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

[Newtonian 453]

Jeez, you're really stretching to find some situation that proves me wrong. If you were waiting for a lane, you are buying something from them. Get it? If you bought a gun from them you are a customer who supports their business? Don't you see that? How do you suppose I think you wasted his time if you bought a gun from them?

 

Are you really that obtuse or is playing devil's advocate a hobby for you? If you agree with my original post, why are you trying to hard to turn it in to an argument?

I'm arguing because I see over and over in these forums posters who scream to the rooftops about liberty, freedom, etc. but barely appreciate these concepts, if at all, outside of Second Amendment issues. The original evil scenario you described involves adults who are free to engage or not with each other, in a venue (a retail shop) that is the epitome of what the U.S.A. is about. Voluntary interactions. People who view certain customers as evil would be the first to jump out of a window if shops charged by the hour for sales assistance. 

[Babyface Finster 45]

I'm arguing because I see over and over in these forums posters who scream to the rooftops about liberty, freedom, etc. but barely appreciate these concepts, if at all, outside of Second Amendment issues. The original evil scenario you described involves adults who are free to engage or not with each other, in a venue (a retail shop) that is the epitome of what the U.S.A. is about. Voluntary interactions. People who view certain customers as evil would be the first to jump out of a window if shops charged by the hour for sales assistance.

Evil? Man, you are really out there.

 

I am free to fire up my mower at 9AM on a Sunday but I don't do it because I am something that seems to elude many people in this state: considerate. Is it too much to ask people to do the same in regard the already limited local firearms resources? Freedom and liberty are not mutually exclusive to decency, fair play and respect. I voluntarily act like a decent, considerate person to the people I encounter in life. I guess you'll argue with that too...

[Shawnmoore81 623]

The fact is transfers won't keep the doors open. Then when you wanna buy a pistol and nobody is around you are screwed.

 

Nj already makes it hard enough on dealers. Hell you are gonna see a price jump again if this mag limit passes. Picture being a shop and you have to buy new mags for most of your inventory (handgun). Also a lot of distributors won't even ship a non compliant gun into nj. So then you'll have more people going after a smaller pool of guns. We all saw what that did to the ar market.

[Blacksmythe 71]

one of the rules of selling is put it in their hands and let them personalize it. I am a shrewd person in these matters. I was a sales man and a damn good one as a teenager going door to door peddling bobbles and gadgetry. I expect to fondle the damn gun in the store its up to the sales man and management to sale it to me. Personally I research the hell out of things and have cash in hand before I even walk in or contact an ffl or LGS. CASH TALKS TO MOST. If I am in your store and the pistol I want is $645 plus NICS PLUS TAX I'm inclined to at least ask can the 645 include the NICS. I want the deal and the store wants the sale. I HAVE AN EXPECTATION OF HAVING A GOOD DEAL. I expect good service regardless of prices or overhead. Its just good business. Make no mistake its a business they give no fucks about their customers. It is about the art of the deal.

[NYMetsFan86 9]

I'll receive disagreement on this im sure, but Ive bought local and online. I would have to say that if my income permitted me to I would buy local more often. However my cut-off is an 70-80 dollar difference. To someone that does not make a lot of money, that is substantial. Substantial enough to do a transfer over a local buy. I truly believe that all people should be able to enjoy this hobby, whether they are thrifty and low budget, or those who can afford to drop serious dough. It is a given that service matters, but there are so may of us that need to save where we can to enjoy this great hobby.

[magnawing 5]

I've checked Jim Flynn's prices against online sellers and, by the time you add shipping, transfer, and NICS, he's usually within a few dollars. I was buying clays & 12 ga. target loads @ Walmart in Easton until I realized that Jim has both cheaper (by a few dollars) and closer...135 clays for $11.50 and Estate #8 target loads for $61/case.

 

 

This signature is AWESOME!!!

[Kaiser7 33]

So here's a really good blog (in general) that has a good post about firearm markup.

http://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/search?q=msrp

As for my $0.02, here's the thing. I'm a staunch capitalist. I also study biology. I subscribe to the thought of "Economic Darwinism". If a LGS is not competitive due to price, service, etc. Then they will go out of business.

Now, before anyone thinks this is a statement against LGS, it's not, it's against LGS that practice shitty business. I have heard of many which treat their customers rather brusquely, and come off kinda standoffish, etc. I wouldn't mind paying more for better service, unless it was substantially more. Likewise, I'd rather not deal with FFL shipping and stuff because that's just another PIA. But I would like to go to places where I build a rapport. Furthermore, there's nothing saying you can't try haggling, especially on a used gun.

I know Bob's Little Sport Shop is excellent, and they've tolerated me coming in just to browse, or ask questions and things. When I bought my first gun, that's where I went, and even though I only bought a Savage MKII for $200-something, they gave me a free hour on the range with my brother-in-law, and IIRC, a few targets, and a discount on some .22LR since it was my first time shooting. They took care of me, and I would like to take care of them by shopping there.

I know that Banger's Sport shop at SJSC seems to be pretty good too. I haven't really bought much there besides a few targets, but while I was shooting there as a guest, and needed an allen key (Mounted a scope improperly, no surprise there), they lent me one, gave me some advice, and were totally cool.

To be honest, I'm generally broke quite often, so I like to "window-shop" online, think about the things I want, etc. The prices I see online seem on par with Bob's Little Sport Shop, and I'm sure some of the other LGS in the area. Winter's Gunsmithing is another place. I've never bought anything there, but Mr. Winters has been really nice to me, when I was getting my FID he explained stuff to me, offered to help me find a nice K98k for a good price, showed me some things, gave me tips on what to look for in guns, etc. 

 

I say shop around, be a smart consumer, and try haggling. If giving a little discount means moving some inventory, they'll likely do it. Or, be smart, and if you're buying a new gun, (and it's there) try buying a lot of ammo at that time, and use that to try and get a better deal. But being part of a smart consumer goes back to the capitalist free-market belief in mutual benefit. If you find a place that's got awesome service, willing to work with you, and stuff like that, pay a little extra up front, and later you'll benefit by having a trusted source you know won't screw you. It will be better in the long run.

[Kaiser7 33]

I get guys who order all their parts online then want me to build their ar for free or let them use my garage full of tools. And these aren't people I'm friends with.

 

lol, I'll assemble Lowers for $20. Never had someone take me up, but I know for me, it's almost 3x what I make in an hour XD.

[bhunted 887]

Some of you don't understand that small shops, new shops, etc....may not be able to give you good prices. There are Tiers in which wholesalers give retailers. Most will start you on the worse tier until you buy tons of inventory and sell it.

Sometimes they may make extremely little and if they gave you a discount to match places online, they'd either make no profit or have to sell for less than they paid. The fact is they may never leave that tier.

Then when you see these places online like Bud's, they have a massive warehouse and buys huge inventory. Then they chip down prices to be super competitive sometimes making just enough. They don't care because they make their money by selling quantity.

While this is all happening, the little guy struggles. Big box stores destroyed the lil stores.


Sent from my iPhone using TT 2 Pro

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot 358]

Beyond that, some online dealers drop ship directly from their distributor so their inventory and warehousing/distribution costs can be minimal

[tommyfeds 2]

As I stated in an earlier post, if it wasnt for NJ's law about no guns on a sunday, I would have had my Henry in hand. Its been 12 days and it still has not arrived at my LGS. You get what you pay for, next time I will go back on Monday and seal the deal. 

 

Side note: Ill probably never order from Buds again. 

[millsan1 3]

Clearly some people in this thread have never owned nor operated a business.

 

I used to own a fairly successful paintball business.  We prided ourselves on customer service.  We provided many perks for our customers and our prices were higher than online.  We helped teach you how to maintain your equipment, if you bought an accessory from us, we would install for free, and we covered the labor on any repairs outside of manufacturer warranty.

 

We did offer online price matching, but if you made us match online pricing, you got online service, which is to say "here is your part, have a nice day".  Your account and purchase were noted, so that when, invariably, you came back to us to try and use our free value added services, we could check whether you bought the item from us Internet price, or Store price.

 

We were also well aware when a person was using us to gain the knowledge they needed to go buy online.  It is fairly obvious.  We would inform them of our Internet price match, and let them know the perks they would be forgoing.  Most people ended up buying at store price, but many did buy at Internet, and again, would almost invariably come back looking for the free services we offered, trying to pull a fast one.  No dice.

 

I even had people come into my store with things they didnt even purchase from us and try to take advantage of the free services.  On some occasions, there were people who argued with me on the topic, to whit: "You said you fix guns for free."  Yeah, if you bought it from me for my retail price.  "Well I bought this off XZY.com and you should fix it for me for free."  I am not kidding.

[Old Dog 19]

When I moved to Florida from NJ, I was pleasantly surprised at the prices I found here. For about the same cost as ordering online, if shipping and FFL transfer fees are included in the total price, I can buy the same gun in any of the small mom and pop gun stores here. The reason is twofold. Firstly, due to liberal gun laws and ccw licenses easily obtained, the market for gun buyers is much larger than NJ. Florida will soon exceed NY in population for those who do not know.

 

The last reason is that every pawn shop is also a gun store. Within a 15 minute drive of my house, there are about 8 stores where I can buy a gun. If I increase the drive time to 30 minutes I am in range of over 20 stores because I can hit a few of the smaller towns. In 45 minutes I am in range of Orlando and a lot of cities so there are over a hundred places where I can buy a gun. With this kind of competition, your prices have to be low. If I go into a gun store and want a particular gun, I know the price that the other local stores are charging for the same gun, even if they have to order it for me, so I can negotiate a very good price. The only time prices were high was during the gun shortage. Now all the stores have their shelves filled up with guns.

 

Larger market to sell to and increased competition tend to keep the prices low. Plus with internet sales now in the equation, the gun stores have to be competitive. Most will replace a defective gun rather than you getting stuck returning it to the manufacturer for repairs. One of the places I buy from will let me return a gun for any reason, within a month of purchase, for a $50 restocking fee. Makes it easier to buy a gun that I am not able to shoot first. So, larger market and stiff competition, keep prices low. Chain stores like Dick's and Gander Mountain tend to be about a $100 higher per gun than the local gun stores except when they have a sale which brings their price down to local gun store prices. Large overhead and sales commissions, I guess, and yet new gun buyers go to these stores because they are new and spiffy looking compared to the dark and dingy gun stores run by the owners who are not dressed in shirts with company logos on them.

[Jersey Joe 4]

Not only does Jim Flynn offer great prices, he is a great guy, and true shooter/sportsman. He also supports our junior shooters! When was the last time you're online seller brought a foursome of shooters to your charity shoot? If he has what I want, or can get what I want, I'll buy from Jim.

[RTSP1 67]

Great thread! Very informative as a business owner to find out what the general thoughts are on customer service, pricing of firearms and even the theory on "browsing".  I can say that as far as customer service and browsing, we encourage it! there is no customer that is less or more important than another.  Whether you have a permit in hand or not, everyone should get the the same level of attention.  Any employee that shuns a customer for another, is not going to be employed for long at our shop.  I have found sometimes consumers are just trying to get a feel for what they may be purchasing in the future. That said, not everyone is going to buy from us, but the good experience that they have may drive them to come back at a later time for something else.

Pricing! Well we have put all of our pricing on our website, hence there is little to hide.  Our theory is a profit of around 17%-20% on a firearm. Now, how does that translate? Glad you asked. Glock is the most popular selling firearm in our store, if we take the margins list above and translate it to what the distributors sell the firearm to us for, it comes out to around $70.00 profit per gun.  That sure doesn't keep the doors open, but by keeping the prices competitive, we can work more closely on customers purchasing things with better mark-ups like cleaning kits, ammo, range time and training.  all of those things have better margins and are really what helps, Gun ranges, especially stay open.

I am in no way saying we have the best prices out there, but you have to understand that some shops may get a better distributor price, may not have the overhead of a 35,000 sq ft facility etc..., but we try to stay in the right ball park. 

[Duppie 73]

Great thread! Very informative as a business owner to find out what the general thoughts are on customer service, pricing of firearms and even the theory on "browsing".  I can say that as far as customer service and browsing, we encourage it! there is no customer that is less or more important than another.  Whether you have a permit in hand or not, everyone should get the the same level of attention.  Any employee that shuns a customer for another, is not going to be employed for long at our shop.  I have found sometimes consumers are just trying to get a feel for what they may be purchasing in the future. That said, not everyone is going to buy from us, but the good experience that they have may drive them to come back at a later time for something else.

Pricing! Well we have put all of our pricing on our website, hence there is little to hide.  Our theory is a profit of around 17%-20% on a firearm. Now, how does that translate? Glad you asked. Glock is the most popular selling firearm in our store, if we take the margins list above and translate it to what the distributors sell the firearm to us for, it comes out to around $70.00 profit per gun.  That sure doesn't keep the doors open, but by keeping the prices competitive, we can work more closely on customers purchasing things with better mark-ups like cleaning kits, ammo, range time and training.  all of those things have better margins and are really what helps, Gun ranges, especially stay open.

I am in no way saying we have the best prices out there, but you have to understand that some shops may get a better distributor price, may not have the overhead of a 35,000 sq ft facility etc..., but we try to stay in the right ball park. 

Excellent post and I for one am impressed at the honesty and transparency of your pricing, store policy and customer service philosophy.Somethings that all too often is not as forthcoming in today's business environment.

[illy 1]

I have found sometimes consumers are just trying to get a feel for what they may be purchasing in the future. That said, not everyone is going to buy from us, but the good experience that they have may drive them to come back at a later time for something else.

That's absolutely true.

 

Cliffs for the ADHD crowd:

A.

-Got great service at a LGS, even though I said up front that I wasn't buying.

-When I needed something, went back to them, even though price was higher than other places.

 

B.

-My go to FFL provides so much value (service, transfer price, advice and extras, like holding a gun for over 6 months once) that I'd gladly pay more to buy from him, because in reality, I'm still coming out ahead by dealing with him.

 

-----------

Ex. 1

Last summer I went into Lou's for the first time. I told the guy (can't remember his name) up front that I wasn't buying anything and didn't have any permits, just looking around on my lunch hour.

We got to talking about .45s and he pulled out half a dozen different guns for me to fondle and answered a bunch of questions.

 

He then asked if I'd ever considered a 1911. I said I didn't know much about them, and off we went to the 1911 display, where we he showed me another 5 or 6 guns and explained a bunch of stuff.

I thanked him and left.

 

A few weeks later I needed a .22 rifle to take my nephew shooting. Guess who I bought out from? Yup, Lou's, even though I paid about 15% more than I would have at Dick's for the same Marlin 60.

 

 

Ex. 2

Rick (OMG Custom Guns) is who I use for transfers.

He only charges $35 first gun, $5 each additional.

He stays on top of my OGAM dates better than I do. And has held guns for me for months while I'm waiting for permits and is real shooter and 2A supporter*.

Every time I go there, I spend at least 30 minutes after my transaction is done, talking guns, looking at what he's got in stock, etc.

He walked me through cleaning the Cosmo off my first Mosin and and gave me a bunch of tips on building an AR.

I also hear he's a kick-ass gunsmith.

 

*I asked him once why he didn't charge more for transfers and he explainedd that he doesn't do it to make money, he does it to help out fellow shooters. I believe him 100%, too. He's just that kind of guy.

 

In fact, last time I transferred two guns through his shop (handgun and rifle), he didn't charge me for the second one (I insisted on paying for it anyway).

 

And because of all of that- awesome, above and beyond service; tons of knowledge; great price on transfers; & being a real gun guy- as long as he can get what I need, I'll be buying from him, even if it's cheaper elsewhere.

[Vlad G 345]

I posit a theory: A lot of NJ gun dealers have not caught up with the times, and they think they are in the gun selling business. They might be right, but they are in the wrong business.

 

If you run a shop that depends on selling guns to make money, you are trying to sell a relatively low margin item to a relatively small number of people with relatively large competition from other dealers and internet sales.

 

If I wanted to be in the gun business in NJ, I would probably take a loss or break even on gun sales, and pack the place with accessories and ammo.  I would try to have 5 different accessories I can sell to anyone walking through my door for $1-2 then it cost them to order it online and have it shipped. I would pack the store with mags, AR accessories and parts, slings, holsters, mag pouches, belts, cleaning supplies, range bags, "survival supplies", etc.   The guns one the wall would be there to just bring in customers that may not buy them but they may walk out with $50 of accessories.

 

But what do I know, I may be wrong, but thats what I would do.

[Sota 1,191]

Here's my conundrum...

Any time I've called a local shop (prior to my joining this forum, FYI) and inquired about product availability or procurement, I've always been treated like I'm a pariah; that my inquiries are a distraction and disruption of their valuable time. Because of that I haven't bought a firearm locally since 2009 (after I bought my first one brand new.) The same goes for ammo, even before The Great Crunch. I'm also a '3' kind of guy... I very rarely buy something on first sight/fondling. If something catches my eye I examine it, consider it, then put it down and walk away. If I'm drawn back to it 2 more times then I know it's something I truly want and will then procure it. That methodology seems to irk all the shops I've been in. I'm sorry but that's the way I work.

[NYMetsFan86 9]

Id like to throw a quick example out there. Was out with my father looking for his first revolver purchase Saturday. Went to two different gun shops, and I will only name one of them. Walked into the first one, Extremely friendly and very knowledgeable staff behind the counter. They let both of us fondle guns and discuss the models, actions, barrel lengths, etc.....I guess we were scared away by mark-ups (i.e taurus 608 for $699 and mossberg mariner for $699). We then drove over to Howell Gunworks. We looked around had an pleasant time B.S.ing with customers and the gentleman running the place. He showed us a few revolvers while he was processing NICS and paperwork. Prices seemed very reasonable and he bought a ruger gp100 4" SS for a very fair price. I am aware there are many outstanding FFL's/Shops in NJ with great service and pricing. I just wanted to share my most recent experiences shopping storefront.

[Newtonian 453]

Here's my conundrum...

Any time I've called a local shop (prior to my joining this forum, FYI) and inquired about product availability or procurement, I've always been treated like I'm a pariah; that my inquiries are a distraction and disruption of their valuable time. Because of that I haven't bought a firearm locally since 2009 (after I bought my first one brand new.) The same goes for ammo, even before The Great Crunch. I'm also a '3' kind of guy... I very rarely buy something on first sight/fondling. If something catches my eye I examine it, consider it, then put it down and walk away. If I'm drawn back to it 2 more times then I know it's something I truly want and will then procure it. That methodology seems to irk all the shops I've been in. I'm sorry but that's the way I work.

It's not a conundrum, it's called "business," "shopping," or "looking out for #1."

 

It's all about value, of which price is merely one component. No explanation required.

 

What you're doing is normal. The shop owners with half a brain are happy to answer your questions over the phone, and above all to have you in their store, REGARDLESS of why you're there. Those who treat you like a pariah (and it's happened to me several times in this state) don't deserve your business. There are multiple times as many FFLs in NJ as there are shops, so -- despite what several posters have written in this thread and others -- you'll never have to worry about not being able to get something you want. 

 

Almost everybody carries a credit card these days, and every merchant should appreciate the power of impulse in purchasing decisions. If their personalities, and the information they provide, don't make you go back that third time, it's their fault. 

[ryan_j 0]

I really haven't found RTSP's pricing to be all that bad. My next firearm purchase will probably be from there. It is competitive with what you see on gunbroker and other places. 

[Underdog 1,593]

I've dealt with a number of local vendors, and I go into it expecting to be paying a reasonable "premium" in the Garden State. and I could offer countless examples in which the local vendor did not provide the necessary customer service for my loyalty... not following up with stock, selling something I put a deposit on right out from under me, not bothering to check a listed distributor to see if my desired product was in stock (when my research showed it to be so), not stopping from talking to others in the shop to assist me when I was standing there with a permit in hand, a waiting customer, and on and on.  In fact, when the instant checks were taking two weeks plus, there was almost a gleefulness to the local shops (and no sympathy) to me and other customers who had to wait an inordinate and unreasonable amount of time.  And I know one shop that took its time calling me, even though my permit had come in and made it go another day or so delay (just for his convenience).  I'm all for supporting local vendors and paying a little more, but is it just me, or is there a real lack of customer relations from many of the local vendors.  One shop I had purchased a number of things for gave me an attitude and was not concerned in the least when I told him what I wanted.  I walked out and he has not had any of my business, since.   Other shops cater to local law enforcement and do not have the time of day for you.  Or, they don't assist you if you want to buy something less than $500.  Instead, they only want to be bothered if you will be paying $700 or more. 

 

And, even with all of that,  Some local vendors ahave been decent. 

 

It all depends, however, in my estimation, there are more poor examples than positive ones. 

[Spike 7.62 0]

Why dont they try to move more volume. Guns do not go stale nor do they fade away.

 

 

Is that a joke? Try to move more volume? Nothing that the store can do will change the customer market. Nothing that the store can do will create a need for you to fill with another gun. You can only buy a MAX of 12 pistols per year, and no one actually does that. You can't hunt with a center fire rifle (excluding brand new regs on varmits) so I've got multiple large caliber bolt actions that never move. Recreational shooting is NOT popular in NJ; people don't have multiple rifles or plinkers like they do in other states. People aren't shooting enough to buy a lot of ammo. Many people are scared to even transport their guns out of their home to practice with it, they almost view their gun as a liability! So no, there is no price change that can create more gun buyers or more active shooters.

 

Maybe I can shed some light on this. I work at a LGS and I do a lot of pricing. I shop around with about 12 distributors/wholesalers to fill the shelves. For example, a new Hi Point carbine from us is tagged at about $369-379. But I go to gun shows in PA and see them, new from dealers, for as low as $299. After overhead (transporting, taking a day out of the store) I am curious to know how much that dealer is getting them for because my store could never sell that low. We typically do not sell for exact MSRP unless it's a cheaper gun, for example a Marlin model 60 at $199. To be competitive and help out our customers we knock at least $10 off, a "little" more in some cases. As a long time customer of the NJ gun market I think our prices are very good.

 

Consider this too; Sundays, a day when working people are off and possibly available for fun shopping, we can't even sell guns because of the State.

 

All the money after our dealer cost is NOT profit. We pay rent for the building. Alarm systems, insurances, maintenance, repair, utilities. You think paying taxes once a year is bothersome? Businesses do it every month and we NEVER see a return. There are 3 employees that need to be paid and insured. That is 3 human lives that receive all of their money from the stores profit before the store gets to call it profit. All of their bills, gas, food and recreation. We buy inventory and tie up the money until a gun can be sold. we transport inventory when we buy ammo or go to shows to sell. We lose 3% on credit card transactions because we don't pass that hit onto the customer, even though we should. When I look at $2000 worth of CC transactions that day and I think of losing 3% overall it hurts. Add up all of those expenses and then take it away from the measly profit on a new gun. What's leftover is the actual profit.

 

Honestly it's probably not worth it financially to stay open at a store, but we do it because we're gun people and we want to help the gun folks. If you don't like it, fine, keep not shopping at we small mom-and-pop shops, but then don't complain when we're gone. Then the market will be worse, not better.

[Shawnmoore81 623]

Let's not forget the 30 day rule with pistols

[Vlad G 345]

Again gun stores should stop thinking that they are in the business of selling guns, they should think about being the business that sells gun accessories, consumables, etc.  Margin is higher, legal issues are less, etc.

 

Think of it this way. Do you think Wawa is in the business of selling gas, or coffee/food/tums? They break even on the gas, they make their money on the rest.

Do you think Dodge makes money on selling Vipers, or Darts?

[Shawnmoore81 623]

Then why bother keeping the FFl? It's not needed to holsters and mags. And sites like amazon eliminate the margins you think exists in that

[Spike 7.62 0]

Again gun stores should stop thinking that they are in the business of selling guns, they should think about being the business that sells gun accessories, consumables, etc.  Margin is higher, legal issues are less, etc.

 

Think of it this way. Do you think Wawa is in the business of selling gas, or coffee/food/tums? They break even on the gas, they make their money on the rest.

Do you think Dodge makes money on selling Vipers, or Darts?

 

Sorry but you're dead wrong. Gun accessories and other "consumables" (targets, cleaning gear...) don't sell for squat. The money comes from guns and ammo, mostly guns.

[Vlad G 345]

Sorry but you're dead wrong. Gun accessories and other "consumables" (targets, cleaning gear...) don't sell for squat. The money comes from guns and ammo, mostly guns.

 

I'm sorry but then you are doing it wrong. 

 

I know this via a very simple math: How much do I and the people I know spend on guns vs everything else gun related? The difference is huge. I posit that you may or may not be offering the right items at the right price.  You can run your business any way you want, it isn't my problem, but do you want to chase the one gun I buy every couple of years or the $5000 (at least) that I spend every year on ammo, accessories, components?

 

Really, I'll buy them somewhere, the questions is where. 

[Duppie 73]

Sorry but you're dead wrong. Gun accessories and other "consumables" (targets, cleaning gear...) don't sell for squat. The money comes from guns and ammo, mostly guns.

I think you're wrong......You shoot at Shore Shot as do I and I buy my targets there {$2.00/5. possible mark up on 5 pieces of paper? 500%] I don't buy my ammo there but [50 rounds of  basic range ammo, member price $21.99.markup? 40%] cleaning supplies [small tube of Flitz $11.99, markup 35%] just to name a few and on several occasions I've witnessed accessories sold [extra mags/speed loaders,gun cases/rugs,cleaning chemicals,ect]

Now I know I can get most if not all of these online for less but they have been good to me and I try to support them in my own small way but don't for a minute think that add on sales is not a very large part of any gun shop's bottom line or there would not be so much valuable floor space devoted to accessories....ever been to Cabelas?