A Review of Area Gun Shops for "Black Friday."
Given it is Thanksgiving and Black Friday is tomorrow, gun sales, as all sales, will go through the roof to put everyone's balance sheet 'back in the black.'
But … and this is a biiiiiiiig but, it’s not just Thanksgiving and the biggest shopping day of the year … it’s a pre-Obama Thanksgiving and biggest shopping day of the year … and it’s created rumors of tough new gun and ammunition control that has sparked a frenzy and inflating demand for certain firearms that barely even make it to the display case from the delivery truck.
Anyway, a friend and I went the other day to get some 7.62x39, and he was after some 45 GAP, and we went to two of the stores on the list below - it was literally standing room only.
The most popular pre-Obama firearms seemed to be the higher–capacity handguns, and primarily, the M4/AR-15 analogues. These are the popular 5.56/223 ‘assault weapons’ with 30 round clips that survived through the (first?) AWB.
[I’ve always been confused over the designation “assault weapon.” Aren’t baseball bats and frying pans “assault weapons” too?]
There are several M4/AR-15 analogue manufacturers, such as Bushmaster, DPMS, Rock River, Stag Arms, the new S&W M&P15, etc. But even then, I understand producers such as DPMS are partially owned by Remington.
But, we were shopping for ammunition, and after being mesmerized by the frenzy for a little bit, we got what we needed and left – and it’s a good thing - there’s some serious price-gouging going on.
So on a scale of $ to $$$$$, below are the costs one might expect, with establishments listed in order of personal preference and value to me.
1. Academy Sports & Outdoors: $-to-$$$ (the right guns the right price!)
Located in Cool Springs by Wine & Spirits and Smokes & Brews (odd isn’t it, guns, smokes, and brew near each other?).
The best prices on firearms and ammunition – Glock, Taurus, Springfield XD series, North American Arms, Bersa, S&W, and a variety of affordable long guns. Most of the staff are knowledgeable and helpful.
And if you’re looking for one of the M4/AR-15 analogues – GO HERE. For example, the Bushmaster M4 analogue, with Picatinny Rail Forearm, manual ejector, dust guard, optic sight ready: $900.00 (read further below for comparison).
Drawback: Academy can’t place orders and only receive what is shipped from their central warehouse – they don't always know what's being shipped, so you have to call and check back regularly if you want any sort of update on their inventory.
2. Friedman’s Army Navy Store: $-to-$$$
Friedman’s is over on 21st in Nashville right next to the old St. Bernard school. They usually have a decent selection (Taurus, Mossberg, Kel-Tec, Glock, etc.) and the prices are very competitive.
Drawback: The location from Franklin is the only thing that held me back from making it a tie with Academy.
3. Gun City U.S.A.: $$$
Located on Murfreesboro Road, some of the handguns are a little pricey at times, but generally, an O.K. deal. Decent selection of revolvers, semi-autos, and long guns.
What makes Gun City desirable is that they have an indoor firing range, and while they do offer annual memberships, it is not required, and they have availability at the range at $15 per day per person (must sign a waiver, as with all ranges).
The past few times I have visited their range, it is in need of some aesthetic attention, but what the heck, it is just a gun range after all.
4. Bass Pro: $$$
Located in Opry Mills, decent prices, high volume, base model brand types of sales and plenty of shotguns and rifles and an O.K. selection of handguns; some specialty firearms at times.
Quite simply, I hate Opry Mills and the air inside the mall feels like they’re pumping in laughing gas to make you loopy so you'll spend more money. So, I only visit Bass Pro and Opry Mills when forced into the car by my significant other for some very specific gift and join with the busloads of shopping-just-to-be-shopping crowds, looking for deals on cheap crap that a person wouldn’t normally buy in the first place.
When Gaylord decides to start that new theme park up, Bass Pro should relocate to Cool Springs at the old Service Merchandise location, or just across the interstate (you heard it here first).
5. Franklin Gun: $$$-to-$$$$$
Located in the old Uncle Bud’s Catfish building off Lakeview and behind the bowling alley (off Royal Oak), Franklin Gun has expanded their sales counter quite a bit since they first moved in.
They usually have an ample selection of everything from North American Arms ‘mouse guns’ to Glocks to the hallowed Barrett .50 calibers, made right here in Tennessee.
They also have a plush supply of long guns, shotguns, AK/SK analogues, muzzle loaders, collectibles, and a very large selection of Kimber.
I’ve never latched on to the Kimber legacy, mainly because of price - for a lower price, you can get an original match-grade, well-tuned Springfield Armory manufactured 1911A1, that is the template for the Kimbers. Or, you can just get a Glock.
Franklin Gun is family-owned, knowledgeable staff, gunsmith on premises, nice optics counter, great location … but the drawback: The prices.
Take the NAA .22LR Mini-Revolver for example. At Academy, it’s $199.00, and at Franklin Gun, it’s $260.00. That’s a 30% markup over Academy. You’ll find similar markups on the Glocks, Sigs, etc.
So unless there’s a really good deal or a collectible at a decent price, it’s usually just targets and ammunition if I’m in a hurry and on the way to shoot - great place to go and "gunwatch" so to speak.
6. Uselton Arms: $$$$$$ (6 out of 5!)
Right next to Whitt’s and Discount Tire off Southwinds, Uselton’s is the shop that ran into a little bit of controversey when the adjacent residents and tenants didn’t know an indoor shooting range would be opened … within shooting distance … shall we say?
Now obviously, the range is essentially sound-proof and probably has several precautions: traps, baffles, etc. to help prevent any rounds escaping the building, because after all, you don’t want some clown shooting the ceiling of the building – and it is just handguns only, no high-powered rifles on the range (typical for indoor ranges).
So, I visited Uselton’s to check out the new digs.
Uselton’s indoor range is extraordinary. It’s clean and appears to be well-kept and well-run and Angela explained the HEPA filtration system (for lead and fumes) and details of the indoor range. They also have a decent selection of the usual: Taurus, Glock, Kel-Tec, and long guns.
They also have their own custom built Uselton 1911 handguns that also use the ever-popular 1911A1 platform (very similar to Kimber).
Very nice looking 1911 platforms, but I don’t know anyone that has purchased or at least fired one of these -- if you are reading and have, it would be nice to get a review of their brand.
But the prices … the PRICES! … are high and the indoor shooting range packages, at least for me, are ridiculously high and cost-prohibitive.
Their range package prices aren’t published on their web page, but their information sheet lists the most basic “Bronze” annual package at $199.95 - just to join – and that’s a yearly fee.
Their packages only go up from there, and the only savings with increase in package deal appear to be discounts on items in the store – guns excluded of course. For example, their top package (“Diamond”) is $1499.95 per year and is for ‘corporations’ … uhhhhhh … that's for corporations ... up to 3 people.
Back to the Bronze package: you pay a lane fee of $15 every time you visit. So let’s say you visit twice a month for a year – that’s $360 on top of the membership fee for a total of $559.95 without counting expenses for targets and range ammo (Look, I know you're trying to recoup the initial cost of the building and range, but my gosh).
Then, I had an unfortunate experience of hearing an exchange between a buyer and a gentleman that is apparently tasked with pricing their firearms. Oddly enough, it involved the price of an M4 analogue, where basically, the buyer asked why he was now charging more than $1,400, while he was making his final layaway payment for the same gun – from Uselton’s – for about $800.00.
Their exchange continued on, and the salesman was fairly giddy and ... loudly proud ... as he explained his fortunate position of supply and demand. The buyer made his final layaway payment and I left, after being completely turned off.
Final Notes on Ranges:
- A friend referred me to On Target in Murfreesboro that also has an indoor range and daily membership shooting for $20.00. It's probably worth the drive - an additional person can use the lane with you for another $10.00.
- Per D-Mac: Guns & Leather, Inc.: They have 2 ranges, a standard retrieval range ($10 per person per day) and another range that has electronically-controlled targets that turn ($15 per person per day). "Both ranges are climate controlled with HEPA filtration."
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