I am no longer a Bass 5Pro customer !!!!

[ofcmetz]

Good stories. I prefer the firearms classified sections here, budsgunshop.com, or one of the smaller stores around town. I've had good lock at Hebert Guns and Accurate Firearms in particular. I have found a few deals at Cabelas, but those were all sales that I learned about from the sales circular.

 

[eagle359]

Try Dick's and you will love BP.

 

[RyanW]

No, the rules make no sense. I have a concealed carry permit. Here I just bought a rifle at Cabelas, but I can't actually carry it out the door. I have to follow an employee carrying a boxed up new rifle out the door for me while I legally carry a loaded pistol in my pocket.

As for Bass Pro, I use the range there and have never had an issue with the staff. Always friendly and nice to me. I would however, not buy a gun there because of their trigger lock rule. It's just stupid. Again, if you have a CCP, you can carry all the guns you want inside Bass Pro, they won't even put a lock on the guns you take to the range. You're standing at the gun counter with a range bag full of unlocked pistols, and your loaded carry piece to boot, all legal and per their own rules, but they won't take the lock of the gun you want to buy. Sorry, if I can't pull the trigger, I'm not buying.

That's how all big box stores are though, most likely for insurance reasons. It doesn't bother me at all. They usually just hand me my gun outside the door and I'm on my way.

 

[RyanW]

I can give BP some credit. I'm not a fisherman by any stretch of the imagination. I used to fish a lot when I worked offshore, but it was a completely different kind of fishing.

I had to buy a rod and reel to go on a trip with my brothers. I did a TON of research and talked to a lot of people. I decided on a Penn Battle spin-cast. I went in, and just so happened to run into my older brother who was buying some clothes fo rthe same trip. He came and helped me look, gave me some of his opinions, and made me feel better about the reel I had decided on. Sure enough they were out of stock, and we were leaving the next day. Nobody in town had this one reel. They had one on display, so they let me buy it, with 15% off. There was a woman and an older guy behind the counter that were very nice. They went ahead and spooled it for me and everything. That's where it all fell to crap. I spent half of that fishing trip fixing their spooling job. We were on the water for the better part of a day, and every 3rd cast I was having to fix things. I finally gave up and borrowed another rod and reel to finish out the trip. They basically spooled the reel one end at a time, instead of spreading it across the spool as it filled up. It was terrible. I had to come home and get a whole new spool of line and do it myself. That kinda irked me, but other than that it was a good trip to BP. I even got a $150 tournament rod for $75.

 

[Vermiform]

We got a phone call from one of the higher ups in another state who apoligzed and asked us what he could do to make things right. We advised him that we had spent $400 on the reloader. He sent up a coupon for $500. My new Rem 870 Tactael is sitting in the corner and we have not been back!

So you got an actual phone call from someone in corporate who wanted to make things right? He apologized and gave you $500 dollars to make it right? You accepted his money and spent it on a shotgun, but then still won't give the place your business?

 

[S&W4ME]

So you got an actual phone call from someone in corporate who wanted to make things right? He apologized and gave you $500 dollars to make it right? You accepted his money and spent it on a shotgun, but then still won't give the place your business?

I call BS on that whole story

 

[EonDresari]

Magic tape
The last rifle I transferred to Cabelas was the first one that I had to do the 4473 by computer. I didn't enjoy it, I preferred the paper form. Maybe I'm crazy but it just felt better putting ink to paper. It was a good part of the experience for me, especially the first time I filled one out, "Oh man, I'm really doing this, buying myself a rifle! Yeehaw!" Also it might have something to do with the POS computer dying for some dastardly reason when I was filling out the "second page". Oh well.

 

[dantheman]

Yeah Steve , I had the same experience as you . I preferred the computerized 4473 in spite of not having my "cheaters" . I still have the remnants of that magic tape on my HK box .

 

[LabRat]

I love the computer option, much faster to me than paper. The font on the computer seems much larger than the paper, and being able to sit down and relax is nice. At Academy, the counter is so damn high, the paper is right up in your face, and some of us visually challeged people cant focus. If I were 6'4" probably wouldnt be a problem, but I'm 5'10".

 

[dos gris]

No, the rules make no sense. I have a concealed carry permit. Here I just bought a rifle at Cabelas, but I can't actually carry it out the door. I have to follow an employee carrying a boxed up new rifle out the door for me while I legally carry a loaded pistol in my pocket.

/

They have amended that "rule". I bought a pistol there last week (and whoever said they're prices were reasonable needs to check again; I paid full retail), and the experience wasn't nearly as bad as in the past. In fact, they have several new twists to the process, one of which is you fill out your 4473 information on a computer. This caused me some grief because I didn't have my computer glasses with me (I refuse to get tri-focals), but I got through it.

But the big surprise was, I got to walk out of the store, under my own power and with no "escort", with my new handgun. They double-wrapped the box with some highly visible tape, and said have a nice day. Must have been magic tape, that miraculously kept me from slitting it with my knife, getting to the pistol, loading it with ammo from my pocket, and shooting the place up.

In fact, it WAS magic tape, because it took me half an hour to clean that ****, and its adhesive residue, off of the gun box (the pistol will be an Xmas gift).

So, basically the experience was a wash. After the last incredibly pain-in-the-ASS gun-buying experience I had there, I told myself I wasn't going to patronize that place again. But I was there (when you're a passenger, and the lunch crew wants to go sight-seeing, you go with the flow), and they had the piece I was looking for... a piece I had so far been unable to locate anywhere. So I sucked it up and pulled out the plastic. Naturally, four days later my man in Kentucky turned one up NIB... for $150 less.

But my point here is that they seem to be trying to make things easier and less offensive. However, that frigging tape is a real aggravating deal. That, along with the prices and distance from my house, ensures I won't go there again on purpose.

.

So this is the how the LSP Firearms Austerity Program works!

 

[flamatrix99]

Good stories. I prefer the firearms classified sections here, budsgunshop.com, or one of the smaller stores around town. I've had good lock at Hebert Guns and Accurate Firearms in particular. I have found a few deals at Cabelas, but those were all sales that I learned about from the sales circular.

I don't mind BP or Cabela's. I have had good experiences at both. I prefer BP for fishing stuff and Cabelas for gun stuff. I generally don't go to the small local gun shops because they can't match prices with the big boys.

I find that true even for non gun stuff. I don't care for Best Buy but momma has wanted a new refrigerator for a few years. My mom got one like my wife wanted last year so the heat was on. She told me all year that come Black Friday she was buying the one she wanted. Well the ones she liked were $3200!

We were eating dinner at Sammys the weekend before Black Friday and talking about which stores to look at. I just happened to pull up Best Buy on my phone and they had a pre Black Friday sale and the exact model that she wanted was on sale for $1899! We finished eating, went home, took some measurements and went to BB. The guy explained that fridges and washer/dryers are not really considered gifts like TVs xboxs ect, So they go on Black Friday sale a week or two before Black Friday. Boy would I have been bummed if I stood in that line all night on Friday. Turns out they also had free delivery and haul away of the old one too! My wife was like a little kid at Christmas getting rid of our 11 year old fridge and the new stainless steel beast being installed. Happy wife = happy Dougie

 

[Bayoupiper]

My wife, who is cajun, wanted to buy me a new pistol for my birthday.
I had mentioned to her that I liked a new Steyr.
So we went to Cabela's and had a very easy and hassle free time.
The gun counter clerk, Jeremy, was very knowledgable and pleasant.
I'm neither hot nor cold on the computer 4473, but like others have said I got to walk out with my new handgun.




.

 

[Bayoupiper]

Try Dick's and you will love BP.

Is it just me, or does this read funny?






.

 

[dantheman]

Is it just me, or does this read funny?






.

Be nice .

 

[Skiney]

I actually just drive straight to Jims to handle a firearm. Better selection, same retail prices, superior service.

WOW

Hey neighbor are you serious......

You are one of the first folks I have ever heard/read such a statement from, surely you jest?

 

[dantheman]

Jim's Firearms . Good selection .... and thats pretty much where it ends for me .

 

[IfItFliesItDies]

Cabela's is better anyway.

 

[gunz4me]

No, the rules make no sense. I have a concealed carry permit. Here I just bought a rifle at Cabelas, but I can't actually carry it out the door. I have to follow an employee carrying a boxed up new rifle out the door for me while I legally carry a loaded pistol in my pocket.

It's the same at Academy. The main reason I avoid Academy to purchase a gun is because it takes so damn long. The last time I purchased a 10/22, the whole process took nearly an hour from start to finish. A few months back, I went with my uncle who purchased a 10/22 for my aunt. That process took over an hour. Both times, someone walked one of us to the front to pay for it and handed the rifle to us outside the store.

I purchased a M&P Shield from Dave's the day before Thanksgiving. It took me longer to fill out the 4473 than it did to get approved, complete the sale, and walk out the door.

 

[kcinnick]

Bass Pro, Cabelas, Academy, Dicks are the last place I look for a gun. Usually I hit up Accurate, BJ Pawn or a couple of sponsors who don't have store fronts yet first. If I can't find it, then I start looking at Buds, AIM, etc. online. I have bought 2 firearms from Academy, both times super cheap with on sale + rebate. I would have bought one from Bass Pro if they would have taken the trigger lock off. Hell, I would have bought one from Heberts if they would have had a no lock model. They could order it, but so could I.... and I did and had Alan transfer it.

 

[SimpleGreen]

WOW

Hey neighbor are you serious......

You are one of the first folks I have ever heard/read such a statement from, surely you jest?

Perhaps I am crazy, lol. If I need something and I'm in no mood to wait I usually get it there. I have yet to receive poor service but I have befriended both managers and am familiar with some of the regular counter guys. If I'm in the area and bored I will drive in just to say Hey, browse the used guns, and kill time. Prices aren't anything to celebrate but if I don't buy it used person to person it does often come from there. I don't shop at Bass Pro much for firearm related stuff because the selection is poor and Cabelas is a stiff drive for me but I do like them a lot otherwise. I know, blasphemy! But I do shop at Jims *gasp*.