Fantasy gunshop

[Denis]

I suspect gun shops have a lot in common with surf shops. The guns or boards are the raison d'etre for the shop, are big on the top line and small at the bottomline...

Indeed. Gunshops sell guns like filling stations sell fuel, but they make their money on ancillaries. My question is which ancillaries would get you guys into the shop and take the money out of your pockets?

My other-than-firearms list is something like the following. Feel free to add detail and/or products/brands you regard as essential to a well-stocked gunshop:

I) Gun-cleaning supplies
Ballistol
Hoppes
Ed's Red
Rods, patches, jags, brushes, boresnakes

II) Optics
High / medium / low ranges
Basic selection of mounts and rings, possibility to order oddballs

III) Gun accessories
Slings
Cases / slips
Bags
Cartrigde belts/ pouches
Holsters, magazine pouches, belts
basic gun-tinkering tools - screwdriver sets, cold blue, KG Coatings
Targets

IV) Apparel
hats, scarves, gloves, cold/rain-weather gear
shooting clothes
hunting clothes
outdoor / work apparel
tweeds
boots

V) Gunsmithing and/or range services

VI) Hunters outfitting / factoring / travel arrangements / shooting opportunities

VII) Shooters couch and chat area. Advice over the counter.

VIII) Airgun and archery supplies

IX) Cutlery

[MarkD]

When I move to America I hope to have a local gunshop. I expect that shop to be much like a local hardware store, a place where I can get what I need RIGHT NOW for a reasonable price, and who can get damn near anything I need or want within a reasonable time.

Given that, here's what I want:

1) The basics. Cleaning solvents, patches, jags, brushes, cleaning rods.

2) Common ammo in stock, and the ability to get whatever I want on order.

3) A basic gunsmith, so when something breaks I can get it fixed. Not someone who can handle custom work, but if something goes wrong that's beyond my ability to fix I can drop it off in the morning and get it back that evening. Someone who can also do things like trigger jobs, mount scopes, etc.

4) Examples of common guns, even if only one sample so you can order what you want.

5) A specialty. Even if it's not something I'm interested in.

[Aglifter]

Gunsmiths are quite rare - don't know of any around MB - only two in the TX Hill Country, and they have huge backlogs - being a close friend of one helps though

[MarkD]

Gunsmiths are quite rare - don't know of any around MB - only two in the TX Hill Country, and they have huge backlogs - being a close friend of one helps though

Try finding on in Northern NJ sometime when you have nothing better to do.