Posted: 2/19/2006 8:52:59 PM EDT
Yes, they are liars and cheats, and that is why those of us in the know don't shop there. eta: When I moved to town, he told me a transfer was $70, and that he was the cheapest in town.  |
| I'll go in there just to look sometimes. They are the most rude people I've ever seen, and some of the crap that comes out of their mouths is unbelievable. As far as prices, they're just like any other shop, they're way too high. I've seen Wolf .223 for 5.00/box, 30 rd mags for 40.00/ea, I understand they need to make money, but there's no sense in that much markup. The only reason I go in any shop is to get a real life view of something, then I'll order it off the net. |
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Yep, I am over there alot recently becuause I volunteered for Friends of the NRA. I have to say, they are very friendly at the meetings though I have been subjected to the above described treatment when I have visited as a patron. I was excited at the last meeting because he had a RRA 9mm carbine in the rack - Until I saw the price. I took it as an opportunity to handle one before ordering it online for more than $200 cheaper  One good thing about Don's is if you loose a small part while buiding or cleaning an AR, he has a tackle box full of spare AR parts. Might pay a little more, but you won't have to wait. |
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To be the Devil's advocate....I believe Don of Don's Weaponry practices a strict 'Business' attitude. I'll try and explain the best I can. I know Don personally. I've met him through good friends and probably know his son-in-law better between the two. Both very good people. I've noticed, as mentioned above, Don is very friendly at the NRA events and in person. But I believe in the business arena - He is straight business. I get the strong impression that he has no friends or family when it comes to doing business. I don't mean that to be a stab at him at all. I believe that too many friends and family in business spoil the recipe. Too many people wanting a favor if you know what I mean.  I've experienced the lame attitudes from staff there at times myself. I just overlook it. We all have quirks. Guns are like my children - I don't really want to hear how to handle them from others that think they know better. Take that as you will. I've never bought much at Don's because I too think his prices are a little high. But on occasion, I've found what I've wanted and He has been very helpful. So, I paid a little extra for the item at hand. Maybe he is a little paranoid and needs to loosen up when in the shop, but Don is a good guy in my book. This is all my humble opinion of course. But if he ends up reading this........lower those prices a little..........eh?! DK |
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I do on occasion go to shoot at the indoor shooting range. Usually on weekends when its raining. paying a $10 fee to shoot there is well worth it on the days i want to shoot and dont want to get wet! But I dont buy anything upstairs, its not really that the prices are high. Its that I have talked to the guys behind the counter a numerous occasions, and they are some of the rudest (is this a word?) and most unhelpful people i've dealt with. The last time that i was actually looking to buy something there was last summer when i was looking for some subsonic 5.56mm rounds. I talked to the guy (I dont know Don, so I dont if this was him) there and he asked me if he could help me, so i started telling him that i was interested in some subsonics. And I added to that, if he didnt have any could he order me a case. Before I got finished with my sentence, he blirts out "you have no reason to have subsonic ammo". I was confused at this point, and thinking maybe i was hearing him wrong, i quickly repeated myself. He again came back and said that I had no reason to have subsonics in my possession and that only military or law enforcement had reason to have them! Of course at this time i was getting angry, Either this dimwit is a moron or he doesnt understand what i am asking for! I politely told him that I own a suppressor for my rifle and i wanted some ammo to shoot through it. Then he just said , "we dont have any, we cant order any, and neither can anyone else".  He told me when i was leaving that if i wanted to shoot subsonic, that i should just buy a 22LR like everyone else!!! I start to say something, but instead of being a smartass I decided to be cool and let him keep believing his bullshite for the next customer that ask for subsonics.So that is my story about Don's. Like I said, I will pay to shoot in his range on rainy days. But I will be damned if I ever buy anything in there again. I dont like to buy from idiots or jerks. If I offend anyone with this post........... BITE ME!!!! |
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I purchased my first handgun from Don's. It was an uninformed purchase and I overpaid by about $100. There are a couple guys there I can tolerate, but the rest are an opinionated bunch to say the least. I went back several months later looking to buy an M3 light for my handgun and I generically asked for a "weapon light". The guy proceeded to tell me that they are all pieces of shit (his words) and he won't sell any Surefire or Streamlight products in "his" shop - this wasn't Don, this was the cranky old bastard that is always there. I left the counter and went downstairs to the range and the gentleman at the counter owned several M3 lights for his guns hinking.gif Last year I was really wanting my first AR really bad. My wife said it was ok so I went to Don's just to see what he had. By this time, I already knew better than to test the waters there but I was looking for one regardless. I talked to the tall guy, I think Dale was his name, about buying a Bushmaster. He said they usually sell as soon as he gets them in. I asked when he'd have another one in and he said the next day. I said I'd take it and he took my phone number and gave me his card and said he'd call me as soon as it comes in. He never called me back, so I call him up and he says it showed up around 10:00 AM. I left Conway to go buy it and when I got there he said he sold it already. From that point on, I swore I'd never buy another item from Don's. Southern Trade ended up having one on the shelf ready to go for a price I could handle. Having said that, I haven't been to any gun shop whose counter guys have made me feel warm and fuzzy. Out of all the dealers in Little Rock, I feel I could spend a million bucks at each one of them one day and the next they'd still be the same ungrateful pricks saying "that was yesterday, what have you bought from me today". |
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I know this had nothing to do with don's, but if we are talking about local LR guns stores....... The best price I have seen on a Bushmaster AR in M4A2 config is at Academy Sports. They have had the same price on them atleast since last summer. They only keep one in stock and they do sell fast, but for $799.00 for a brandname M4 config, IMO that is hard to beat for a local store. The model they carry doesnt have a removable carry handle nor does it have the M4 fat forgrip. Although I cant remember Bushmaster isntalling the fat M4 style forgrips from the factory on any of there AR carbines. but still, at this price for a bushmaster! |
So how did he screw over the gunsmith? |
+1 on the best deal in town. I have seen one with a removable carryhandle there once, but it was gone within 24 hours. |
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Ok, my story. Two Little Rock gun shows ago I stopped in there on the way home just to look. I could not believe the conversation I heard behind the counter between two persons there. I have no idea who they were but the older one was real pissed that he missed a handgun sell for $550.00. Seems the kind of folks we don't want to have guns came in. The "Dad" failed the Bradey check, then the "Wife" failed the Bradey check, this person stated the third time the oldest son failed the Bradey check. After the first one could not pass a Bradey check, is that not what we would call a straw purchase? To me it is hard to believe that this is the same folks that will not sell you subsonic ammo because they believe we should have no need for them, but will run three Bradey checks on the same family to make a profit? |
LOL, I wouldn't put anything past these guys! But I am serious as can be, the older man i asked about the subsonics out right told me that I have no need to have them in my possession, and that he nor any other gun store could order them. blah blah blah!!   |
If you are ever in Jonesboro, go to Trent's Rental Center, just south of the Joe N. Martin Expressway (U.S. Highway 63) on Stadium Boulevard (U.S. Highway 1 South). Every time I have ever walked in the place I have been greeted with a smile and a "How are ya doin?" or a "Can we help you?". Trent has a very large selection of black rifles, .50s, handguns and he has without exception always been nice to me. Also, the price you see on the tag is what he wants for the gun, there is none of that old gunstore BS about marking up something 200% and going down from there. Try Trent's, betacha like it. As an added bonus, his wife is an intelligent, nice, beautiful redhead with a great personality who is very knowledgeable about guns. She's usually there and makes visiting the store even more fun. |
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I have a Don's story too.. I was going to build an AR15 in December 05 and needed a stripped lower receiver, I did not care what brand it was, particularly, and I asked the salesperson how much it would cost to get a stripped lower for an AR... He said" What kind." I think I gave him the names Rock River, Stag or whatever as long as it was a forged receiver of decent quality.. He then got on the phone and asked whomever how much they were supposed to charge for a stripped lower. GET THIS!!! His answer to me for a stripped lower was.. $400.00 plus tax..... I asked if he was sure and he assured me" yes" . I asked if he was quoted me a price for a complete lower and he answered "No". " They are hard to get and there have been price increases. He outright lied to me. I bought a Stag lower in NLR for $119.00 
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Another plug for Trent's in Jonesboro. He is a real class act. It seems like I have been in almost every gunstore in the state, north of I-40, and Trent is the only one that actually seems like he appreciates your business. You can also rent a Machine Gun there. |
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You have to go to Don's with the proper frame of mind. It isn't really a gun shop. It is a comedy club. The problem with most folks that go in there is that they don't realize this and actually think that it is a gunshop. You have to have at least a working knowledge of firearms and the current market. If you don't, then the jokes just fly right over your head. Consider Don's to be like The Chocolate Factory and you are little Charlie. Just keep laughing and everything will be alright. |
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I needed a little boost in morale today. As I was in the neighborhood, I dropped into DWs. I was not disappointed. I found G3 mags for $24.95, M 14 mags for $29.95, a well worn Yugo Md59/66 SKS for $249.95, and the topper was 192 rds of LC M2 ball ammo for..are you ready?...$130.00 Man, I really needed a belly laugh and good ol Mr Hill didn't let me down. |
I needed an A2 stock spring for a build I am working on so I stopped in. It took about 15 min of rummaging through a filing cabinet full of parts but we found one. $8 + tax. I can get 3 from brownells for that price. Well I bought it because I was there and needed it. 
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I went in there a couple of years ago and spied a Franchi SPAS-12 on the wall. I've always thought they were neat, but I knew I would not buy one at Don's. Guy behind the counter starts to tell me that this is THE shotgun to get. Matter of fact all the top IPSC competitors use it in 3gun competitions. So I start prodding him for names and he fumbles around and I let him talk himself into a corner, which he cannot extricate himself from. About 3 months later I go in there again with another friend, and I am browsing the used handguns, noticing how they want way too much money for them. The exact same guy behind the counter from the above example starts telling me how he has a Kimber (I think?) and shoots IPSC with it. So I start asking him where he shoots, who he shoots with, what his classification is, etc... and he feeds me a line of total BS. I can't believe he cannot remember me from the previous encounter, but I guess when you have an IPSC fetish and don't really shoot it and lie to dozens of customers about it on a daily basis, maybe the people you meet just sorta run together. So here this guy is, telling me he shoots at some club that doesn't exist, holds an Expert ranking that doesn't exist in IPSC, and I'm grinning like a Cheshire cat cause I can see it coming. He finally asks if I've ever done anything like that. I respond: "I've only shot USPSA/IPSC for about 5 years, I am classified as a GrandMaster, I've won numerous matches all over the country, and I have never seen you at a match." He retreats from the counter with a strange look on his face, heads to the back room and I've never seen him since. BWAHAHAHA!! Besides this counter guy who is full of BS, it seems every person that works in that store is incredibly rude, abrupt, and confrontational. I refuse to spend any money in there. |
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While I agree 100% with most all I have read here, I will say this. The only time I have purchased from DW is when they themselves are unaware of the correct pricing on a certain item. I recently purchased an item that retails for $150.00, Internet sells for $99.00. I walked out the door for $70.00, simply because they couldnt find the correct pricing on it and no one knew. I have never bought a gun from DW and never would, but every now and then you get lucky, just dont look any of them straight in the eye...LOL Carbon |