"If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun." ― The Dalai Lama I drove out here from San Jose to do a PPT..Private Party Transfer. I've heard lots of good things about Solar Tactical. Today I saw why. I arrived at 1100, when the shop opens. Within minutes, there was a lot of "dudes" hanging out or buying. As I entered, I was greeted a Good Morning promptly by various staff, and then, "Can I help you with anything?" How nice is that!? I noticed that everything was clean and very well organized! The walls were full with various arms for home and self defense. The floor had stacks of bulk ammo in various calibers for sale and were reasonably priced. Accessories and more of various accessories, "furniture" from MagPul, MOLLE gear, cleaning supplies, magazines and other "stuff!" Solar Tactical is very well stocked with "black" rifles, AR & AK, shotguns, and some pistols. They have some AK & AR's lowers, blank receivers, and various rifles and other shotguns. I was surprised to see how well stocked in these times, due to all of the hoarders buying up everything such as ammo! Sorry that I didn't take any pictures this time, they had a rush of Americans that need supplies and tools! :) Support small businesses, and your 2nd Amendment right to bear arms! read more

Solar Tactical - 4/18/15- The Front Door. I'm not one who will take pictures inside of a gunshop. - Guns & Ammo Near Me - Livermore, California

The guys are great and the shop has a wide selection of firearms and accessories. This is a great local business with staff that knows their stuff. Go here. Buy here. read more

Solar Tactical - Love my X95 from Solar Tactical. - Guns & Ammo Near Me - Livermore, California

Been there twice and experienced the same thing both times. I don't know anyone there and have never purchased anything or tried to purchase anything so I have no history with them at all. First time I was there about 3 years ago I walked in, patiently waited my turn and they looked right past me and helped someone else who clearly came after me (an African American man). Today I walked in with my Dad. A Latino gentleman looked at us and buzzed us in. Then another Latino man after us. We waited, looking at the guns, talking quietly with each other, and the Latino employee (I'm only mentioning he was Latino so he is not confused with the Asian employee and I don't know their names), so the Latino employee looked right at us and helped the Latino man who clearly had come in after us. When he was done with that customer I politely told him that we were here before that individual and his response was "well I'm here now, what do you need" and just glared at me like "so what, fool". My Dad even said when we walked in that he didn't feel welcomed. The entire time we waited, nobody looked at us, said "we'll be with you shortly, these guys were here first" etc. No courtesy or professionalism whatsoever. Twice now I have been ignored and pased over to assist someone else. They've made me and my Dad feel obviously unwelcome so spend your hard-earned money elsewhere with people who DON'T treat people like sh*+ based on their appearance alone or whatever reason they have for ignoring people. We weren't MAGA guys or loud or obnoxious or anything. My Dad is a Navy veteran and I work in private security so we have nothing but respect and patience everywhere we go, especially in gun stores but these guys don't want our business and probably don't need our business so I will never shop here or recommend them. read more

Great friendly group! Chris W. was super helpful and knowledgeable. I will definitely come back!

Nice little place I didn't know existed. They were prompt and efficient at helping me. Came in for safety certification and was out in less than 15 minutes. Got my card and paid. read more

Received multiple recommendations to visit this store, I finally did and was absolutely pleased. Positive energy, friendly and helpful. Pedro assisted me and gave honest, and excellent recommendations. This is not a place that just wants to sell firearms, accessories, etc... They actually show interest and knowledge in weaponry and the shooting game itself. I almost bought a decent scope. Thanks to Pedro and recommending some patience to wait for a newer scope being releases shortly, I will be getting a better scope with more bang with my buck...literally. Lastly, there of coarse is a firearm being released with limited availability. I spoke with another employee who advised shipments are in progress and he immediately placed me on the wait list. Awesome team, awesome store, for sure recommend to anyone interested or seeking interest in there new hobby. read more

Great shop with really helpful employees. I haven't yet made a purchase but plan to go through them based on all the great info they offered me during my visit and support in the process. Thank you Solar Tactical! read more

Great guys!, stored my firearms during my year long trial. They were super helpful and accommodated my needs until my case was over. They also worked with me in returning my fire arms back to me expeditiously. read more

If your looking for a great all around gun store in the tri-valley area this is your place .. from the owner to the salesmen everyone here is very knowledgeable and attentive. There gun smith Matt is on point with any work or customization you need and the selection of all types of fireArms is the largest in the area (also if you don't see what you're looking for ask they might be able to order it ).. The prices here are very competitive , ask for the manager Zack he is a stand up good man as they all are here at solar tactical . They will take there time and go over any questions you might have and they are very patient to go over anything you might want to ask before your purchase ( or even if you just want to shoot the shit and have a great conversation with some good 2A people ).. I'm lucky to have such a great gun store locally , but even if you from out of town they are worth the drive.. Thank you again solar tactical for being at front line of keeping and protecting our 2A rights ..I will be in there again very soon .. Pablo B read more

I had to revisit this review for this love/hate relationship of a business. Dont get me wrong, solar tac is a great store. There's always good product going in and out as well as the hard to find stuff. Before you purchase anything please do your research on price. Solar taxation is known to up the price on firearms. read more

These guys are always cool. They're helpful and knowledgeable, if they don't have what I'm looking for they make sure I get it even if it's not from them. I've always been treated well and the pricing has always been competitive. Great business with a great crew of guys. read more

I called with some questions and Taylor was super helpful and didn't rush me at all. I really appreciated all of his help, knowledge, and enthusiasm... not something you find often in businesses these days. Very refreshing! read more

These guys are awesome! Spent over an hour helping me out and turned my turd of a day into a not so bad one. They interacted with everyone that came in with patience, enthusiasm and respect. If I win the lottery, I am spending a chunk of it here! read more

Really cool spot the folks behind the counter give some of the better customer service you'll see, love the selection California prices but worth it read more

The staff every time we have gone in there has been very informative and helpful. Always able to supply us with everything we have needed within reason. read more

I have purchased two guns here, overall great experience! Prices little higher than MSRP, but in the era of anti-gun, willing to support local gun stores! During freedom week, they were stocked and ready to go! They have also looked over a few of my guns for issues I have had for free! Straight up fair and cool people! read more

Had some gun smithing done here recently for a trigger install on a pistol and it was super quick and painless. Considering the amount of craziness right now that gun shops are working though the team over at Solar Tactical gave me zero issues. I wasn't guessing when I was going to have my pistol back or was ever given any run around period. If you need some Gun smithing without a 3+ week lead time this is your place! read more

I was recommended for a few buddies to stop by this spot. Had to make an appointment but it wasn't a huge deal at all. all of the staff was super friendly, attentive and had to get my california fsc that took maybe 20 mins then to purchase a firearm. They were out of a ton of handgun stock (No glocks at all and a super limited selection of other handguns..) but that is excusable because of Covid. I did how ever got to pick up a really nice pistol and splurged on a Sig 226 variation that i've been eyeing for a long while. Customer for life. read more

After having a less than pleasant experience with Les at their sister store in Castro Valley, I came here instead, and Mike really turned things around and handled a smithing job for me above and beyond my expectations. Was fun just standing around shooting the shit with them too, not to mention they have a great selection. Even though it's a bit further out than my usual shop, I plan on finding an excuse to do business with these guys again. Still wouldn't go back to Castro Valley though. Thanks for everything Mike - much appreciated. read more

I have been looking for ammunition in the Bay Area for a few weeks. This store has a good selection of both range and self defense ammunition. The staff is polite,friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. As a woman who likes to target practice and likes the idea of safety and protecting my home and family, I highly recommend Solar Tactical for all your gun and self defense accessories and needs. I also really like the cool hummers and the military jeep outside! My kind of store! read more

Hands down the best gun store in the bay area. I've bought several firearms here and wont buy anywhere else. Recently had some gunsmithing done, and again it was top notch. read more

Solar Tactical - Guns & Ammo Near Me - Livermore, California

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This place is awesome have very good prices and a lot of stock employees are friendly and welcoming if you thinking of purchasing anything firearm related give them a try first. If they are out of stock they will get it in and will ask for your name and number to give you a call back when they have it back in stock which really surprised me since all the other shops I have been too just say we are out come back some other time and check. Had a great shopping experience keep up the good work thanks read more

Price gouging at its finest. I want to support local businesses but charging double the MSRP for a handgun is ridiculous. Service is bad and very unfriendly staff. Go elsewhere! read more

Horrible experience. Horrible customer service and I was charged twice the amount of retail cost. I was taken advantage of! DO NOT BUY FROM HERE. Upon visiting this place.. the sales person was rude and seemed annoyed at even working there. When asking him a question regarding the differences between the AR 15 and AK 47 for my uses... he seemed uninformed and was condescending in his tone. Talked to me like a child. I purchased both the AK 47 and AR 15 at $1200 each.. feeling rushed because it was the last day to purchase before new California law took effect... come to find out I was charged nearly double the price for each rifle. WHY????? They also have a "Make America Great Again" hat (new age confederate flag) hanging on the wall as soon as you walk in... maybe thats why I was treated the way I was.. being a non white male. When I came to pick up my rifles... another salesperson treated me the same way... condescending in tone and rushed me with his short and generic answers. I felt un-welcomed. I'm a novice gun enthusiast and I feel like I was taken advantage of. Charged double the price and rushed into making a non-informative purchase. That may be my fault for buying the rifles without given the proper information but I feel like they should have been more welcoming, more informative and less rude when asking questions about they're products... both sales reps were condescending in their short answers. Oh and did I mention that they don't answer their phones...? STAY AWAY FROM HERE. read more

Over priced but everything is in stock (because everything is 3x the price it would normally be). Dont let then fear monger you, just go to J&R instead read more

Rip off charging 4 times the amount for ammunition because it's so scarce people will pay it but they sure are taken advantage of the customer read more

I will NEVER buy anything from this store again. On Oct 15 I ordered 3 items and then received a email stating they were 3 to 4 weeks from shipping, so I called on Oct 19 to cancel the order, and they charged me a 25% restocking fee for items that not only had not shipped yet, but were not even in stock. How can you charge a restocking fee on something you don't even have? I will let ALL my shooting friends know about their bad business practices. read more

My favorite gun store. Great selections, from custom firearms to bulk ammo. The workers are friendly and have taken care of me very well. I would def recommend checking them out read more

Exceptional personal service. I highly recommend Solar Tactical for all your tactical needs. The staff is great and the store has everything you need, and if the don't they'll order it. Excellent shop! read more

This place is my home! I love the many selections they have from firearms to ammo and a few other things. Staff is extremely helpful, and great with customers. I've purchased all but one firearm from here, and that one I got at a gun show. The others, all were great experiences for me. I tell a lot of people about this place...It's a great place to purchase from and build a relationship.... read more

I've had good experiences service wise with Solar Tactical. I've even purchased a few firearms from them as well. I try to support my local gun store as best as possible and I know their overhead is high especially owning and operating a business in the Bay Area but my last purchase with them left me with a sour taste in my mouth. I ended up purchasing a 1911 from them and found a few other places like Sportsman's warehouse selling the same gun for $700 cheaper. When they have their sales you can do pretty well. If you're on a tight budget you might consider looking else where. Overall it's a good place. Weekends tend to get packed so plan accordingly! read more

This is the first time I checked this place out due to the many positive reviews that I've seen online and the availability of handguns in store despite COVID times. With the shortages of firearms during this pandemic, I completely understand that firearm prices go up and I'm all for it and everything. But here's the problem...when you see an SD9 selling for about the same price or pretty darn close to, let's say, a pre-COVID priced SA 1911 mil-spec 45 (black) or even a Kimber custom 2, it's unbelievably shocking and appalling. Price gouging much? SMH. I'm not even going to get started with their Glock 17 because the price they are selling it for is highly amusing. It seems that these prices are set specifically to target "first-time buyers" (always do your research before you go to a gun shop). So why the 2 stars? The employees at the front seem pretty cool unlike typical local gun shop grouches. They also had 5.56 available, although ridiculously over-priced as expected (roughly about a $1.40 per round/box of 20 cartridges of Hornady 55 grain LOL), whereas most places don't even know when to expect a shipment in. So I ended up buying their extremely overpriced ammunition even though I never spend more than a dollar per round of 5.56x45 just so I didn't feel like I wasted a trip out to Livermore. If the base didn't run out of firearms or ammuntion to sell, I would be shopping there as usual because integrity still seems to exist there. But, unfortunately, I had to settle for Livermore's Solar Tactical. Never again... read more

Went in today 7/10/20 to see about purchasing a 12 gauge shotgun. Place was packed which is understandable during these times. I finally got to speak to an associate (I think I heard that his name was John). My appointment was at 4:00 and I got some service at about 4:30. There is a clearly marked sign on the window that stated you must wear a mask in the store. I guess John didn't see the sign because he was the only one in the store that didn't have one on. He asked how he could help. I told him I was a first time buyer and was interested in a shotgun. "You're looking at them he said". I repeated that I was a first time gun buyer and he nearly threw up his hands and asked what I wanted it for. Home protection was my answer. He said I needed to take a gun safety test. Took 10-15 minutes to get the test and he went on to help another customer while I took the test. I finished and waited another 10 minutes until he got back to me. He took my paperwork to an office to grade it. At some point I watched him walk out the front door. I didn't know where he was going so I didn't pay a lot of attention. It's now 5:15 or so and another employee finally approached me and said "John just dusted you". I didn't understand and he said that John had left in the middle of our transaction! WTF?? No mention that he was going home. Not a "I'll pass you along to the next associate". Nothing. The guy who took over was great and answered several questions, but John ruined it. I was ready to buy a gun but I have decided not to spend my money there. All the other associates seemed engaged and helpful. John, not so much. I'll take my business elsewhere. I gave a 2 star rating just because of the other associates. I get that they are really busy but it felt like as soon as I said I was a first time gun buyer, John lost interest in my business. read more

Where do I start? The employees are full of shit. They try to act cool and like they know everything. A gun shop that doesn't know where to get lower receivers engraved or punched. They sell lowers with no engraving too. They sold me a magazine which the bag had been opened and also a highly overpriced rear sight that didn't fit my railing. When I went to return it they charged a ridiculous restocking fee of 25%. Their stock is not big enough to charge a fee. I can walk around the perimeter of the store in less than 15 seconds. Horrible experience and will never go back. read more

I live in Fremont and drive past other gun shops in my area to get to Solar Tactical. I have 3 kids (11,10 and 8) and the crew always makes them feel welcomed and comfortable. They are knowledgable and extremely approachable. Other shops I felt intimidated to ask questions, here they make you feel comfortable. One thing that stood out to me, is my son (who is undergoing radiation for tumors) was talking to some of the crew (Andrew and Matt) when they noticed his PICC line (IV for his meds) right away they gave myself, him, his brother and his best friend company shirts! I was so grateful because it truly made my son's day! As I'm writing this he is undergoing his next radiation treatment, and we are all wearing our Solar Tactical shirts!!!! read more

Solar Tactical - Solar Tactical! - Guns & Ammo Near Me - Livermore, California

If you want a cool looking, rare & hard to find rifle this is the place. Scars, Vepr, Galil, Tavor, Tommy Gun, Saw...I've seen them all in the shop, and even checked a few off my list of wants. I've seen guns in the Livermore store that I've never seen anywhere else. The staff is super cool and helpful, and if they can, they will help you with your firearm issues on the spot. The prices are a little bit higher, but for these rare guns in Commifornia, I guess it's kinda expected. You can find these rare guns online cheaper, but they aren't CA compliant and the seller won't ship them to CA. They do get busy, and be prepared to wait if there is more than a few people in the shop ahead of you. Great shop overall. read more

I have been to different gun shops in the bay area and I always have the sense of they really don't care about you and have this "what you want?" with an attitude look. Solar Tactical in Livermore......total opposite compared to the other gun shops I have been to. They make you feel welcome. Staff is really cool and they really educate you and make you feel comfortable by treating you like family. Unfortunately I didn't purchase my first firearm here but my when it was time buy a riffle and another handgun no question this is the place to go. I recently ordered a AR 15 lower online and have it transferred here for the FFL and I was told by the shop to have the online store to call them for the FFL exchange but the online store seems to not to read instructions. I went to Solar Tactical to check on the status of my FFL transfer and they told to contact the online store to have them call them since its store policy. I contacted the online store but they refuse to call them so I'm kinda stuck in the middle. So I told them about the situation and so they took care of it and called the online store and exchange FFL information. Problem solved!!! I did give the online store a bad review (don't ever order from runnerrunner.com). This place goes over and beyond to help their customer to make sure they are taken care of. They come in happy and they leave even more happier. Friendly staff and very courteous. No matter where in the Bay Area are you from. If you need anything gun related from handgun, riffle, shotgun, ammo or anything that you need to make a trip to a gun store you all need to come here.....Highly Highly Highly recommended!! Also if you find a lower price online, print it out and you can bring it with you because they will beat or match the online price. read more

Wow I almost think they like bad reviews with how they speak to people just shocked they talk to people that way at all regardless of where or when it is. Some really cool hard working helpful veterans are there but guys who hate their job or just dont want to be there make me never want to give them business again and I've bought from both stores before. There are several other gun stores from Fremont to Petaluma who don't talk down and condescend their customers. Shop has cool stuff but be ready to be kicked in the teeth with the disrespect, wish I never them a single dollar. read more

I had fun in this store. John treated me like his Brother. Well we are...Military Brothers..both willing to protect OUR FLAG at all costs. He was VERY helpful and didnt make me feel rushed. I even said HEY SORRY SO MANY QUESTIONS and he said DONT SAY SORRY IM HERE TO HELP! All businesses must treat people like John does. The other people working were kind and professional as well. Im coming back tomorrow! Thanx guys. Go Solar Tactical. O ya 5 STARS!!!This review is from Dennis. Im using Samanthas fone. Oops read more

Conveniently right off of 580 - a perfect spot for highway robbers. Pandemic pricing is one thing, but having the balls to charge $900 over msrp for an IWI TS12 takes the cake. I'm done here. read more