McBride's has been around a long time in Austin and is sort of like Matt's El Rancho or The Broken Spoke as far as iconic Austin. Having said that, I just called them to see if they had a holster for a Glock 42 and the guy told me "they don't make those yet." Hmmm...they are all over the internet and You Tube. Such as Recluse for one or Amazon or Bianchi or Blackhawk. Point is, don't trust everything they tell you at McBride's. Plus they have a hefty markup on their guns there. However, almost whatever you want they can get for you even tho the wait time may be a while. I think it boils down to who you get when you call or walk in, as in many things in life. read more

Great immediate selection. However, this place is so packed! Frankly, in the future I'll prefer to travel a few additional miles to make my firearms purchases. Other than that, they're trying their best but the demand in downtown Austin is just so dang heavy. read more

They're FFL transfer fee is $75, highest I've ever heard of! And they were so busy chatting I don't even think they noticed I was there. I left without even getting to talk to anyone. Previous visits have shown their staff to be surly/lazy. Places like this are why local gun shops are struggling. read more

This was my first time at McBrides. We went in pretty much knowing what we wanted but my husband still was shopping around a little. The man that helped us was very friendly and showed us all that he had in stock of the type that I was looking for and we ended up purchsing at what I thought was a reasonable price. My husband was looking for an additional gun and they didn't have exactly what we wanted (used) so we'll be back to check their used stock again. read more

Horrendous customer service. Just a bunch of crotchety old men. They treated me like crap. I know a little about guns and will not put up with that kind of service! read more

What a great place! Awesome variety of firearms, accessories and gear! A great place to buy or sell a gun, they are efficient and very helpful! Great browsing since they have such a great collection or get your gun sent in through a FFL transaction and it will go smooth and quick. I have also used the gun repair upstairs and have been extremely pleased with what I had done. They were quick and very reasonable! read more

This place is great and is really huge, there is something for everyone! The prices are a little pricey but the quality and selection is really great. They even have a little coin/jewelry area, we dropped off one of our shotguns to have chokes put on and they had the best prices and we trust them. Great store, we will be back soon! read more

So its a good place to look for guns: pretty nice selection. I'm inexperienced so i can't tell you if the guns were reasonably priced or anything. However, they didn't seem too expensive. if you want a friendly sales person, ask for David. He was very knowledgable and it was a pleasure talking to him. All other sales ppl seemed like they were pushing me to buy a gun asap read more

Bought my first revolver there last week. Friendly helpful staff answered my many questions. Enormous selection of new and used firearms from any manufacturer you can imagine. The place is really, really busy on weekends, so if you need more time to chat and ask questions and don't want to be jostled around by a crowd, you're better off going on a weekday. Prices were good, and in every case I checked, less than MSRP. It's a good shop, and I will certainly be going back for my firearms needs. read more

I bought a 270. Weatherby here. Overall every one was very helpful. I bought my rifle around Christmas time and it was really busy and very hard to talk to anyone, but once I got my turn I was treated well. I've been back a few times and it was still Super busy. Try going early if you have questions or need time with a rep. read more

First time at this store today and was quickly approached by Brian with a busy store too. He stayed with us looking at several guns and ended up buying a gun for my wife from him. He was very nice and had a lot of good knowledge he provided us. Great first time experience. I will hold off on 5 stars until i get more visits to the store but again overall great customer service, very adequate staff (even a few hours before closing), great knowledge, excellent selection, and very fast checkout process. The one thing I would like to see is them go to an electronic paperwork system for the background check instead of paper and a phone call. read more

They did a great job cleaning my throughly cleaning my shotgun and had it back to me in less than a week. I really wanted a true professional to give it a deep cleaning as bird season approaches and I can tell just how much smoother and easier the gun operates. Money well spent in my opinion. read more

I was concerned about the reviews regarding Racism. I'm Hispanic and therefore quite aware of the fact that it does exist. I was greeted promptly by Gerry and in fact had a truly fantastic experience. He provided wonderful customer service and advise. I bought a handgun and was out the door within 30 min. I later returned it for a trade and was once again greeted by another employee with the same positive attitude. I'm not sure why the other posts pulled the racism card. This outfit is professional and to the point. I would recommend them again. Sincerely Mr. Rodriguez read more

I was a first-time buyer who wanted something basic & reliable for our home defense needs. I'd done some research and had a good idea of what I wanted. I purchased a Glock 19 for myself and a Glock 43 for my wife. The sales person was knowledgable and very professional to both of us, taking time to answer our questions and fill in some of the blanks from my research. I was a little worried based on some of the other reviews I'd read, but issues with gun shop sales staff seems to exist no matter where one goes. Perhaps it's a function of the dynamic between the personalities of the individual customers and staff. We perhaps got lucky in that regard. Our experience was very good, and I'd go back and recommend. read more

McBrides usually has the best stocking of Ammo and Firearms and the prices are pretty reasonable.

Colton, Jack McBride " My Grandfather passed away in 1994. " You are referring to Joe McBride. There is more to the gunshop than just the gun side of the business. There is clothing, Ammo, fishing, the coin department and most of the people in there are either my mother, father, aunt, or cousin. I am glad you enjoy the business, it has been a landmark in Austin for a very long time! read more

Took my Colt 1911 .45 ACP in for service and the guys did a GREAT job! First time at the range after service with the .45 upper and it shot perfectly! Will do much more business with McBride's! read more

What really impressed me about this place is the large selection of guns that can be bought here. I have not owned a gun for probably 6 years but I think it's time I invest in another one for safety. I am not a big fan of guns but I am hell of a sharpshooter. The staff was friendly and very knowledgable of guns. Not once did they hesitate in answering my questions or even allow me to handle a gun in my hand on display. They also sell a few high quality knives here but not enough to impress me. They made a good recommendation for a Concealed Handgun License application/ testing. read more

I called them a couple of days ago to follow up on a particular revolver I am looking to buy. I had contacted them about a month earlier and they said to just keep checking to see if it was in. On Friday, they said they had both a new and used handgun of the model I wanted. (I was very specific about what I wanted and used the exact model number when I called.) Today I went in to do some business, and the kind of vague guy behind the counter said that they did have two samples of that manufacturer, but neither was the model I wanted. When I said they'd told me specifically that the gun I wanted was in stock, he mumbled something about checking inventory, then proceeded to perfunctorily look over some stacked boxes on shelves behind him, all this time never saying a word to me. I looked away for a second and when I looked back, he was on the phone with another customer. Nothing was said to me. All I got was a turned back and me standing behind an empty counter, and this after fighting hellish Austin traffic in 105 degree heat and trying to find this very weirdly located place. Well, at least I'll never have to find it again, and I was fully prepared to give them a thousand dollars worth of business. read more

When in for new grips, got a new grip attached to a new gun. The service there is impecable. Great place. Thanks

I stopped in for a minor repair of a bolt action rifle. The shop was busy as was the gunsmith. He took a moment to stop was he was doing and look at my rifle. It was a simple fix. He could have asked me to leave the rifle and charged me for a repair but he didn't. This was my first time in the shop, but it won't be my last. Great service. read more

Not sure how these guys got such a bad rep. I came in got what I wanted and was out the door in less than 20 minutes. Very friendly service and willing to help find the gun I wanted. That's a plus! They have ammo that is hard to find and guns priced reasonably. I will definitely be back to purchase my shotgun here. Thanks again!!! read more

Tough to find another gun shop in the Hill Country who is as complete as McBride's! They can be gruff but, it just their way of sharing their appreciation for you. Your visit there can become a social visit if you are so inclined. If you want to take a number, stand inline, pay more and just be anonymous then go on down to Buda and visit the big box! McBride's is family owned, operated and you may become one of the family! read more

What a great place! My 10 year old son and I love hanging out and the ladies are delightful.

Helpful staff, fair pricing buying and selling.

Had a great experience in McBrides yesterday. Great deal on a shotgun. Mr. McBride is very fair and the prices are much better than Cabela's. They also seem to act like they want their business. Cabela's in Buda seems like they would rather you be somewhere else rather than buying from them. read more

I have never had a problem getting help at McBrides and if you can catch something on sale the prices aren't bad. Sure some of the guys act like they don't want to help you. That happens in EVERY GUN STORE IN TOWN even Academy. I have to come to expect that when purchasing a firearm anywhere. The worst is Reds in my opinion. I have never received any help there. Just last Sunday I was in there and it was me and one other person looking at handguns. There were 5 employees less than 10 ft away talking not one of them asked either one of us for help. read more

Pretty good for a gun shop in Austin. I see all these negative reviews and I really wonder what kind of people are writing them. I am a young guy who wasn't dressed up, and I walked right to the counter, the salesman looked me in the eye, and I told him exactly what I wanted to look at (a Walther PPS in .40cal, something Cabela's hasn't had in stock for a month). They had it, at a better price than I expected ($550, compared to Cabela's advertised $599), and the salesman handed it to me, without haste. I told him I'd take it and after the background check, I was out the door in less than 30 min total. I seriously think that the guys do well considering how busy it gets in there. If you are just window shopping and unsure of what to ask, I'm sure it could be frustrating. Do your research beforehand, at least on the 2-3 guns you might choose from. I did, and I feel that my purchase was as easy as buying a loaf of bread at HEB. read more

They are an Austin Institution and have been around forever! They have a huge selection of nearly everything that shoots, and instore gun smith department. The gun smiths have helped save me several times with quickie repairs that other shops wouldn't have a clue to do. Their counter staff knows a lot more about what they sell than most gun stores do, and they have a huge selection of different makers & models. Ammo, Holsters, Magazines, Cleaning Supplies, Books, Clothes, it is a one stop shop for hunters and firearm enthusiast. The prices are up there, but you pay for service and selection that other discounters (Wal-Mart or Acadamy can't match). I enjoy shopping there with my kids and we always leave with a smile. Thanks McBrides! read more

Went to McBrides for the first time this past Saturday to get some ammo and a handgun case. Rushed across town to get there before they closed. Got there about 15 mins til closing. Heavy guy at ammo counter was incredibly rude and condescending when I told him I needed .45 auto but didn't know what brand I should get (as I was new to guns and had only been to the gun range 2 times). When I got in line to check out, the woman at the register made a very rude comment along the lines of "Sigh, I guess I'll have to help one more customer, even though it's Saturday and time to go." Mind you, it was still a good 10 mins to closing and I was making sure to be out by 5. I ended up putting my ammo back on the shelf and leaving. Ended up going to Academy and then Red's where everyone was extremely nice and helpful. Won't be going back to McBrides. read more

Recently went in to buy a handgun and the owner Butch could have not been nicer. Answered all my questions and helped me find the gun I needed. Ended up with a Springfield Armory 9mm and love the gun. read more

I moved to Austin about 6 months ago and live downtown. Have been a handgun enthusiast for many years. Stopped into McBrides about a month ago as it's the closest gun store to where I live and was seeking several certain semi-autos. I do a lot of homework before buying and know the pricing range from websites, etc. I was rather stunned at the prices here. Easily the most expensive in the area and not just by a little. Not sure how they keep in business but they obviously do. I can only assume the people who shop here don't take the time to shop around. I ended up purchasing at another store about 15 minutes south. At McBrides the gun cost $799. At the other store, $649. A friend bought a used Les Baer for $1799. McBrides had the exact same gun, used, for $2,499. These differences are pretty much across the board. Also for FFL transfers McBrides charges $75. Others, $30, with LTC $25. You can get any gun off the Internet at great pricing and have it transferred to a local FFL shop. Easy. Several smart local shops have been internet matching. Not McBrides. Even so every time I drive by their parking lot has cars, and mostly trucks, in it. Puzzling. read more

Good guys... good knowledge base... decent service. Yes, they get super busy at times but just relax and look at the pretty guns. Prices are a little high vs Academy or mail order but you get someone that knows what they are doing and will take it back on trade at a good price down the road. [Ive swapped 3 so far.. got 90% back on 2 of them]. read more

I brought an expensive shotgun to McBrides for consignment sale. I stated the minimum price I would accept. Three months later I returned to McBrides because I decided to keep the gun. Mr McBride told me it had sold for the minimum price I required. He was allusive when I asked the date of the sale. It makes me wonder when i would have be notified if i had not gone back to the store. I also am skeptical of when the gun was sold and for how much. Mr McBride did not produced a sales slip to show me "date" and how "amount" the gun was sold for. I felt like I was cheated. read more

Their customer service is horrible I've been going to McBride's for over 15 years and have spent a ton there. Two weeks ago II went in looking for a gun. After listening to another sales guy finish the yarn he was spinning, the salesman (fat guy, middle aged) acknowledged me then cut off my questions, directed me to something I wasn't interested in. His attitude was that what I wanted was garbage, and that they only sold reputable guns. He sneered as he directed me to "other" dealers who might carry such guns (I had bought such a brand of gun from them three years ago and knew exactly what the quality proosition was). So much for "the customer is always right." I found the other gun. I advanced to the next on my list this week. A REPUTABLE gun, if a Sig can be called reputable in their eyes. I called around and couldn't find it, so swallowed my pride and called to see if McBride's had it. A man answered the phone, barking "McBrides!" in a whiney tone, like he was frustrated about these damned customers wasting his time and trying to throw money his way. I took a deep breath and hit the hangup button. This is recent, but there have been other weird encounters. I went looking for a hollow-point round last year for concealed carry. The salesman pointed me to an off-name glorified flachette round that was almost guaranteed to lose its casing and cause maximum wounding, a "grenade" he called it. Well, that's not the name of the game, is it. The purpose is to STOP, not KILL via slow bleeding wounds. And for that ammo manufacturers need to keep the jacket attached to the bullet's core. Their selection has definitely recovered from the run on guns by the crazies two years ago, but I can't imagine how much longer they'll be in business with this kind of attitude. They are not the only game in town anymore. Cabellas, GT Distributors, CTD, Red's and Gander Mountain all have pretty impressive selections. I see their problem as bad floor management combined with hiring a couple of surly salesmen (family members?). I stilil see friendly faces I've dealt with in the past, but would caution anyone going in to watch out for the a-holes. I'm not some wilting wallflower, and can deal with a jerk salesman. What I can't stand is bad customer service. It makes me sad; I feel like a loser for putting up with it. So, I'm headed to Cabellas in Buda to buy my gun, even if it is a longer drive and will probably end up costing $100 more. It's worth it. read more

Most incompetent gunsmith in town and they are all incompetent. Overpriced, under experienced and know-it-alls. Buy guns here but that is absolutely all you should do here. read more

I had a horrible experience with this store. I went to buy a specific type of knife for my husband's birthday. I knew I may pay more, but they had what I needed. I saw what I wanted after working with a man for about a half hour. He tried to talk me out of it and tried to get me to get something else. I wasn't sure why. This was a $265 knife and he started to show me $25 and $50 knives. I wanted something unique, not crap. I bought the knife and gave it as a gift that night. What I didn't realize was the safety that keeps it open was broken and would not stay engaged. My husband loved the look of the knife and was very excited. Then he was handling it and it closed on him and he got cut. Not a crisis- just hurt, and we needed to get this fixed. We took it back when they opened. The counter clerk passed me to the man I bought it from and I explained I wanted it repaired or replaced. He shook his head and said that I needed to go gravel to Mr McBride himself and he couldn't help me. No place does it say you can't return a knife- only guns were a problem- and really I wanted it fixed. So I waited for a half hour while the man at the desk wouldn't even look up at me. I get it, it's his shop- he can do what he wants. I explained when it was my turn what the deal was and he said it's supposed to be that way- without ever looking at me. I showed him what I was talking about and he called for another guy and said to try and help me once he realized what was wrong with it. The other guy was no help at all. He couldn't find us an alternative, and then told us the maker was here in Austin and we ought to just go find him and have him fix it. After messing around with this for now over an hour I said I wanted a refund because of the lack of help. He walked off- both men just looked at me and I guess didn't feel like dealing with me. He sat the knife on the counter and told the first girl I talked to to give me a refund--and never spoke to me. The only people that were even friendly were the counter ladies. I appreciate the refund since it could not be fixed, but this whole experience blew. read more

I have to agree with a lot of reviewers here this place have a bunch of ass holes i called a day before coming to this store to make sure they have what I want so i come in next day looked around and then try and talk to someone about 10 people behind counters and no body to help everyone pretended they were busy even tho i was asking for help just ignoring so anyway I finally get someone to help me this hispanic guy I think really bad attitude after showing me a couple of guns he just walked away without even saying or asking that if i was interested in seeing something else he just walked away what an ass hole no wonder ratings for this place are bad do not recommend this place at all despite their high prices ( ASS HOLES ) read more

In the many years I have been coming here I have been abused, lied to, (at best) ignored and generally screwed over. I kept coming back as it was close to my house. I swore I would never go back in, and then I would be there buying a box of ammo....it was on the grocery list and I was driving by...and how bad can it be? Well, pretty bad. They can turn a simple transaction into something that ruins your whole day. They get away with it due to a great location, no overhead, and a great economy. The prices are Way above almost everyone else. Check the numbers first and shop elsewhere. If you go (dont) you will be received with the contempt you deserve for having come. read more

These guys are some of the biggest jerks in the business. I've been there three times and every time they have been rude. One guy walked away in the middle of talking with me to go help a friend. Even though they are 2 minutes away from my house I drive across town to another store. read more