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What is with Gun shops?.....
- Thread starter lewis
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ISOTOX
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180 GRAIN FMJ
NES Member
chris_1001
NES Member
I made “friends” with an FFL. I text him what I want. He reply’s with a time line and price. If I agree, make a time to meet, do the paperwork and off I go.
No BS. Been buying like this for a while.
No BS. Been buying like this for a while.
I have little sympathy for brick and mortar without stock and zero sympathy for those who lie about availability just to get the sale. Don't care if LGS, auto parts, or hardware; and I don't mind paying a reasonable premium for the ability to inspect before I purchase. Retailers are completely missing the point of having a physical location when you drop in and they say, "No, we don't have it but we can order it for you." Yeah, you just wasted my time and I can order it myself and not have to drive my ass back to your store. Whether locally owned or national chain- I don't need to drive there, wait in line to order, let them sit on my money for days while they wait for a convenient time to order stock, wait for them to neglect calling me when it arrives at their shop, call them and be put on hold until they finally verify it's in, then drive my butt back to the shop to wait in line and pick up something that takes them even more time to find somewhere in back.
The ability to purchase something you need locally isn't an instant gratification thing, it was the American retail model for decades. Auto parts stores had stock of real parts, not just air fresheners, oil (but not the filter you need), and $2 flashlights. Even the stupid industrial distributors like MSC and Grainger keep closing down locations and consolidating stock somewhere in a regional warehouse. Bought a ball nose carbide end mill from Amazon because MSC bean counters mistakenly assumed I'd keep buying from a 'local' supply branch even though they eliminated inventory at local branches. Even the category killers like Cabelas have reduced stock of useful items in favor of filling shelf space with retarded and cheap but high margin junk. Of course they do that after they have already squeezed out locally owned competitors.
Lol it's not "the state" it's FBI nics.
ETA: yes, though, FS is a volume shop for simpletons and flints who want mainstream guns, but his business model works. (Because this is new england skinflint world capital)
Not sure if serious but most mids aren't that f***y, in this case the mid probably said "backordered should be here in a few days though" but that's basically vaporware. Any dealer that isn't crap isn't going to promise delivery time based on vaporware. They will tell the customer they can "BO it and wait, only god knows when it will come" or try another dist. The op isn't wrong, someone f***ed up here- either the dealer himself, or the mid f***ed the dealer and is palming off the pain....
To some degree it's not reasonable for every gun shop to have everything. Even the kings in this region never have more than 50% of the stuff id be interested in. It's too capital intense to stock that much. That said, i use dealers that communicate well and can get me what I want, with no BS like what the OP went through. If the dealer says "i dunno when we can get that its BOed, sorry" that's not the end of the world, i either have them BO it (with me not having to front cash btw, but then again, they know me) or wait and try again, or use a different dealer/ remote / GunBroker etc...
Of course, but even if they don't have everything some decent stuff rotating in and out gives you a good reason to go to the shop and check out what's available. The reduced footprint of Pullman has actually been worth a visit for that reason- they get some cool stuff on consignment even though the 'inventory' is small. They also seem to welcome transfers if you need to order something obscure from out of state.
btnh6668
NES Member
I don't think its far fetched to expect a shop that is advertising a gun to actually have it in stock. Unless it states in the add that it is for pre-order. With that said if one shop does not have it and you want it right away just call around. I find if it more timely if i just order it online and get it shipped in if you can't find it at your local shop.
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
I have used 4 different shops over the years for transfering guns in from out of state all of them charged more than a "instate" transfer.
Where talking $25 for instate and $40 for coming in out of state.
Right, then when u get something from out of state (that the FFL can get and has giving u the runaround for weeks) u get charged $60 instead of the normal $40. It’s happened to me before.
CrackPot
NES Member
I would be curious to hear the dealers side of this, but based on what you have said they are not being totally honest.
I have no idea why SIG is having supply problems on the MPX and MCX. I was looking for MPX carbines two weeks ago with no luck. SIG has a really useful feature, an insides sales guy. So we all buy through distribution. I check 6-8 distributors when looking for something always starting with my primary. If I can’t find what I am looking for and it’s a SIG, I call the inside sales guy at SIG. He will check EVERY distributor and tell me if the gun exists. And he checks SIG stock. He will ship direct from factory if no distributor has it. I got two MPX direct from SIG because no distributor had any.
Buying multiples at once rarely saves money. On the occasions where the manufacture is running a stocking dealer program the purchase of some number might get you something free, BUT you can buy them over the stocking period and don’t have to buy them all at once.
The MCX is back ordered everywhere from what I can tell. That is pretty easy to tell by looking at the distrubutor websites and easy to confirm by calling your inside sales guy at SIG. If the LGS you are dealing with does not have the number of the inside guy at SIG, change LGS. He is too small to do enough business for SIG to have contacted him and he is too small for the distributors to give him “allocated” items. Distributors put hard to get stuff on allocation. The sales reps then get allocated units when they come in. THEY decide who gets them. Good/big customers get called first thing each morning with the days allocations. Others get to watch the website and pray. By way of example, my phone rings every morning from the largest gun distributor (there are other larger distributors but they are larger because of accessories, ammo, sporting goods) and I am offered the good stuff.
So if your LGS took your money because the MCX was on its way or coming soon, they did not tell you the full truth. They likely back ordered it at one of the small local distributors or one of the large impersonal distributors. They actually have ZERO idea when it will come. The large impersonal will mostly deliver allocated items on a first come first serve basis if you put on back order. BTW, back order does not require money up front... Even the impersonal distributors will give items to their large/good customers first and jump the line. Again, I doubt your LGS knows this or is able to jump the line based on what you have said.
PM me with the UPC/SKU of the MCX you are looking for. I will contact SIG Monday and try and get truth on availability in the US of that model. I got my MPXs direct from sig 2 days after asking (they shipped ground but we are close). They were not a model available generally but a “exclusive” sold by one of the big boxes. So different stock and trigger, BUT my customer wanted to replace both of those anyway (have to replace the stock for AWB) so the lower price for worse trigger and stock was a win/win.
No one is perfect. A LGS that people praise here might really be a great LGS. Back order and related mechanics are not day to day activities. Fully understanding the distribution system, how to work it, inside sales, etc is not necessarily there strong point. Everyone has weaknesses and blind spots. I will help you get truth on the MCS then you can go back and talk to the LGS and hopefully the come clean and you can work things out. My day job I have had to deal with supply chain, shortages, expedite, back order, etc so working that system I am used to. Your average LGS owner has no idea where to start.
one-eyed Jack
Manufacturer
I'm here. Jack.
What shop, and did you get your money back?
Thinking about it, I would not pay for a gun, unless I held it in my hands and saw the serial number. In fact, isn't that a part of the transaction to purchase one?
Thinking about it, I would not pay for a gun, unless I held it in my hands and saw the serial number. In fact, isn't that a part of the transaction to purchase one?
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I feel for you guys.......I am just in the market for ammo these days(lack of space & my wife says I have too many guns!)
I have seen the gun supply dwindle in these local gun shops . Not as much to look at at anymore. It must suck
I have seen the gun supply dwindle in these local gun shops . Not as much to look at at anymore. It must suck
jbert27
NES Member
Same boat here... Been drooling but not buying.
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There are some goods that are cartelled so you will not find a better price online or get near a wholesale price list if you are not legitimately in the trade. Just try finding a pair of jeans of any name brand on-line for less than the going sale rate at a local dept store.
CrackPot
NES Member
MAP, Minimum Advertised Price. This is how to keep "value" of your product high and stop the race to the bottom on price. Many manufacturers have it. Some are brutal in their enforcement. SIG is brutal. Violate MAP on SIG and it does not take long before your are blackballed at every distributor.
No one can tell you what you can sell for, but they can control what you advertise for. They now also tend to cover "price so low, add to your cart to see" and auctions and...
Chevy 2 65
NES Member
Rocky Mosasaurus
NES Member
Random Question: Has anyone had a gun from Midway USA shipped to a gun shop and then FFL transfer it to them? Can this be done if the gun is not technically MA compliant but the model is? (Sig P365 SAS)? I feel like the general premise of this question may 1. Help people get around these hurdles with back orders and 2. tell gunshops in a subtle way to get on their horse.
CrackPot
NES Member
I have done transfers of guns from midway. From what I have seen midway does not actually stock any firearms. What I have received from them was always dropped shipped from a distributor that I could have purchased from myself. Small sample size but interesting.
As to your “sort of on the list” question... some places won’t even ship. Buds guns. Midway neither ships if they don’t think it is on the list. others do.
Will a ffl transfer it? Ask them. The p365 would me a violation of mgl 140 123 since the list has the -ms-ma model explicitly. It is also a violation of 940 CMR 16 on the five year old rule. But if you find a ffl that will transfer it, good on you and keep your mouth shut.
Lol this is something you figure out by talking to the inbounding dealer then you be quiet about it if they do you a solid.... there's no "telling" anyone as most of the ones that won't play ball will rat out the guy that helped you in a nanosecond.
Rocky Mosasaurus
NES Member
Yeah it sucks because I could always just buy the MA compliant gun first and then order the slide but it would cost like $200 more to do that.
funny , I’ve had the exact opposite experience , At this point I’ve had 3 online vendors call the state on me on separate occasions for separate transactions
