Zero Hour Arms

Stopped in the other day and saw a lot a people talking to a guy behind the counter about everyday stuff to the point a customer looking to buy couldn't get up to the cases to look. A one box ammo limit and no reloading items at all had me going out the door. One guy behind the counter completely away from the "group" talk at the other end was very helpful with some questions I had though. Not a lot to look at if you don't like just black rifles and the road to the shop leaves a lot to be desired. Seemed like an OK place that is rather specialized with patrons ignorant of others trying to look around the shop. On the transfer thing, I just did an out of state transfer on a handgun (yes, MA compliant) at Flint Armament in Fall River today for $25. Took about 20 minutes and the guys behind the counter were real pleasant. The shop was pretty full of people too and nobody waited long as they were all waited on with more working coming from the back to cover the customers. Village will also do transfers without issue.
 
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Chistech said:
Stopped in the other day and saw a lot a people talking to a guy behind the counter about everyday stuff to the point a customer looking to buy couldn't get up to the cases to look. A one box ammo limit and no reloading items at all had me going out the door. One guy behind the counter completely away from the "group" talk at the other end was very helpful with some questions I had though. Not a lot to look at if you don't like just black rifles and the road to the shop leaves a lot to be desired. Seemed like an OK place that is rather specialized with patrons ignorant of others trying to look around the shop. On the transfer thing, I just did an out of state transfer on a handgun (yes, MA compliant) at Flint Armament in Fall River today for $25. Took about 20 minutes and the guys behind the counter were real pleasant. The shop was pretty full of people too and nobody waited long as they were all waited on with more working coming from the back to cover the customers. Village will also do transfers without issue.
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ZHA is a rather unique gun shop.

The people that "hang out" there are regulars and it is like family. There is even a couch in the little room to the right (used to be beside/across from the large cases to the left before they enlarged). The folks are very friendly and if you just say "excuse me can i squeeze in to see what's in the case" I'm certain they'd move so you could see what's there.

They sell mostly "EBRs" and other unique items that you don't see in most gun shops.

They don't sell any reloading supplies.

There is a back road into the left side of the building that some of use. My car isn't designed to drive over bombed out roads (which is the nicest thing I can say for Renker Dr). The other road comes in off Bristol Drive (an industrial park) and is a normal road up to ZHA's building.
 
In all honesty, if it was regulars (which I bet it was) they should have known better to move back and let customers look WITHOUT having to be asked. They should know the "customer always comes first" or at least the guy behind the counter should have stopped his conversation and had them move away for his patrons. I was raised in a family business and my dad would never have let that happen. There was about 3-5 customers trying to look around when I was there. Those same customers all came in after me and walked out before me. The young guy behind the counter away from everyone else was very helpful and talkative with me. I saw the room with the couch which had a few guys in there also. I understand it's a specialize shop, stated that, and I think I'm being fair in my experience there as this forum is for reviews. A 20 round box of off brand .223's for $17.95 is a little high to me also. A guy at my range two days ago was shooting PMC 5.56 ammo he bought at another local shop for $8.00/20rds that day. Can also tell you the same day I was at another LGS selling powder for $10lb over normal pricing (34.50lb) My company services JSC in CT. who supplies most our LGS and I know the floor manager there very well. He told me wholesale prices have not really gone up that much from what he has seen so some shops that we're loyal to are scalping their patrons. I'll shop at the ones that don't.
 
Maybe the people having conversations were also customers? Not sure how you have clairvoyance into the motives of everyone in the entire shop.

If they have to re-arrange the lobby every time a repeat customer walks in the door in an attempt to not offend anyone, they'll all be outside standing in the mud.
 
No need to be clairvoyant as it was easy to hear the conversation going on. Sorry if you don't like what I wrote but it is my experience. Again, I am a business person and understand a customer and gave my review as a customer. 4-5 regulars blocking off a third of a small narrow shop shooting the breeze should not be allowed by the management. People could work around them, but not too easily and a couple customers tried to look past them, then walked out.
 
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As a new user with this much insight, clearly they should make you the manager!

You can help out Zero hour, and then drive over to the Middleboro gun shop and let them know their powder prices were 10 bucks too high.
 
Chistech said:
No need to be clairvoyant as it was easy to hear the conversation going on. Sorry if you don't like what I wrote but it is my experience. Again, I am a business person and understand a customer and gave my review as a customer. 4-5 regulars blocking off a third of a small narrow shop shooting the breeze should not be allowed by the management. People could work around them, but not too easily and a couple customers tried to look past them, then walked out.
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It was YOUR experience, and no one else can tell you how to interpret it. Thanks for taking the time to post a review!
 
It is definitely an odd shop. You never know what kind of an atmosphere you are going to walk into. Some times it is very open and fun to be in, other times there is an attitude that is not acceptable. When I went in there the first time to look around before I had my LTC they were very helpful and spent time with me although they knew there was not going to be a sale that day. Another time I went in to see if they had a spare mag for my M&P 9C and was told "we don't carry M&P because they suck and we hate them", yet a few weeks later there was a new 9C in their case for sale. Hit or miss.
 
Sinitron said:
As a new user with this much insight, clearly they should make you the manager!

You can help out Zero hour, and then drive over to the Middleboro gun shop and let them know their powder prices were 10 bucks too high.
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Actually I was hired 13yrs ago to manage a industrial equipment department for a $17billion company and we have over 2,400 business customers my department services. Your right, I'm probably wrong and the Middleboro shop isn't really selling his powder for $33-34lb.(probably just a misprint on the price tag of ALL the bottles) This isn't a forum for gun shop reviews either and I guess only sugar coated cheer leading comments are in order.
 
I think it's good for customers to tour every single shop they can and compare what market they cater towards. I find each shop has a very unique feel. Every business can't possibly stock everything in the world for every single shooting dynamic, the overhead is killer. You end up with Bass Pro shop and 200% price adjustments.

-Zero Hour excels in tactical / military rifles, pistols, and arms you won't find hanging on a wall anywhere else. No reloading supplies, they have go-to guns.
-Middleboro offers powders, prepped brass, and most times primers, but usually not a huge inventory of new long guns and handguns but good vintage items.
-Plymouth normally stocks a great variety of powders, stocks factory ammo in big-bore pistol calibers, an interesting selection of match/target 22's, and good array of pistols/rifles.
-FS is a volume store that specializes in commodity guns, lots of new model rifles and pistols, but no old school tactical products, but no powders or prepped brass.

Each business has a totally different crowd and offers different products. Would I complain that all 4 of the places above don't have waterfowl calls, 30" barrel duck guns, or sporting clays and launchers? No, usually BassPro has that stuff on the shelf.

To review one shop and say they don't offer one scope of products (reloading powders for eample) isn't a negative mark IMHO, it's just not what they do. Look at it this way, if a store has powder prices 10 bucks too high during a peak ammo drought - it's their prerogative and it's on the shelf in stock. Most places are pretty dry these days.
 
"-Zero Hour excels in tactical / military rifles, pistols, and arms you won't find hanging on a wall anywhere else. No reloading supplies, they have go-to guns.
-Middleboro offers powders, prepped brass, and most times primers, but usually not a huge inventory of new long guns and handguns but good vintage items.
-Plymouth normally stocks a great variety of powders, stocks factory ammo in big-bore pistol calibers, an interesting selection of match/target 22's, and good array of pistols/rifles.
-FS is a volume store that specializes in commodity guns, lots of new model rifles and pistols, but no old school tactical products, but no powders or prepped brass."

Your statements above are actually very good reviews if you didn't realize it. If someone had done a review like your statement of Zero Hour above I never would have taken the time to go by. I do own a few AR's but go to most LGS for reloading supplies and guns with wood. I do like to look around at all shops but accurate reviews do save time and gas. My remarks about MGS's powder pricing should let others know what to expect to pay for powder when they are planning to go there. $11 for spray casing lube that I paid $7 from them 10 days earlier? I have to tell you I do not believe it was new stock but just re-priced. Same with the powder as the assortment had not grown hugely on the shelves but everything had gone up $10 per can in just over one week's time. I even checked the powders that don't move as much and they had the same pricing. If I had known that info I wouldn't have gone by either so my review was meant to do exactly what this forum is about. Informing NES members about the specific titled gun shop.
 
No problem, I hear you on the spray lube - up several bucks from a few days earlier sucks, but we live in strange times. I have purchased arms and supplies from all four of the shops I mentioned previously, each has their own strengths.

If you are in the area, check out Riley's in NH. They usually have a vast supply of dies and reloading components in-house.
 
I wouldn't get to worked up about gun shops right now. The business is in turmoil and everyone is stressed. I have done business at ZHA and never had a problem, but have a buddy that would never go back there again.
Gun shops are like internet forums. You need a thick skin, low expectations and a good sense of humor goes a long way.
 
Sinitron said:
No problem, I hear you on the spray lube - up several bucks from a few days earlier sucks, but we live in strange times. I have purchased arms and supplies from all four of the shops I mentioned previously, each has their own strengths.

If you are in the area, check out Riley's in NH. They usually have a vast supply of dies and reloading components in-house.
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If you can believe it I've been going to Rileys for almost 40 years and I'm only 52. My uncle lives in Bow and my cousin is a big hunter. I used to go up hunting with them as a young kid and visiting Rileys ever since then. Always a great shop. One of my favorites.
 
I bought my first firearm at zha, a bushmaster acr. No one had them in stock except them, albeit a little higher but well worth not waiting.

The experience was avg to any store selling you an item. I would not hessitate if i were out to buy another gun and they had it in stock.

I did see the regulars there but they were not obstructing as you have experience. My field of business requires building rapport with people, and if i were zha i would have provided a little more.

This is not a knock on the shop, just different interpersonal beliefs.
 
Chistech said:
If you can believe it I've been going to Rileys for almost 40 years and I'm only 52. My uncle lives in Bow and my cousin is a big hunter. I used to go up hunting with them as a young kid and visiting Rileys ever since then. Always a great shop. One of my favorites.
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I wish we lived in a climate where we could have a Riley's in every town.
 
-Zero Hour excels in tactical / military rifles, pistols, and arms you won't find hanging on a wall anywhere else. No reloading supplies, they have go-to guns.
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They certainly used to have an incredible selection of 'military' style rifles, but last time i was there the shelves were pretty bare. Hopefully as the rush on guns abates, their stock will improve.

The "regulars" that hang out there are certainly a distraction though, I just squeezed through to see what was in the cases, but again the supplies were limited - mostly well used handguns and a few ARs and older mil rifles. A sad testament to supply and demand around here, what was a well supplied shop is pretty barren now.

The owner did help me with some solid / accurate info, so kudos there,

IMO, If you're passing by the area I would stop in to see whats up, but until the gun supplies improve around here, I wouldnt travel a long distance to get there.
 
Really!? this market is incredible, Zero didnt have jack not too long ago, and now theyre back on track? Well I take it back, I guess its hit or miss until further notice, thanks for update!
 
OIFer said:
Really!? this market is incredible, Zero didnt have jack not too long ago, and now theyre back on track? Well I take it back, I guess its hit or miss until further notice, thanks for update!
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They have a large network for EBR's. When they run low, they tap their resources and usually come through.
 
First trip there today it was pretty busy. Very impressed with stock, store, displays and staff. Concur on the H&Ks, and Glocks... Spoke with Rick, good guy. Thankfully for my wallet I had only 30 minutes to check the place out. Will definitely be back to purchase.
 

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