Opening a Gun Store

[WallySparx]

I have talked to some Gun store owners from AZ and ATL and they have a tough time of it. Theres a store that just opened up in 626 called ammo brothers.. www.ammobros.com and they have been cutting through red tape for months and still do not have a license for firearms. good luck man

maybe they just opened up a second store or something? ammo bros is out in cerritos (562). i believe they got their ffl, but there's still something else they have to wait on.

[Gunsrruss]

I've only been gone 3 years

No argument there. For some enterprising individual with a lot of capital, there is a big void left by the passing of all the 'great' Los Angeles area gun stores- B&B, B&E, Arrowhead, Gold coast..

If something like B&B sprung up again with the good everyday pricing and selection, you'd sweep up all the enthusiast sales handily..

But you need a lot of money to do so..

-Dave

I'ts hard to believe those places are closed. I remember when B&E closed. The kid was selling guns out the back door and they lost their license. I remember Gold coast relocated, boy that owner was a piece of work. What an ***. But now they are gone. What a shame

[grammaton76]

I remember Gold coast relocated, boy that owner was a piece of work. What an ***. But now they are gone. What a shame

If it's the same Gold Coast I bought my CZ-52 from, the folks there were pretty friendly. They had plenty of LEO-only AR's up on the racks, but they were more than happy to show me how to take apart, reassemble, and operate my CZ.

Of course, maybe they like C&R's and get twitchy at people who wish they didn't have AWB constraints...

[50BMGBOB]

I'm a rare customer, If the store price is close, I'll by it there even if you can get it cheaper online. I can always buy ammo, but if the store closes, where will I get my guns? Some times saving a buck or two cost you more in the long run. Still, I don't want to be gouged, I do get so things online. Some time the overhead just kills the shops.

[CowtownBallin]

Having a detailed website with your current, up-to-date inventory would be a plus. Most gun stores don't have a website, and when I call on the phone, most don't want to say what they've got. I have to dedicate an entire Saturday, 10 to 6, to driving around Sacramento looking for a gun

[SkyStorm82]

maybe they just opened up a second store or something? ammo bros is out in cerritos (562). i believe they got their ffl, but there's still something else they have to wait on.

I was just in there last week buying some ammo. They still don't have thier FFL but I think they said it would be soon.

[colossians323]

Required reading for opening a small business.
The E Myth Revisited, by Michael Gerber
Applying the knowledge of this book will almost surely make you succesful in any business, that is viable.
As far as selling firearms, Make sure your business has an internet side to it ie gunbroker, auction arms, gunsamerica.
Have a great used selection for all the cheapskates.
If you go straight to the internet, you can bypass the retail storefront, which can be a money pit

[glen avon]

I'm a rare customer, If the store price is close, I'll by it there even if you can get it cheaper online. I can always buy ammo, but if the store closes, where will I get my guns? Some times saving a buck or two cost you more in the long run. Still, I don't want to be gouged, I do get so things online. Some time the overhead just kills the shops.

exactly right. stores have overhead, there is a cost to convenience and being able to inspect in person, hafta keep them in business.

[Moonclip]

I was just in there last week buying some ammo. They still don't have thier FFL but I think they said it would be soon.

They have been telling me this for months!

Part of the problem though is when they moved two door down, the FFL process I believe had to start over. As I live almost within walking distance of the place, I hope it ends up being a good selection of fairly priced interesting guns.

I am almost to the poinbt of not shopping at Turners anymore due to the poor attitude much of the help gives me.

[ocabj]

I cannot speak from any experience as a store owner, I can only imagine that it's very hard to turn a profit by owning and operating a gun store.

As a consumer, I can tell you right now that I've never stepped into a gun store in the past two years to buy anything except a firear. All my reloading equipment is purchased online. All my powder and primers are purchased at the gun show (or online during the occasional 'group' buy with friends). Most of my bullets are purchased online. I don't buy factory ammo, and if I do, it's purchased online or at the gun show. I don't think I'm any more frugal than the average shooter. If anything, I spend a lot more than most shooters. It's just that my tastes differ quite a bit from the average shooter.

The Internet kills sales of anything that doens't require an FFL. Aside from actual FFL gun sales, it's hard to compete with Internet commerce when online vendors can sell everything else from gun parts to gun cleaning supplies for a lot cheaper than a local dealer.

[PanzerAce]

thats true ocabj, but for me atleast, keeping the local business in the black is important. Plus, by going local, you do not have to worry about shipping charges or waiting. I know that this summer, alot of my shooting is going to be spur of the moment "Nothing else to do" shooting, so I might have to make a quick run down to a local shop to get ammo.

just my .02

[kantstudien]

I remember Gold coast relocated, boy that owner was a piece of work. What an ***.

What was wrong with Gold Coast? They always gave me great service.

[losangeles]

Just looking around at seemingly successful gunstores disappearing almost overnight (B&B, Western Surplus to name a couple), one thing you need to do is be on top of your "p's and q's" with regard to paperwork. Or the ATF or other government bureaucracy can shut you down at the drop of a hat.

Being involved in real estate as a broker (in addition to a lot of other projects I'm in), I can attest to how finicky paperwork for a business can be. You can get in hot water in a hurry in this field, but it seems to me that the exposure is even more severe in the firearms business. If you're loose with employees, they can screw things up in a hurry. So be sure to consider this.

[EBWhite]

I've been looking around on the DOJ website, does anyone know what they require? Will they allow a home based gun business?

[kemasa]

I've been looking around on the DOJ website, does anyone know what they require? Will they allow a home based gun business?

The CA DOJ is just part of it. You need any local licenses and that is where the limitation is regarding a home based business. Some places will allow it and others will not, but the CA DOJ will allow a home based firearms business.

You will need a resale license, CA Cert. of Elig. (not the personal one), be on the CA dealers list, pay the inspection fee if there is no local inspections, FFL, and all the local business licenses. You also need a safe, cable or a secure facility in order to properly store the firearms. You also need to have all the required signs. There may be some other things that I have forgotten about. The main thing is to check to see if you can get all the local permits.