Thread: Gun Crafters Firearms & More

In response to a previous comment about customers who nickel and dime are not worth the time of day. I find that quite rude, specially from a small business owner. I would think that as a customer I would get the same hospitality if I was buying a box of ammo or a high end firearm.

I've had that happen to me before and it just baffles me. I mean, when I am ready to buy something expensive, guess where I'm going? Not there... I'll go where I get treated right.

Sorry, that was not about GunCrafters, I just wanted to get that off my chest.

I used to work 2 blocks away from GunCrafters and I was in there all the time. A lot of times I didn't buy anything, I would just go in to shoot the breeze. Your right, Doug does have a dry sense of humor and I'm sure that could rub people the wrong way. The older gentleman there was funnier though.

Eventually I did buy a few firearms and a bunch of ammo. And you know what, I was treated the same the times I bought and the times I didn't.

Good luck to you all.

The last time I went into Guncrafters, I wanted springs for my BHP. The salesman told me that he probably had them, but he wasn't going to waste his time getting them for me. And secondly, he wouldn't sell them to me anyway, because as he said "you don't know what you're doing".

Either sell them to me, or say you don't offer them for sale, don't insult someone you have never met on what they know or don't know.

As for knowing what they're doing, I saw what they did to a friend's Gold Cup, they destroyed a match barrel trying to fit it.

There are plenty of other gunshops with professional salespeople.

I gave them a very good. I'm not arguing with anybody that wasn't treated well, just wasn't my experience there.

I've been in half a dozen times or more, and bought my carry gun from them a few years ago (and one other I think.) I packaged laser grips and a trigger job with the purchase, and it was all good.

It isn't walmart prices but you gotta be realistic about that. Walmart prices mean walmart way of doing business. Shave every penny from everybody along the way, underpay your ee's, buy from China anytime you can, etc.

I support every small gunshop I can. I don't care if it's $.50 for a shell holder, I buy something every time I go in there. I want these guys to stay in business, and if i pay a little more for something so be it.

But there's no excuse for treating any customer badly. As many people on here that have experienced that they can't all be wrong. Don't know what to make of that. I've had that happen so often at Keith's that I don't go in there anymore, others love the place. Go figure!

They are rude and really don't want knowledgeable customers. I called just to find out if I could get a roll pin for the front gas tube on an AR that I needed one for and his response was "yup every time you pull those off you will need a new one". (this isn't true for one) So I asked if he had any in stock that I could buy and he said that he had some but they weren't on the inventory. I asked again if I could pick one up and he said that they were reserved for guns that hey actually work on and that if I wanted one I would have to go somewhere and order one.

I have only been talked down to at this place and this was the final nail in the coffin for my business there.

I am a occasional customer. They are a bit abrasive. Unless you know what you want you are in for a surprise. Staff is very opinionated. This is not the place to go if you are looking for friendly advise. Just my opinion.

They get a C from me. Thier prices are higher than Bi-Mart, but I expect that. They are an indepenant shop. I also expect the customer service to be at least as good as Bi-Mart. It should be better. I haven't seen that. The guy that works the counter at my local B-Mart (Mcminnville) is much more freindly. He is more than willing to take the extra time, go though the catalogs and get you what you want. I talked to him (Doug) once and told him I was looking for a Ithaca 37 in decent shape. And could he give me a can if he ever got one in. I would drive to Salem to take a look at it. Did I ever hear back from him? No, but once I stoped in, here on the shelf was the Ithaca I was looking for. Why didn't he call? What did he do, throw my number in the trash? If I am willing to drive to Salem to buy from him, he should at least be willing to pick up the phone. I ended up picking up my Ithaca from Phillomath Gun Shop. Doug does have an interesting selection (Yeah I like Fudd guns as well as AR's), so I give them some points for that.

Nothing lower than poor?

Wow! I can understand how some people could find Doug's way of doing business abrasive. Personally though, it's refreshing for me to have the blunt truth. Doug doesn't pull any punches, but come on, its a gun store. The man isn't making your cappuccino. I trust Doug, and deal with him regularly. I've probably bought a dozen guns from him, and he stands by his work.

Respectfully, there is definitley something worng there. The percentages in the pole are a bit lopsided. I haven't seen any other poles that come close to this one for thier rating.

Hopefully they take a real look at their business plan.

Originally Posted by browntown

Wow! I can understand how some people could find Doug's way of doing business abrasive. Personally though, it's refreshing for me to have the blunt truth. Doug doesn't pull any punches, but come on, its a gun store. The man isn't making your cappuccino. I trust Doug, and deal with him regularly. I've probably bought a dozen guns from him, and he stands by his work.

First, I've been shooting and hunting for 50 years.
Second, when I go to a local gun shop, and I get out of my car, look in the mirror and I can see I don't have dumb-*** tattooed on my forehead. Imagine my surprise when I immediately get treated like one! When I want something, I want it. I don't give a rat's *** what the guy with the gunsmith's apron thinks.
Third, I won't be going back.
Lastly, if you need it right now, want to pay out the *** and be treated poorly, go in! I'll go to Philomath or The Baron's Den in Eugene. I get treated much, much better.

I want to start by saying an old expression "If you can't beat then with your prices, beat them with better customer service." Do you hear the Doug. I am more than happy to pay extra for good service and help local a business.
I went in there last Summer to buy a 1911, as in cash in hand ready to take one home. It was a warm day and my 9 year old son and I walked in the open door and started looking around. Doug walked in from the back and started shouting about someone left the d*** door open. I could see that there was no point is saying anything from his attitude so I kept looking. I saw 2 stainless steel 1911's for about 650 each. I tried to ask which was better but just got ignored as he talked with several other people as they came in. After several minutes of obvious cold shoulder we left. I felt for a small shop his prices were fair but the service was just really poor. I have been in Rangemasters when you had to stand in line to get service but when it is your turn you are treated like a valued customer. If you can't beat their prices, beat their service! I think Guncrafters would be a great shop if Doug hired a real "sales person" and he stayed in the back.

Was going to abstain from rating for now for various reasons, but rated Average. Would like to consider that a borderline between average and good.

Above said, I have had nothing but a positive experience at guncrafters. The total of four times I've been in, as the caveat. I have also never purchased a firearm there, though I have purchased accessories and have a gun in their shop currently for a side mount installation that I've been too busy to pick up this past month.

With that further preface in mind, Guncrafters seems to me to have it pretty well together. My first visit was the last leg of a hunt for .45 ammo sometime in the late fall - the well was dry at the big box places, and at the range I was en route to in Lebanon. Turns out it was a customer appreciation day of some variety - they had tents outside, outside vendors from BlackHawk! etc, and the place was packed - not a bad first impression.

I was pleased to see a Salem gun shop doing so well and devoting time to it's customer base. Picked up my ammo, of which they were well supplied, and the individual I was with and myself took a look around - fantastic selection of accessories (but no AP brushes, to the vexation of my companion, who had been scouring the valley for the simple item for two days) and prodigious amounts of handguns, in the average price range. Our initial impression was that they were very customer loyal, and also service member friendly, if tending towards the tacticool side of things in some of their offerings. Glock bayonets? Really? Anyway, a good first impression on their part and on the part of the local BlackHawk! rep, whose name evades me now.

Returned sometime in December to get ammo and look at some shoulder holster options when it became clear to me that drawing from a peacoat is not easy, and that it wasn't going to get any warmer any time soon. Had more of a chance to look around and at prices - had a .308 lower in my head at the time as well. They had no such beasts in stock, but did have some black rifles that were at the price of the time, or there abouts at what I guess was the tail end of obamania.

Good selection of rifles and handguns, all at average to marginally above average for new, and some good used and consignment deals. They had alot of Para and Sig at the time, more than I've seen elsewhere so far. I also noticed the massive amount of customized 10/22s that an earlier reviewer mentioned that they had mentioned on the phone - it is indeed a substantial collection, for those that have a thing for putting spinning rims on tricycles. Good selection of lever actions as well, plenty of Henry and Marlin represented.

Customer service was again quite good from my estimation - no braggadocio, didn't feel like "just another customer," and one staff member was very helpful in pointing me towards the website of a holster maker who did much better stuff than the limited shoulder rigs they had in (Galco and uncle mikes - sound familiar?) and whose name I promptly forgot - being that I have yet to finish some old expungement proceedings, and said misdemeanor was only ALMOST four years ago, I don't carry concealed unless I'm doing it legally while hunting or fishing. Custom holsters obviously aren't a priority, therefore. The sentiment, however, was very appreciated.

As to the gun smithing side of their business, the cause of my other two visits, I have yet to know their quality, though I assume it to be reasonable from the job they've done on their own offerings. I also cannot say what the price is, in comparison to other gunsmiths - I was in a hurry when I dropped off the offending rifle, a Savage 340b, felt good enough that the work would be supporting a local business, and didn't ask a quote. I'm given to understand that 60 per drill is the norm, so we'll see about that when I pick it up later this month I suppose.

To recapitulate: Selection is great, in general terms. Outstanding in some specific areas. Gaps seem to include lower-end 1911s, and russian stuff. Prices are reasonable to average-markup, from what I've seen. Customer service was never poor towards myself, or noticeably to others while I was there. Loyalty TO customers seems excellent, and I can only assume that customer loyalty is on their side as well since they've been open a very long time, and still seem to be doing well. Ammo prices and selection seem average, accessory selection is average to good, besides AP brushes and custom-badass-make-no-retailer-profit-whatsovever holsters, I guess. Boat is still adrift on the gunsmithing aspect, but that's my own fault and I expect that it will be be quality. An afterthought - parking is terrible.

Overall, average to very good so far, and I'm sure I'll be back. I'm glad Salem has a place like it.

I was treated a little rough there a couple of times.
But other times i was trwated prety well. I have seen some things I thought were a little spendy and others I thought were prety fair.
I saw a rifle he did some stock work on for a guy, and he will never see any of my rifles for any work at all.
Ruined a beautifull piece of walnut... ...tj3006

Rude and arrogant. Went there once. Never again.

Well, if I could just get them to answer the phone during business hours more than 1/3 of the time it would be nice.

They're usually fairly busy. Not unfriendly, but they seem more like they want to do business and not very interested in chatting about anything. Tend to be a bit abrupt.

Addendum: I went back 2 days ago, just to give them another try. Nobody in there but me. Doug acted as if it were a pain to help me. He also kept telling me that I didn't really want to buy what I wanted. (Specifically he kept telling me that I didn't want to reload 2 calibers because you can't find the components. He seemed rather offended when I told him that I know where to get them (and, yes, they're in stock). Sigh.......

Originally Posted by Whitedragon

Well, if I could just get them to answer the phone during business hours more than 1/3 of the time it would be nice.

They're usually fairly busy. Not unfriendly, but they seem more like they want to do business and not very interested in chatting about anything. Tend to be a bit abrupt.

Hmmm.
When I was there, it was empty.
And I still have a bad taste in my mouth over it.

I've always had alright experiences in here and I'm not quite sure about some previous posts stating they don't carry commie stuff. I have seen all sorts of ak variants in here and actually bought my first rifle from them. They definitely have the best selection of AR's that I have seen in Salem. Of course if you're looking for accessories I'd recommend Blackwater.

Originally Posted by absoluterik07

I've always had alright experiences in here and I'm not quite sure about some previous posts stating they don't carry commie stuff. I have seen all sorts of ak variants in here and actually bought my first rifle from them. They definitely have the best selection of AR's that I have seen in Salem. Of course if you're looking for accessories I'd recommend Blackwater.

That was the comical part of my 2nd visit there, they said verbatim "son, we don't carry that commie bubblegum here" when I asked for 5.45x39. I looked to my left and saw all the Makarovs in the used case and 4 or 5 AK variants behind the counter...yet they don't carry commie stuff.

Originally Posted by skud_dusty

That was the comical part of my 2nd visit there, they said verbatim "son, we don't carry that commie bubblegum here" when I asked for 5.45x39. I looked to my left and saw all the Makarovs in the used case and 4 or 5 AK variants behind the counter...yet they don't carry commie stuff.

Haha wow! Well if I had been in your position I would have just left as well.

I would like to share my experience with gun crafters I had today. Me and my fiance have been looking for a glock 26 for a while and happend to stumble upon this store thanks to Ole's gun shop. My sales person was an older lady I would say in her 40's or 50's. She was very nice and let us handle 2 different glock 26's that they had in stock she let me field strip the used glock to check for any type of damage and had a smile on her face the entire time. We ended up agreeing to buy the used glock for $499 with night sights, slip on grip, 3 mags with the extended mag grips on all of them, a glock plug, the original box with an unused cleaning tool and immaculate carry case. The glock was in amazing shape and I wouldnt be surprised if it had less than 25 shots through it. The background check cost 10 dollars and was done in about 5 minutes. The lady packed our new purchase into the box nice and neatly and answered all the questions we had, I left the store feeling like a valued customer, the last words I heard were " I think you guys will enjoy this gun". I would buy from these guys again.