Went to one of the few local gun stores in my area. They had selection of ARs, but their pricing seemed to me way out of touch with what I’ve seen oniline, in forums & magazine publications.
I’m talking 2 grand & above for what seemed to be bone stock AR rifles. No optics, rails or lighting. They had all the name brands on the accessories, but way over priced as well.
Was wondering if stores are required to sell by the manufacturers suggested retail or whatever they choose.
Looks like I might have to travel in order to get a decent price. Texas is a big state & I live @ the very bottom.
I don’t know what policies gun stores have, but is there a FFL holder in your area? Find out what that gunshop charges to do a firearms transfer. My FFL charges $20 for rifles and shotgun transfers and $25 for pistols (due to an extra form the state requires).
I have bought several firearms from reputable sellers (G&R Tactical, Bud’s, etc.) via the internet and saved a ton of money.
You have to factor in the cost of fuel if you drive to the big city (and Texas is a big state).
find out what your FFL charges for a transfer, if its resonable have him fax a copy of his FFl to the online vendor. purchase rifle from the online vendor and the vendor will ship it to your FFL. as soon as the rifle arrives you fill out the paper work like normal, pay the fee and leave with your rifle.
if its not resonalbe price under 50$ (and thats high) find another FFL gun broker has a list of them in your area i beleve. I used to pay 15$ per xfer from a local dealer in Jax/Middleburg FL. guy was awesome I had 6 AK receivers come in one day cost me 15$ for the xfer, of course i bought other stuff lol. The other shop i used to frequent would have charged me 50$ per receiver…
The market will keep things in check. High priced guns will cause more people to buy online and get transfers. Transfer prices will be competitive. Local prices will fall.
Most B&M gun shops can’t compete with the online dealers. If you price for the local market, you will be profitable.
Example:
There are two FFLs in my area and both do transfers. One is a B&M gun shop 15 miles away. The other is my company. The gun shop is a stocking dealer and charges $30 per gun for used guns only and will not accept from an individual. He charges transfer for returning guns to the factory under warranty. Both ways. $30 to transfer out and $30 to transfer back to you.
My company, the Upper Peninsula’s only Class 2 SOT, orders what you want at a price lower than the local competition. I accept from an individual and charge only $20. I will accept new or used guns. I waive the transfer fee if someone is sending a gun back to the factory for warranty repairs (just pay actual shipping).
I do more transfers than he does. Me being a local competitor caused his prices to lower. His sales picked up as a result. I do more LE sales and service than he does. He also has my ammunition line in stock on his shelves. It all evens out.
FFLs can make money selling guns one of two ways. Sell high price low volume or low price high volume. I can buy a Glock 17 for $440 and charge $599 for it like Gander Mountain does. Or I can buy 5 Glock 17s for 440 and charge $499 for them. This will increase sales and I will make more money. $160 profit on a gun or $59 per gun for 5 guns making almost $300. Selling 5 guns creates 5 new customer relationships. Great price and great service leads to repeat customers who continue to buy and provide profit for the business.
Where are you located in Texas? Alamo Tactical http://www.alamotactical.com/ and Wetmore Shooting Sports http://www.wetmoreshootingsports.com/here in San Antonio both do $20 - 25 transfers. I’d shop G&R or Impact Guns () for an AR15. Impact Guns has Colt 6920 for $1288.99 and 6940s for $1499.99. I am not affiliated with these vendors but as you stated 2K for an AR is pretty steep and I know how you feel seeing as how I was having a hard time getting a good/fair deal here in S.A. (raw deals where easy to find i.e. Bushmasters and Rock Rivers for close to 2k). I bought an AR from Bud’s Gunshop several months ago when rifles were hard to come by. Now product seems to be more abundant and Impact has been able to keep a steady supply of (the much sought after) Colts. Take a look and shop around on the internet to compare prices from different vendors. Just remember to stay clear of low priced ARs from low tier manufacturers. It is always true that you get what you pay for when you are obtaining manufactured goods.
PM replied to gman…sounds like you are in my neck of the woods. I’ll be glad to help or receive / 4473 transfer if you decide to order online. You are correct, we do not have many options for off the shelf purchases down here.