Went 2 weeks ago to buy my first AR.  Arrived at the gun store and looked at a used post ban Colt. When I asked about the price, the owner told me it was against store policy to sell an AR to anyone not a LEO. I have been buying firearms from this store and this man for over five years. Not to mention ammo and other accessories. He refused to sell.  I then decided to go to the other store in Greensboro to look around. I found a brand new Armalite AR in my price range.  When I asked, I again got the same answer. No AR to anyone not LEO.  These stores are not affiliated with each other, but they do cater mostly to law enforcement and emergency services. I have been in the FD for 20 years, and have received the same discount PD officers receive at both of these stores. I have been a regular customer at both for years.

Left with no AR.  I then went to Treasure World in Asheboro, and bought a new A-2 Bushmaster.  I now have the black rifle disease.  I can't say enough good about the guys at Treasure World.  They even saved me around $150.  

Has anyone else had problems buying AR's from local stores?  Both of these guns were post-ban and semi-auto only. I don't understand why they were willing to sell me 8 other firearms in the last 5 years, but not an AR.  Anyway, they are not getting anymore of my business.

Funny,I didnt think NC was that PC yet [:(]

Well , maybe they should only sell to LEO then.
Tell all your shooting friends and relatives.

People like that should be run out of business.

never had that problem around Charlotte/Gastonia area...

What a crock of shit! Screw them. If they won't sell to civilians, then they have just sentenced themselves to failure. By cutting the market by more than half, they will either change that rediculous policy, or suffer a loss in revenue. The fact that they are flat out refusing to sell you an AR, is attrocious and dispickable. If they are attempting to save themselves from the wrath of tree huggin soccer moms, they have no business selling firearms.
They are conformists. I hope they friggin die!

Next time take off all dem gold chains! [:D]

Just kidding. Is age a factor? I saw a gun store turn a cold shoulder to a few teenagers one day.

You've gotta be shitting me.  Here you can buy an AR at the Ace Hardware!

I knew there was a reason I lived out in the sticks....

I just bought a new Bushy friday, a little further west than you. Oh, I'm not LEO.

No.

No problems on the coast, in fact, they're right popular down here.

I suggest you never darken their door again and let that scumbag rot in backruptcy hell-----tell all your friends.

The only place I know of you cant buy or order assault rifle parts from is gander mountain.

Nobody should buy anything from their stores, order it online or find it somewhere else. Lets put those asshole's out of buisness.  

I can't imagine having a store and refusing to sell to a certain segment of the population.  Why would they not want to make more money?  If you've been in the FD for 20 yrs, you're not a teenager (18 or 19), which still isn't a reason not to sell someone an AR.  They sound elitist.  

Heh... every time I go into the local shooting range / gun shop I get the feeling they don't want me or my business. (Lock and Load in Tyler, Texas). They had one Bushmaster in stock, nothing else. The sales guy didn't seem interested in answering any questions OR selling me on the weapon. It was like pulling teeth. Nope, no catalogue. No options. You can buy this one bushmaster here for $2k or not. But I get the same feeling every time I go in there.

Went to another shop, The Shootist also in Tyler. He didn't carry any, and acted like I was a big waste of his time. I would probably have bought it that same day too but I expected better service.


So I bought my AR-15 from someone else. Bill Middleton in Jacksonville. He let me drive out to his place on short notice, look over everything. (I called at like 1:00 and he went straight away to storage and pulled all the gear out and had everything ready by 3:00.) Has a shop + house on land out there. Does gunsmithing, dealing, and engineering work.

Answered my questions, demonstrated function, etc. Very nice fellow.

He didn't have to do that. Its not like he has a retail storefront! He certainly didn't have to drop everything to go pull stuff out of storage and waste his afternoon chit-chatting with me.

Needless to say, he got my business and will continue to get my business in the future.

the gun shop i go to does something just like that sort of. i was talking to him and i asked

ME: when i turn 18 i can buy a ar-15 right?
GUN DEALER: no i wont sell that kind of rifle to anyone under 21

it kind of pissed me off. looks like he wont be getting $800+ from me

but the legal age to own it is 18 that guy is a dick . i dont have to worry bout that cuz my dad is the one who purchases the guns and all i do is fire reload and clean them

I don't think age had anything to do with it. I am 36 and definately look it. I am afraid these guys that run these stores are under pressure from the liberal side (and I know it is a small group and usually near the top) of law enforcement to control who they sell to. LEO sales are their bread and butter, and if the boss tells the guys to buy their equipment from someone else, they are going to lose business.

Its a disease,,called,,Clintonbradyits

Let them hemmorage

Southrnshooter,

What was the name of the stores? I live not far from Greensboro. I do my business at the "Gun Rack" which is now located in Kernersville. He used to be in Walkertown and I've always done business with him. He's got the best prices tha I'VE found anyway.

I've never heard of that. Like someone else said, they must sell alot to L.E. and are catching some flack or have been told, "If you sell AR's to the public, we as a department will not buy from you any longer." or something to that effect. I have a feeling that I know one of the stores but won't say until you confirm my thoughts.

[b]Southrnshooter,[/b] I live in NC between Greensboro and Durham.  I can name at least five gun shops in the area that will gladly take your dough for any AR-15 you'd like.

In Apex there's Young's Guns.  Hillsboro: Colonial Gun Shop.  Mebane: the Gun Room (right on I-40 and a large selection.)  Greensboro: Southern Firearms (great guys.)  Kernersville: Gun Rack.

None of these will give you the deal you can get on EE or build from a kit.  But htey'll sell you a firearm with none of that PC BS.

Where do you live?

C_M

Southrnshooter,

I can't believe that happened in G'boro.   I mean maybe in the Peoples Republic of Chapel Hill, but not in the Western Piedmont.

Heck, I live mighty close to them Commies at UNC and I had no trouble.

Went to a local Outdoor World last week.  Not only no AR's, how 'bout no sem-auto pistols either...just revolvers...what a bunch of coxukers.  Don't patronize these flannel mouth m.f. if they are gonna trash our side of the sport.  Let them go bankrupt like those dikless ones at K-mart.

I seriously doubt that LEO sales of FIREARMS are any gun store's "bread and butter"  Here in GA, at Smyrna Police Distributors the Glocks are $200 off of civilian retail, the same goes for most of the long guns.  I have talked with dozens upon dozens of dealers at shows and in stores, and they all mention their small profit margins, being in the single digit range.  Store that sell to LEO's make money off of body armor, car lights, batons and all the rest of the accessories.  Even clothing, just like JCPenny.  My sister-in-law produces clothing articles for Glock that SPD sells for 300 percent or more of the actual cost.  THAT is profit.  
Gun stores have to behave like grocery stores which also have ridiculously low profit margins on items like food (1-5 percent).  They bring customers in with the main attraction , guns (or food), and then sell the impulse and accessory items.  I know from talking to owners that for a time there is an acceptable loss on firearms, such as Bargain Barn in Jasper.  A few years ago they boosted their prices to get out of the hole and are now pretty much the same price as everywhere.

The point (yeah I rambled) is that any dealer that does not sell a firearm to a person legally able to purchase it is a fool and a coward.  Obivously they are scared that the next "evil" gun they sell is going to be the next used in a shooting.  Following the same logic, if they were a car dealer, they would only sell cars to the likes of Mario Andretti.....and go out of business.  I am sorry that people on this board have run into dealers such as that, but as more and more American's turn into cowards, afraid to take any risk of losing their cushy lifestyles...it will happen more and more.

Well im my case, this is Texas. This is prime gun country.

But I think it is more of a hunter mentality. They are in the business of doing CC training (and selling guns for CC) and catering to hunters. If you aren't one of those two, they aren't really interested in helping you.


Oh well... I've got my AR and I'm a happy camper.