Gun Store Ratings

Status
Not open for further replies.

ridleyman

NES Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
3,822
Likes
3,247
Location
Lexington
Feedback: 64 / 0 / 0
From 1-10, 10 being the best, rate any gun stores, with a brief justification, if you like. Hopefully, as always, this thread hasn't been done recently.

In my view:

Four Seasons: 9 it would be a 10, due to great service and prices, very friendly and enthusiastic staff, and Carl, the owner, who is a great guy, but for the mobs and waiting times
I have bought many guns here and it's pretty much always a good experience. Great selection with lots of used guns too. Dog lover.

CCGGuns: 8 great loft where you can check out lots of long guns, very good selection, good prices, courteous

North Shore Firearms: 5 great selection of holsters, some guns, prices not bad, one guy's very friendly, another one thinks he's brilliant and shouldn't be wasting his time mixing in with the unwashed peasant for customers

Hunter Trading Post: 4 okay selection, okay prices, old man and son can be pretty condescending

B&K Sales: 8 nice selection, always has some vintage (WW2) guns), a bit pricier, very friendly and knowledgeable, retired vet

Pullman Arms: 7 small innovative machine shop, some guns, okay prices, very friendly

Gun Parlor: 5 lots of guns to rent and buy, not cheap, some employees are basically used car salesmen

MA Firearms: 6 mostly new stuff, very businesslike but courteous

Kittery Trading Post (ME): 7 non-stop erection for the amount of guns, and non-MA compliant guns specifically, handling 100's of long guns is fine, higher prices, next door to Bob's Seafood stand (+1)

Skips (NH): 8 awesome service, higher prices, nice selection

Gartman's: 8 lots of really cool stuff and very friendly/helpful owner, tad pricier

Cabela's 6: lots of guns, interesting gun "library", most guns are retail, very businesslike atmosphere
 
Northeast Arms an easy 10 any day all day.
Four Seasons 8+ and would be higher if my waiting time was less but volume sales keep the prices down.
Glenn's Ammo and Reloading 9 He's a pleasure to deal with!!!
Patriot Arms 8+
Kittery Trading Post in the 8's always have had a good experience buying there
North Shore Firearms 3 never had a good experience there yet. And basically only ranked them because they are a Gun Store in an anti Gun State.
 
Last edited:
cb128e9191ec241c28c14a37db43c4d6.jpg
 
I almost never buy guns in stock at stores, 95% of the time I research and plan my next purchase, then I call the same shop I always use to place an order. Often its more than one gun at a time, and I wont pickup until the whole order arrives. If they can get it at a reasonable price then I buy it from them directly, else I buy it online and transfer it there.. so in short I value someone who doesn't kill you on transfers and is easy to work with.

100% of my business lately goes to Ben at Wicked Weaponry in Hookset NH. He is mostly a custom AR shop and is extremely knowledgeable, is really cool to talk to and doesn't mind giving advice unrelated to a sale, can get most things at decent prices but always offers a square deal - ie if his price sucks he will reccomend you just buy it online for his $25 transfer fee.

Only downside with him is even after previous transfers there, his policy is not to transfer upon a Default Proceed and will wait for an explicit Proceed (at least for awhile, not sure what he does if it goes on and on). I believe its because he has been burnt before, ie denial came after the fact for a really bad guy that shouldn't have been armed. This I am ok with, only made me wait an extra couple days once, and personally I am irked walking out of the shop with a gun when potentially some paper pusher is out there about to make a mistake that could trigger ATF to come looking for me - I plan my purchases and usually have other new or modified guns around I haven't shot yet so am never in a rush anyway.
 
Last edited:
Shooting Supply - 8.5

Can’t give a 9 cuz they opened up too far from my house!

Can’t give a 10 cuz that would mean Perfect. No store is 100% perfect.
 
From 1-10, 10 being the best, rate any gun stores, with a brief justification, if you like. Hopefully, as always, this thread hasn't been done recently.

In my view:

Four Seasons: 9 it would be a 10, due to great service and prices, very friendly and enthusiastic staff, and Carl, the owner, who is a great guy, but for the mobs and waiting times
I have bought many guns here and it's pretty much always a good experience. Great selection with lots of used guns too. Dog lover.

CCGGuns: 8 great loft where you can check out lots of long guns, very good selection, good prices, courteous

North Shore Firearms: 5 great selection of holsters, some guns, prices not bad, one guy's very friendly, another one thinks he's brilliant and shouldn't be wasting his time mixing in with the unwashed peasant for customers

Hunter Trading Post: 4 okay selection, okay prices, old man and son can be pretty condescending

B&K Sales: 8 nice selection, always has some vintage (WW2) guns), a bit pricier, very friendly and knowledgeable, retired vet

Pullman Arms: 7 small innovative machine shop, some guns, okay prices, very friendly

Gun Parlor: 5 lots of guns to rent and buy, not cheap, some employees are basically used car salesmen

MA Firearms: 6 mostly new stuff, very businesslike but courteous

Kittery Trading Post (ME): 7 non-stop erection for the amount of guns, and non-MA compliant guns specifically, handling 100's of long guns is fine, higher prices, next door to Bob's Seafood stand (+1)

Skips (NH): 8 awesome service, higher prices, nice selection

Gartman's: 8 lots of really cool stuff and very friendly/helpful owner, tad pricier

Cabela's 6: lots of guns, interesting gun "library", most guns are retail, very businesslike atmosphere
Based on your Gun Parlor and Cabela rating, you are either:

A. A noob.
B. A troll.

Never buy anything from the Gun Parlor. It should be a negative 10. Bunch of scumbags.

Cabelas deserves a -1

North shore a -9. Tell them you are a NES member. Make sure you have popcorn with you.

You need to go explore other gun stores.
 
Gun Parlor: -5
F those clowns. Seriously.

Minuteman Armory (Templeton): 8.5
Good guys down there. Very friendly and they're more than willing to help find you what you're looking for.

MFS: 8
Never an issue. Friendly staff, but can be really busy on weekends.
 
yeah, i'm not fond of these threads, i don't see what purpose they serve. someone gets butt hurt, posts on the internet, a business can be destroyed. if a shop truly sucks, people will stop going there anyway. sorry if you don't feel the same.
 
I like these threads. Some poor noob like me might read it and not have the $hitty experience I did.

If north shore got or gets destroyed, it’s on them, not me. Read my yelp review.

Also props to four seasons for being the opposite of north shore. Northeast is also an excellent shop-8
 
...someone gets butt hurt, posts on the internet, a business can be destroyed. if a shop truly sucks, people will stop going there anyway...

True. For example, whenever anyone on here mentions Shooter's Outpost and their dealings with M*ssholes.

I like these threads. Some poor noob like me might read it and not have the $hitty experience I did...

Also true. Like the epic Dudley Brown ARFCOM thread.

Scam being run by the National Association for Gun Rights - Page 1 - AR15.COM

Being from RI, the only stores I've done business with that most members on here would know about are KTP and MFS. I've been in Shooter's at least five times but I've never actually bought anything. I'll give KTP a 4/10 because while they do have a very good stock of "hunting" style guns and handguns, they sorely lack on MSRs and staff knowledge and courteousness. I've been going to KTP since I was like a five year old. The reason you go to KTP is to fondle guns that you're 99% sure you can't easily find in your local gun shop or because you're in the area.

Sorry Mass guys, but most of the guns you see in KTP that you don't see in Mass are hanging off the walls and in the shelves of a normal gun store in RI.

MFS the store was pretty cool. MFS the indoor range, I am not a fan of. I went there to go with someone I was trying to get into guns and they had a Groupon for like an intro to guns 101 class (not for the LTC application, just like "here's a gun, here's the four safety rules, here's an indoor range, and here's one magazine we've pre-loaded for you. Line up the front dot and the rear two dots and squeeze the trigger."). Then they touched off a M91/30 in that dark room of an indoor range and I was glad I had used both ear plugs and ear muffs. 6/10, 7/10?

Edit: there's also a few stores in NH that I should mention...

*SAWS in Whitefield: 8/10
*Village Gun Shop in Whitefield: 7/10
*Martel's in Laconia: 1/10
*Littlefield's in Plymouth: 6/10 - great guy but only open for very limited hours as this is a home FFL
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hooksett, NH:

Shooters Outpost - The best of the four in the area. Great selection. Average prices. But a real cool place overall. It’s what a gun shop should be. 8.

Riley’s Sport Shop - Used to be great. Changed ownership and went downhill fast. I haven’t been in in years. Ranking from last visit, 4. Current ranking, ???.

Wicked Weaponry Firearms - Seems to focus on AR’s and similar. More of a specialty place. Looks like they’ve expanded over the years. From last visit, 4. If it’s like the photos I’ve seen, it’s sure to be much better now.

Bass Pro Shop - Typical big box store. Garbage prices. 2.

Plaistow, NH:

Stateline Gun Ammo and Archery - Decent place with decent selection and sometimes decent prices. 5.

Byron’s Sporting Goods - Smaller place with a varying inventory. Funny guy. I’ve actually had good luck finding what I was looking for here and at a better price than the other shops in town. 7.

Vizards Guns and Ammo - Small place that probably isn’t going to be open. If it is, it’s okay. But it never seems to be. 3.

Brentwood/Epping/Kingston, NH:

MacPherson Firearms - Newer place with limited selection. The guy is nice, and he had the sand pmags I was looking for. 6.

Sig Pro Shop - If you are looking for Sig Sauer stuff, here be the place to go. Retail prices unless you’ve just shot a course at the Sig Academy. They have AR accessories so that’s cool, but so does MacPherson down the street. 5.

Costa Arms - Despite it being the closest, I haven’t been here forever. Is it still open? Last time I went it had a tiny inventory. Ranking from then, 3. Current, ???

Maine:

Kittery Trading Post - Huge selection. They have a small shack in NH for their NH FFL, so both ME and NH residents can by handguns. Added bonus is they’ll give you everything tax free if you’re from NH and buy a gun (long gun included, at least that’s been my experience). Gun prices are reasonable and I’ve found guns I was looking for here that no other place had, and for close to online prices (once you included shipping/transfer). I like the place. 8.

Cabelas - Another big box store but better than Bass Pro, by a good margin. So as far as guns go, not great. Other outdoor stuff is great. But just gun wise, 4.

Seabrook/Newington/Other:

Dick’s Sporting Goods - They can eat a dick. -10.




Edit: I’m not actually happy with my number rankings. Except for the last one. That’s accurate.
 
Last edited:
From 1-10, 10 being the best, rate any gun stores, with a brief justification, if you like. Hopefully, as always, this thread hasn't been done recently.

In my view:

Four Seasons: 9 it would be a 10, due to great service and prices, very friendly and enthusiastic staff, and Carl, the owner, who is a great guy, but for the mobs and waiting times
I have bought many guns here and it's pretty much always a good experience. Great selection with lots of used guns too. Dog lover.

CCGGuns: 8 great loft where you can check out lots of long guns, very good selection, good prices, courteous

North Shore Firearms: 5 great selection of holsters, some guns, prices not bad, one guy's very friendly, another one thinks he's brilliant and shouldn't be wasting his time mixing in with the unwashed peasant for customers

Hunter Trading Post: 4 okay selection, okay prices, old man and son can be pretty condescending

B&K Sales: 8 nice selection, always has some vintage (WW2) guns), a bit pricier, very friendly and knowledgeable, retired vet

Pullman Arms: 7 small innovative machine shop, some guns, okay prices, very friendly

Gun Parlor: 5 lots of guns to rent and buy, not cheap, some employees are basically used car salesmen

MA Firearms: 6 mostly new stuff, very businesslike but courteous

Kittery Trading Post (ME): 7 non-stop erection for the amount of guns, and non-MA compliant guns specifically, handling 100's of long guns is fine, higher prices, next door to Bob's Seafood stand (+1)

Skips (NH): 8 awesome service, higher prices, nice selection

Gartman's: 8 lots of really cool stuff and very friendly/helpful owner, tad pricier

Cabela's 6: lots of guns, interesting gun "library", most guns are retail, very businesslike atmosphere
Dude how the hell can you have North Shore firearms on that list (more like -5) and not Northeast Arms?!? Any gun owner on the north shore should be going to Steve at Northeast Arms.
 
Based on your Gun Parlor and Cabela rating, you are either:

A. A noob.
B. A troll.

Never buy anything from the Gun Parlor. It should be a negative 10. Bunch of scumbags.

Cabelas deserves a -1

North shore a -9. Tell them you are a NES member. Make sure you have popcorn with you.

You need to go explore other gun stores.
This. Though I’ve bought plenty of reloading stuff at Cabelas. I’d never buy a gun there.
 
This. Though I’ve bought plenty of reloading stuff at Cabelas. I’d never buy a gun there.
Those of us in free states get free two-day shipping over $50 from Cabela's.
Much easier for a relative to get a Cabela's gift card for me than "random gun shop across the state."
I want Northeast Arms to open that rumored NH shop ASAP!
 
I'm betting none of you who are bashing North Shore have been there in the past 2 years or so since the new guys took over? Most of the negativity I think comes from the previous owner's deeds. New guys area great, definitely gun guys and they take good care of their customers. I've bought/sold/traded there and more than happy with the results. Try them before you bash them (again), its not the same shop it was.a few years ago.
 
Isnt NSF under new ownership? Havent been there in years but I thought they had changed hands.

eta-jpm beat me by a couple minutes, lol
 
I'm betting none of you who are bashing North Shore have been there in the past 2 years or so since the new guys took over? Most of the negativity I think comes from the previous owner's deeds. New guys area great, definitely gun guys and they take good care of their customers. I've bought/sold/traded there and more than happy with the results. Try them before you bash them (again), its not the same shop it was.a few years ago.
Good to know!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom