Four Seasons Firearms, Woburn, MA

Finally got up to Four Season this past Thursday and had a great experience. It was a lot smaller than I had imagined but that didn't seem to hurt the selection. It was also busier than I thought it would be on a Thurs night 45 mins before closing. As busy as it was, we were helped right away by Jeff who did a fantastic job walking my gf thru her first handgun purchase. No rushing, no pressure and Carl even threw in an extra box of ammo when he heard it was her first gun. Its a bit of a haul for me coming from Plymouth, but I will def make the trip again. Just a good shop with good people.
 
I have done what several others have. Know what you want call ahead. Carl has set me up more than a few times this way. What kills me from going to ts anymore is the trafic. It has become a real problem. It used to be about a 2 hour trip with shopping and lunch. Now unless I leave very early its 99% of the time stuck in very slow traffic.
The last time I went it took almost 2 hours just to get there.
There are several new shops in the past few years. There's 3 somewhat new ones in my area where I now go. Carl has a good thing going. Bigger does not mean better.
Carl generally has the most quantity of ammo of all the shops I have been to in mass.
His hand gun prices are very very good. With all that said my spending has been next to nothing in the past few years. I reload now and don't have any spending money for guns.
 
Sure, I'll give it another try - I see enough glowing testimonials here to make it worthwhile to call ahead and see what I can line up. Good service is key and I can see many people are dedicated fans of FS. I hear you on the traffic though - 128 was a flipping insane asylum the day I went, which probably made things less positive when the store itself was the same. My problem is my lunch hour is pretty much the ONLY time I have to kill since I am a family guy who is always either at home with the wife/kids or trying to get home to the wife/kids. :) Maybe I'll bring my older boy down next time since he's a handgun fan too - I told him about the S&W 686 I saw in the counter and he was impressed.

mac1911 said:
I have done what several others have. Know what you want call ahead. Carl has set me up more than a few times this way. What kills me from going to ts anymore is the trafic. It has become a real problem. It used to be about a 2 hour trip with shopping and lunch. Now unless I leave very early its 99% of the time stuck in very slow traffic.
The last time I went it took almost 2 hours just to get there.
There are several new shops in the past few years. There's 3 somewhat new ones in my area where I now go. Carl has a good thing going. Bigger does not mean better.
Carl generally has the most quantity of ammo of all the shops I have been to in mass.
His hand gun prices are very very good. With all that said my spending has been next to nothing in the past few years. I reload now and don't have any spending money for guns.
Click to expand...
 
Billsail said:
It's about time Carl comes up with some expansion plans. He loses business to other shops due to the crowds. And there are some very good "other shops". You listening Carl? We've been hinting for years.
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There's an equation here ... the bigger the store, the more rent will be, the more utilities will cost, the more employees, the more inventory, the more risk in security, and finally the more firearms will cost just because Carl is worried about your "shopping experience".

Small, Simple, Cheap ...
 
The truth is, FS has FAR more people on staff than any other shop I've ever seen. They do a lot of volume, which hinders turnover, but I have been in line behind a talker on more than one occasion. This made me wonder whether there was something "quick purchasers" might be able to do to expedite the process. Perhaps providing crucial info prior to arriving (via fax/phone) allowing us to expedite the process and get into the accessory/ammo express line for a firearm purchase.
 
rogzballz said:
There's an equation here ... the bigger the store, the more rent will be, the more utilities will cost, the more employees, the more inventory, the more risk in security, and finally the more firearms will cost just because Carl is worried about your "shopping experience".

Small, Simple, Cheap ...
Click to expand...


This is all true, and I wouldn't dream of counseling anybody on how to run a gun shop, which I essentially know nothing about. The only variable that no one has factored in, is the recapturing of "lost" sales, and if you read through this thread, you'll see there are many. It's possible to benefit both the shop and the customer.

If I'm way off base on this, please tell me to shut up!
 
Billsail said:
If I'm way off base on this, please tell me to shut up!
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You ARE a little ways off base, but I will NOT try to tell you to shut up. Civil discourse requires that we air all opinions, pro and con, to try to determine the full and true story. It's only when such opinions are offered in a most negative and discourteous manner that some people are invited to leave. Your posting comes nowhere near that.

The problem is that every store/business will have lost sales. You cannot satisfy every customer every time. Just yesterday I walked away from a nice piece of swordfish in my favorite supermarket becuase the posted price was much less than the price it rang up as and the person in the department had no clue why or what to do and just wanted me to take it at the higher price. Yet I doubt that my experience made much of a dent in the store's bottom line that day.

In the same way, Four Season's does a booming business and more than makes up for any lost sales with the rest of the people who can and do wait. I am pretty sure that Carl does drop into NES from time to time and tries to pick up on any problems with the intent of tryng to correct them. Too many people have reported good dealings with him to think that he does not care about his customers.
 
I have bought guns at four seasons as well as collecters gallery, N shore firearms etc. I too have had good and not so good experiences at all three, But I wont boycott any of them because its just the nature of the bussiness I guess and with the limited number of shops in the aera I have no choice. My biggest gripe with ALL gun shops is when the customer commits to the purchace why the hell do they do the paper work right there at the display counter in the way of other customers trying to see whats in the display cases????????????? Why not have a dedicated aera/counter elsewhere to fill out paper work and answer any final questions like takedown etc.

Just my 2 cents
 
jmnjoeyd1 said:
I have bought guns at four seasons as well as collecters gallery, N shore firearms etc. I too have had good and not so good experiences at all three, But I wont boycott any of them because its just the nature of the bussiness I guess and with the limited number of shops in the aera I have no choice. My biggest gripe with ALL gun shops is when the customer commits to the purchace why the hell do they do the paper work right there at the display counter in the way of other customers trying to see whats in the display cases????????????? Why not have a dedicated aera/counter elsewhere to fill out paper work and answer any final questions like takedown etc.

Just my 2 cents
Click to expand...

This makes sense! I like it, but I'm not sure where it'd be practical in FS. Maybe Carl will consider it... he knows his shop better than me!.
 
jmnjoeyd1 said:
I have bought guns at four seasons as well as collecters gallery, N shore firearms etc. I too have had good and not so good experiences at all three, But I wont boycott any of them because its just the nature of the bussiness I guess and with the limited number of shops in the aera I have no choice. My biggest gripe with ALL gun shops is when the customer commits to the purchace why the hell do they do the paper work right there at the display counter in the way of other customers trying to see whats in the display cases????????????? Why not have a dedicated aera/counter elsewhere to fill out paper work and answer any final questions like takedown etc.

Just my 2 cents
Click to expand...

Any extra space would make more real estate for more firearms. That's how I view it anyways.
 
I went to Four Seasons a couple weeks ago after reading and seeing all the comments about the store on here. I went on a weekday and mid day. It was packed.

There was a S&W 686 that I was interested in and had the cash in my pocket. I waited for my turn. I got a salesman and asked to see that gun. I had not held it for more than 30 seconds and was directly and borderline rudely asked if I wanted to buy it. I looked at the salesman and promptly handed the gun back and said No thank you. I am still in the market for that gun and honestly Four Seasons price on that gun was pretty good. I do not like being pushed into things so I decided to leave.

I may take another trip down to the store because of all the positive comments but I was really put off by the pressure. I understand that all stores need to make money and I have no issue with that at all. I dont do what I do for free either. (IT)

Anyways I probably will give them another shot (pun intended)
 
mac1911 said:
Are you gonna buy it..........opening for negotiating in my mind.
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Perhaps but I would prefer more of a "Any questions" comment versus what I took to be a "make a choice cause we are busy"

Another member suggested something via PM that I will try. I am not evil and can easily forget a bad experience for good service.
 
Boman said:
I went to Four Seasons a couple weeks ago after reading and seeing all the comments about the store on here. I went on a weekday and mid day. It was packed.

There was a S&W 686 that I was interested in and had the cash in my pocket. I waited for my turn. I got a salesman and asked to see that gun. I had not held it for more than 30 seconds and was directly and borderline rudely asked if I wanted to buy it. I looked at the salesman and promptly handed the gun back and said No thank you. I am still in the market for that gun and honestly Four Seasons price on that gun was pretty good. I do not like being pushed into things so I decided to leave.

I may take another trip down to the store because of all the positive comments but I was really put off by the pressure. I understand that all stores need to make money and I have no issue with that at all. I dont do what I do for free either. (IT)

Anyways I probably will give them another shot (pun intended)
Click to expand...


I had a similar experience with the same model revolver. I ended up going to a local shop (FS was a 40 mile ride) and they ordered one for me for about $10 more than at FS. It came two days later and I took it to the range last week.
I'll go to FS again but my experience at the small shop close by was much better.
 
Mr Weebles said:
I miss nothing about MA and their idiotic gun laws, but I do miss shopping at FS.

Carl needs to open a NH branch.
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I keep telling him he needs to open one in Western Mass also.

He told me once he'd like to open one on the South Shore (were ever that is, I guess the Cape) but he is way to busy to run other stores.

I told him "that's were good help comes in".
 
Very satisfied customer here. The gentleman behind the counter listened to me, was knowledageble about the product, did not rush me. As a freshly minted LTC-A, I made my first purchase on Saturday! I'll go back there for my next purchase as well.
 
FS was so crowded today. Worst I have ever seen it. People were walking in and going WOW! And leaving. Carl was very busy today and I saw a ton of guns being bought. Media wins again. A guess one of the salesman had a heart attack this morning in the shop, that's too bad. I love FS and give it a second chance those who have had bad experiences.
 
I was there today at 9AM and it got crowded pretty fast. I hope the salesman is OK. They were asking one of the older guys if we was felling better when I walked in. It must have happened later in the morning.
 
ColdDayInHell said:
FS was so crowded today. Worst I have ever seen it. People were walking in and going WOW! And leaving. Carl was very busy today and I saw a ton of guns being bought. Media wins again. A guess one of the salesman had a heart attack this morning in the shop, that's too bad. I love FS and give it a second chance those who have had bad experiences.
Click to expand...

Well I'm planning on driving there tomorrow (or the next few days), so I guess I'll call before I make the 3 hour there drive and the 3 hour drive home to make sure their open.

Thanks.......
 
Shepherd said:
The salesman is doing good. It was not a heart attack but he gave us a good scare.
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Great news. You know how customers are at shops, "I heard that a guy had a heartache here because of the crowds. I would too." It's pure nonsense. Glad everything is good over at Four Seasons. I had a good visit today, just buying a ton of ammo. Had to wait 10 minutes but it's all good Carl.
 
four seasons almost gave me a heart attack today, i went in to do a transfer and when they scanned my finger the sales guy said it kept pulling me up as a mike so and so, they scanned my finger 5-6 times.....turns out they system just needed to be reset
 
Went to four seasons for the first time today. Asked to see if they had any Ruger 10/22TD in stock. The guy next to me asked the same thing haha.
We both walked out 20 minutes later with them in our hands.
The guy who was helping me did a good job, even though he had only worked there for a month so far.
 
Inferno said:
Went to four seasons for the first time today. Asked to see if they had any Ruger 10/22TD in stock. The guy next to me asked the same thing haha.
We both walked out 20 minutes later with them in our hands.
The guy who was helping me did a good job, even though he had only worked there for a month so far.
Click to expand...

I'm glad you had a good experience at Four Seasons. Carl runs a tight ship over there. I hope I get good treatment at North Shore later today when I buy my Mosin!

Enjoy your 10/22TD!
 

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