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 Attitudes of Gun Shops in Cities? 
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:05 am 
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I don't have a lot of knowledge of handguns or guns in general so I'll give you a review of how my lack of knowledge is handled at the three shops I've been to so far:

The GunStop
I've been in and out of this place two or three times now without being helped. It seems that unless you know them personally or are with someone who's purchased from them in the past. Just from listening to them talk to other customers it seems as if they know what they're talking about but like I said I don't know a whole lot :D The worst part of the whole deal is that I live less than 2 miles away and it would be nice to have a local place that treated me well.

The Frontiersman
Been here twice and they gentleman behind the counter remembered me from my last visit which was at least a month prior. He was extremely helpful and seemed more eager to assisting an "outsider". It seemed that they were quite busy during both visits but I am glad that I way waited around. Certainly seems like a place that I would do business with in near future.

Bills (Robbinsdale)
I've heard mixed reviews of this place, especially in regards to safety practices on their range. Outside of that they probably fell right in-between The GunStop and The Frontiersman as far as being "newb" friendly. It wasn't busy when I last visited so it seemed that they were more willing to chat about various topics that I had little knowledge of. My only real complaint was they basically told me that I should buy this one particular gun and that anything else would be a mistake.

Summary
I think from my limited first hand experience I will be doing business at the Frontiersman in the future. It just seems like I need a 'sponsor' to shop at The GunStop and a better understanding of exactly what I am looking for to shop at Bills.


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PostPosted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 9:31 am 
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I've done quite a bit of business at both Bill's stores over the past three years. I shoot there more than I buy (although I do buy) and I just recently made arrangements to teach some defensive shotgun classes there.

My experience with the staff has been pretty good, particularly the range officers.

One thing I'll never forget was a staff who tried to convince me the reason there was a 7.62x39 ammo shortage was "because of the war". When I asked him what he meant, he said that troops in Iraq and Afghanistan were using it in the M14. I mentioned that the M14 was chambered for 7.62x51, not 7.62x39, and he responded that the M14s were "necked down" to shoot the Russian ammo.

Things like that are not good for credibility. On the other hand, I haven't seen him around, so maybe he got another job.


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 Post subject: Gun Stop
PostPosted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:33 pm 
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Location: Greenfield, MN
I'm one of those that loves the place. It has a corner hardware store feel. Yes the folks are a little preoccupied at times, thats part of the experience. You have to be a little forward to get waited on. They are not pushy folks but some of the most knowledgable in the area.

Prices are great and on the reloading side you won't find anyone who is better than John, but he only smiles once every ten, OK maybe twenty, years and you just missed it about a year ago.


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PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:31 am 
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I'm very fond of both Frontiersman and Gunstop. I do think the Gunstop folks could be better with new customers, but my indirect experience is that if you drop a known name there, you get treated very well.

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:31 am 
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Where is the Gun Stop. I've see everyone talking about it but don't know where it is.

Thanks :!:


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:31 am 
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It's sandwiched in between a dance studio and post office. Directly across the street from the Glen Lake shopping center.

http://maps.yahoo.com/map?q1=14704%2BEx ... 0MN%2520US

Talk about one stop shopping.

:)

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:34 am 
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If/when you stop in, talk to Larry and let him know that you are:

"Looking for the finest combat pistol in the shop"

:wink:

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:49 am 
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Timothy Nelson wrote:
If/when you stop in, talk to Larry and let him know that you are:

"Looking for the finest combat pistol in the shop"

:wink:


Will do. Thanks for the info :!:


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:14 am 
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i know nothing of twincities gun shops and this thread has helped alot, thanks everyone for that, it is nice to know there are some good ones around, i primarily have used a small dealer to do all my transfers for me in minnesota

just to throw it out there
polar bear ordnance in woodbury, mike is a nice guy and deffinately super easy to deal with. ad he is 20 bucks a transfer.
he doesnt stock much just hi point and auto ordnance tommy guns but he really does most of his business in transfers i think.

for any of you guys familiar with bemidji minnesota, do you remember rr arms up there? that was the only gunshop that i have ever been a member of the "club" with and that took a while of coming in 4 or 5 days a week


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 Post subject: Re: almost lost gun
PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 10:25 pm 
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old guy wrote:
Early this year I bought a Charter Arms bulldog pug .44 spcl from Bills in Bloomington...


I take it this is a typo?

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 Post subject: Re: almost lost gun
PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 7:18 am 
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gyrfalcon wrote:
old guy wrote:
Early this year I bought a Charter Arms bulldog pug .44 spcl from Bills in Bloomington...


I take it this is a typo?



Uhh yeah, that should be Robinsdale. :oops:

John


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PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 2:50 pm 
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the only time i have been to bills in robinsdale was for the shooters show and they were all pretty helpfull when i talked to a few people about diffrent guns, i go to the bills in circle pines about 3-4 times a month to go shoot a few hundred rounds and i stop and talk to a few of the employees there and they are all pretty decent folks but when they are busy they are kinda rude i think thats just because they are trying to help alot of people at once and they get frustrated

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PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 2:59 pm 
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para45lda wrote:
the only time i have been to bills in robinsdale was for the shooters show and they were all pretty helpfull when i talked to a few people about diffrent guns, i go to the bills in circle pines about 3-4 times a month to go shoot a few hundred rounds and i stop and talk to a few of the employees there and they are all pretty decent folks but when they are busy they are kinda rude i think thats just because they are trying to help alot of people at once and they get frustrated


I've got one guy I deal with at Robbinsdale, and he's a pretty straight shooter (no pun intended). He's never tried to direct me toward something I'm not interested in, and is far more down-to-earth than a number of the other tacti-cool folks there.

That, and he's got the cajones to occasionally carry a nice big revolver from time to time around all those commando-types. I've heard them tease him, he just responds, "Yeah, I've only got six, but I shoot better than you." :mrgreen:

-Mark


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PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:40 pm 
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joelr wrote:
I'm very fond of both Frontiersman and Gunstop. I do think the Gunstop folks could be better with new customers, but my indirect experience is that if you drop a known name there, you get treated very well.
I've been in The GunStop a few times, walked out empty-handed every time. That wasn't because there wasn't anything to buy or I wasn't buying, but rather they didn't seem so interested in even making eye-contact, much less helping. I am disinclined to name-drop and know neither the secret code nor special handshake that appear to be required to effect a purchase. The folks at Frontiersman seem to be more motivated salesmen.


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PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:50 pm 
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trob09 wrote:
joelr wrote:
I'm very fond of both Frontiersman and Gunstop. I do think the Gunstop folks could be better with new customers, but my indirect experience is that if you drop a known name there, you get treated very well.
I've been in The GunStop a few times, walked out empty-handed every time. That wasn't because there wasn't anything to buy or I wasn't buying, but rather they didn't seem so interested in even making eye-contact, much less helping. I am disinclined to name-drop and know neither the secret code nor special handshake that appear to be required to effect a purchase. The folks at Frontiersman seem to be more motivated salesmen.
Yup. Good guys in both places, but I definitely recommend Frontiersman for new folks. Marv and Paul, while not at all salesmany in any bad way, really do have the good riffs down.

Different strokes for different folks.

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