Howell's Gun & Archery Center, Gray, Maine

[Marcus in the Darkus]

This is a really nice shop, bigger that Four Seasons, with a large selection of handguns, rifles, and reloading supplies, as well as archery stuff and safes. Friendly staff...thay let me fondle an H&K USP even though they knew I couldn't buy one as a Mass resident.

Right off the Maine Turnpike in Gray. Highly recommended.

http://www.howellsgunandarchery.com/

(we site currently under construction)

 

[BlkHawk73]

Maybe you liked it there, but I'll never go there again and it's but 10 minutrs from the house. While they do have a decent selection, their service has a lot to be desired. They lost thier best clerk and what's there now..well, I refuse to be blatently lied to and then double charged what I was initially quoted. $50 for a transfer and I had to pint out that they screwed up their ledger with it's info. Complete idiot. Howell, the owner knows his stuff but he's who scred me on the transfer. No thank you! I'll gladly drive elsewhere and pay more before I drop a nickle there again.

 

[Grifter]

I have been to this shop a few times now. I can honestly say it is one of the better shops in Maine. My first visit was with a friend who had just turned 21 and wanted to buy his first gun. The clerk was very patient with my friend and explained a lot about each gun he asked to see. This was a few years ago.

My latest visit was just earlier today. I just moved back to Maine and my girlfriend wanted to have one of her own pistols. So I thought of this place first. Her and I showed up at 4:45 just before closing. At the time we thought they would have been open later. After staying there for about an hour asking countless questions, of course to make my girlfriend a little more comfortable, we finally decided to speak about with model she preffered over dinner. Even though a few of them stayed after closing for just a no sale they still treated us both with nothing but the best respect. Needless to say we are going back extremely soon for her new pistol. *cough*and a few new ones for myself*cough*

 

[cdkayak]

I've never had any problems at Howell's. He was upfront about his transfer fee with me so I found other people to do transfers. He's got a good selection and I've bought several different firearms from him over the years.

The sales help I've dealt with has always been fine; recently one sales rep spent a significant amount of time with me looking over compact 9s & .380s for my wife knowing there would be no sale that day.(she wasn't with me)

For new firearms I always call Phil at Pac-n-Arms first ( http://northeastshooters.com/viewtopic.php?t=927 ), but if he can't help me or if I'm looking for used I'm happy to give Howell my business.

CD

 

[BlkHawk73]

cdkayak, curious is howell gave any particular reason for his higher than normal transfer fees?

 

[cdkayak]

He didn't give me any specific reason. It didn't really matter to me since I was just checking out of curiosity & didn't have a need, so I didn't ask. Also at the time I thought it was normal since the only other dealer I had asked also charged $50.(Place on Outer Congress with the wood bear outside, Johnson's??) Luckily, I've since learned and found several others who are very fair.

CD

 

[BlkHawk73]

Yeah, figured as much. Pretty quiet guy. Funny part is that two different online sites listing transfer dealers had him doing transfers for $30. Told him this and he just shrugged it off. Haven't stepped foot in his shop since and have kept at least two others out of there as well. I'll gladly spend more elsewhere than have a dime of mine cross his counter ever again.

 

[cdkayak]

Just an update on Howell's transfer fee.

I was quoted $35 today.

CD

 

[BlkHawk73]

Just an update on Howell's transfer fee.

I was quoted $35 today.

CD

Get that in writing. I was told $25 by a employee there and at the time a fellow club member (I quit the club, not him). Saw on an on-line gunsale site as transfers being $35. When I went to get my gun...$50! They didn't care what I was told or what the site said, fifty bucks and again, I had to help them fix the info in the book!

On a side note, a co-worker went there a short time ago looking for a gun ($1000+) got a price. I checked another place and online and got better prices, he went back and got a matching price of what I fould the gun at but got a rather not-so-positive experience from the deal. Nope, not me, I'll gladly pay more elsewhere than save money there.

 

[cdkayak]

Didn't say I was using him for a transfer, just passing along the information I was given by a long time employee. I was there for another purpose and I asked for the transfer price.

I'll still purchase there if they have what I want and I can't get it at my usual shop. I've always been treated well and I've been given fair prices in the past.

CD

 

[cdkayak]

Didn't say I was using him for a transfer, just passing along the information I was given by a long time employee. I was there for another purpose and I asked for the transfer price.

I'll still purchase there if they have what I want and I can't get it at my usual shop. I've always been treated well and I've been given fair prices in the past.

CD

 

[cdkayak]

Didn't say I was using him for a transfer, just passing along the information I was given by a long time employee. I was there for another purpose and I asked for the transfer price.

I'll still purchase there if they have what I want and I can't get it at my usual shop. I've always been treated well and I've been given fair prices in the past.

CD

 

[ne1122]

I'm glad to report that Howell's recently provided great service during my visit. I was glad to see that they had a surprisingly wide range of popular handguns in stock. The sales people were very helpful and knowledgeable as well as friendly. I thought their responses to my questions and issues were honest, complete and technically informed.

I'll definitely be back and plan to give them more of my business - I enjoyed the atmosphere and competent, friendly service so much more than most other gun stores in the area.

 

[valvestem]

Sorry to revive an old thread but I just gotta after today's experience with Howells. To start at the beginning, I have wanted the Mossberg 500 pistol gripped Parkerized since I saw it as available on Howells website. So I gave them a call two days ago. This is where my OH OH meter started to jiggle. The person answering the phone sounded like I was bothering him, did not have an answer to whether or not they had the gun in stock (according to their website they did). Finally after several minutes, he came back and said yes we have two. I said OK. So with that in mind, I drove about 25 miles to get there after work today, and when I went in, I showed them the gun I (from a photo on my iPhone) wanted from their website which said it was it stock. After some hemming and hawing, I was brought over to a new gun display rack and shown what they had. Guess what? They did not have the one I wanted. I said Geez it said it was in stock on your website. To which I got the reply, Oh, that's different from the store. You can order from the site and have it delivered to the store though. I walked out. Too bad, my first gun buying experience there about a year ago was a pleasure. With the lack of places to buy where I live, they definitely have the customer over a barrel.

 

[ixia]

I can't speak for their gun sales but they have a fantastic downstairs archery section with multiple indoor ranges. The people that frequent the range and league there are friendly and know what they are doing.