Jim Boyd
Senior Member
The local shops around here are on a rebound....one of them is really working hard on their inventory and selection....guns, ammo, optics and gear. I've been going there more often.
Dad called me a few months ago and was wanting a Trijicon SRO for one of his handguns. He was having trouble finding them anywhere and for various reasons he couldn't make trips to the semi-local gun stores in his area.
I recommended the rock solid places that I've had great success over the years with:
EuroOptic
CameralandNY
Primary Arms
MidwayUSA
I found the exact model he wanted at EuroOptic....and the price was much less than he expected.
Fast forward to last Friday.....Dad, my son and I were at a semi-local gun shop in Dad's stomping grounds. The purpose was to use their indoor range. Top notch range.
While my son was getting his pre-shooting safety training squared away....I walked around and looked at their inventory. Schmidt&Bender scopes, Nightforce scopes, Swarovski scopes, Trijicon red dots, etc. They had a few very impressive handguns as well as the normal stuff shops carry. Impressive long guns, too.
I price checked a Schmidt&Bender 4-16 that I've recently looked at online. It was not much more at all.....and I'd certainly attempt to dicker a bit if I'd been seriously about to buy one.
After shooting and on the way home I urged my father to try them first on any future guns & gear needs. Amazing inventory.
What's funny is this indoor range & gun shop was in what used to be a smallish store located in the hometown where I was born and raised.....the rest of the town has shrunk...however this gun shop has expanded and flourished.
We had an EXCELLENT RSO assigned to us that day, too. Former Marine, young guy who was super nice and grinned hugely when I asked him to jump in with us and try the various 2011 pistolas that I'd brought. He had a ball.
When we wrapped up, he said he was going to the office to see what they could do for him on a discount for his own 2011 or 1911. My mission that day was complete: precious time spent with my father and son, promotion of a strong LGS and hooked another kindred shooter on the virtues of the 1911/2011 perfection
Hugely wonderful reply and I will GLADLY take a retort for this one.
Love to see a trend like this.
Last several years all my actual firearms came from local stores and negotiating was simply not on the table. Take it or leave it.
Yes for a S&B my guess is they would dicker a bit for a known / good customer.
I love redirection like this!
Great post.
