San Jose Bay Area - These Gun Shops Stink!

[Wallabing]

Originally Posted by Cucv

Really you like Target Masters ?

Target Masters got the lowest prices on pistols. Cant beat them at that.

[Mr.Cip]

Originally Posted by Wallabing

Target Masters got the lowest prices on pistols. Cant beat them at that.

I agree on the pricing, but... They zip tie the actions on the guns and won't remove them unless you buy it, they add an extra day to the ten day waiting period, the DROS process is long up to an hour for me one time, the range is scary on how unsafe it is, .... I only go there in the middle of the day when there are the fewest customers and shooters...
Range fees are cheap, $8.00, so I shoot there often. It's also close by for me.


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[Digital Instincts]

Hello Memnon,
Just a quick note - I'm a one man show and have been a bit slammed recently due to the year end rush for SSE pistols. I apologize if your e-mail fell through the cracks and I didn't respond quickly enough. That's not the norm.

Thanks,

Chris

[e46sc3]

BAGV has decent stock in new firearms ... However, I wouldn't try doing any sort of PPT there. They made me take a number and wait until the store was slow enough with buyers looking to buy new before they would even see me. More customers were coming in as I was waiting and they just kept pushing me further down the line no matter what number I had on my ticket. I ended up leaving ... I will never step foot in the shop again!

[Bazerkly]

I have been to most of the gun shops in the Bay Area. The main problem I have had with is Ignorant Staff! Those people who know everything and treat customers like they are stupid. I believe every shop has at least one of these people.

[BigPimping]

Originally Posted by Bazerkly

I have been to most of the gun shops in the Bay Area. The main problem I have had with is Ignorant Staff! Those people who know everything and treat customers like they are stupid. I believe every shop has at least one of these people.

In this department, nobody tops Canyon Sports in Martinez. Avoid like Ebola.

[Matty510]

Originally Posted by BigPimping

In this department, nobody tops Canyon Sports in Martinez. Avoid like Ebola.

I've never had a problem with them, until recently. I was checking out some new shotguns - You know, the 1000-1600 dollar range items they sell. I was shouldering a few different ones and the guy said - Are you gonna buy one today or are you just playing around.

Caught me so off guard being that I was genuinely looking to buy one that day. After that I said I'd have to check with my wife... basically was made fun of for saying that. Never going back.

[rman]

Originally Posted by Matty510

I've never had a problem with them, until recently. I was checking out some new shotguns - You know, the 1000-1600 dollar range items they sell. I was shouldering a few different ones and the guy said - Are you gonna buy one today or are you just playing around.

Caught me so off guard being that I was genuinely looking to buy one that day. After that I said I'd have to check with my wife... basically was made fun of for saying that. Never going back.

buttstock to da face! then run out.

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[fishhoppa]

Originally Posted by BigPimping

In this department, nobody tops Canyon Sports in Martinez. Avoid like Ebola.

Originally Posted by Matty510

I've never had a problem with them, until recently. I was checking out some new shotguns - You know, the 1000-1600 dollar range items they sell. I was shouldering a few different ones and the guy said - Are you gonna buy one today or are you just playing around.

Caught me so off guard being that I was genuinely looking to buy one that day. After that I said I'd have to check with my wife... basically was made fun of for saying that. Never going back.

This would be one of those moments where you go "I can buy 2 or 3 of these today without worrying where my next meal will come from...how about you?"

Yes..be a butthole right back at him.

Than like rman said..."butt stock to da face" and haul butt.

[HotnHere]

Originally Posted by rccar

Here's a quick review of places I've been:

Eddie's Shooting Sports - Mountain View
Ricky and Greg are awesome to deal with. The place is small, but they treat you with respect with no EGO , even if you're a newbie. The prices are pretty good, and will often match the lowest you can find in the bay area.

J&R Sports Supply - Livermore
Their prices are on the low end of the bay, and treat you like a respected customer also. No EGOs here either.

Elite Armory - Castro Valley
They have good customer service, but the prices are on the high side.

Annie's Guns - Fremont
Some people think the old guys is a bit obnoxious, but you really just need to give him a chance and talk to him and ask him questions. He's very knowledgable. Instead of selling me a rifle, he suggested I start reloading to get the accuracy out of whatever rifle I'm going to buy later. I did, and it's one of the best advices I've gotten. Also, their prices are one of the lowest in the bay.

Target Masters West - Milpitas
The people working there are a bit less experienced, but because of that, they don't have much EGO, and it's not much of a hassle to purchase a gun there. The great thing is that their prices are almost always the lowest in the bay area.

Reed's - Santa Clara
I bought my first gun there. Most people here have a ton of EGO, and seem to be impatient with newbies. The selection is good, prices are decent, but not the lowest. I would really try to avoid this place if you're a newbie. It's a buy and get out shop.

Solar Tactical - Livermore
They have decent customer service, but the prices are on the medium to high side.

City Arms East - Pleasant Hill
They have good customer service, great selection, and prices are mid range in the bay area.

Thanks for the reviews" not everyone has been to every shop so it's good to get a personal review.

[edgalang]

Originally Posted by rccar

Here's a quick review of places I've been:
...

Target Masters West - Milpitas
The people working there are a bit less experienced, but because of that, they don't have much EGO, and it's not much of a hassle to purchase a gun there. The great thing is that their prices are almost always the lowest in the bay area.

Reed's - Santa Clara
I bought my first gun there. Most people here have a ton of EGO, and seem to be impatient with newbies. The selection is good, prices are decent, but not the lowest. I would really try to avoid this place if you're a newbie. It's a buy and get out shop.

Solar Tactical - Livermore
They have decent customer service, but the prices are on the medium to high side.

Gun Fishing...etc DUBLIN
Great service so far. Guns are more on the Mid to High range. Range is just ok, since they are pretty anal about picking up your own brass, and is the most expensive in the bay area.

I agree with this.

Target Masters:
Yeah, people bring their dates here, and the average age of customers inside is fairly young...however you can't argue on the price. I recently inquired about a SA 1911 Loaded 9mm and they quoted me $850, vs $1050 in GFOS in Dublin. Can't comment about safety since whenever I do shoot there I tend to keep to myself, but it can't be that unsafe. It is next to a police station after all.

Reeds:
My first pistol was from here as well. I did find it odd that even though I purchased a gun here, they were still bothered by me asking about prices for other guns. Maybe it was late and they wanted to go home, but never the less, the experience left me with a bad taste.

Solar Tactical:
Visited for the first time last Saturday and the place was like a zoo! Staff seemed very experienced, but the amount of business that was going on that day was crazy. Unless you were there to specifically pick up an order, you won't be able to just "browse the inventory" with that many customers. I can see this place having high potential. Figure there must be a reason their lines to be long.

GFOS:
The people are friendly...but the prices are HIGH. Range fees prevent me from shooting there, even though I live close by. The plus side is that it's the cleanest, biggest and newest store so far.

[sfhondapilot]

Well, I have to voice a negative on Eddy's - and I have bought more firearms from this store than any other LGS. Showed up Thursday to do a PPT @ 12:30 pm. Greg was shooting the breeze with one person. Otherwise, shop was empty. Greg says "Sorry, our policy is to only do PPTs between 2 and 5".

Greg suggested BAGV. We drove there and Scott was great in processing a 2 gun PPT right off the bat as we walked into the store. Also bought some 5.7 ammo from them.

My go to store on Mtn View has now changed. I don't need the lowest priced store. Just need a store that understands customer schedules and needs and Scott went above and beyond on our PPT.

[edsel6502]

I like US Firearms in Sunnyvale.

Armorer and full time gunsmith with a machine shop in the back.

I get all my custom work done there. The gunsmith has custom made some hard to find parts for some of my stuff.

[mrminnesota66]

I've always had great experiences at Eddy's and Bay Area Gun Vault. I don't care for the service (or lack thereof) at Reed's, Kerley's, and Target Disasters. Actually, I will no longer step foot inside Target Disasters. Absolutely horrible.

[dezicartel]

Red Skull in Milpitas...Van and the guys are awesome, great prices too..just picked up a PPQ M2 from there

[BigPimping]

Tracy Rifle always gets my money. They are just the best in my view. Wish they were closer.

[cire raeb]

I recommend Mt Pleasant Arms in San Jose. Avoid TargetMasters like the plague, they know nothing about firearms and does the states bidding like Oak Tree in Southern California. I use the brick and mortar location as a showroom.

[firstday]

I had a hell of a time finding a dealer that would take a shipment form a PPT purchase on here.. Wish I would have found this thread earlier!

[Lupara]

I've had a few odd experiences with Mil-Spec in San Jose. When I saw them opening I was happy because they are near to where I live and I always like seeing more gun stores.

In my first encounter I went in and asked about an SKS hoping they also dealt in used and consignment guns. The owner went on about how they were not legal to own or sell in California.

The second time I went in to the store I was looking to order a ruger single action 22 pistol. Again the owner told me that they were not on the list of California approved handguns and as such, could not be sold in this state.

A third time I entered the store (a couple of weeks ago) I was looking for some special ammo which they had. They asked me if there were any guns that I was looking into and I told them that I had tried twice to buy from them but to no avail (I recounted my experiences with them).

Since my first and second visits they have figured out that single action rimfires are exempt and ok to sell, but they still say that ALL SKS's are outlawed by the State.

Bottom line is that, through my experience, though they are nice people, the owner is not very knowlegable about things he should know. He also did not have kind words to say about CalGuns.

I typically shop at Sportsman's Supply on Camden Ave. Yes they are small and always a bit crowded at the counter, but they do have a good variety of guns, ammo, safes, archery & fishing supplies and their prices are always fair. They are also friendly, knowlegable, and patient when you are examining their products, just don't expect the owner to smile... he doesn't smile... seriously, he doesn't... ever.

[t001]

Does LC Action sell to civilians now? I thought they used to sell only to LE and other credentialed folks unless it's a GSSF-related Glock?

[glennbtw]

Just did a PPT at Dom's. I was treated very well by some nice folks. Usually get my camping and Boy Scout stuff there so this was first gun transaction. Seemed to have good selection of long guns.

J&R down the street also has been great in the past

[tzotzo]

Stopped in once at US Firearms in Sunnyvale, looked like a pretty good place with decent inventory of accessories and a gunsmith on premises. Didn't buy anything, was just checking it out.

BAGV, yeah decent inventory of guns and accessories here too. They seemed relatively helpful, again just window shopping.

I have bought more than a few items at Kerley's. Harry is the owner (not Henry), and he can be a bit off putting at times, but he is super knowledgeable and I'd really take his advice. He's also a top freaking notch gunsmith. Though he does take his time to do a good job. He also teaches a long distance shooting class which is really good, if you can get on the roster. Also talk to KC there, I think that's his name, he's also really knowledgeable. Couple of other old war vets work there off and on know alot as well.

[mpc8240]

I would be more than happy to support local gun shops as long as the deal is comparable to online gun shops. I'm not talking about those best deals online, most of them not even shipping to CA anyway. I'm talking about reasonably good deals, and responsiveness to customer (email) inquiries. But I've found local gun shops seem lacking either way. Maybe their business are good enough. That's good.

[ajfam87@gmail.com]

Digital-Instincts Chris has is FFL and has great prices.
Mil Spec Armorey in San Jose is a small shop with great guys there. Usually under MSRP.

[cstatman]

im hesitant to toss this out here but? I like Joe at Castellos. He is a cranky, angry ornery guy who only sells long guns, and kinda only when he wants to. But if you get on his good side, he has insane amounts of knowledge.

he does not do black guns. he does not do pistols, he doesnt chat on the phone, he does not suffer fools.

He has an amazing selection of high end shotguns, knives, and obscure ammo.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/castello-gun-shop-san-jose

[Illmo2001]

Went Mil Spec Armory last week and was less then impressed with their selection. Other than a bunch of cheap utg stuff, a trillion pistol holsters, and a few over priced pistols, this place has nothing going for it. The guy behind the counter couldn't care less about selling guns,as he focused all his attention on a female staff who did not have a clue about firearms....Pass on this place for sure.

[cire raeb]

A shout to Mt Pleasant Arms and Metal Dog Tactical!!! Avoid TargetMaster and Bulls-eye as these two go out of their to way to kow tow to the anti-2A Bulls-eye is where Feinstein and Sean Penn go to get re-certified for their CCW.

[BigPimping]

If you are able to buy at LC Action in SJ, it is a good place. Great Blue Label pricing and nice people. Funny while I was there, I noticed that Gen4 and Gen3Glocks were the same price. It is a ways away from my plush pimp lair though. Still my favorite is Tracy Rifle and Sportsmans Arms in Petaluma.

[Jpzum]

I walked in to Kerley's today. I was wearing shorts, a t-shirt a baseball cap and flip-flops. I know guns and sandals don't mix but nobody said ONE WORD to me. A young kid who worked there sort of glanced at me as he walked by. I paced around the store for 10-15 minutes trying to gauge inventory and prices. It was hard to shop here. Most gun stores, I at least get a "hello" or "do you have any questions?" Or "would you like to see something?" They had rifles, shotguns, cases and bags all over some of the display cases, and while I was trying to look into the cases at handguns, leaning to peek around the crap on the counter, still not so much as a "can I help you?" The guns for sale are poorly displayed and labeled. Why don't more gun shops have signage on the long guns? If nobody helps you and the rifles are behind the counter, you can't see what they have or what their asking for price.
I live in Cupertino. A short walk from Kerley's. I was dressed like a boy, but I am damn near 40.
Thier prices, from what I could decipher, were high. The non-gun related portion of the store had very little inventory.
Can't see prices on any of the knives in the case (nobody offering any help while I browsed the case).
They were medium busy. About 6 customers? Maybe?, but nearly as many employees.
I leaned on the counters trying to look at the long guns behind the counter. I stooped at several cases looking at hand guns. I walked all around the store looking at everything they had on the shelves.
I wish they were better, because I would like my most local gun shop to be good.
The floor of the shop is pretty wide open. They should install long gun racks that could be browsed without needing an employee to help you, because I'm my case, they chose not to help me.
Older used guns were strewn about haphazardly behind the counters.
My impression is that it is a poorly run store.
I'm shopping for several different guns right now.
But not sure if I could buy one here.
Its a very old shop, one of the oldest retail businesses in Cupertino, if not THE oldest. They seem more interested in helping old codgers than people like me.
I know that firearms and ammunition are a strange industry in our state, but why are so many of the stores so crappy. Not user friendly at all. I'm trying to narrow down my next gun purchase. This place was no help today.
It's been a while since I stepped in there. I'd I have been acknowledged and helped there in the past, but after today, and also due to their high prices, don't figure on spending any money here. It's a shame. Better service at big 5!

[rman]

beauty of San Diego is we all look like beach bums in the LGS.
hell I've gone to the range in flip flops... then again no one really looks twice at me when I shoot Chabot in shorts and a tank top...

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[Jpzum]

i was just offering a hypothetical reason why none of the half dozen employees even said hello. There were a couple of guys in suits there, speaking in Japanese, and nobody seemed to be acknowledging either. They didn't look like beach bums, but they didn't look like the usual type of guys I see in gun stores.
Honestly, I don't often go in a lot of the local shops, but the experience is usually lacking.
I couldn't name one where I've had a great experience. Templar Sports was pretty decent, but I heard they had to give up when the town residents in Los Gatos started throwing conniptions.
I bought a .22 there.
I had a good experience buying a new pistol at SJ Gun Trader(a home based FFL)
And I had a hassle-free PPT at Krausewerk Collectibles up the peninsula.
But shopping most of the local gun stores is cumbersome.
I don't have a lot of experiences at many shops, but going in to see what they have and how much it costs is pretty much always a pain in the ***.
It's the most basic info. Not "help me choose a gun or fit one" but what the hell do you folks have for sale and how many dollars would I need to give you.
It's funny, too, when I bring my wife along, employees are on her like flies on ****. She's not shopping for guns, though, she's just along with me....
It's already complicated to buy guns in this state. its frustrating. Damn you, Kerley's! Why can't you even make me feel like I exist when I come in? I'm a man trying to buy guns. I was in your shop browsing and obviously looking at GUNS. How 'bout a hello?

[djflash]

Originally Posted by Jpzum

I walked in to Kerley's today. I was wearing shorts, a t-shirt a baseball cap and flip-flops. I know guns and sandals don't mix but nobody said ONE WORD to me. A young kid who worked there sort of glanced at me as he walked by. I paced around the store for 10-15 minutes trying to gauge inventory and prices. It was hard to shop here. Most gun stores, I at least get a "hello" or "do you have any questions?" Or "would you like to see something?" They had rifles, shotguns, cases and bags all over...

That's because you're not an operator. I'm sure they got permission to use a still from American Sniper for their home page.
http://www.kerleys-hunting.com/
Or maybe the "Photo: Bradley Cooper in “American Sniper”" will protect them from any copyright violations.

[essjay]

Originally Posted by Jpzum

I walked in to Kerley's today. I was wearing shorts, a t-shirt a baseball cap and flip-flops. I know guns and sandals don't mix but nobody said ONE WORD to me.

Did the same thing the other day at Bay Area Gun Vault, and I had no such problems. Granted, Mountain View is techie country, so that probably looked normal enough.

[DeucesWild818]

Kerleys is right between two major tech companies, Apple and seagate

[thana357]

Originally Posted by essjay

Did the same thing the other day at Bay Area Gun Vault, and I had no such problems. Granted, Mountain View is techie country, so that probably looked normal enough.

Sorry to hear that you had a bad day at Kerry. I am their long time customer going 15 years now and the staffs are nice to everyone . Those long guns on the floor aren't for sale but for repairrepair. They told me once that the one with white price tag are for sale the rest are for gunsmith to come pick up for repair. There is one staff there who is an expert on M1 Garand he can tell everything by just looking at the stock and marking. I try to catch his name one of this day. I am not good with name because in the army everyone has name tag on their shirt. There are nice vintage firearms there all the time like Colt Anaconda, Smith M13, Ruger Security Six, even Brown Bess carbine and Harper Ferry model 1801 flint lock rifle. Fun place to visit and they are only one open on Sunday my one and only day off.

[TripleThreat]

All the San Jose gun shops suck. All of the.

I now gladly travel well outside of San Jose to purchase weapons. The last 5 guns I bought came from the Sacramento area. Some have huge selections, low prices etc. Sacramento has ate least 10 guns stores, 3 are with 5 minutes of each other.

I can make a day of it and have always found what I was looking for, calling ahead helps you hone in on the shop that may have exactly what you are looking for. Wild Bills for example has like 2,000 guns on display. Sportmans Warehouse on Sunrise has the lowest prices.

It's worth it to me and I have picked up lots of impossible to find items, lots.

Triple

[6789boat]

I have found that if someone wants a certain gun, be it rifle, shotgun, semi auto, revolver, Ar, etc that you call Imbert & Smithers (San Carlos(, Gun Vault Mtn View), Reed's (Santa Clara) and Target Masters (Milpitas).

All of the above are relaxed about customers handling guns across the counter, except Reed's in my experience.

If you want to look for used guns of all types then visit Imbert & Smithers. Also,
I personally believe that the owner, Alex is very knowledgable about hunting if you want to ask hunting related questions. Recently, Alex fired 2 employees, so that now when you visit Imbert & Smithers any customer, new or established, deals with his knowledgable core staff and I believe that you will find it a very positive experience. He also has a relatively large selection of used long guns of all types and used pistols/revolvers (that usually go rather quickly).

For all of you that have been there in the past you will now see good knowledgable customer service. Some one on their staff will be able to answer your gun related question whether it is about a particular gun, a gun related topic, or hunting.

[HUTCH 7.62]

Originally Posted by hellagood

Eddy's Shooting Sports @ 400 Moffett Blvd Ste F, Mountain View, CA 94043
is a pretty cool hole in the wall. They got 5 stars on Yelp and is why I decided to check them out. I dealt with a guy named Ricky who was real nice and friendly. I was looking for 1911's, SKS's and Mosin's. Even though he knew I wasn't going to make a purchase, he still gave me great customer service.

THIS!

[forerl]

Digital Instincts is great, yeah he can be busy, he's a one man shop but prices can't be beat. Another good shop is Tracy Rifle and Pistol

[sfhondapilot]

Originally Posted by HUTCH 7.62

THIS!

Used to like Eddy's and bought multiple firearms and ammo from them. But their PPT policy sux (only between 2-5) and so I take my business elsewhere after being turned away on a 2 gun PPT (showed up right after their noon opening time and was turned away). Hey, some of us work and can only get away during lunch time and maybe the seller doesn't want to wait until the weekend to do the PPT