The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) publication SHOT Business runs a regular feature called Undercover Shopper. In the latest edition, Undercover guy went looking for “a good hog gun at stores near Birmingham, Alabama. I asked about models that chambered substantial rounds, were durable, and had compact barrels and iron sights—or were at least drilled for a scope. Not too much to ask, right?” The rhetorical question foreshadows phenomenal fail (e.g. “After a lengthy wait, I walked toward an idle clerk who reluctantly asked if I needed assistance.”) What’s the worst gun store you’ve ever visited? Name names, no holds barred.
Any time someone starts off their opinion piece by stating they will blatantly ignore the facts, I immediately stop reading because they have nothing of value to say.
Well, he’s been found guilty of assault. Sentencing is June 25. Sheriff Monson resigned without giving a reason. http://isanticountynews.com/2014/03/19/man-found-guilty-of-felony-assault-in-september-2012-road-rage-incident/
Making MORE laws will not help the police in Bloomfield. I know that town, it’s right next to Newark and by East Orange. There have always been illegal guns EASILY obtained in that area. This is just more bullcrap lip service by a liberal politician who is trying to pretend he is making a difference.
+1000 Anon. I don’t CARE either. Something about shall not be infringed.
This article, and many of the the comments, are exactly why many Liberal gun owners (like me) are no longer NRA members. If you want to win this war against our rights, STOP DISSIN’ FELLOW GUN OWNERS. Geez….
This is why.
http://www.cmosnetworks.com/WhyWeNeedToWelcomeLiberals.html
– T
Every financial institution in the world uses batch processing to process thousands of transactions a minute. Theres no excuse for the atf to have trouble dumping data into a database of some kind and automating form transfers. Whether they use a flat file database, a relational database, ect…it should not have issues with batch processing. Im no expert…but banks have been doing this stuff since at least the 70s. This is first year computer science stuff. I know for a fact I could write a oracle or ms sql server database web app for form processing in about a week. And I haven’t programmed in 3 years. If a small credit union can have members fill out xml forms all day for loans and other bs with no issues…our own tax and spend and create fake money government should be able to do it as well.
I had to explain to the guy behind the counter at Bass Pro what the FMJ and HP on the boxes of 7.62×39 meant and why I wanted FMJ instead of HP…
If they don’t like that I can outgun them then they should carry Mosins too!
(partly in jest, but most of the toys they own couldn’t stop something in the 7.62x54R/.308 class, MRAP yes, plate body armor perhaps one, bearcats or soft body armor no)
I’ve nominated them before, and I’ll say it again: Bullet Hole in Belleville, NJ. There are some good gun shops in NJ and a lot of bad ones, but this one is the absolute worst. Again, just because you have one of the few gun stores in the area AND you have a small range, doesn’t mean you can treat your customers like crap. The customer service is terrible, the dinky range isn’t very safe…there is no reason to spend money there. I will gladly drive an hour or more to different stores/ranges just to avoid that crap shack. But I’m not bitter.
Amen on Bullethole. I used to shoot at that pisshole when I was in college. It’s ran by a retired Bellville cop who treats people like they are garbage.
The minute you ask for a range they immediately demand in a rude manner to see your FID Card.
I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, so I went to their range a few times, just as long as I didn’t have to deal with the counter crew. Except for a few regulars, many people in that crammed, dinky range are new to guns and do not know how to handle them safely. And even if they do, they think they are the know-it-all tough guys who can do whatever they want. And that’s sort of the case, since the range officers seldom speak up. They’d rather be buddies with those guys than enforce safety rules. Speaking of which, there’s no safety briefing at all for people new to guns, which, speaking from experience, makes for some unsafe conditions. So I stopped going there and I won’t be back. Unfortunately, there isn’t much competition for them in the area, that’s why they can stay in business even though it’s obvious they should do something else for a living. You can read others’ horror stories on Yelp or Google.
Wolverine shooting sports.
Clerk there was male, late 40’s, black. always wore body armor and said ‘affirmative’ to everything. Look, pal, if you were that high speed and low drag, you wouldn’t be working in a gun shop, you’d be out dusting tangos or something.
So i had a catastrophic failure on an xd(m), the slide flew completely off the frame after a cycle, i didn’t know if there was non ejected brass, nothing, or a live cartridge in the chamber. So i did what i’ve been taught to do: i called a cease fire and headed up to the counter, and informed tactical ted what had happened and what i had done and that i was requesting advice on how to behave on his range with half a potentially loaded and nearly destroyed pistol 5 yards down range.
he proceeded to start screaming at me about gun safety rules and how i put the whole range in danger and that i shouldn’t have called a ceasefire on his range. that i should have just stopped the guys (wtf) and went forward of the firing line to retrieve my slide. he was a complete idiot, the sort of guy who growls about m14’s and 1911’s while looking down on everyone in the range. you know, the kinda guy who is a total operator but couldn’t run 20 feet without falling down and having a heart attack.
i’ve never spent another dollar there, and won’t ever again.
Are you talking about the one in Brownstown Michigan.
My EDC is 40S&W but when in the woods my “old friend” is a Ruger Blackhawk 41 mag. with 6 inch bbl. loaded with 265 lead bullets in front of a sizeable charge if H110. It stings a little from my end but will stop anything short of a tank, even bears.
Glenwood Gun & Pistol Range. EASILY the WORST GUN SHOP. Glenwood,Illinois. The crazy old man who runs it is racist, rude, deaf & INSANE. Crappy selection, high prices, paranoid behavior, aggressive German Shepherd . I buy & sell for a living I can deal with almost anyone. How THIS old guy stays in BUSINESS is way beyond me. Anybody else been there?
Sportsman’s Warehouse in Silverdale WA. It changed hands several times since then, but I still don’t go there, as I was basically banned from the store.
The story…
SW was my local Cabela’s equivalent, a huge store with lots of goodies, and a huge guns section. The problem was their staffing, as the managers only seemed to hire cute college age girls who knew nothing about products in fishing and camping/hiking sections. However that didn’t bother me too much.
What bothered me were the “owners’ buddies” type assholes at the gun counter, who would jabber with each other for minutes on end, even when you stood at the corner and tried your best to look interested.
One of them started bringing his hound dogs and puppies to work, and you could hear them howling and baying as soon as you walked into the warehouse store. It echoed through the whole place. Sorry to hound lovers, but I absolutely hate the sound of these breeds. Customers shouldn’t feel like they walked into a kennel.
The last straw was the ammo and firearms selection. I’m an AK and milsurp guy, and SW refused to stock anything but fuddish rifles and shotguns, along with pistols and a pretty large selection of ARs. They always had tons of .223/5.56 ammo in bulk displays (pre Sandy Hook days).
NEVER did I find a single box of 7.62×39, or any other combloc caliber for that matter.
I was in a bad mood one day and finally went up to the guy at the counter, and asked him “what’s the deal with your bulk ammo? you have tons of AR food, but I’ve never seen a single box of 7.62×39 any where on your shelves. what’s the deal?”
The guy actually said, “what’s that for?” I said “AKs and SKSes mostly.” His response? “We don’t sell that commie shit here, sounds like you better go somewhere else.” I asked to speak to the manager of the guns section. “That’s me” he says. Wow.
I told him he could shove his shitty department where the sun don’t shine, he told me not to come back, and I never did. The chain owner went bankrupt later that year and gutted/reworked the place. It might be better now, but I don’t live near it any more and I don’t care to find out.
Jesus. How the hell do people like this stay in business, scorning the weapons of their customers. Oh, wait. I just kept reading. They DON’T stay in business.
Every Local Gun Store. Every single one that I’ve ever visited in 20 states over 25 years. Customer interest/service varies between laughable to hostile to non-existent. Seriously, short of corporate big boxes, POTG are seemingly unable run a customer service business – except at gun shows, then for some reason they act civilized.
If you aren’t one of the old farts that hangs out all day you’ll be ignored, till they feel like it. Short of slapping down a stack of c-notes on the counter. (Though I’ve done that more than once, and they still took their sweet time…)
If I want a new gun I just order through an FFL friend.
Vandalia Tactical (in Vandalia, Ohio) is probably the worst one I’ve been to.
Their selection isn’t actually too bad, but everything is a ripoff. Plus, my friend was in there once and he picked up some rifle off the shelf to inspect it (as you should when you’re going to drop $500+ on a product) and some old man behind the counter remarked “Gotta touch everything!!” in a very unfriendly tone.
Neither of us have ever gone back there.
Good to know. New to Dayton that WAS going to be my first stop for a new LGS.
Atlantic Gun and Tackle in Bedford, OH. Dark, dingy, I was there at the height of the panic, complete panic pricing and the guys behind the counter were really hamming up the panic and how we’d never see freedom again. Due to its location, you’ll see a more diverse crowd there, which I think is good, minorities need guns too, but at the same time, it looked like it was often frequented by thug wannabes. They have a location in Brecksville that is much cleaner, brighter and friendlier, I haven’t been to either since then but I never plan on going back to the Bedford store.
+1 On Atlantic Gun & Tackle in Bedford. They are also at the very top of the ATF’s list of stores responsible for the majority of straw purchase/crime guns in NE Ohio.
My opinion is that gun stores and dealers in general treat customers like they are stupid. Almost all people in this business talk down to their customers for some reason
I’m into quite a few solo-oriented gear-based hobbies and ‘tude often comes with the territory. Mix in the highly opinionated and independent nature of more dedicated POTG and even a stack of perfectly good cash still isn’t enough to keep them from puffing out their chest. I finally found a shop with no ‘tude but that is likely because the owner runs his shop crew like an Imperial Japanese battleship captain.
I wonder if that’s because a lot of their customers ACT stupid?
Theres a really rude guy at my local cabelas who is always rude to everybody. I’ve almost lost my temper with him a couple if times, luckily I haven’t. Everybody else are fairly knowledgable and helpful, as well as friendly.
Not going to name names or locations, but it used to be my only local option. They’ve since come under new ownership, and last time I was there was wonderful.
However, once upon a time, things were not so. There was a rack of engraved Steyer (and comparable) bolt actions with an average price between five and six thousand dollars (in one of the most economically depressed areas in the country), and you’d be ignored or otherwise treated like you didn’t matter if you were more interested in, say, a Mosin or K31 on the “used” rack. And the looks you’d get if you asked about a GLOCK or Springfield when there was a custom handmade 1911 in the same case… It was similarly unthinkable in one clerk’s “professional” opinion to look at Ruger or Browning for a .22 plinker when there was a perfectly good S&W model 41 right there for just three or four times the price. I have to wonder if the counter clerks were payed on commission.
They did actually treat me quite well when I ordered (and picked up) my G22 through them (again, only local option, plus only authorized dealer within 100 miles), but that involved a .22 long gun that had an MSRP of almost twice that of any they had on the shelf at the time.
Illinois Gun Works. Elmwood Park, IL. Used to be my home range because it was 5 minutes from my house, and the range fee was $10. They rarely had more than 10 firearms in stock. The range was dirty, and they never monitored it for unsafe behavior. It has closed and was torn down for a McDonald’s.
Which would you rather have, a Jennings, or a Big Mac with extra cheese and fries?
Love the old style 226. First gun I bought after getting out of the USMC 11 years ago. Sold it like a dumbass. Picked up a police trade in beater (circa ’98 vintage) 2 years ago, just ’cause. Glad I did. I shoot glocks best, but don’t sleep on the 226. I’ve been out of the SiG loop for awhile, and it seems like a different company now, but the tried and true 226es are legendary and fantastic heaters. I will probably always keep mine around as a loaner/beater/spare/go to hell gun.
I’ve had two bad experiences at two seperate Academy Sports in the DFW area. I don’t remember the exact locations, it’s been awhile.
One location the older guy at the gun counter literally attempted to dissuade me from buying handgun.
He said he didn’t believe people should be able to have handguns and that I would likely just end up shooting myself.
The other location the guy said that he didn’t think “civilians” should have “assault weapons.” It was during the Obama panic, the second one I think, so people were buying ARs like crazy- camping out for them even.
Anyways, I was getting shotgun stuff and I guess he thought maybe since I wasn’t buying an evil assault weapon that I thought like him.
Those are the only two “bad experiences” I’ve had, other than the typical gun lore and mythology you hear at every gun stores.
Guns Unlimited in Omaha has a great staff except for the manager. He’s an old Fudd who still thinks that you can’t dry fire any gun. Sure there are some limitations in regards to dry firing some guns but if I can’t at a minimum try out the trigger, GO FUCK YOURSELF! That’s like a car salesman not even letting you sit in the car before you buy it let alone test drive it. Bass Pro shops are even worse with trigger locks on every damn gun.
http://www.azfamily.com/home/16th-bighorn-sheep-dies-in-mountains-near-Tucson-250703791.html
It’s much worse percentage-wise. They didn’t transplant 431 sheep, but only 31. And 16 have been killed.
American Classic Marksman in Norcross, GA (since changed names and under new ownership I believe)
Typical LGS. Hostility and condescension were the norm, assuming you could get anyone’s attention to begin with. Academy dropouts, Fudd’s and one morbidly obese windbag behind the counter. Once an employee–let’s call him Angry Middle-Aged White Male–regarded my dark-featured friend with suspicion as we tried to pay for our range session.
“Do you speak English?” he said to my friend.
“No, I speak American,” my friend deadpanned.
I hate gun stores.
You can get a safety lever with a “notch” that you can use to lick the bolt back. The notch is for the charging handke . Google for more details.
Saint Petersburg Police Pistol Club. This place is a real SHIT HOLE, built in the 70s or 80s. Place stinks when you enter. Plus ED the retired cop that runs the place has run off more business then the place ever brought in to begin with!! Hes got the worst personality of anyone you’ve ever met. HATES BLACKS, and YOUNG PEOPLE! IS FLAT OUT RUDE, CRUDE, and down right MEAN! He actually told me to SHUT MY FIN MOUTH AND SHOOT! I guess talking to other shooters in a friendly way is against the rules! He stays in the front of the range all night watching a 14 inch black and white TV, Perry Mason if I recall. Ohhhh heres the best part, at any time there will be multiple lanes open and yet he will make you wait so that when his ex cop friends come in they have a fully operational firing lane. Instead of one that blows the circuit breaker if you leave it running more than 10 sec at a time. And OOOHHHH BOY if you pop the breaker, all you will see is a flashlight coming and his fowl temper cursing at you for shorting his SHIT HOLE WIRRING OUT!! LOVELY PLACE TO HAVE TO SHOOT!!! NOT!! If they actually hired someone that liked people, and remodeled the DUMP, it would be a decent range. I personally drive almost an hour in one direction just to shoot Rather then 8 mins to his place. Ohh just another couple of things, don’t have your target fall off the cardboard backing!! A new shooter that a few of us were helping teach him some safety and fundamentals to dropped his first target he had ever hung in a range before, Ohh god, all you herd was ED CURSING OUT this young man until he got so upset, he just packed up and left. Ed latter made the comment “that little pus$ couldn’t take the heat”. Then said and I get back the new target for free and the lane!! Ohh that reminds me, one target to choose from A BULLSEYE TARGET with that old ass yellowish tint paper with the black circles! Save your money go some where else, any where else. And this type of thing goes on almost every time I went! Apparently the range is no place to relax, talk to other like minded people that share the same interests! You PAY, YOU SHOOT, YOU GET THE FUC^ OUT!! ED’s POLICY!! Should have bin a prison guard, miserable old ass fellow that should never deal with the public, or people in general!! If you have a HORROR story from this place, please share!!
Substantial round, durable, compact barrel and iron sights? Ruger M77 Gunsite Scout. Not sure if it’s the best option for the beast of a boar you had up here a little while back, but it fits the criteria.
Man maybe the writer of this story should have asked if any of us have bin to a LGS and Range that didn’t SUCK ASS!!! Lol Seems like most of these gun ranges HATE US SHOOTERS more than the OBAMA ADMIN!!! Something for you asshole LGS and Ranges to think about!! There just taking money and supplying SHIT SERVICE, do to all the new gun owners out there! And what I mean by this is simple, we the gun guys and girls that have been keeping these shitty places in business for the last 20 years have bin replaced by the NEW GUN OWNER. The new gun owner in general, is not going to know if a firearm was built like shit, there new to the whole industry. Where as I am not, and can tell quality on all production guns in the last 2 years has become SHIT LIKE!!!!!! I have had more stuff come back in and shipped back to factory for replacements this year, than in the last 25 years as a gunsmith. And before the guys at S&W, GLOCK new your business and who you were is over, now even I have problems dealing with S&W over out of spec parts!! Remember when the customer was always right,LOL THOSE DAYS ARE GONE!! They don’t care if they loose a 30 year customer, they will replace you with 100 new customers that have NO IDEA what they just bought to defend their life with, IS JUNK!! Time for the American gun owner stand up to these companies that dumped all there R&D on the consumer!! And time to bring back more REAL GUNSMITHS, and LESS GUN TECHS or ASSEMBLERS!!
Southern Arizona stands with you!
JJ’s guns
crosby MN.
First experience was just fine, was special ordering some handgun ammo from them, no problems.
Couple years later went back shopping for a rifle and was completely ignored even though there were persons standing behind the counter BSing with themselves. Asking to see specific a specific rifle it was grudgingly handed to me, I looked at it, handed it back, they took the rifle put it back on the rack & turned back to BSing. again ignoring me.
Gun store or store with guns? Dick’s. Hands down. Or hands up if you prefer.
Know how to keep guns from killing the innocent? DON’T POINT ONE AT AN INNOCENT PERSON. Easy enough.
Now, how do we keep swimming pools from killing the innocent?
concrete.
Mr Guns, cedar falls, IA
A very small single owner shop. Guy was only interested in interacting with you if you tell him straight out that you will be buying something. Didn’t want to answer questions to someone that was new and trying to get into shooting, wouldn’t let you try the trigger on anything, or even the action of bolts on rifles. Was completely ignored a couple times, never went back.
The jury is substantially to blame. They should have nullified and found him unconditionally not guilty.
I’m not sure there was a jury…not all cases (such as small fines/misdemeanors) warrant one. Or sometimes the defendant is prompted by their legal counsel to take a bench trial.
GAT In East Dundee IL has great product availability, ok prices but the customer service is really hit and miss. Ive had people be awesome, I’ve had people treat me like dog crap. Product knowledge is above average, inventory is good. But their glocks are 20% too high.
My guns have never killed a person. Paper plates and balloons yes, but a person? Never.
This is one of those people that(incorrectly) equate “gun” with “automatic death”. The mere sight of a gun will cause you to die in a grotesque manner, like when the Nazi’s opened the Ark in Indiana Jones; your skin to melt, your blood will burst into flames and you’ll have diarrhea at inappropriate times.
The capacity to kill is not dictated by the gun/knife/blunt object but the person who is wielding it and their intent, Mr. Willis has yet to understand this. Anything and I mean ANYTHING can be used as a weapon or to kill someone; all the user needs is the will to use it.
sounds like a lot of LGS could benefit from a customer service and marketing course
Thanks for the compliments, folks!
The rifle is an old WASR 10 with all the faults they are infamous for and it is the most robust firearm I’ve ever known. The T shirt was a gift (my wife has a matching one), the hat is from a shop in Tombstone and, no, I don’t scream like a girl when I see scorpions. Not anymore, anyway. They still give me the wllies, though.
My WASR was the first AK I ever bought. I was advised against it by many snobs, but an AK collector friend of mine advised me not to listen to the snobs and buy one any way.
It’s been the most reliable rifle I’ve ever owned. I lost count of how many rounds I’ve sent through it – multiple cases of 500 and 1000. Never a single failure that I can remember – not a single one. And it still shoots good groups (for an AK) out to 200 yards with a 4x POSP – haven’t shot it any further than that.
A note about my weight: I am 6’4 and big boned. I have what appears to be a surplus of fat, but it is simply steel-like muscle.
It amuses me no end that people have so little mental horsepower available to them that they have to resort to fifth grade fat jokes.
I win the Internet!
Just me, but I would never go into a gun shop looking for advice on what I should get based on my needs… this isn’t the the early 90’s where the internet was a vast wasteland of nothingness – we live in the 21st century where a plethora of information is at our fingertips, with user reviews, opinions and experts galore, far more than any gun shop in existence. For any gun purchase I’ve ever made, I researched based on my needs, narrowed my selection down to a few (or one in some cases), and range tested to see what might work best if possible and made my purchase.
This piece was all over the map, but he touched on all the same points that I’ve heard repeated over and over.
Machine guns. Guns are designed to kill. Paranoia. George Zimmerman. The NRA is bad. Blah, blah, blah.
Same stuff, different guy.
But, I do agree with one part…
“I don’t care if the initiatives I support have 1% support or 99% support.”
I don’t care what any politician, poll, study, or columnist says, or how much support I have, or do not have, my rights aren’t for sale.
Atlantic Guns in silver spring, maryland. Very high prices with no service to justify.
I’m still a little bitter at Engage Armament in Rockville, Maryland. When I was a noob and trusted someone’s advice to go stop in, they sold me a slightly used mossberg 500 for $450. It was my ignorance and I’ve taken it as a learning lesson, but they completely took advantage of noobness.
Kinda sorta related I guess– read an update of the “overexuberant teenager” business in Louisville, Ky. There have in fact been charges filed–for threatening police officers. That is all….
So where was the ATF during all this gun smuggling shenanigans?
Oh yeah they were raiding Ares Armory… at the insistence of one’s like the (not so) distinguish Mr. Lee.
Sad that it was the FBI that had to break this case.. i thought the “F” was for firearms?
To whoever designed this, DIAF.
Particularly since the MSRP is entering the range of other better quality options like Blade-tech.
I can’t say that I have visited a “worst”. I certainly did not have the greatest experience when the new Cabela’s opened in our town but in all fairness they were filled to the rafters with customers. Then there was the time I went to the Gander Mountain in town and stood their in front of the AR’s for a full 20 minutes and never saw a clerk. I did go back the next day however (after going to Cabela’s again and discovering the AR I wanted was out of stock) and was promptly waited on and went home the happy owner of a new black rifle. A couple of frustrated experiences but that does not make them the worst.
MIC holster.
forgive me ignorance but would this holster be the nylon equivalent of a crossbreed or alien gear?
due to religious reasons, i generally don’t wear leather. it’s always nice knowing that there’s an alternative.
Gun Center in Frederick, MD.
The story has the greatest selection in the area but the owner is the biggest jerk ive ever talked to you, he acts like he doesnt have the time of day to even look at you.
I recognize my shield, but as we know “Jack of all trades, master of none”. Does that apply here?
My Comp-tac Infidel works great at 4:00 but drifts toward 6:00. If my jeans had a belt loop at 4:00 the holster has a feature to straddle it and hold it in place.
Any body have the UM? Love to hear an opinion of a user.
“The idea that we need to arm ourselves against our own government is the worst sort of right wing paranoia.”
Mr Willis certainly has a lot of faith in the eternal benevolence of governments. One wonders how familiar he is with 20th century history.
The area between Prineville and Burns, OR has several cats on display in different business locations, all measure over 9′ and all weighed close to 200 pounds. A number of folks have fallen to cougars over the past decade. The Prog Feds and their minions have made law abiding ruralites out to be crazed FUDDS when they attempt to protect their animals and family giving rise to “SSS”.
Having shot a cat inside my kitchen during a remodel I have sympathy with those forced into such endeavors
Heavy Metal Firearms, Steven Point , WI…hands down the absolute worst…
Bad attitudes and high prices abound…
http://www.heavymetalfirearms.com/
Gratz Ray! Let me know if you’re selling . . . .
a ksg is regarded by most as a good shotgun correct (unlike uts 15)?
Congrats to Ray from Texas! I hope that gun is as awesome as it appears!
Be assured I will NOT be stopping by your place after dark for a free, no-appointment-necessary-just-walk-in demo.
@Dan,
It wasn’t the giveaways as such, it was the fact that they cropped up every day, unpleasantly like being nagged.
And the first one was for a gun that (apparently) is regarded as a POS. (I didn’t mind the KSG but then I do associate it with the Day By Day comic now, and it seemed to run for fewer days.)
This blog is about “gun stores” which pretty much rules out places like wally world since they don’t depend on firearms as a main draw.
I;ve got 2 the first is Shooter’s World in Phoenix they tried to sell me a Class 3 on which they were “only” making 5% markup because they were doing the xfer/process for a good customer (it was a class 3 Reisling). They only wanted $1500 for it. I finally bought the firearm (the same one) for $799 from a quality dealer in Scottsdale. I guess my 5% calculator and theirs don’t work the same.
Second: A place called August Arms in Rio Rancho, NM it is/was dark, dirty and the counter help was usually a couple of gang bang looking kids who already knew more than anyone who came in the store. The only one worse was the owner whom was condesing and rude and also knew more than the rest of us. I understand they finally closed up shop after being sued for sexual harassment all in all they were a poster for everything about a gun shop that should have never existed.
How about a blog on the “best” gun shops ever visited I’ve got a huge list of those I would recommend.
Lived in the high country in Arizona for many years. While looking for survey markers to determine some property lines I found myself being “followed?” by one. If you want a creepy feeling just try and concentrate on your work knowing such a cat is checking you out. I was armed (.30 carbine rifle) but they were/are protected and I really did not want to shoot one. That plus just try and hit something that you only catch a glimpse and makes no noise. I never did see the whole cat just a head, a tail or chunks of a body and it moved between rocks and bushes. This was early afternoon, since they are usually nocturnal I suspect somebody was hungry it had been another very dry season in AZ. I had a long careful couple mile hike back to my jeep. I returned the next day and finished my work but for the rest of that summer I took a blue heeler with me as an early warning system. I did not see the cat again
Hooray for who? Ray!
Now, make sure to repost this article fifteen more times so nobody forgets, okay?
Bass Pro in Altoona, IA
I have shopped at all of the gun stores in a 100 mile radius and the only place that sent me away from their gun counter in disgust was Bass Pro. I do shop there for other stuff but no guns anymore.
Incident 1.
I am looking for a Marlin 336C. I walk up to their wall of guns and stand next to the lever actions. A nice clerk comes up to me after 5 minutes to ask me what I would like to see. I say Marlin 336C. She then proceeds to go to the far end in the Bolt actions and works her way down the rifle’s tags through the ARs and finally to where I was standing to find a Marlin 336C. I ask to see the one in with a blued finish, she hands me the stainless. I look it over and then walk out. Went and bought the 336C from the ma and pa place about 10 miles away with one guy working the counter who knows what he is talking about.
Incident 2.
I am in the market for a set of rings, bases, and a cheap scope for a shotgun project. I look online and see some interesting prospects but I am pressed for time so I head over to the closest place (Bass Pro). I stand at the counter looking at some of the lower powered cheaper optics they had. I found a mount that had a weaver style base. I noticed there was a cheap scope with some weaver rings that came with and I asked to look at it to check clarity and the reticle. The clerk asks me what I wanted to do with it and I told him. He says oh!, that scope can only be fitted on an Assault Rifle. I said ok and walked away putting my mount back where I got it and proceeded to cannabalise another project at home to complete the shotgun one I was working on. Assault Rifle my butt!
They were all good kids though, right?
Just happy someone in the city has some common sense!
Confront potentially deadly attacks on your person or property with deadly force. This is an inalienable right. Anyone that stands in the way of this is either a moron or a sissy.
Long Island Shooting Center
Sign the petition:
http://www.recallsweeney.com/petition/
I can vouch for Jerry’s Shooting Irons in Ocean Springs, MS, but there are worst ones. I had one good experience there on a FFL transfer, and after that it went down hill. The last time I was in there was on my last trip to Ocean Springs in September 2011, thought I would drop by and see what was there. I guess I got Jerry, and he is even more cranky than he was in 2005 when I was living there.
I have had good and bad experiences in Alaska at all the gun shops in Anchorage, just depends on who you get behind the counter I guess.
Metal Gear Soild circa 1881
“Come at me, bro!”
1st Gen Reactive targets
The costume party judges were at an impasse; was he dressed as Ned Kelly or a distillery?
Personal body armor in the 1800’s, was not quite up to more recent standards.
“Our Gang’s” Spanky out to defend the 2A against that milk toast Alfalfa looking to impress anti-gun Darla.
Btw, Miss Crabtree carried a snubby .32 in her handbag.
Worked so well at the driving range,why not at the rifle range????
“Interest free credit cards are your friend”
ACTUALLY did that today to finish my first AR. A $550 complete rifle with 2 mags.
this weekend will show if it works well.
What thickness of polycarbonate sheets is necessary to stop most handgun rounds?
Bonus question: what thickness and spacing of two polycarbonate sheets would be necessary to stop most handgun rounds?
How much gummi bear do you need in between each layer?
They are really bad at draughting laws. To get the effect they wanted, they should have written “No person shall…”, not “A person shall not…”. With that one, any lawyer could have a field day searching precedents and context to argue that “A person” referred to a particular person barred from doing that, leaving all others free to do so.
When the city is almost 100% black, there’s no racial angle for the media to play on.
I gave a PredatAR with a 14.5″ barrel, really wanting to get a .308 SBR been waffling between a AR or SCAR 17 for my platform. Right now I have a OBR with 18″ barrel chambered in .308 for my mid to long range rifle, currently working in my 300 win mag bolt gun to get it fine tuned
I am curious why you would want a sbr 7.62 platform.
I like the Magpul UBR stock and it is on several of my rifles; the little triangle storage area is the perfect spot for some origami stamp & declaration action.
Sandbags work pretty well, I wonder if you could fill a parka with sand.
” ‘roided out candy”. ‘Bout spit my icewater all over the keyboard! Thanks for the laugh!
I’m the Black Knight. I’m Invincible. I’m NOT a loony.
Declare your torso a bullet hole free zone. Done.
Ducking behind a filing cabinet when folks are shooting squirrel 223 rounds at you is a bad idea?
So how is thin sheet metal followed by 12 inches of paper followed by more sheet metal a bad thing?
Nagel’s in San Antonio. Nothing but rude no it alls there. By contrast, I’ve never had a bad experience at Durys in the same city. Hence, I buy my guns from Durys at a slightly higher price. Customer service is worth the cost.
A can of gasoline and a match is a more powerful weapon than what the cops have ffs.
Pfft, and Dan Zimmerman says you cannot create effective home made body armor
Rem Oil Can!…………………. Rem Oil Can!
Just bought one along with a few 8 rd. mags. Glad I held off on a Saiga.
Interestingly enough, modern soft armor is little different in design, save the materials, from early soft body armor used in Europe called the gambeson. Gambesons were made either to be used under chain or plate armor, or (as particularly used by the peon infantry) as a standalone garment. They were made of multiple layers of (usually) linen, quilted over a wool stuffing, and the thickest varieties were able to stop arrows. They were of course quite warm, which was not a good thing in battle. For the wealthy, multiple layers of silk were used, which would have been lighter and more durable. Modern soft armor is pretty much the same, substituting Kevlar fibers for silk or cotton. Silk still shows great promise, as it is actually stronger, ounce for ounce, than Kevlar, and advanced weaving techniques make it extraordinarily tough, but does not disperse impact very well. Nanofibers and tubes are also being considered.
All soft armor is a compromise. between penetration resistance (which is accomplished with fibers that “give” and spread the impact over a larger area than the cross-section of the projectile) and defense against blunt force trauma (which is accomplished with stiffer fibers that are conversely easier to penetrate). for example, chain mail over a gambeson is virtually impenetrable by an edged weapon or arrow, but does not resist blunt force trauma that can break bones. Plate armor is also impenetrable to arrows and swords, and resists blunt force trauma better–until the projectile is a soft round ball traveling 700 ft/sec. And by the time you get the steel thick enough to be bullet proof, it becomes ungainly heavy. (As an aside, the term “bullet proof” was first used to describe armor that had been tested and shown to resist penetration by firearms of the day–and was usually shown by a small dent on the armor plate over he wearer’s heart where the test had been conducted.)
Iron man combat suit version one point uh-oh..
Nice AK! (and matching t-shirt…)
Typical Illinois resident before their concealed carry law passed.
The ultimate steampunk!
I’m not sure that this picture is appropriate for this article. It isn’t humorous, its from a serious campaign to stop discrimination in its tracks.
Y’all know that insults and ad homs ain’t the same thing right?
Did he sign with MSNBC yet? Those commies would love him.
Can I get a tracked version (ZSU-23, I believe)? The ammo would be kind of expensive now that Leland Yee is going to be doing some time…
I think you should be able to buy any arms you want, as long as you can buy it. Yes, even nukes. But nobody will buy one, because they don’t have a reason to pay that much for something they’ll never use.
Battleships, fighters, tanks, artillery….. Buy what you can afford and be responsible.
Police all over this great land of ours do seem to have a problem differentiating between guns, cell phones, combs, iPads and Pop Tarts, don’t they?
Well, no dogs were shot during the making of this movie, so there’s that. Anyway, the BG made a furtive movement, which is defined in the cop manual as “breathing.”
Based on the current rules of engagement, the cop was entitled to do anything and everything within his power to go home safely, even if he was already there.
Speaking of piston guns, maybe you folks at TTAG news central can do a piece on Al Zita of ZM Weapons. He was all the buzz a decade ago but seems to have dropped off the edge of the world when Para bought his design then went belly up.
We are missing the important question, “What does the caliber I carry say about me as an individual”?
When I carry one of my .40 S&W guns I feel like a free spirit, like I don’t have anything to prove. If somebody wants to go on waxing poetic about calibers I’m the guy that will just smile and nod.
Don’t want anyone to think I only carry .40 or drive a minivan.
Yo, b!tch. I told you to change my diaper, now!
If ID requirements are passed, the liberals will just make sure the illegals get IDs. Whatever it takes to get their new voting faction of illegal aliens throwing the elections to the Democrats.
A closed one
Recently purchased gun (10/10/15) at GAT Guns East Dundee, IL. BODYGUARD 380 was jamming 5 times during my first shooting session the day I picked it up. I have used 4 different types of ammo, I shot 120 rounds and I got 5 of them jamming (not extracting the last one). I looked closely at this gun during the cleaning time and it looks to me like it this gun was already used!!! GAT Guns sold me this gun as a new one!!! There are few marks on the slide (typical wear signs when it is carried in the pocket or holster) Also few scuffing under the CT laser on the polymer part of the gun. I went back to GAT guns showing this to them and of course I received info that this is a brand new gun. I do not think so!! Previous gun I was about to pick up was having problem with loading magazine (at the time I was picking up a gun), so they decided to replace it for this one. Right at the moment I had a feeling something is not right, both magazines were dirty, showing previous usage. I understand gun was test fired at S&W but magazines were looking like somebody shot many rounds. I asked if this is something I got by mistake and the gun was used in cancelled carry trainings or so, again same answer by manager – it is a brand new gun! They went to do test fire shots at GAT Guns range and it jammed again. I asked if the gun can be replaced – NO, was the answer. They told me they can buy this gun from me and sell me a different one! What???? Defective product, cannot be replaced it has to be repaired, so now I have to wait 4-6 weeks for S&W gunsmith to look at it and get it fixed. Just to want to point this out – THIS IS MY CARRY GUN !!! And my life DEPENDS on this junk!! I am very disappointed that GAT Guns has no other way of taking care of there customers. This is not my first gun I bought there, previously no problems and now – what a poor customer care!!! I have pictures how this gun looks like, it shows all of those signs that someone was already using it, GUT Guns makes me look stupid, thinking that this is a brand new gun. Beware!!! 10/13/15
LEPD in Columbus, OH is one of the worst I have been to.
Way overpriced on practically every firearm and accessory I have looked at in their store.
Range only allows .22 rifle, but if you want to shoot 5.56 or .308, you must purchase their frangible ammo at almost or more than $1/round. No shot from your shotgun, but you may shoot slugs. Their reasoning is that when they first opened someone damaged their backstops. I think they cheaped out on the backstop and now customers are paying.
I would also add in both Field and Stream stores. Most expensive stores I have ever been in. I spent ~20 min. looking at handguns in the cases and none ever asked if I wanted to see anything. Their sale prices were way higher than another nearby store (Vance’s).
I recently had a bad experience with GG&G, best known for AR-15 components. I had placed an order with them and when they failed to move forward on it I had a heck of a time cancelling the order. It was a really big hassle.
Subsequently I posted a review of my experience with GG&G online and got some pretty nasty responces from their allies in return. One in particular was the proprietor of Arizons Rifleworks of Glendale, Az. who accused me of making the whole story up and threatened to have me prosecuted for slander. Internet blowhards will be Internet blowhards but I would caution anyone considering doing business with this company to think twice, as customer relations is a term they seem to struggle with.
That’s Arizona Rifleworks.
So strong.-