Nomination For The Worst Gun Shop In Britain

[ForeignGadger]

Well, seeing as how this thread is 9 months old now, I am driving over to DB tomorrow to buy some cartridges. I have checked on the phone and was told they have plenty of the ones I want.

 

I will report back. If they don't have any at the price advertised on their website: I'll be done for shoplifting..... like I'll lift it a few feet into the air...... after having claimed back my petrol money.

 

I might also mention the slagging off they are getting on the .net to them , and the fact that it is going to get worse!

 

FG

[drut]

"If they don't have any at the price advertised on their website"

They still have Winchester 22subs advertised on website £2.95 @50: They have been charging £3.95 for months(paid once since I was there ) I think I would pay over the odds rather than deal with them again.

[TonySmith]

Damn.....cannot remember their name....A stand at the CLA Game Fair in Lincs, I was enquiring about a LH Escort, only to be told most sternly they do not make one.... oh how to loose a sale........

[Aldous Huxley]

All of you ought to go and try Colchester Shooting Centre. You will never think another shop is bad after that.

 

The shop is run by an arrogant **** they are overpriced and the customer service is non existent. They will never order anything in specially and will only sell the items on their stock list.

 

Does anyone have any good stories about Colchester shooting centre?

 

On another note, is Fenland rural sports anygood (cambridgeshire). I was eyeing up a marlin 917vs and mossberg maverick .410 there.

[robmiller]

deep blue are a bunch of reprobates, i went in to look at guns. Was looking at a browning. I asked how much.........950, i said i would give you 700........he said ok. I then went away to have a think, came back a few days later. Asked if it was going for 700 and he said no, minimum was 900.

 

Each time i go in i get some little wannabe bodybuilding cretin, who doesnt know his **** from his elbow apart from wearing flip flops and tight t-shirts! Absolutely ****

[poontang]

Does anyone have any good stories about Colchester shooting centre?

 

Yep, me!!

 

I bought a new Remi 1100 from him in January for £640. He'd had it in stock for 2 years and sold it at it's original price. Exactly the same gun for sale in the other town centre shop was £995, so i reckon i got a billy bargain

 

However................................

 

A couple of weeks ago i enquired about an 11-87 for 'fowling. BIG MISTAKE!! Why do i want a 3" chamber?, where will i get 3" cartridges?, the 1100 will do the job (it won't), as long as i only use 1/4 choke in it i can use any steel cartridge (i can't). The questions were endless, fortunately my 'phone battery isn't and we were cut off just as i found the number for The Samaritans!!

 

Think i must have caught him on a good day back in January.

[ForeignGadger]

Well, I said I would report back:

 

Shop has a slight air of undermanning and desperation about it.

Large stock of "country" stuff, gun-room well and truly locked as the gun person obviously hadn't turned up yet.

 

I got what I came for, 1000 Clear pigeon + some on-offer high pheasant (4 quid a box.. not bad I suppose).

Carried them out to my vehicle, and were fast and efficient.

The price on the web said 172, but they were on offer at 169/1000 so I didn't argue. No complaints about the service.

 

Whilst I was paying and listening in to conversations, I understand that they had had some complaints (stuff returned) and that several of the web prices had not been updated_ (both up and down). Interesteing that one of the stands in there sell "suplements" (for body building) and that you can't walk anywhere without tripping over dive bottles..... a wierd comb of product lines IMHO.

 

Not a dire experience, but you do feel that the gun section is an add-on.

 

FG

[spider72]

I live in Cornwall but travelled to AVAlON GUNS in STREET, to buy my semi - auto, after several phone calls they were able to source me a left handed semi auto in the walnut stock that i desired, it was obviously a bit of hassle for them but they got it for me, and when i went to pick up there service was second to none (brilliant). The guy spent a good amount of time with me showing me how best to strip the gun down for cleaning as i've never had a semi auto this was very helpful nothing seemed to much trouble offered cup of coffe shown round the shop nosing at other guns good chat with the guy, great gun shop, would definately recocomend them just a shame it's hour and half each way for me to drive getting there.

 

It's an hour and a half for me too. But... I try and combine it with a shopping trip for the wife to clarks village... she shops and I go to Avalon. A good compromise I think If you are interested in one (or more) of the guns and book to go during the week they will take you to a local clay ground to try them out too. A good shop

[spudgun666]

i have to post about kibworth gun shop (at the clay ground).

 

i went there to look at a lanber s/h.they took me out to a stand with a lanber ,a rizzini , and a lincoln i shot about 10 clays with each gun,i wanted the lanber but shot marginally better with the rizzini (it's my first gun).they couldnt knock anything off the gun so did me a £25 cleaning kit for £12.50 and a £55 shooting vest for £25 (the gun was £295)..the service was great and barry and the woman were more than helpful.

 

anyway i took the rizzini to the clay ground and shot not bad but i couldnt help but wonder why i didnt have the newer better looking lanber so i phoned barry and he said to go back and he let me let me shoot the lanber (it's got auto safety that threw when i tried it first time) so with the auto safety in mind i shot aswell as with the rizzini.i asked if i could swop and pay the difference.he said no worries he did all the paper work and even let me just post the chokes for the rizzini back to save me having another 50 mile round trip to return them..and i am the proud owner of a nice shiny lanber...

 

so barry burnham at kibworth gets my vote and my money when i get the funds for a semi auto...nothing was to much trouble..highly recommend them

[robmiller]

I have to recommend Weldon Gun Room in Northumberland. I have bought two guns from them recently, always good on price and do you a good deal on any extras. The lads, even though young, are absolutely excellent. Very clued up and advise you as to what you need rather than what you want to buy. They come highly recommended from me.

[miles]

I Have to jump in on this one.

 

Deep blue online. I've used them quite a bit for web orders, and they were great till they sent a tin of .22 Air Arms that opened and got crushed in the post. I rang them and got into quite a discussion on who should pay for returns of badly packed items. Eventually, after having the phone put down on me once, I got them to send an envelope to return them. Sent it off. Now they are saying they haven't received it. Could be the postal strike? Time will tell if they do believe in customer service, or just customer money.

 

Avalon guns. Went in looking for a 425 / 525. Had a look round and then asked for advice. Salesman asked how much I wanted to spend. He then got out 5/6 guns that were 200 - 500 pounds over what I said and tried to convince me that they were a bargain. Never took out any of the guns that I had seen in the rack that fitted the bill and were at, or under my price. Wouldn't go there again.

 

Last rant is for a ground. Mendip shooting ground. Went to visit family and thought I would give them a try. I had a slab of Eley firsts with me. They have a strict policy of only using their own cartages. How much? I ask, 55 pound for 250! What are they? Eley firsts, (exactly the same as the ones I had), rebranded to Mendip shooting ground! Nothing mentioned on their site, or when I rang them to ask for prices.

[SXPhil]

Visited May of London Yesterday as they had a 20g Franchi listed

 

I have always been a customer of Eastern Sporting Alan is a top bloke but hasn't been able to track me down a 20g

 

Anyway the gun was shown to me I was then asked if I wanted to see any alternatives [they don't list all their guns on Gun Trader for some reason] and hour later I left with a 20g Browning, 250 cartiridges, a cleaning kit AND A SMILE

 

 

There are now 2 gun shops in Essex that I would recomend

[drut]

I have to recommend Weldon Gun Room in Northumberland. I have bought two guns from them recently, always good on price and do you a good deal on any extras. The lads, even though young, are absolutely excellent. Very clued up and advise you as to what you need rather than what you want to buy. They come highly recommended from me.

Would agree with you on that,have bought a gun & other items from them but 54ml round trip for me so prefer shopping closer for minor items.Wish they were closer.

[ForeignGadger]

This thread is drifting into "The best gun shop" so here goes anyway.

 

I can recommend Mark Gardner just north of Calrisle : friendly, a shooter and has a clay setup just behind his shop so you can try any gun you are thinking of bying:

He is not the cheapest by any means, but up here in the Border bad-lands, our shops are a bit spread out, he does a good job.

 

I bought a Lanber (now with my son) from Bond and Byewater in Preston and they were good.

 

Due to this medium, I think we all tend to get a bit fixated with price these days, but you have to factor in travel, postage, headaches with returns etc.

 

Having a shop locally, with good advice, reasonable stock and above all *good customer service* is worth at least a 10% premium over the lowest deal on the .net, in my opinion.

 

(Trouble is, many stupid folks think they can just open a shop, then just sit back and watch the profits roll in.

If only....

Any enterprise is just like an animal: you have to feed it, tickle its stomach and put things right when they go wrong.

If you don't, it turns round an bites you in the ****, drains your bank account and even takes the roof over your head in the process).

 

FG

[stuey]

I would echo Robs comments about Weldon Gun room in Northumberland.

 

I buy all my clays, cartridges/bullets, shotguns, rifles and everything else from them. They always have special offers, and most stuff is in stock, and even if it isn't they order it in without having to pay in advance.

 

In the current financial climate, they go just that little bit further than most even if your only in for a few boxes of cartridges.

 

As Rob says, the 2 lad that work in the shop are only young (I used to teach one of them) but they know their stuff and advise to your requirements, not to maximise their profit margins.

 

Big thumbs up.

 

Stu

[Peter De La Mare]

Essex Gun always take very good care of me. Huge stock of pretty much everything, from what I can tell.

[PaulABF]

I would echo Robs comments about Weldon Gun room in Northumberland.

 

I buy all my clays, cartridges/bullets, shotguns, rifles and everything else from them. They always have special offers, and most stuff is in stock, and even if it isn't they order it in without having to pay in advance.

 

In the current financial climate, they go just that little bit further than most even if your only in for a few boxes of cartridges.

 

As Rob says, the 2 lad that work in the shop are only young (I used to teach one of them) but they know their stuff and advise to your requirements, not to maximise their profit margins.

 

Big thumbs up.

 

Stu

 

 

Totally agree. They might be young lads but they treat their customers with 'olden days' respect. Can't fault them at all.

[smiiithy]

I was in Weldon Gun room yesterday having a look at a few O/U’s. Two customers were talking to the young lad with dark hair who works there and they got talking about Deep Blue. The shop assistant mentioned this very post with great pride. It’s great to see they take an active interest. I'll be back when my SGC comes through

[mowdy]

Weldon gun room is well worth the 80 mile each way trip for me as they carry a lot of stock and if the don't have what you want then

they will order it in for you as soon as possible non of this we will put it on the next big order we put in ! in 6 months malarkey.

 

Weldon gun room is a proper gun shop .

Edited October 30, 2009 by mowdy

[edr]

Lincolnshire/Nottinghamshire Area:

 

Derek Lee

Guns N Stuff

Wragby Guns

Forest Lodge Guns

 

None of this Deep ****

[malkiserow]

Worst has to be Godiver guns in Coventry - Stock is worn out rubbish and he wanted £75 to RFD a gun!!!

[Aldous Huxley]

Went to the gunshop in Sheffield (Hardy's gunshop, ecclesall road). Very nice, good service.

[Mr_Logic]

Gun shops I recommend:

 

The Gun Room in Ivybridge - fantastic service, good prices, good part ex, knowledgeable staff. Went in there for an over and under, got what I wanted, also was going to get a comb raiser for the other half, they checked the fit which had been done by Churchill's, pronounced them wrong, and that I didn't need to spend any money. I've had years of good dealings with them - so much so that I live in Reading and always ring them before I buy a gun up here.

 

Adenbourne Fieldsports - Bruce & Co know their stuff, and are very helpful. I never feel robbed in there, even when the gun I've part-exed has been pretty awful, they give me a fair price for it. Consequently, I've done a lot of business with them over the years, and if I want something, 99% of the time they have it.

 

Reloading Solutions - Might be because I never go in there and not spend 250+, but they are pretty damn helpful.

 

Chris Orasinski down in Kent - bought two rifles from him, and he was top-notch for both of them. Recommended, and I'd do more business with him if he took credit cards!

 

Country Pursuits, Rickmansworth - not spent much with them, but always received good service and the time of day. For some reason, I always forget them when gun shopping!

 

Andy Allwood in Bracknell - get a lot of reloading stuff from him, very good service always. E.g. 9:00 Saturday night - "Help! Andy I got this rifle today and the mount bases don't fit - do you have any? Want to shoot it tomorrow at Bisley." Two minutes later ... "Yep, I do, they're 4 quid each. Do you want to come over now for them?" And I did, too. I bought some powder from him too that I didn't really need as I felt bad for turning up so late on a weekend, but my God that's service!!

 

Gun shops that are pretty awful:

 

Sportsman (Exeter) - yes, you can get good service sometimes, but it's patchy. Their p/ex is pretty naff and their prices aren't as good as they should be for someone with that level of buying power. And NO! I don't want a ******* Steyr!!!

 

Donaldson's - Would have bought a T3 from him, all he had to do was a bit (not huge!) of discount. I don't pay list price for anything, certainly not a T3 Lite Stainless at about £850. Ah well.

 

South Bucks Shooting Supplies (was Dowlings) - **** poor customer service, disinterested, rifle stank of fag smoke as they smoke in the shop. RRAAARRRRGH. Not going there again.

 

And the Special Mention Award:

 

Thomas Turner in Reading.

 

I hear a lot of stories about them. None are ever good. And a couple of times I have paid over the odds there. However, I have found that by doing the right deal, you can get what you needed no problem. Have they been welcoming, knowledgeable and competitive on price? Nope! New management now so we shall see...

[Chris Bb]

BACK ON TOPIC

 

Town & Country Sports, Botley (Southampton).

 

These guys could be rude at Olympic level in their sleep!

 

OK, their cartridges are well priced, but I feel as I have been shagged every time I go there, I certainly don't stop to see what else I could buy while I'm visiting. Last time I went I dared to ask what might be better cartridges (more expensive), I ended up with the cheapest as the person serving didn't seem to want to speak to me!

[Mr_Logic]

We hadn't left the topic, had we?