This may be a bit naive of an issue but I'm going to throw it out there anyways. I don't spend nearly as much on firearms as many people here, maybe $2-4k a year at most. Despite how little business I do however, I'm still extremely underwhelmed with my FFL options, most of which make you feel more like a data point than an actual customer. Even making 3-4 purchases within the span of a couple months last year at one particular place that I'd call very "mom and pop," I don't think they'd know me from a hole in the wall.
I've been thinking about this issue a lot lately as I try to track down a Tikka T3x TAC. They seem to be out of stock everywhere, which is fine, I'm in no hurry, but if I'm going to wait a few months anyways, I prefer to give my money to support someone local, rather than some random internet store or big box place. The problem comes in trying to find an FFL I can build a good relationship with. I know they're out there, but choosing a random name off a list doesn't seem like the best idea, I don't do enough business to find a good one from experience, and people treat good FFL's like secrete family recipes. I don't expect to get any pricing breaks or have someone bend over backwards to help me from day one (though that would be nice), but I'd like to find someone I can eventually build up a relationship with where that's not a far-fetched idea.
So the question is, how do you do it?
I've been thinking about this issue a lot lately as I try to track down a Tikka T3x TAC. They seem to be out of stock everywhere, which is fine, I'm in no hurry, but if I'm going to wait a few months anyways, I prefer to give my money to support someone local, rather than some random internet store or big box place. The problem comes in trying to find an FFL I can build a good relationship with. I know they're out there, but choosing a random name off a list doesn't seem like the best idea, I don't do enough business to find a good one from experience, and people treat good FFL's like secrete family recipes. I don't expect to get any pricing breaks or have someone bend over backwards to help me from day one (though that would be nice), but I'd like to find someone I can eventually build up a relationship with where that's not a far-fetched idea.
So the question is, how do you do it?