Why do guns cost so much more at the shops than online?

[DevsAdvocate 112]

So, I'm looking to buy a S&W 22a (.22lr), and I decided to look at some local shops, with some places pricing them at $360 or $350. So being a cheapskate, I went online and began shopping around... found the same pistol on Buds: $268.00

 

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/21_39_71/products_id/26232

 

So... even with the NICS fee and FFL transfer fee (usually $35), the gun from the online source still comes out $45-55 cheaper than if I went to my local shops.

 

Now, don't get me wrong, I love to support local businesses, but not if it means a feeling like a sucker and paying way over sticker price. I also get that stores all have overhead they need to deal with, but that's passing a lot onto the consumer.

 

Does anyone here notice this often? Do you buy local? Or just buy online?

 

Also... anyone here use a S&W 22A? How do you like it?

[Malsua 1,422]

So, I'm looking to buy a S&W 22a (.22lr), and I decided to look at some local shops, with some places pricing them at $360 or $350. So being a cheapskate, I went online and began shopping around... found the same pistol on Buds: $268.00

 

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/21_39_71/products_id/26232

 

So... even with the NICS fee and FFL transfer fee (usually $35), the gun from the online source still comes out $45-55 cheaper than if I went to my local shops.

 

Now, don't get me wrong, I love to support local businesses, but not if it means a feeling like a sucker and paying way over sticker price. I also get that stores all have overhead they need to deal with, but that's passing a lot onto the consumer.

 

Does anyone here notice this often? Do you buy local? Or just buy online?

 

Also... anyone here use a S&W 22A? How do you like it?

 

Contact Mastadon. I'll bet you'll get a competitive price.

 

Stores charge what they can because most people don't want to deal with buying online or are even aware that they can.

[Jon 264]

Online dealers don't have any overhead costs. Local shops do, hence the difference in price.

[RecessedFilter 222]

I usually buy local if I'm going to be saving less than $50. For me, $50 is not worth the head ache of ordering online and transferring and blah blah blah.

 

If I'm saving more than 50 bucks, then yeah I will order online.

 

At the same time, a lot of LGS' can't/won't order a product that I want so ordering online is my only option sometimes.

[lunker 274]

Online dealers don't have any overhead costs. Local shops do, hence the difference in price.

 

That is certainly part of the story, but I agree that a lot of shops charge a lot just because they can. There is a whole generation of gun owners that would've never considered buying one online. They had one or two shops within easy driving distance and options were more limited. You paid the asking price, or did without.

[Steve_G 51]

Try the price request, you might be surprised.

Price Request

[gunnyr 17]

I have a 22a. It's not a bad rimfire pistol. It's a bit of a pain to field strip and clean though. Mine seems to like CCI Blazer ammo and barfs Remington Thunderbolts.

 

 

As far as online pricing, I figure much like any product, the guys who can afford to get bigger volume discounts get to pass it on to their customers.

[Wolfy 51]

Call Tony from TJ sporting arms.

[e80hydro 120]

I don't mind spending more if it keeps a local guy in business.

[Tactical Monkey 51]

I don't mind spending more if it keeps a local guy in business.

 

+1... Eventually you may need to hold/rent a gun a before you buy it. And that can only be done at local shops.

[Malsua 1,422]

I don't mind spending more if it keeps a local guy in business.

 

Absolutely.

 

I specifically went to the local shop(Mastadon) to buy my AR because I want those guys to be around. I realize my purchases aren't much, but I try to throw business at them when I can. The price I got was probably BETTER than buying online as well.

[YankeeFan 49]

I've found that the local guy's prices are just completely outrageous. I've been shopping for a CZ 75 SP-01, and the only authorized CZ dealer near me quoted me a price of $796. When I was in SC over the holidays, I visited a shop who was also an authorized dealer, and he had the exact same pistol (in stock, btw...the local guy didn't have it) for $605...unfortunately I did not have my FPID at the time so I couldn't buy it then. I ended up ordering it online for $581. With the shipping and FFL stuff, it's coming out to around $640, about $150 less than what the local guy wanted for it. (Now if only UPS would hurry up and deliver the damn thing...shoulda paid extra for next day)

 

From now on, it's online for me. Since I've moved to Jersey, the few shops I've visited or talked to on the phone seem to have a "take it or leave it...I don't give a ****" attitude, especially if you are inquiring about anything that would require, God forbid, they actually have to get off their a** and look something up (IOW, anything that's not a Glock ). With that type of attitude, they can go out of business, for all I care. I thought I'd never say it, but I actually miss Florida sometimes...

[lunker 274]

There are a lot of shops in this state. It sounds like you have been to the wrong ones. Ask around on this board for good shops near you.

[YankeeFan 49]

There are a lot of shops in this st

 

I'm sure there are..I'm just basing my experience on the ones close to me...

[Gun Guy in NJ 10]

+1 on Mastadon. Great place. Don’t have much new stuff in stock but they told me they can get just about anything in 3 days. The prices are good too. After transfer fees almost same as online, but supporting a local business

[Anselmo 87]

If a Glock costs only $75 to manufacture... I assume the gun manufacturers are the ones making the big profits. How much profit is Bud's making selling a CZ 75 SP-01 for $581?

[ChrisJM981 924]

I have a 22A with a 7" barrel and I love it. It is picky with ammo. It loves CCI standard velocity and Blazer 40 grain lead round nose. CCI can get pricey, but the Blazer is about 20-25 bucks for 500 rds. It hates Remington ammo. After every few thousand rounds I clean out the firing pin channel as it can get filled with gunk. It's not listed in the care section of the manual, but it should be.

[Maksim 1,504]

There are numerous 22a models, make sure you are comparing the same guns.

 

I paid $280 OTD for my 22a from a local dealer, and that is not with my intrepid dealer discount, this was right before the forum as launched.

[dajonga 397]

I bought my 22a in 7" from Tony at TJs for $255 + tax and NICS in November. Buds shows the gun for $238. I thought that was a very fair price and I was happy to support a FFL in my own town. I like to shop local, and I especially like to shop in my home town.

 

I have seen some 22a's in other shops that had prices on them that were outrageous. Put out a vendor price request here. Betcha Tony beats 'em all.

 

I like the 22a very much. Not too picky on ammo. CCI Blazer, Federal bulk, minimags, American Eagle all worked well for me. Remington was the only one it hated. I think the field strip is very easy. I replaced the stock grips this week with Walnut Altamonts(see my post in rimfire section for pics). FYI, Shore Shot has a 22a on the rental board.

 

Good luck.

[halbautomatisch 60]

If a Glock costs only $75 to manufacture... I assume the gun manufacturers are the ones making the big profits. How much profit is Bud's making selling a CZ 75 SP-01 for $581?

Bud's business strategy is that they sell guns for $10 over cost. They don't have any of them in stock, rather they pull them out of two different distributors warehouses as you order them. They make money because of the tremendous volume of guns they sell and they are not sitting on a large inventory. Add to this that they are going to get rock bottom shipping rates, again because of their volume.

 

As for buying local, I try to as much as I can if the local guy has something reasonable. I don't mind paying a little extra, but sometimes they want $100 or more over what it can be had for elsewhere, that is too much.

[Dan 177]

Here is my logic as of late...

 

Online is good for when you know exactly what you want, want the absolute best prices, and do not care about post-sale support. Buying from a shop, you can usually get help with it if you have problems as the shop owner will usually have a vested interest in supporting you so you buy more from him/her in the future.

 

Shops are also good for when you are not sure what you want, and would like to handle the gun to check it out.

 

Something I don't see mentioned much is convenience. I have a few shops around me, but two of them burnt me either quoting ridiculous prices (like $150 over on a $400 gun), or the "it will be in next week" run around for 1.5 months. Other shops that people speak highly of here on the forums are 1 to 1.5hrs from my house. Even if they can get the gun for the same as online prices, it still makes sense for me to travel 15 min than an hour and a half. This is for when I know what I want, and I'm not concerned with post sales support. I also feel in control when I purchase online. I get tracking numbers so I know when it is arriving, and an immediate phone call when it gets in. My last local shop experiences were not that smooth unfortunately.

[kenw 293]

I know times are tough and the economy is in the crapper, but I still have to voice my support for shopping locally. I really don't see how any local shop, no matter where they are, can compete with an online resource. It's apples and oranges. Online shops have economies of scale and volume, and enjoy minimum overhead, that none but the largest, most leanly run and efficiently managed brick and mortar can compete with.

 

That said, in case anyone hasn't noticed, NJ isn't particularly friendly to guns and gun owners. If the shooting community doesn't support local vendors with their dollars, there's no way the local shops will survive, and we'll eventually lose all of the small local shops, and the shooting community will lose one of the linchpins holding the entire community together.

 

It would be nice if the local vendors had the buying power that Bud's has, but that's not likely to happen if even the shooting community in NJ abandons them for cheaper sources.

[DevsAdvocate 112]

Here is my logic as of late...

 

Online is good for when you know exactly what you want, want the absolute best prices, and do not care about post-sale support. Buying from a shop, you can usually get help with it if you have problems as the shop owner will usually have a vested interest in supporting you so you buy more from him/her in the future.

 

Shops are also good for when you are not sure what you want, and would like to handle the gun to check it out.

 

Something I don't see mentioned much is convenience. I have a few shops around me, but two of them burnt me either quoting ridiculous prices (like $150 over on a $400 gun), or the "it will be in next week" run around for 1.5 months. Other shops that people speak highly of here on the forums are 1 to 1.5hrs from my house. Even if they can get the gun for the same as online prices, it still makes sense for me to travel 15 min than an hour and a half. This is for when I know what I want, and I'm not concerned with post sales support. I also feel in control when I purchase online. I get tracking numbers so I know when it is arriving, and an immediate phone call when it gets in. My last local shop experiences were not that smooth unfortunately.

 

I'm in the same boat. The local shop is charging a lot more, but I can drive the same distance to a local FFL to transfer and online purchase.

 

I'd love to support the local guy, but they need to be reasonable. I once showed them the price I found online and asked them to come down on price a little, and they refused.

[Babaganoosh 192]

If I was a local shop I would also run a nice internet site too. The best of both worlds.

[vladtepes 1,060]

On the rare occasion that I buy a brand new gun, I would pretty much always buy it from a local vendor even at a slightly inflated price.. but unfortunately most of the guns I buy used.. so it could be months before I end up seeing what I want used at a gun shop.. obviously if they have it and it is a decent price I would buy it.. I really only bought a couple guns new.. and honestly.. I doubt I would buy many more guns "brand new".... one thing I do support local businesses with is my ammo purchases.. I really never order the stuff online.. I buy it at my local shops..

 

planning a used gun purchase without utilizing the internet is pretty hard.. I mean sure it could come up at a local shop.. but the timing and everything would have to be just right...

[e80hydro 120]

Years ago you used to see a lot of speed shops that sold high performance car parts. Now you can buy stuff from Jeg's, Summit, etc. online cheaper. No more speed shops. It costs a lot to run a business in NJ. Support your neighbor.

[bry@n 195]

I use TJ Sproting Arms and have gotten great prices from him. Besides prices, his cust service is great and should there be an issue, he gets involved. He helps organize people for shoots, he helps newbie find out what guns works for them.

 

The getting involved is the key issue.

 

Have I bought online, yes. When some deals are too good to pass up, I get them. But if I am looking for a gun that is reasonably priced locally, I get it local.

 

Ken's post makes a lot of sense to me and I agree with him.

 

 

[average joe 5]

Overhead, plain and simple.

[Joeybones 1]

I haven't been there in over a year but last time I was in Meltzers they were charging an additional Fee on top of the transfer fee for guns you order

elsewhere and have sent there. This applies only to guns they can get for you. I don't know if they are still doing so but as I remember the fee was

$100.00. Again it was over a year ago.

[Shug 4]

Stay local and you can't go wrong as long as you shop around. If the deal is too good to pass up get it online but we have to support our local businesses.