Gun Store vs Gun Show

Heck, there is really only one gun store around here (Tallahassee, FL) to speak of and you don't want to bend over to look at the guns.

I only got over on them one time when one of the jokers must have mispriced a gun. It was a Sigma in .357 Sig and they had it marked for $289. I was cringing walking out the door with it that they were going to realize their mistake and try to get it back from me. I think only 500 of them were ever made.

Otherwise, I will drive 5 hours to go to a gun show rather than drive 20 minutes to the local gun store. I have been in there countless times looking for reloading stuff or just odds and ends and they rarely had what I was looking for. I mean it's not really off the wall stuff I was looking for either. Stuff like RCBS decapping pins!

Actually many of the guns I have gotten lately have been bought via GunBroker, AuctionArms, or GunsAmerica. Fortunately my friend in Crystal River has been very understanding of my weakness and has never groused at all about doing transfers for me. Actually, I have bought more guns from Dave (the FFL guy in Crystal River) then I have even looked twice at at the local gun shop!

And to date, I have only bought one gun from Walmart. The stainless version of a Ruger 10/22. All the ones I saw at the gun shows had the funky thin stock that said Ruger on it. Only Walmart had one with a traditional looking, although plastic, stock.

Well even though I live in NY state just outside of NYC there are at least 6 gun stores within a 15 minute drive from my house. For the most part they have some outrageous prices, but sometimes if you shop the bigger ones they have a good price on a gun or two. The thing is that the gunshows around here, when you can find one around here, are pretty darned expensive. A good gun show is at least a 2 hour drive, and a better one still is about 3 hours. The local ones have all but dried up, due to peckerwood liberals who think guns jump up off the shelf and chase people down while firing themselves and hitting their victims in blazes of bullets.

There is one local sporting goods store, that is pretty old fashioned and sells everything for the sportsman, including longarms. They sometimes have a great deal on a used firearm.

I always check the bulleton board at the local range. I am hoping to find a real buy there someday.

I too also check the online auctions and have bought a few that way. I also have bought a few from dealers in Gun List and Shotgun News on my C&R.

Anybody have any C&R elligible .22 rifles for sale?

All the best and safe shooting,
Glenn B

I go to two of the numerous local gun stores.
One sells guns at list price, and you have to haggle him down from there, but used guns have good prices.
The other sells new guns substantially below list, but doesn't bargain (usually can't bargain the other guy down to where this guys has his prices set, so it's no biggie).
Depending on the caliber of ammo, one store will usually be cheaper than the other by a couple of dollars per box. Just have to call them both beforehand. Either way, the resulting ammo is only slightly more than Wallyworld ammo, and it's not the WWB crap that Wally world sells cheap, so it's worth it.

The guns shows generally suck. Dealers sell guns at or ABOVE list, and forget bargaining, they'd rather pack them up and take them back than sell them low. Private dealers generally have crap, and even that they think is made of gold. Want a Mosin? They'll START at $175 for the most common models available. A rare one they'll try to pawn off for $400+. . .Forget it.
SOMETIMES you'll get a good price on ammo in case quantities.