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Posted: 2/4/2016 12:01:31 AM EDT
[#1]
work for another gun store for 6 - 12 months first before considering opening your own
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Posted: 2/4/2016 12:02:55 AM EDT
[#2]
"I can buy that a lot cheaper on the Internet".
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Posted: 2/4/2016 12:10:40 AM EDT
[#3]
If I had skills, I would post some crime scene photos of that gun store shootout from last week....
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Posted: 2/4/2016 12:13:51 AM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted: work for another gun store for 6 - 12 months first before considering opening your own Quote HistoryQuoted: work for another gun store for 6 - 12 months first before considering opening your own I have sold all kinds of stuff motorcycles , hobby stuff , cars etc Gun people are a special breed In the other businesses you'll get a noteworthy customer ( odd , crazy , unhinged, utterly full of shit ,etc) maybe a couple times a year In the gun biz it is a weekly and sometimes daily thing Cheap too I have had guys drive 50 miles to save $1 on a pound of powder ( that we already had at cost as a loss leader )  It truly starts to weigh on you and as always Quoted: "I can buy that a lot cheaper on the Internet". |
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Posted: 2/4/2016 12:17:14 AM EDT
[#5]
Quoted:
How crazy would it be to open a gun store in today's day and age? I'm in west Tennessee. there are 2 other local stores both sell mostly bolt actions and shotguns with a few off brand ARs. One with fair prices the other is way over priced on everything including gun services. L&A firearms used to be up in Union city and they constantly had people in and out of the store. I would carry your basic long guns like the others but would also want to carry more AR-15s, few M1As, and pistols that's aren't common here now that L&A got shut down. I would also carry accessories, holster, ammo, optics, clothing. Any store owners out there that have some input. I here the money isn't made off of the new guns and I'm sure I would get some trade ins. Also figure I'd really work on my more advanced gunsmithing. Sorry not as organized as I should be just thinking out loud right now. The money is found in ammunition, accessories, and reloading supplies. The new gun inventory can be held down to thirty or so. A new shop just opened here. It's hard to believe, they're just thick here. The good news was the prices on reloading components, he's competitive with Graf's and only 8 or 10 miles away. |
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Posted: 2/4/2016 12:18:38 AM EDT
[#6]
Now is NOT a good time to open a new store. ARs are harder to get, Glocks in short supply, LCP have been hard to get for a couple of months, AR uppers and lower and parts hard to get, PMags just now trickling back in, Ruger Precision Rifles are unobtanium. My store is 1.5 years old and I think I am going to be able to squeak in but I wouldn't dare try it now knowing the little bit I know.
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Posted: 2/4/2016 12:20:02 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
"I can buy that a lot cheaper on the Internet". No in hell I'd open a B&M store... |
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Posted: 2/4/2016 12:20:53 AM EDT
[#8]
Like others have said, work for a GS first.
Clientele are akin to the clientele of a 24 hr. Peepshow at times. Only difference is, everybody is armed. 
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Posted: 2/4/2016 12:22:23 AM EDT
[#9]
I have to respectfully disagree with AeroE, at least in my case. Reloading supplies, namely powder, is hard to get in any sustainable quantity. Guys will come in, see Varget and Unique on the shelf, and tell me how they can get it cheaper at places that haven't had it for years. As a whole, reloaders are a pretty thrifty bunch (cheap) and will nickel and dime you. If you don't have ever single thing they are looking for they think you don't have anything good. Again, this is just my experience.
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Posted: 2/4/2016 12:26:50 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The money is found in ammunition, accessories, and reloading supplies. The new gun inventory can be held down to thirty or so. A new shop just opened here. It's hard to believe, they're just thick here. The good news was the prices on reloading components, he's competitive with Graf's and only 8 or 10 miles away. Quote HistoryQuoted: The money is found in ammunition, accessories, and reloading supplies. The new gun inventory can be held down to thirty or so. A new shop just opened here. It's hard to believe, they're just thick here. The good news was the prices on reloading components, he's competitive with Graf's and only 8 or 10 miles away. hoping for the odd holster sale or 1 box of ammo sale doesn't justify the expense of a large assortment in stock and no point in ordering as they can order it themselves cheaper and shipped faster with no sales tax The current business models for many guys is now just be competitive with places like buds ( once ya figure in no transfer fee it isn't that hard to be there) and go for volume on new guns Hope for trade ins on your new inventory as well , but have to say our trade in business has really dwindled the last couple years used to get 2-3 trades a day now maybe get that a week , I suspect facebook and armslist have cut into that some Quoted: I have to respectfully disagree with AeroE, at least in my case. Reloading supplies, namely powder, is hard to get in any sustainable quantity. Guys will come in, see Varget and Unique on the shelf, and tell me how they can get it cheaper at places that haven't had it for years. As a whole, reloaders are a pretty thrifty bunch (cheap) and will nickel and dime you. If you don't have ever single thing they are looking for they think you don't have anything good. Again, this is just my experience. Yep I have had guys drive 50 miles to save $1 off powder we already had at cost for a loss leader actually had a guy throw a brick of primers at me ( and told me to fucking choke on it ) because we were $2 higher than the chain store 25 miles away |
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Posted: 2/4/2016 12:43:19 AM EDT
[#11]
<-- FFL
Quote HistoryQuoted:
"I can buy that a lot cheaper on the Internet". This. Retail sucks, we don't do it, we're strictly services: gunsmithing, custom builds, refinishing/restoration, transfers, machine gun rentals, etc. We'll do consignments or special orders occasionally but otherwise we don't carry inventory. I hate to say it but the firearm industry has been decent the last few years because of fear-driven buying with 0bama in office. If a Republican wins this November expect demand to fall off a cliff. The current surge in suppressor and SBR demand will die off once 41P goes into effect this summer and trust transfers become more of a PITA. Even if you applied for an FFL tomorrow you wouldn't get it for a few months, so you'd be starting your business right as the industry as a whole is about to take a massive dump. That said, if you have lots of capital just laying around (think six figures worth) you could buy inventory from dealers having cash flow issues once the market craters. |
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Posted: 2/4/2016 6:43:37 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Now is NOT a good time to open a new store. ARs are harder to get, Glocks in short supply, LCP have been hard to get for a couple of months, AR uppers and lower and parts hard to get, PMags just now trickling back in, Ruger Precision Rifles are unobtanium. My store is 1.5 years old and I think I am going to be able to squeak in but I wouldn't dare try it now knowing the little bit I know. Unrelated question please..... you list items like Glocks and ARs that are "hard to get"... is that because people are buying heavily or are the manufacturers producing fewer than they have in the past? The volume of sales today versus say 2010 should give us insight into this question. Just curious 
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Posted: 2/4/2016 10:14:52 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
All of which are available cheaper online and shipped direct hoping for the odd holster sale or 1 box of ammo sale doesn't justify the expense of a large assortment in stock and no point in ordering as they can order it themselves cheaper and shipped faster with no sales tax The current business models for many guys is now just be competitive with places like buds ( once ya figure in no transfer fee it isn't that hard to be there) and go for volume on new guns Hope for trade ins on your new inventory as well , but have to say our trade in business has really dwindled the last couple years used to get 2-3 trades a day now maybe get that a week , I suspect facebook and armslist have cut into that some Yep I have had guys drive 50 miles to save $1 off powder we already had at cost for a loss leader actually had a guy throw a brick of primers at me ( and told me to fucking choke on it ) because we were $2 higher than the chain store 25 miles away Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
The money is found in ammunition, accessories, and reloading supplies. The new gun inventory can be held down to thirty or so. A new shop just opened here. It's hard to believe, they're just thick here. The good news was the prices on reloading components, he's competitive with Graf's and only 8 or 10 miles away. hoping for the odd holster sale or 1 box of ammo sale doesn't justify the expense of a large assortment in stock and no point in ordering as they can order it themselves cheaper and shipped faster with no sales tax The current business models for many guys is now just be competitive with places like buds ( once ya figure in no transfer fee it isn't that hard to be there) and go for volume on new guns Hope for trade ins on your new inventory as well , but have to say our trade in business has really dwindled the last couple years used to get 2-3 trades a day now maybe get that a week , I suspect facebook and armslist have cut into that some Quoted:
I have to respectfully disagree with AeroE, at least in my case. Reloading supplies, namely powder, is hard to get in any sustainable quantity. Guys will come in, see Varget and Unique on the shelf, and tell me how they can get it cheaper at places that haven't had it for years. As a whole, reloaders are a pretty thrifty bunch (cheap) and will nickel and dime you. If you don't have ever single thing they are looking for they think you don't have anything good. Again, this is just my experience. Yep I have had guys drive 50 miles to save $1 off powder we already had at cost for a loss leader actually had a guy throw a brick of primers at me ( and told me to fucking choke on it ) because we were $2 higher than the chain store 25 miles away Move to Missouri, we have plenty of ammunition and reloading supplies. What you all are really saying is, "Don't open a gun shop". The only store model I know that works for selling guns is moving lots of guns at the lowest possible mark up. One of the stores here that started that way under a different owner is just about out of business judging in the decline of his store, and it's not just an inventory problem. He has had a pretty good run I guess and is known around the region as one of the two places most likely to have the lowest prices. |
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Posted: 2/4/2016 10:16:37 PM EDT
[#14]
LOFL!
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Posted: 2/4/2016 10:17:08 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
"I can buy that a lot cheaper on the Internet". Aside from a generally true statement, whats the point you're trying to make? No shortage of $20 Pmags around me. |
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Posted: 2/4/2016 11:17:15 PM EDT
[#16]
If I had money to burn, I think I would actually enjoy burning it more than using it to open a gun shop.
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Posted: 2/13/2016 4:30:21 AM EDT
[#17]
Depends on your competition and your focus
A local guy opened up a few years ago and has been successful, but his focus is 50/50 on gunsmithing, not just retail. His main competition is box stores and table top guys like me, so as pretty much the only dedicated brick and mortar gunshop for miles around he is well situated. |
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Posted: 2/13/2016 4:44:17 AM EDT
[#18]
With the responses in this thread a better question would be "Opening an online gun store?"
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Posted: 2/13/2016 4:51:35 AM EDT
[#19]
If you want to piss away money give to me. I promise to entertain you for 90 days. That is more than you’ll get with a store of your own and I’ll save you money.
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Posted: 2/13/2016 5:06:38 AM EDT
[#20]
Quality, trustworthy, dedicated, knowledgeable employees, Property and Liability insurance, rent, workmans comp, , local and internet competition, BATFE just to mention the tip of the melting iceberg. Fuck No.
Nope. It's a lonely road. |
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Posted: 2/13/2016 11:08:04 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: With the responses in this thread a better question would be "Opening an online gun store?" Being a home FFL and selling on gunbroker as a side in home job is a viable model if zoning and the ATF will let ya have a license |
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