NOTE: The business owner has answered me below. He is right. It is not a good fit for me...and they certainly don't need me. I also have no issues with 20 something women.. unless they get condescending to a 50 something person who has been handling firearms longer than they have been alive. "You may know it's cleared, we don't" is not a good answer from the seller of a gun, who just checked it, after pulling it out of their own cabinet. His grand kids are adorable. His daughter was fine for the most part. It is a family run business. I am not attacking the family honor I am reviewing the business. That is what brought me in the door. I like supporting local businesses, especially family businesses. I made a good faith effort to support his business 5 TIMES. I have just never had this particular experience before...and it was noteworthy.
On to my review:
This was my first choice for a gun shop because it is close to my work. So I go in looking for a specific firearm and a 20 something woman behind the counter holding a (adorable) baby tells me to go over there and look at a mostly empty display. Customers all mostly have masks on... counter staff do not.
I see nothing at the display, so I ask the woman to show me a gun in the counter case. She pulls it out, checks it and hands it to me. While I am examining it she keeps holding her hands out in front of her. I ask if she wants it back. She says: "No I just don't want you to point it at her" indicating another woman sitting in a chair behind the counter. I'm stunned because I did no such thing and I don't know why she would think so. My finger was nowhere near the trigger. It was basically flat in the palm of my hand. She then shows me the revolver capacity of another gun, opening and closing it while it is pointed right in the direction of the same woman. I didn't see that as a problem since the gun was also checked and clear... but still... I guess I could have gotten all extra "safety first" and pushed her hand away too. Kind of awkward...and a little off putting...even though I absolutely respect the good intentions.
Obviously I didn't take this too badly... because I visited this shop 3 more times. I was told I just need to keep coming back again and again. Which I did. Once I was kicked out because they were closed and I accidentally walked in the open door. At that point it began to become a grind to me. They have no wait lists. No pre-ordering. I also tried to email them asking what my options were. They explained in the email that there are no options, they won't reserve or pre-order because it is too hard to keep track of it all that money...and they may "never get the gun in" and then I "will be pissed at them". Ok... I guess. But I'm pretty sure pre-ordering is a thing...that is done... in business...and they have systems for that.
They also don't answer their phone by the way...they explained this to me when I asked why their line kept hanging up on me. So, I literally have to drive my way in to ask them in person because they are also not answering the phone when people want to keep checking back again and again on the phone. The only option they offer is to keep checking their Facebook page where they will announce new items and then we can all race each other in at the same time.
Look, I get the industry has crashed... and there are all these challenges everyone is facing... but this is asking me to do all the work for them so they can just had me a thing and collect my money at their convenience... and I don't work for them. As hard as I tried to buy from this store, I have many more options than them.
So I called Davidson's firearms, the big weapon distributor, and asked them about this situation. They told me the firearm I wanted was going to customers on a wait list in stores. That was their exact words. They said any gun shop they supply is free to get on the "Davidson's wants" list. They will then do their best to make that shop a priority to fill the order. I'm not sure what the miscommunication was here between Ammo AZ and the gun distributor but that's what each of them say. It is obviously a voluntary system.
Glockmeister was near me and they are on Davidson's list. They also actually had the firearm I wanted right in the cabinet. So I guess I hit the gun shelf jackpot by checking other places instead of Ammo AZ. Which is sad because I tried 5 TIMES to give them my business and they just waved me out the door each time. Glockmeister also does pre-orders which I was told by AAZ NO GUN SHOP WILL DO.
So, in conclusion. This place is fine... but it's obviously not for me. read more