store, my main store has even begun slidding lately but I attribute that to some meat head clown they just hired.