Guncrafters Firearms & More

[Deavis]

I gave them several chances.... havent been there in a few years... high prices, poor customer service. Even if I have free time, AND I am in Salem AND I am driving by, I don't stop, which is unheard of for me and a gun shop.

 

[BKMDNO]

Poor customer service and gave incorrect / bad info. We took the bolt from a Remmington 700 from a .308 to them as the small metal clip in the face of the bolt had broken. They had no clue as to what the part was and said that it was not in fact broken. We happened to have a second bolt to compare it too and yes it was broken. We had to take it to another gunsmith to have it repaired. I have been there several other times and have had to wait to receive service and treated poorly when discussing prices.

Some of the people they associate with concerned me as well. There was an advertisement for a motorcycle gang/club get together in the window and apparently a "club" member worked there for a while. Now I am not judging someone by their choice of hobbies, I just don't feel it was the kind of place I would choose to spend money at.

I have also heard more bad than good from other patrons that have visited the establishment.

 

[kmk1012]

I rate this shop as PISS POOR, worse than poor. Bad customer service-rude to you unless you walk in the door with cash hanging from your pockets. He has the attitude of "if I don't stalk it, you don't need it so don't ask" So as for my advice-go to Ole's Gun Shop-GREAT service, decent selection, more than fair price. They will order ANY gun for you without judging you for wanting something other than what is on the shelf!!

 

[skud_dusty]

I went in there today to see if they any good used deals and immediately walked out when I saw they were asking $700 for a plane-jane 92FS. I had just seen a brand new 92 Inox for $650 at another store.

 

[oregon45]

I've bought several guns, and had several of my own worked on, at Guncrafter's over the past two years and my experience has been uniformly positive.

As for other stores, let's see: who carries the full line of Dillon equipment? Who is a Trijicon stocking dealer? (try finding an ACOG anywhere these days, and check Doug's prices, they are at or below what you will find on the internet for Trijicon products); who consistently has AR's, SOCOM's and other black guns in stock? (hint, Doug works the phones constantly to bring in inventory, that's one reason he has always had 223 in stock, sure the price is higher than Bimart or Walmart, but hey, he doesn't sell milk or beer so the margin calculations are different) Who consistently has Springfield XD's in stock? And no, his prices on these guns are not higher than elsewhere. Gunbroker Clackamas has the XDM for $679, Guncrafter's has the XDM for $679.

Right now Guncrafter's has more Taurus PT1911's in stock than both Sportsman's Warehouses combined. And the prices are the same as when Sportsman's could get them in stock. They are also the same as Gunbroker Clackamas' prices. I really like Gunbroker, and have bought several guns there over the years, but head to head--pricewise--it's a draw when we're talking about new guns.

I shop at alot of gunstores, all over the Salem-Portland metro area and Guncrafters consistently has high demand items in stock that are not in stock elsewhere.

As for the "attitude," all I can say is that I've never felt like I've been treated rudely at Guncrafters. Experiences vary, of course, but that's mine.

 

[USMC1911]

Live in Salem area and will never do business with them. Been treated poor one to many times in there. My $.02 And any ak or variant is junk in his eyes

 

[uscsoldier]

Marion County Fudd Headquarters.

Move along folks, nothing to see here.

I 100% agree, If you 70 and want to but a hunting rifle and you dont mind a bunch of old fuds who know nothing about anything then this is the place for you

 

[Paladin]

I gave Guncrafters an excellent. I have done business with Doug for many years, and have found the smith work to be outstanding. Like most gunsmiths I have met, they have little tolerance for people that want them to beat a Bimart price. Gun shops are not Bimarts, or Walmarts. They are small businesses that need to make a profit to stay in business. I have friends that work in retail and they claim Salem is a magnet for people who want something for nothing, maybe that goes for other places too. Guncrafters is a very busy place, and it is not that way because people get poor customer service or poor gunsmithing. It is because Doug and Ron work hard every day to support thier customers, and sometimes they are stacked up 10 deep. There may not be such a thing as a stupid question, but I have asked a few 'smiths stupid questions and got the whole range of replies. If I have an issue with a vendor, I will take it to them, not snipe at them from the safety of email. The question I always ask myself when I read comments on line is whether its true, as there is no way to know. Is it a competitor trying to damage someone's reputation? I like what the moderator of Snipers Hide has posted on his site - allot of folks could take a lesson from this.

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
--Frank Outlaw

 

[powertrippin]

Ive dealt with Doug several times in the past, as has my father and several of my friends. I find Doug to be pleasant and downright funny, but then again, he has my type of humor... cut and dry... BOOM, there it is. DEAL WITH IT.

Think about it... how many stupid questions do you think he has to deal with in a single day?

And walk into his store.. do you see ANY soviet-bloc weapons? NO. He sells what WORKS, what is ACCURATE, and what MAKES MONEY. Sorry man, but 7.62x39 is worth more to me in SCRAP METAL than as a firearm... yea AK's piston-impingment is more reliable than the gas blowback.. yadda yadda... but what good is all of that if it cant hit the broad side of a barn on a sunny day with someone pointing the way to it. Besides, an AR with an Adams Arms piston kit will outperform an AK any day. But that is neither here or there, so I digress.

I just had a very plesant transaction through Doug... I recently did an FFL transfer for a lower receiver through him, and he was very professional and curtious throughout the whole transaction.

Are his prices higher than the internet/chain store? perhaps... but then again, that is the cost of doing business. I would MUCH rather pay 10% over at a local store knowing that the EXPERTISE is there, than to pay 10% less to some snot-nosed kid working at Sportsman's.

Case in point... i went to Sportsman's looking at AR's, and I asked the guy at the counter (mind you, this was the firearms department MANAGER), and I asked him for permission to field strip the AR so I could inspect the BCG.

He told me: "Uhhh... I dont know how to do that..."

I told him that I had it under control.

The FIREARMS MANAGER did not know how to tap out the takedown pin with his knuckle and pull the BCG from the upper. WOW. Pretty F'n sure that I wont buy guns there ever again.

You also have to remember that with our new president, vice-president, and attorney general (all gun-hating Hoplophobes), I am pretty sure Doug is drowning in everyones mad dash for guns, parts, and ammo. Its hand over fist right now, and you cannot be pissed off if someone brushed you off while you were looking for garbage ammo in the first place.

Look man... when you come into a respected establishment with professional gunsmiths looking for parts and ammo for a crap weapon, expect to be snubbed a bit.

Like walking into the Mercedes-Benz dealership and asking for parts to your HYUNDAI.

People are gonna laugh.

Doug and Guncrafters get a EXCELLENT rating from me, and I will continue to patronize his store until the economy completely collapses or I run out of money... and its looking more and more like its going to be a tie.

lol.

Cade

 

[kmk1012]

As for my past expierences with Guncrafters, he's a hack of a smith, who "may be" open during regular business hours, and WAY over priced. I spent more money on gunsmithing for one of my shotguns than it's value with Doug only to get it back in worse condition-Ole's fixed the actual problem for "fun"-at no charge

 

[truckman8]

I work a couple blocks down from his location also. He is an jerk, and most of them are extremely pushy and like to pull out the forms and say things like ok lets do this. Screw that. The owner also has an attitude of you are an idiot and don't know anything. When in fact he has the wrong info. Go to Mic at MLC behind K-mart. good guy. Cheaper on Defense ammo by about 3-4 bucks.

 

[Sun195]

To those of you involved in this latest squabble: knock it off. Please reacquaint yourselves with the rules, starting with Rule #1 with a special emphasis on the underlined portions:

1. Spamming, trolling, flaming, personal attacks, and distasteful material are prohibited.

This goes along with the Golden Rule of NorthwestFirearms. We cannot provide a comprehensive list of "Things Not To Say." Posts that are contrary to the rules and policies on this page, or to the mission of NorthwestFirearms.com, may be edited or deleted at our sole discretion. Membership may be revoked if such a step is deemed necessary by us. You can disagree with other members, even vehemently, but it must be done in a well-mannered form. Attack the argument, not the arguer. This forum is a private venture enabled by an all-volunteer staff. Please treat this venue as a polite discussion in a friend's home and respect the wishes of the host.

I'm locking this thread for a few days to let cooler heads prevail.

 

[Joe Link]

I've deleted all the drama out of this thread and left one post by each of you which states your experiences with this business. These review sections are not to discuss the business but for you to make one post regarding your experiences with the particular business. Each persons experience can be different, which is why a glance at the ratings will give you a summary of how people feel about a particular shop. I'll now re-open this thread, but please keep it civil.

 

[jdub75]

When, sir, did you find an AR in SW??? Place looks like a pack of Hitler youth ransacked it since December!

Ive dealt with Doug several times in the past, as has my father and several of my friends. I find Doug to be pleasant and downright funny, but then again, he has my type of humor... cut and dry... BOOM, there it is. DEAL WITH IT.

Think about it... how many stupid questions do you think he has to deal with in a single day?

And walk into his store.. do you see ANY soviet-bloc weapons? NO. He sells what WORKS, what is ACCURATE, and what MAKES MONEY. Sorry man, but 7.62x39 is worth more to me in SCRAP METAL than as a firearm... yea AK's piston-impingment is more reliable than the gas blowback.. yadda yadda... but what good is all of that if it cant hit the broad side of a barn on a sunny day with someone pointing the way to it. Besides, an AR with an Adams Arms piston kit will outperform an AK any day. But that is neither here or there, so I digress.

I just had a very plesant transaction through Doug... I recently did an FFL transfer for a lower receiver through him, and he was very professional and curtious throughout the whole transaction.

Are his prices higher than the internet/chain store? perhaps... but then again, that is the cost of doing business. I would MUCH rather pay 10% over at a local store knowing that the EXPERTISE is there, than to pay 10% less to some snot-nosed kid working at Sportsman's.

Case in point... i went to Sportsman's looking at AR's, and I asked the guy at the counter (mind you, this was the firearms department MANAGER), and I asked him for permission to field strip the AR so I could inspect the BCG.

He told me: "Uhhh... I dont know how to do that..."

I told him that I had it under control.

The FIREARMS MANAGER did not know how to tap out the takedown pin with his knuckle and pull the BCG from the upper. WOW. Pretty F'n sure that I wont buy guns there ever again.

You also have to remember that with our new president, vice-president, and attorney general (all gun-hating Hoplophobes), I am pretty sure Doug is drowning in everyones mad dash for guns, parts, and ammo. Its hand over fist right now, and you cannot be pissed off if someone brushed you off while you were looking for garbage ammo in the first place.

Look man... when you come into a respected establishment with professional gunsmiths looking for parts and ammo for a crap weapon, expect to be snubbed a bit.

Like walking into the Mercedes-Benz dealership and asking for parts to your HYUNDAI.

People are gonna laugh.

Doug and Guncrafters get a EXCELLENT rating from me, and I will continue to patronize his store until the economy completely collapses or I run out of money... and its looking more and more like its going to be a tie.

lol.

Cade

 

[jdub75]

I gave them a solid "B" after a recent FFL for a rifle he couldn't get & bi-weekly ammo purchases for about 2 months now.
After exhaustively researching an AR, found GC prices to be within reason. And he actually has items (and ammo) on the shelf to fondle. The folks that go on about prices & comparing GC (or any small shop) to bi/wal marts...do you seriously expect a single outlet shop to take you seriously?

Put yourself in their shoes for a second: You write the bills out, pay the salaries, work 12 hour days. So when some joe off the street comes in w/ BiMarts ad that will
A) likely never come back in after he gets his 10/22 at below cost from the small shop because he's totally fine driving all over town to get his ammo/targets/cleaning supplies 20c cheaper across town
or B) be a nickel-and-diming customer for life.
Neither prospect is worth the time of day to someone who is sterring the entire ship so to speak. And as a small business owner myself who sells (alot of) a 'much higher than average' priced product, I am speaking from personal experience. We all must pick our battles, right? And in retail, they are flying at you daily.

Its a gun shop for christ sake, not Macy's.

 

[mr_bones4]

Is there a lower ranking than "poor"? I live in Salem and will never do business there again. I've been in there twice and they have been pricks everytime. The guy behind the counter is a blowhard know it all. I can't stand the employees. I will buy online or go somewhere else before I ever go there again. I don't care if they have what I'm looking for or not. It's simply not worth it to me to give that man any satisfaction that he has somebody walking through the door. I can't say enough bad things about Gun Crafters.

 

[BUZO71]

For you Doug fans, he was on KYKN 1430 the other day.... what a show

 

[Jamie6.5]

I have to admit I'm not at all impressed with their customer service.
The first time I was in there, I was there for over 20 minutes. Looked over the used stock, checked the cleaning stuff for what I wanted, looked over the part of the pistol case I could get to. Basically wandered the store getting a feel for the place.
No one said as much as "hello." The stuff i overheard being said by the 'smith put me off too. I left.
Went back a second time about a week later, thinking maybe they were just short handed that day.
Fewer people in the store. They were apparently having fun talking with a couple customers and among each other. I was there for about 15 minutes and no one said "hello," "welcome," "can I help you?"

Even: "What do you want?" would have been an improvement. To spend 35 minutes in someones store, no bigger than that one, and not be acknowledged is a customer service sin.

I've been in customer service, in a similar type of business, for 30 years and there is no excuse for that.

I won't go back.

 

[gallogiro]

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.

 

[david_c_hug]

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.