Gun Shops Today vs 15 Years Ago

[Ripon83]

My wife walked into a gun shop with me today. Last time she was in one was 15 years ago when I bough a Ruger 9mm. After leaving she asked me if all the shops changed that much? How I asked?

She noted the last time we were in a store they had 50 or 60 long guns on the wall behind the counter. She thought maybe 3 were ARs but today it's like 40 of 50 are AR's. I said AR's have moved past the ban, and they appear to be a huge part of today's stores vs then. But not sure why? Any thoughts?

[AK all day]

They are very popular, and they move. I never witnessed the day when there was a large group of steel and wood guns in Gun stores. All they have these says are plastic crapstic, and I will admit I own a few. Things have changed quite a bit, and sometimes I wish it would change back to the way it once was. What can you do.

[Capybara]

When I bought my CZ527 Varmint, it was hilarious when we unboxed it (they had ordered it in for me.) All of the guys behind the counter looked at it like it was some kind of monolith from 2001, almost as if they had never seen a varmint gun, which most of them probably haven't. There is no varmint shooting in my county. Same with shotguns, the only shotguns I see in stores are black, plastic pump 12ga. or Saigas or Akdals. Most guns stores have one or two, if any, wooden stocked bolt guns.

I too lament the lack of wood furniture on modern guns, plastic is just so, well, plasticky. Real guns are made out of wood, stainless and regular steel, not a bunch of thermo-molded plastic.

[voiceofreason]

I miss B&B in North Hollywood, the other location, not so much.

[tbhracing]

Tagged.

[stevec223]

old days

it used to be a gunshop....meet your friends there...bull#### with the owner and guys that worked there (lucky them )...find a part youve just busted and need today.......now it a gunSTORE with employees....absent or uncaring owner....no gun parts...very little reloading .....employees are either to book smart or not smart at all...rude with customer service by the #...hope all the small GUNSHOPS are not a thing of the past....big box gunstores just cant be the future....that will be a sad day...spend some time and money at YOUR small shop or it WILL go away....just sayin....

[mag360]

because they look cool and have magazines. Ad I don't have to rack a bolt, hunting costs too much and takes too much time, 3 gun sounds fun. Lots of reasons.

[baih777]

now compare it to 25 years ago.
i miss B&E and south bay armory. they had every style of AK then, around
$200.00 or less, assualt pistols, and all the AR's you could want.

[cdtx2001]

I miss Trader's Sports in San Leandro.

Great selection, great prices, I could negotiate prices if needed, plenty of ammo, surplus...

[Quiet]

My wife walked into a gun shop with me today. Last time she was in one was 15 years ago when I bough a Ruger 9mm. After leaving she asked me if all the shops changed that much? How I asked?

She noted the last time we were in a store they had 50 or 60 long guns on the wall behind the counter. She thought maybe 3 were ARs but today it's like 40 of 50 are AR's. I said AR's have moved past the ban, and they appear to be a huge part of today's stores vs then. But not sure why? Any thoughts?

1994-2004 = Fed AWB. Not many AR type rifles.
post-2004 = many AR type rifles, because they are the Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR).

Watch this video with your wife, NSSF MSR

[old151]

I miss B&B in North Hollywood, the other location, not so much.

B&B is the Gun Shop LAPD ran to when they needed to increase their Fire Power during the now famous North Hollywood Shoot Out.

That place had guns wall to wall. I even remember buying 30 round magazine there back in the good old days.

[VegasND]

I still have a 10/22 I bought at B&B a half century or so ago.

The friendliness of gunshops in the past was addressed above and I'm going to support that.

I can recall as a kid getting together with friends and riding our bikes to the gun stores and wandering around looking at all the used/milsurp guns racked on the floor. The guys behind the counter would talk to us too -- spend time explaining things.

More than once one of us returned to the shop with our parents to buy something.

Now many gun stores have a sign forbidding under 18 from entering unless accompanied by an adult.

I'm sure it's due to liability ... but it says a lot about the negative changes in our society.

[VegasND]

I still have a 10/22 I bought at B&B a half century or so ago.

The friendliness of gunshops in the past was addressed above and I'm going to support that.

I can recall as a kid getting together with friends and riding our bikes to the gun stores and wandering around looking at all the used/milsurp guns racked on the floor. The guys behind the counter would talk to us too -- spend time explaining things.

More than once one of us returned to the shop with our parents to buy something.

Now many gun stores have a sign forbidding under 18 from entering unless accompanied by an adult.

I'm sure it's due to liability ... but it says a lot about the negative changes in our society.

[drdanno84]

good ol days!

Bought my first handgun from Specialty Products West in glendale, several Les Baers from B&E in cypress, tons of ammo from Federal Ordinance in el monte. A case of .223 sold for around 90.00 (norinc!! o), also bought from them several Polytech Ak's for around 400.00, which I still own. Best deals were from a dealer who worked out of his home in Fontana, (Coburns Guns) , the owner , Gerald, had had an attitude problem but his prices great. I bought new SA national match for 1099.00 and a colt factory gold cup for around 800.00! those were the days! early 1990's

[AK all day]

Bullseye Sports in Riverside still has the personal workers, with owner being one of them. They have great prices on guns, but ammo is a bit steep in my opinion. This is what I consider a small scale family business.