A Good Gun Shop...

By Chris Chumita

There are thousands of gun shops in this great country. Some are great ambassadors, but others give the whole shooting industry a black eye. So, what does a good gun store do to make it good?

A good gun shop will try to help the customer choose the best gun for them and not the shop’s bottom line. They understand that this week’s most popular model is not suited for everyone. They know that not everyone needs a Glock or 12-Gauge shotgun.

A good gun shop will have a decent selection of firearms and accessories. They will try to keep various types of firearms in stock to meet the diverse needs of their customers. They will also have fair prices and will not gauge the customer.

A good gun shop will help a customer make an informed decision by taking the time to explain the pros and cons of all of the guns that a customer is looking at. They will do their best to make sure that the customer understands the facts about a gun and will help discredit whatever bad information the customer read on an online gun forum.

A good gun shop will do transfers for a fair price. This allows them to make a profit while meeting the needs of a customer. By doing transfers, it may lead to the purchase of ammunition or accessories.

A good gun shop understands that women are the fastest growing group of new shooters. They seize any opportunity to introduce women to guns in a friendly and non-threatening manner. The clerk will talk directly to woman and not talk to her husband about HER purchase. They will also answer her questions honestly and will not make her feel stupid for asking a simple question. In fact, they encourage her to ask questions.

A good gun shop does NOT treat minorities as if they are a thug looking to buy a gun for their next robbery. They treat everyone equally and do not make judgments based upon a person’s race, ethnicity, or sex. Unfortunately, there are too many gun stores that do not do this, and they help create the stereotype that all gun-owners are raging racists.

A good gun store provides free or fairly priced safety classes and other gun related classes to its customers. If they do not offer any training, they refer to the customer to a credible instructor.

A good gun store helps support the National Rifle Association (NRA) and their state based pro-gun organization. They do this by recruiting members or donations for the organizations. They also hand out pamphlets and other materials from pro-gun organizations.

A good gun stores obeys all applicable laws and is always on the lookout for someone trying to make a straw purchase.

A good shop does all of the above things and more. They know that their goal is to build relationships with their customers. This is done by being fair, honest, and patient. They know that if they treat a customer right, it will lead to futures sales and referrals in the future.