Over the years I've purchased from Numrich Arms, usually piggy-backing on a friends order as I never had a catalog of my own.  The other week a board member turned me onto the fact that they were selling stripped lowers at a pretty good price.  Not as low as some of the sellers on the board, but I could save shipping and inspect them myself as their location is about an hour and a half from me.  Because they have wierd hours for their retail operation, M-F 9:00ish to about 4:30, and closed weekends... I had to take an afternoon off from work to drive down.  I call and tell the customer service rep I needed directions and was coming down to buy some lowers, she was great and gave me the directions and said see you soon.

I jump in the car drive down, wait in line for 20 minutes... its a retail counter, not a shop.  Kind of like the parts counter at a car dealership.  Get to the counter, tell the man what I want and he asks me, "you an FFL."  Well ummmm no, why do I need to be an FFL to but a lower, YOU'RE a dealer.  "Well we only sell to dealers," he says.  I inform him I've driven quite a ways and when I called to get directions, spoke to customer service, told them why I was coming... and their website mentioned NOTHING about sales ONLY to FFL's... they had ample opportunity to inform me of this policy.  "Oh well, we only sell to dealers."

I leave (incidently, bought nothing else on my list), start heading home, and pull over to call customer service thinking maybe this guy was just wrong.  Customer service tries to tell me its the law that they can only sell to dealers.  I kindly explained to her that it is not the law.  They are not manufacturers, they are a dealer with state retail licenses.  That there is no such law as I happen to have a C&R FFL and get copies of the same regulations and laws, as well as the fact that I work for a dealer part-time and am pretty versed on what they can and can not do.  Oh, you have an FFL, just buy it with that she tells me.  NO... I have a collector's FFL, it does not apply to firearms that are not C&R.  Pretty clear that the employees do not know the laws which apply to their business, at least this particular employee who tried to tell me store policy is actually law.

Now I have no problem if they want to sell only to dealers.  I have a huge problem that they did not mark their webpage with something like, "Retail sales only available to FFL holders for firearms and receivers."  I have a bigger problem with the customer service rep not telling me before I came down when I told them I was coming down to buy receivers.

They may be the source for impossible to find parts, but in the future I'll keep looking.  They will not get my business again.

That's fine, I wouldn't ask anybody not to buy from them... not my place, they provide a service many people need.  I think we should all have as much information as possible to make our buying decisions.

When possible I try to help local businesses.  The shop I work at doesn;t sell stripped lowers.  I can order lowers here for $75 and pay to have them shipped to the shop.  I don't pay transfer fees.  Instead I drove an hour and a half to pay $100 per lower.  That's fine, they lost at least $200 in receiver sales and another couple hundred dollars in parts I needed.  I'll find them elsewhere.  There is no state law prohibiting them from selling it to me, I'm guessing they decided they don't want to deal with 4473s, maintaining files, NICS checks, etc.  That's fine, I don't mind that... but like I said, no mention on their website, no mention when I called this morning.

Quoted: You didn't say what kind of lower.  I'm gonna ssume it's an AR-15 lower.  If so...sheesh they are all over the place and then some.  Are you below the National pverty level.  Not a flame, but shit at todays gas prices driving 20 minutes and shipping an stripped lower are a wash.

Clearly you are not paying attention... I was prepared to pay MORE to buy locally from them.  The cheapest route would be a $75 lower off the Equipment Exchange with what, $8 shipping?  Versus $100 plus tax, plus gas, plus tolls.  I was trying to support the local guy, not cheap out!

Another lesson in why you should always shop with your friendly Arfkom dealers. ®

I believe their catalog says to dealers only on anything with a serial number.

Been a few years since I looked at one.

Quoted: BTW: Numrich is now part of Kahr Arms Inc. It was sold a few years ago.

Negative - Numrich sold the gun mfg portion to Kahr so they could concentrate on selling parts.

Like I said... then post that on your website clearly below the items it applies to and when people call and express interest in prchasing one, let them know.  The website said you needed to ship to an FFL if ordering one... of course you do.  Made no mention of the retail counter.  Anyway, I've vented.  For now on I shop for the best deal, forget trying to support the local guy who helps the local economy.

you should have whipped out an aim flyer!!!!

j/k!!

Quoted: you should have whipped out an aim flyer!!!! j/k!!

You know for that I'm showing up with a trunk full of guns for you to WECSOG for me!

BTW, I did whip out the printout of their webpage... didn't phase them.

hiram, i feel your pain. i dearly love numrich/gun parts.

those guys have saved my ass countless times...remind me to tell you the MIRACLE they pulled for me in finding me a brand spanking new comp/front sight for my browning hi-power gp. it was nothing short of a pope pius the XIII moment!

still, they should make it known that they are main wholesalers and that an ffl was required to order a rec at the counter.

otoh, at aimsurplus, i can drive down, select and carry away the eeeevilness of my dreams with the ffl leaving my wallet!

hey...you didn't happen to see any old colt/west hurley thompson drums on sale for $100 while you were there, didja?

Its literall a retail counter with a stock room in the back... you don't see what they have.  Like I said, they serve a vital purpose, but I've had it with businesses like this that have a, "you can go pound salt attitude" because they know they have the parts you need.  I won't frequent them again, but I sure wouldn't fault anybody who did.