Gun Prices in NJ and the ridiculousness of putting up with it.

[Blacksmythe 71]

Decided I wanted to spend my overtime money. Walked into a LGS looked at a Tavor, a KSG and Glock 19 magazines. Walked out laughing and feeling a bit of frustration. Here are the prices. 1 IWI Tavor $2300 + Tax and $17 NICS ($2479.14) ,  1 Keltec KSG $1850 + Tax and $17 NICS ($1997.69). No its not a typo $17 for NICS. $30 + tax ($32.10) for Glock 19 magazines. What the hell is going on. Are they buying on gun broker then marking up? Is the distributor for NJ a dick? A few weeks ago tried to purchase an C39 quoted a price of $739 plus tax and NICS ($806.78). Yes I know we have to deal with pesky compliance work for the Tavor and C39 but sheesh. Brought the C39 for $650 & free shipping and the Seller welded the break and swapped the MAGS for 2 10 rounders before it shipped, found a great private FFL that does transfers for $25. Saved $131.78. Found a KSG out of state for $825 + 45 shipping. I am going to use the same FFL so I will save $1102.69. Am I missing something? What is the disconnect with the rest of the country that NJ dealers charge this much for things. Ohh yea the Glock magazines including shipping and a small wait $22 each. No one mentions this. No one complains about this. This is not acceptable. Is this why in the marketplace a lot of dealer prices say contact me? Is there some secret password or art of the deal to get a better deal around here? I know people need to make a profit and such but something is wrong here. Before you ask. I am a selfish asshole and I am not telling where I purchased anything. What are your thoughts on NJ gun dealer pricing?

[BlueLineFish 615]

You are going to the wrong gun shops

[Blacksmythe 71]

You are going to the wrong gun shops

I agree. Thats why I do not purchase from them.

[Donobieus 15]

Also you fail to realize margins are razor thin and lights have to be kept on....

 

Umm... He saved $1100 on the KelTec... No offense but that's a bit more than razor thin just to keep the lights on.

[Blacksmythe 71]

Also you fail to realize margins are razor thin and lights have to be kept on...

 

It still does not explain how the same gun in Arizona, Texas, North Carolina or Kentucky can be so much cheaper. These are mom and pop shops as well.

[Blacksmythe 71]

.......prices still suck here.

[ronhonda 86]

As much as I would like to support local shops, most if not all are rip offs. The one shop that would recommend would be Bullseye Tactical. That being said you need to shop around and see what the going rate is and compare it to what the locals are charging and go from there. Having a good inexpensive FFL is a bonus also.

[ECsandstar 28]

As much as I would like to support local shops, most if not all are rip offs. The one shop that would recommend would be Bullseye Tactical. That being said you need to shop around and see what the going rate is and compare it to what the locals are charging and go from there. Having a good inexpensive FFL is a bonus also.

 

Id speak to some of the site sponsors here...ive heard good things. However, prices are still nuts.

[njpilot 671]

You are going to the wrong gun shops

This.

 

You should've done a price check on the forum. I looked into getting a Tavor a couple of months ago and was well below $2k.

[Heavyopp 167]

I just recently found a FFL local to me who's not a greedy, know it all gun store owner

 

took almost 2 decades to find him -- he's happy making a few dollars and providing the service -- obviously this isn't his main source of income

 

I was there just last week -- walked in and he handed me a Tavor -- wasn't my cup of tea -- if you want me to get a price on it I'd be happy to -- just let me know

[iCARRY 0]

I say stick with the vendors on this site. They all have good prices and all have great customer service.

 

The KSG might have been bought at the peak of the craziness so they might have spent a good penny on it to get one in. Who knows, just don't shop there.

 

I don't think $30 is too much for a glock mag. Most places sell for $25-30. $22 is a great price, what do you think that store is paying from the distributer? Maybe $20. So they are making $10 minus the governments fees and you are right about at $7 in profit before any other expense like lights, rent, employees, insurance, and so on.

[The_Matrix 105]

BLF is right.  You are going to the wrong places.

 

My friend bought a new Tavor with compliance work for under $2K.  A new KSG for $950 out the door.

[mark_anthony_78 0]

My preferred FFL, while still a very friendly business, has recently tightened up a bit. Now they add 2% for credit cards, etc.

 

As far as prices, they don't seem way out of line, but I can also just find a reputable online deal and they'll match it plus $25, which is what their transfer fee would be anyway.

 

Maybe that knocks a few bucks off their profit, but I leave happy and keep going back for more rather than never returning because of a rip off.

[Blake 50]

As stated by many, there are several great ffl's to use.  Most of the forum vendors are great to work with, and once you develop a rapport with them it has been my experience that you can get things even cheaper than online in many instances.   of 

 

Don't give up on buying local just bc of one or two overpriced shops - the good ones are out there.

[Blake 50]

Oh and holy crap on that KSG price.  They are readily available for 1k, and less if you hunt for them.  That's crazy.  

[david8613 69]

I think another problem is a lot people in nj are paying these ramped up prices for stuff, you know the i gotta have it first crowd...

[SJG 253]

You need to shop around. Places like Gun for Hire, only charge a $20 transfer fee for members if you are purchasing new from an out of state seller who does not charge sales tax. That alone is a considerable savings. If you are purchasing in state there are several good in state vendors, some of whom are forum vendors. You simply need to shop it to get the best deal. Their will always be price fluctuates on the same item. If you are buying in state, you need to factor in time and travel, to see if in the end how much you are really saving. I generally stay away from any forum vendor who advertises an item but refuses to post a price. There are several reasons for that, but in the end, I think it is a mistake to advertise a new item and not mark it with the lowest price you can sell if for while still making a profit. Supply and demand will also impact price. It is always a good idea to have a relationship with more than one in state shop and not put all your eggs in the same basket

[petros600 12]

I use 2 FFL for transfers, Tony @ TJSporting arms and Paul(PK90) before his departure. Both of them they treat me fair, they had reasonable price and it was fun to go to their shops.

[checko 180]

I always compare prices with online shops to gauge going rates.  I obviously tack on transfers and such but time and ease of travel are highly weighted.  

I've seen some things way out of line, but for the most part they are in the same ballpark.

[mcbethr 42]

I would say that the prices here in NJ are a bit higher - mainly because you are dealing with limited buyers. 

 

Think about it.  Only 14% of the adults in this entire state can buy a gun.  The prices have to be higher.

 

Also note that there are more used guns in places other than NJ because you have churn.  It's perfectly common for someone in PA to pawn his gun to pay a few bills and just buy another one when he works a little overtime.  That doesn't happen in NJ.  Once you buy a pistol, you pretty much keep it forever because of the hassle of getting more permits.

 

Used guns have a bigger profit margin in a store than new guns, so gun shops out of state can afford to take the financial hit on new guns.

[Golf battery 1,223]

******* tanners. Pennsylvania. ******. Tavor with mepro sight. 2200$. Without 1700$. Ship to nj for comp work. No tax. There ya go.

[Bully 749]

I am a selfish asshole and I am not telling where I purchased anything. What are your thoughts on NJ gun dealer pricing?

Well... you couldn't pay me to buy a Tavor or KSG, however it sounds like you went to Ottomanelli's.

 

Yup, I'll call them out. I refuse to buy there. Stupid overpriced. I believe in voting with my feet when it comes to retail/service industry. There is a range that I refuse to visit as well. Expensive and rude. They are doing well and apparently do not need my money. Works for me.

 

Margins on guns are very tight. As far as what I've heard they are right around 10%. Couple that with a very busy market and distributors charging for profit as well prices can get seemingly out of hand. I try and buy locally when I can. It's not always possible especially if I want something very specific, which I usually do. Then I'll look around online.

 

The other thing to remember is this, if I buy a rifle online and it craps out, I am responsible for the shipping. If it needs work, I'm responsible for it. If I buy at a shop and want a scope mounted and boresighted, they do it free of charge. Any warranty issues, they handle it for me. No muss, no fuss. That employee needs to be paid regardless. The markup needs to go towards that. I'm ok with that.

 

C

[mag1 0]

Good post Chris

[wooly bugger 1]

I buy all my guns from Jim Flynn. He's a good FFL and gets good prices with reasonable transfer fees.

[Respect2A 0]

It still does not explain how the same gun in Arizona, Texas, North Carolina or Kentucky can be so much cheaper. These are mom and pop shops as well.

Im not defending this shop because it sounds like a rip off but the costs of doing business in NJ are insane. All the things that we bitch about like high property taxes, high insurance, high rent, all have to be paid by the business as well. Shit rolls downhill so the end customer has to pay for it due to NJ being not only an unfriendly state for guns but more importantly a very unfriendly state for running a business.

[Blacksmythe 71]

I think another problem is a lot people in nj are paying these ramped up prices for stuff, you know the i gotta have it first crowd...

these have been out for a while. It is dumb to over pay for an item that is available. KSGs for example have beeN out for a while. They are not some rare oddity as they once were. Tavors come in a steady supply.

[Shawnmoore81 623]

You should see the margin on certain things. It's nothing. Glocks and target load are possibly the worse

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot 358]

To be honest, I think you're going to see wide disparity in prices across gun shops in any state.  Tanner's is great.  Cabela's in Hamburg not so great.

 

It's hard to point to a Bud's or KY Gun Co., and say those are representative prices in KY.  Even the prices at the PSA store in Columbia were higher than the prices on their website for some reason.

 

It's pays to shop around.  Willing buyer, willing seller.  A gun is worth what someone is willing to pay.  yada yada.

 

Now, the $15 NICS fee and price of making a firearm NJ compliant is another story...

[bry@n 195]

Glock mags cost me $21 + shipping + tax from Glock as an armorer. So getting fr $22 is a great price.

 

I don't see $30 as screwing people.

[Grapeshot 301]

So what is a reasonable discount to expect off of a MSRP? And I'm talking about common, everyday firearms, not exotic rare range toys.