To me, GM has always seemed like a outdoorsmans store. They try and serve everything from trapping, fishing, hunting, archery and clothing. One near my old home town flooded out twice in 6 years, total loss. They still came back and stayed open. The gun department rarely had more than 6 used pistols so was all modern guns. That department was not enough to keep the lights on. A small shop here in northern Kentucky has many a fine firearm in stock and multiples at that. Its common to see 4 or 5 Desert Eagles, half dozen or more SA Army Colts, good selection of 1911s, all the modern pistols and, their rifles and scatter guns will cause you to stay a while and browse.

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
Crap, I gotta go spend my gift card.

Same here.

Funny, they just remodeled the Niles, Ohio store. It was closed for a few months for them to do this.
I go in once in a while mainly to just browse. They'll have some of the newer pistols in Stock and I get to handle them. I never buy from them though, to expensive.
Have bought ammunition there as their selection is pretty decent. Some Hoppes #9 in the big bottles, patches and so forth. Good place to buy Carhartt jeans as no one else has them and that's all I wear.
Guess I'll see what happens to the store.

quote:

Originally posted by joatmonv:
Good place to buy Carhartt jeans as no one else has them

Amazon

After seeing this thread I decided to check out the local Gander to see how prices were doing amidst the news....THIS IS WHY YOU ARE GOING BANKRUPT

Before I moved west we had a store nearby not to far from my office and would stop from time to time and rarely saw a decent deal there. I did score a great deal on shotgun shells once on the clearance rack ( odd shot sizes and types of nontoxic for waterfowl) but that is about it.
In my current location there are three big box outdoor retailers ( dick's big 5 and sportsmans warehouse) and they seem to be following the same formula as gander. Blasting ammo is priced 20-25% higher than wal mart and not much different than independent gun. Shops ( which actually have some products cheaper! )

quote:

Originally posted by Dusty78:
After seeing this thread I decided to check out the local Gander to see how prices were doing amidst the news....THIS IS WHY YOU ARE GOING BANKRUPT

It says used firearm..... I just wonder what the heck they used it for?

quote:

Originally posted by TXLe:

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
Crap, I gotta go spend my gift card.

Same here.

I went to mine today to use the one I received for Christmas.
I picked up some Federal 325 round 22lr for $19.99 and some shirts for the same price.

After reading the thread I have never experienced the poor CS at mine. The guys behind the counter were always friendly and didn't try to pull any bull. If the prices were better I would have purchased from there.

I like to cruise the used counter but never found anything I wanted.

Can't say I'm surprised or saddened. So many of these stories are typical of GM; experienced a few myself. Cabela's isn't far behind, either. They're doing comparatively better in all likelihood, but how long that can last, who knows?
The only deal I've ever received at GM was when they had Benelli M2 and Vinci models on sale last year. I already had an M2, but it was set up for 3-gun. The prices were so good, I simply couldn't pass up a 28" 12ga for $899. That is the best deal I've ever seen. Other than that, it's pretty difficult for me to sympathize, in general, with brick-and-mortar stores whose pricing, among other things, is so, well, bad.

Hit and miss with Ganders. Have too many clothes nversation with their so called experts. I know people that would hang there until they low ball a guy $200 for. Flock 17...they buy it in the parking lot for $275. I don't have time for that...maybe once I retire...

What's up with the front sight on that Beretta 92? Aftermarket, glue on night sight?

quote:

Originally posted by bubbatime:
What's up with the front sight on that Beretta 92? Aftermarket, glue on night sight?

Meprolight night sight. It goes on over the factory fixed sight and is secured by drilling 2 cross pins.

Sad for grand power they just signed a deal to stock them.

quote:

Originally posted by jigray3:
Gander here closed about 3 years ago not long after after Bass Pro opened a mile down the road. Then the local LGS expanded and moved into Gander's old digs and is killing it.

It's gotta sting when both of them can figure out how to make it work and you can't.

Green Top! My 20 ga. CZ came from Gander in F'burg, but mostly over time I've bought only ammo from them. Sad news still though..

quote:

Originally posted by rat2306:

quote:

Originally posted by jigray3:
Gander here closed about 3 years ago not long after after Bass Pro opened a mile down the road. Then the local LGS expanded and moved into Gander's old digs and is killing it.

It's gotta sting when both of them can figure out how to make it work and you can't.

Green Top! My 20 ga. CZ came from Gander in F'burg, but mostly over time I've bought only ammo from them. Sad news still though..

I use Gander like Best Buy. Go in, see and handle what I want then go buy it cheaper.

quote:

Originally posted by jsawyer09:
Cabela's isn't far behind, either. They're doing comparatively better in all likelihood, but how long that can last, who knows?

Cabela's is coasting on any inertia they have left from when they were actually a good place to do business with.

More and more all of my friends that were die-hard Cabela's fans are giving them the finger.

Today's mail brought a sales flyer from GM announcing a store-wide 20%-off sale. I left it on the counter for my girlfriend to see, and was pretty excited about it until she read the fine print -- guns and ammo are excluded.

A year or so back we were in the Rockford, IL store and handled (more like "fondled") a P229R in either .40s&w or .357Sig, don't remember the caliber, but the price was $819 plus tax. Damned reasonable, I thought, but I didn't have the money. If it was included in the sale at $655 I'd buy it.

quote:

Originally posted by ulsterman:
Green Top!

Any big box outdoor store that wants to know how to succeed should watch Green Top. On any given day I bet there are at least 20 people working in the firearms section, and all long guns new and used are there for you to pick up and hold (a few very high price exceptions). The employees walk around the store looking for customers to help, and they are experienced and knowledgeable. The Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, Field and Stream, Dicks, Gander Mountain, et al are not even in the same ball park for customer attention and service.

Here in Cedar Rapids, Iowa they have a brand new store being built. Will have to watch to see if any contractors are still at the job site.

quote:

Originally posted by jsawyer09:
Cabela's isn't far behind, either. They're doing comparatively better in all likelihood, but how long that can last, who knows?

Cabela's has already been consumed by Bass Pro.