Comments on: Podcast: Paul Helinski on the shooting industry

By: Day late, and a dollar short

Day late, and a dollar short — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:16:30 +0000

I believe in helping out the local gun shops 100%. I try to order through them as much as possible. Even if I’m getting custom guns straight from the gunsmith, I ask first if they can order it from them first. Otherwise, it’s a $50 transfer if they CAN’T get it, or $100 transfer if they can. Those are the prices at all the local shops in NJ, after them, tolls and gas get figured into the equation.

As a bonus, the shop I do 98% of my shopping at supports my interest 110%. If it wasn’t for them, I most likely wouldn’t be shooting today.

By: ATLien

ATLien — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:29:55 +0000

The Catch-22 is this:

Because of a lack of stocking dealers, the same dealers charge a little too much for their wares. The lack of competition from more stocking dealers means that they can charge pretty much whatever they want, and that means exorbitant prices in some instances. I’ll be glad to transfer through them if they have a reasonable transfer fee, but I’m not gonna pay $100 more for a gun because they’re a local gun store.

By: Rob K

Rob K — Wed, 28 May 2008 21:08:59 +0000

I forgot about Flat Creek, but from what I’ve heard from co-workers who shot there, Flat Creek wasn’t really a fully stocking dealer, that they were mostly consignment sales and orders with their focus primarily on their range. They don’t have anything listed at GunBroker right now. I meant to take a friend over there to shoot full-autos for his birthday, but it didn’t happen this year. I’ll go check them out this evening, anyway.

By: Caleb

Caleb — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:09:48 +0000

Well, yeah – I support dealers that are interested in supporting the shooting sports and being ambassadors to the community at large.

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:06:59 +0000

Unless that local dealer is Don’s :)

By: Caleb

Caleb — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:08:53 +0000

Rob K, Check out Flat Creek Range. They're located off Olympia drive and are open until 9pm Tuesday-Saturday. I don't know anything about their customer service, but they do have the hours to service your needs.

By: Rob K

Rob K — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:05:03 +0000

I’d like to do business with the local dealers, but the one problem I have with them is the same problem I have with all small local businesses — they’re never open when I’m shopping. Every gun shop in Lafayette (except Sportsman’s Warehouse, the big chain) closes by 5 or 5:30 in the afternoon. I bought my oldest her first rifle, a pink-stocked stainless steel Cricket, for her 10th birthday. I had to buy it at the Castleton Gander Mountain. If Gander Mountain hadn’t had one in stock and we weren’t already planning to be down that way to visit the in-laws, I would have ordered it through Sportsman’s Warehouse. Through them at least I could pick it up at a convenient time for me, and not have to rearrange my schedule.