What's up with todays' gun shops?

[baxterb]

Got a CZ 550 Safari Classics in .458 Win Mag on Monday for $1,000!

veyr nice. be sure to check under the woodline to see if it's reamed to 458 Lott. I sold several directly from CZ that were marked 458 Lott under the woodline. Don't know why, but remember almost sending them back to CZ until someone tipped us off.

 

[Safari Dave]

I think Leupold is missing a big niche by no longer making a glossy black scope.

If they would just offer a VX-3HD (or VX-5HD) in something like a 3.5-10 x 40 (no batteries required) in gloss black, they would own the market for scopes on shiny rifles like the Remington 700 BDL or Weatherby Mark V Deluxe.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

No Respectfully I’m not wrong… While at the DSC convention this year I talked to multiple firearm manufacturers and scope makers and that was their direct response!
While talking to Leupold and imploring them to bring back some sort of “Classic” line without tactical or ranging turrets, or at least reopening their Custom Shop so we as hunters can order what suits our hunting needs best and that was their response too!
Leupolds response was they understood but market conditions didn’t support it at this point. They said “If they sold one, ONE dangerous game scope to every 10,000 low power AR scopes they were lucky!”
I get it, they are a business that needs to be profitable. But make no mistake! The AR has killed the traditional hunting rifle and hunting scope…

isn't a LPVO exactly a dangerous game scope? The (sadly discontinued) Z6i 1-6 EE is widely considered the holy grail of dangerous game scope. Low power variable optic well before LPVO was the trendy name for it and well before such scopes were the new hotness in the AR world. I no longer follow the market closely. Is the issue that the current LPVOs have giant adjustable turrets which add nothing useful to a dangerous game scope? They might add a little weight and look goofy but don't really hinder function. On the other hand, last I looked, it seemed that the trend in reticles was to make them so complex I'd never be able to figure out which of the 50 intersecting lines was the one I needed.

 

[Ridge Runner]

It will. But I need to use the ones I have first. I can't think of anything That I will use that I don't have. I only like Bolt, lever, and semi Auto rifles. Not big on hand guns. Have three , a 911 45 acp, a44 magnum Ruger, and 500SW.
I AM GOOD.
KRISH

Now that's just sad. You really need to add a couple of flavors of 22 cal to your handgun collection. My 22's come in handy on pesky squirrels during deer season. Also on rabbits and coons during the deer muzzleloader and gun seasons. In certain deer areas I hunt, beaver, river otter, and nutria are known to also inhabit the area and they too are on the menu.

Plus 22's are just plain fun to shoot.

 

[steve white]

I always like to give local gunshops the benefit of any doubt and also make sure I'm comparing apples to apples with online purchasing. i.e. I always have to remember that online purchases generally have shipping added to the price, which evens the field when comparing local prices, especially if hazmat charges apply, like on primers. I'm glad they are out there when I need them--it would be a shame to see them close up shop.
they can have black plastic--I'm blind to it anyway.

 

[Jay Kelley]

It's supply and demand as far as what is in stock. What I see in the shops I frequent that is more important is willingness to help me find what I want, even if it means a special order. Of course, manufacturing being what it is, sometimes what I want is unobtainium, but they try ( As a side effect, they will occasionally take an older gun on trade that other shops might not want because they know I and a couple of others have an interest.) I have gotten a few good deals that way and perhaps left a few extra dollars on the counter at other times. It's give and take with people I know that is important to me.

 

[krish]

Now that's just sad. You really need to add a couple of flavors of 22 cal to your handgun collection. My 22's come in handy on pesky squirrels during deer season. Also on rabbits and coons during the deer muzzleloader and gun seasons. In certain deer areas I hunt, beaver, river otter, and nutria are known to also inhabit the area and they too are on the menu.

Plus 22's are just plain fun to shoot.

I do have a Rugar 22 in rifle which I will be giving it to my grand kids to star out. Most of the time I only tske animals whose meat I consume.
Krish

 

[CoElkHunter]

I always like to give local gunshops the benefit of any doubt and also make sure I'm comparing apples to apples with online purchasing. i.e. I always have to remember that online purchases generally have shipping added to the price, which evens the field when comparing local prices, especially if hazmat charges apply, like on primers. I'm glad they are out there when I need them--it would be a shame to see them close up shop.
they can have black plastic--I'm blind to it anyway.

Don't forget that you have to add the cost of your FFL's transfer fee when buying online plus often the seller(s) 2.5-4% markup when using a credit card to buy a firearm online. It all adds up which sometimes negates the online firearm purchase "deal". I too try and shop locally.

 

[John the Electrician]

Gulf Breeze Firearms in Florida would be good too.

Been there, it’s pretty cool.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Like flintlock, caplock and rolling blocks, wood and steel are destined for photos in firearm history books, museums, wall racks, safes, nostalgia hunts/shoots, reenactments, the super rich and never to be shot again collections. Myself and my fellow tradesmen all say the same thing. We're dinosaurs, and so are the aformentioned. My buds that work in gun shops don't have heirs bringing in black rifles to dump. They're unloading dad's and grandad's prized wood and blue steel hunting rifles.

Now hand me that stainless barreled, kevlar stocked, 34mm scoped rifle. View attachment 611422

"The past is a different country. They do things differently there".

I love your post because that's how I see it too. It's just a shame that in a few years (MAYBE two decades) it's come to this. But it is what it is and some of us remaining dinosaurs won't go quietly as the asteroid bears down upon us. LOL

 

[CoElkHunter]

It will. But I need to use the ones I have first. I can't think of anything That I will use that I don't have. I only like Bolt, lever, and semi Auto rifles. Not big on hand guns. Have three , a 911 45 acp, a44 magnum Ruger, and 500SW.
I AM GOOD.
KRISH

Well Krish, when you get a nice bolt action rifle in .416 Taylor you can rest in peace. LOL

 

[Trogon]

I never compromise on purchase.
I always keep looking for what I want to buy. And I carefully plan what I really want or need.
Example: DG gun? 2 years search for me. (I could easily buy Bergara b14 in 375 instead)

As others have stated, it's supply and demand.

Most of us on this forum enjoy what is now classified as "Fine Guns".
Two really nice gun stores in my State where nary a black gun will be found.

Jaqua's Fine Guns

Sporting Firearms in Southwest Ohio | Country Attic Treasures

Southwest Ohio’s Largest Selection of Sporting Shotguns, Rifles, and Handguns Country Attic Treasures is Southwest Ohio’s best resource for any of your sporting firearms needs. We pride ourselves on our […]

www.countryattictreasures.com

There are plenty of others like this, you just have to look.

Country Attic was much more enjoyable when they had everything shoe-horned in basically a Cape Cod house off the main road. I miss that original store. If you lived in the area, adverts for Cash Ambergie (big guy with a straw hat, sitting on a rider lawn mower) are what I remember for South Lebanon, Ohio.

 

[CZDiesel]

isn't a LPVO exactly a dangerous game scope? The (sadly discontinued) Z6i 1-6 EE is widely considered the holy grail of dangerous game scope. Low power variable optic well before LPVO was the trendy name for it and well before such scopes were the new hotness in the AR world. I no longer follow the market closely. Is the issue that the current LPVOs have giant adjustable turrets which add nothing useful to a dangerous game scope? They might add a little weight and look goofy but don't really hinder function. On the other hand, last I looked, it seemed that the trend in reticles was to make them so complex I'd never be able to figure out which of the 50 intersecting lines was the one I needed.

Bert! Do you need a LPVO at 7 yards?

 

[LivingTheDream]

Griffin & Howe would be a fun place to visit. That's a far cry from your average gun shop.

I have been to their showroom twice, it is magnificent.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Bert! Do you need a LPVO at 7 yards?

I do not. Don't even need iron sights at that range. Not sure what that has to do with anything though as I tend to shoot at longer ranges than that.

do you disagree that a z6i 1-6 is an appropriate optic for a dangerous game rifle or do you disagree that it is an LPVO?

 

[Ridge Runner]

I do have a Rugar 22 in rifle which I will be giving it to my grand kids to star out. Most of the time I only tske animals whose meat I consume.
Krish

Understandable.

Squirrels and rabbits are good table fair here.

I've eaten coon and it wasn't bad.

Note, I said beaver, otter, and nutria are also in the area. I haven't been able to get any clean shots on them out of the water....yet. Besides I'd like to find out first hand if beaver and nutria are good eating or not.

Even with reloading shooting my 22 revolver and pistol is cheaper and keeps me in tune shooting my 44 revolvers and 45 1911, and I don't have to spend a lot of time searching for my 45 brass scattered around the shooting area.

 

[Hunter4752001]

I wonder if our great grandfathers had this same conversation about all their gun shops stocking bolt action 30-06s, .303s or Mauser 98s and all the other 'tacticool' rifles of their day. Whatever happened to good ole muzzle loaders and pistol calibre lever guns

 

[AN.87]

In Flanders-Belgium, there are certainly some tac stores, but in my experience also several where walnut still prevails. They are mainly stores that focus on hunting weapons. Frankly, a large portion of them are the R8. But also sauer, sako, browning....

Also a fair amount of "classics" on the used shelves.

A caliber larger than .30 is rare though. Most likely it will be a 9.3mm.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Country Attic was much more enjoyable when they had everything shoe-horned in basically a Cape Cod house off the main road. I miss that original store. If you lived in the area, adverts for Cash Ambergie (big guy with a straw hat, sitting on a rider lawn mower) are what I remember for South Lebanon, Ohio.

IIRC, his advert went something like

Howdy neighbor come on down to South Lebanon where you will Save Cash with Cash D. Ambergie.

I mainly grew up in Lebanon, Ohio.

 

[Tiger2001]

Where I live everything is 90% black guns and pistols when I go into the shops looking for USED hunting rifles. They all have new rifles for sale with 99% camo synthetic stocks and many seem to have a SMALL handful of bolt action rifles but half of those are WW2 military rifles. Try and find ANYTHING .338 and up is useless. What has happened? I ask this question to find out if this is a Nationwide trend here and/or in other countries? I guess I'm just fu***** old. LOL

I was able to attend the SHOT SHOW in Vegas in 2016 and saw the same thing. A long time veteran of that convention said that 30 years prior it was closer to 80-20 with hunting-related firearms being in the majority. Now it's the opposite. His theory was (and I agree) that the Global War on Terror, worsening personal security situations in countries (to include the good ol' USA) skewed consumers towards non-hunting offerings. The manufactures just followed suit. And it's a lot cheaper for companies to produce polymer firearms with a much higher price margin. One of the reasons CZ in Czechia finally got out of making safari rifles in unique calibers and has really focused on the defense/security market. The juice was not worth the squeeze to the disappointment of many of us safari aficionados.