The Gun Room

So, and this is post measure114, I stroll in and find a nice 870 Winchester shotgun. I buy it. I pay too much for it, but it was old school like i wanted. I know bgc will be a little long, but a month? Called them to ask if a little old CHL like me can have their gun based on 3 day release? Nope, gun stays here, and we keep your $ until your bgc is complete. BIG MISTAKE on my part to do business with these guys. Last time, I'm promising myself.

Back in the day, as a joke, I used to have friends call and ask what Glocks were in stock(I was young, dumb and regret it) and smile as they got an earful.

Been there in person. Saw the "plastic guns are garbage" three ring binders of failure photos.

Everyone has their thing. Gun shop talk is typically a d measuring and ego stroking affair, but once in a while you learn something. I didn't, here.

I went to The Gun Room 3 times last February (2021), the last of which was on the 20th. The first time I went, I bought a Sarsilmaz 1911 model chambered in .45Cal with a sicker price of $750, a S&W M&P 9mm "Bug Out edition" with an over-shoulder/cross-body ammo bag, a couple extra clips and a "first aid kit" with a sticker price of $599, a box of ammo for each, a Hornady biometric portable safe (at "$259..and if I didn't like the price, I could go elsewhere, [they] didn't really care"), a NC Star green laser sight + flashlight AIO for the Sarsilmaz (for $130) and background checks for each piece off the top, then, since I was spending so much money there that day, they went ahead and allowed me to buy a second box of ammo for each caliber and said they were going to "throw in" the cleaning kits for each "no charge", and ended up charging me $25 for each, which, ultimately, is fine, I planned on BUYING them I the first place, but I didn't appreciate being told they were "throwing them in" for free when they weren't... I preferred being told I could go elsewhere if I didn't like the price...which was still a bit rude and quite a bit shocking, but at least it was up front and honest.
The day I returned to pick everything I'd already purchased up, I happened to see an unusual looking sidearm and asked what it was, said I'd never seen anything like it, and they pulled it out and looked at it, explained that it was a Remington R51 with a built in Crimson Trace red laser pointer chambered in 9mm. I said I'd never heard of either of those things, tell me more...and why does it have that pretty blue spring there on the side? Is it missing something or is it designed that way?
THECNICALLY I don't think he necessarily lied to me, because I asked both questions at the same time... his response was that he didn't know, he'd never seen one like that, in fact, they didn't normally carry Remington at all, (then he place it on the counter and I picked it up....it was really comfortable, shockingly so)...and he continued to say that the only reason they had THIS one was because a long-time customer came in looking to trade it in, said he'd bought it a couple years back and hadn't even fired it once. While looking a little perplexed he quietly muttered something about a bushing that I didn't quite catch because I was in the process of letting my mouth get ahead of my brain and saying ok, I'll take it. I really like how this feels. It feel GOOD in my hands, I like the weight of it and the grip is just right, and it's much easier to cock than the M&P!"... and he said ok, but I'm still going to have to run your background check again. we have to do it for every single gun we sell no matter HOW many you buy or who you are, even if we've known you forever... and I said ok...I figured that from last time... and then I said, in the mean time, while we're here and it's a new day...I need to pick up some more ammo, if you have any you don't mind selling me? and then I bought a larger round of ammo, opting for much larger boxes... and went to go look at the targets they had... I didn't find what I WANTED, but I found some I thought were ok.... and he said to go ahead and pick some out ...on the house... so I did.. 12 of them I think... and then the day I came to pick up the R51,I bought ANOTHER round of ammo, the biggest boxes they had and went BACK to the targets and picked out some I hadn't already picked up the last trip and was charged $5 not a ton of money, I know, it's just that I wouldn't treat my paying customers that way, especially when they'd spent as much as I had... even though on the R51, the tag price was $600 and he eyeballed me and told me I was lucky he'd forgotten to gt around to changing that because he'd MEANT to put a $900 tag on it...
I do like roller coasters, just not that kind... going from being charged twice market value 3 times on sidearms and then some more for the boxes of ammo, the dis-ease of feeling sheistered twice on the price of one gun, lol, it was just way, WAY too much money for what I bought, the only reason I went ahead with it is because Big 5 had ZIPPO for EITHER sidearms OR ammo AT ALL.... and I really didn't know where else to go... or if anybody else was going to have ANY better prices or salesmanship at the time because of the whole ANTIFA/BLM BS going on downtown and abroad...but that's EXACTLY why I felt I needed to NOT WAIT on these purchases...Fear truly is a POWERFUL motivator...
That's the whole of why I gave them 2 stars... I suppose they could have been worse as a business and I suppose I could have been better as a customer and informed myself about a piece I was considering, but unfamiliar with... it turns out, the only reason that pretty blue spring was showing is because it was missing the breech chamber bushing... the little door that keeps the round in place til after it's been fired where the casing is ejected upon the recoil... THAT piece WAS MISSING... bummer... and no, I didn't try to fire it without it... kept getting a feeling that something just wasn't right about it and so I looked and looked online until I eventually got it figured out.... and no, I didn't try to take it back either... all sales final, you know....