Bimart handguns

python287 · Aug 6, 2015

Yesterday I went to Bi-Mart in Lincoln City - they had handguns in the display case - and the prices were
very good - not like Fred Meyers - I was impressed with the selection and the prices - things are looking up.

WAYNO · Aug 6, 2015

Charliehorse said:
I wait 2 or 3 mins, look down the adjacent isles, then call the store on my cell phone. "Can you please send someone to the gun counter? I can't find anybody working back here." lol

Calling on the cell phone. Great idea!

At the Oregon City store, there are two women and a young guy that normally are the gun sellers. Seldom are they behind the gun counter, so as you say, I have to go searching. None of the three are particularly helpful, and all three are pretty arrogant.

One time recently when I could not find any help, I went to the front counter to have the gun-counter person paged. When I got back to the gun counter, the old gal was waiting, and she was quite agitated that I had her paged, and claimed she was one aisle away. No she was not.

I think next time I'm at the Oregon City store, I will make the suggestion that they post the store phone number at the gun counter so we can call to get help.

WAYNO.

etrain16 · Aug 6, 2015

WAYNO said:
At the Oregon City store, there are two women and a young guy that normally are the gun sellers. Seldom are they behind the gun counter, so as you say, I have to go searching. None of the three are particularly helpful, and all three are pretty arrogant.

Yep, exactly what I run into there. The older gal has been the worst, she'll stand there chatting with buddies that stop into the store to talk to her rather than help a paying customer get some ammo. But then, my customer service expectations at Bi-Mart have always been fairly low. You save some money there, the trade off is poor service and the slowest checkout in the city.

At least at Freddie's, if no one is there, there is a phone you can pick up and have someone come to the counter.

I like the phone number idea. They probably need some feedback on their poor customer service.

Hawaiian · Aug 6, 2015

At the Tigard store on 99, they are friendly, especially the old guy who likes to talk guns. I can be standing at the counter just checking the ammo prices and someone usually comes up and asks if I need help with something. You can not expect them to sit someone behind the counter when they might not have a customer for 1/2 hour. They are running a business and like all others and need to manage their overhead. BiMart is an employee owned store. I like that. They seem to go out of their way to help me when I shop there for other stuff as well. Happy to look in the back to find something not on the shelf.

WAYNO · Aug 7, 2015

Hawaiian said:
At the Tigard store on 99, they are friendly, especially the old guy who likes to talk guns. I can be standing at the counter just checking the ammo prices and someone usually comes up and asks if I need help with something. You can not expect them to sit someone behind the counter when they might not have a customer for 1/2 hour. They are running a business and like all others and need to manage their overhead. BiMart is an employee owned store. I like that. They seem to go out of their way to help me when I shop there for other stuff as well. Happy to look in the back to find something not on the shelf.

I'm glad you have a BiMart with knowledgeable and friendly folks at the gun counter.

I could even agree that sitting behind a gun counter with no business is not always productive. But, at least put a bell on the counter, or an annunciator box, where the customer can request help without having to go to the front counter. More than once, I've gone to the front counter to request gun-counter help, and when I get back to the gun counter, there's other customers lined up, and now they get helped before I do.

Continuing my rant...I was again at the Oregon City store yesterday. There were four people waiting for help at the gun counter with no employees in sight other than the manager who was a couple aisles away stocking food and ignoring the gun counter. I went to the front of the store and in this case, the prune faced gun-counter employee was waiting in a long checkout line to check someone out that had just purchased a rifle. So yes, she was legitimately tied up. But could no one else in the store have stepped back to the gun counter while she was tied up?

WAYNO.

01rednavigator · Aug 14, 2015

Has anyone seen a Ruger sp101 in any of the Bimarts in OR? I looked at the Keizer Bimart and they did not have one, I am looking for a 2" SP101 and am curious how much they would go for at Bimart.

Sportsmans has them but they want $550 for one and in my opinion that is way high for an SP101, I have seen them online new for as low as $439.

mkwerx · Aug 14, 2015

Per the lady at Forest Grove Bi Mart on Wednesday - their ETA to having handguns in store is 2 weeks or less.

MountainBear · Aug 15, 2015

01rednavigator said:
Has anyone seen a Ruger sp101 in any of the Bimarts in OR? I looked at the Keizer Bimart and they did not have one, I am looking for a 2" SP101 and am curious how much they would go for at Bimart.

Sportsmans has them but they want $550 for one and in my opinion that is way high for an SP101, I have seen them online new for as low as $439.

Just for informative purposes. The wholesale cost on a standard 2" Ruger SP101 is approximately $460. My markup generally has me selling them for between $525 and $530 depending on which distributor I get them from and what shipping costs on them. So Sportsman's is a little high, but if you are seeing them online at $439, then someone bought or is selling well below wholesale. Hard to compete with that!

thewhitebuffalo83 · Aug 15, 2015

etrain16 said:
I seriously doubt you'll see them in any BiMart inside Portland or Multnomah County. Just like Fred Meyer, you have to escape the communist center of the state before the freedom to actually view and purchase firearms becomes evident. I don't know if BiMarts inside Mult Co carry long guns currently (I haven't been inside any in that county), but even if they did, I would expect they may pass on handguns just because of the ridiculous attitude toward guns in that part of the state.

We have handguns and long guns in the Gresham Fred Meyer, inside Multnomah County, and every Bimart in Multnomah I have been in has long guns, I'm would be willing to bet most if not all Bimart will end up with handguns at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later. I always enjoy visiting the Gun counter.

I've been super busy this summer, and haven't been to any local Bimart, since summer started. According to a previous post, meadowland(felony flats/se PDX ) has handguns. I need to get into Gresham and Sandy bimart soon and I'll report back.

BoonDocks36 · Aug 15, 2015

Both JC & Eugene River Road have very nice, AND Knowledgable Gun Counter Employee's.

I have shopped at The River Road store for decades, and Della goes Out of her way to be helpful, Example, last time I was there, I saw a LeatherMan with the OLD style (leather) case, I asked for it by number. She pulls it out, it has the New Nylon case.... she smiles and said I guess that is the Last One...

THEN she says, "I have to clean out that case, can't be advertising old models, can we"??? and asked if I could come back in the Afternoon! I said yes, asked again about the 22LR, she said I only have CCI shorts. I said I'll buy one.

When I came back later, I asked for Della, "Oh she Just went On BREAK, are you the fellow for the Knife"????

Yes, she got it for me, I bought anther 100 rounds of CCI shorts, and was happy as a Clam in the Siuslaw River!!!

There was a One Box per customer even on the short 22's, and I have a 22" Winchester single shot Bolt Action that LOVES shorts!!!!!!

In the Great JC (Junction City for you folks from outa town...) there is a young lady some what ~radical~ in appearance, Piercings, TAT's, etc. She knows Guns like she cut her teeth on them!!!! She ran me through their new Hand Gun case, and "If you Don't See It, ask, it might be in the Back, or we will Order it for you"!!!!!! the young guy in JC, has knowledge, but she knows Twice as much!!!!

philip

WAYNO · Aug 15, 2015

I know it's easy to keep piling on with our dissatisfaction with customer service, and I'm as guilty as anyone.

So, constructively and respectfully, I did contact BiMart with these concerns nearly two weeks ago. I shared some of these posts, and I even included where folks have been quite pleased with the BiMarts that seem to give better service. I have received no reply from BiMart.

WAYNO.

U8395279 · Aug 15, 2015

01rednavigator said:
Has anyone seen a Ruger sp101 in any of the Bimarts in OR? I looked at the Keizer Bimart and they did not have one, I am looking for a 2" SP101 and am curious how much they would go for at Bimart.

Sportsmans has them but they want $550 for one and in my opinion that is way high for an SP101, I have seen them online new for as low as $439.

Well, GrabAGun.com in Texas is the only vendor selling it at $439. How they are selling the pistol so cheap, God only knows. Apparently they have been successful in negotiating really good deals with vendors, and they then passing along the savings to customers. That then supposedly accounts for their low prices. Or at least that is what they tell the public.

Something like $499 is what I would more typically expect coming from an online dealer.

.

01rednavigator · Aug 15, 2015

Lance Jacobs said:
Well, GrabAGun.com in Texas is the only vendor selling it at $439. How they are selling the pistol so cheap, God only knows. Apparently they have been successful in negotiating really good deals with vendors, and they then passing along the savings to customers. That then supposedly accounts for their low prices. Or at least that is what they tell the public.

Something like $499 is what I would more typically expect coming from an online dealer.

.

That is where I saw it for $439, I could not believe they could sell them for that price either.

I mostly see them online between $450-$550.

I would like to get one local for no more than $500 but I may just be dreaming, I just can't justify paying more than $500 for an sp101 when I paid $550 for my gp100 brand new.

Kruel J · Aug 15, 2015

Hillsboro Bi-Mart is slated to have handguns by Tuesday.

Mikej · Aug 16, 2015

122nd and Halsey in NE PDX has hand guns now too!

Dallas Ken · Aug 16, 2015

Monmouth Bi-Mart has had handguns for awhile.....

Lilhigbee · Aug 16, 2015

Meadowlands BiMart was setting up their pistol case Friday. They had maybe a half dozen guns out and pricing stickers for a bunch more. Should be all set up by now.

Robear · Aug 16, 2015

Bimart in Portland on SE Woodstock just started selling handguns along with rifles and shotguns. Their prices seem good. They also have plenty of ammo (not .22LR) and reloading supplies. Support a local business!