One interesting thing I've noticed with grabagun that I haven't with others. I was on the fence about a gun they had a few years ago. I was looking at it every day or multiple times a day trying to convince myself. Coincidence or not, every time I'd circle back to it the price had gone up slightly, and went up 3-4x. I'm guessing they have some sort of demand-based algorithm that is setting the price, and if it thinks someone is hot for a gun it'll raise the price to see if they can get more $ for it.

I actually just found gun.deals today and as you said, Grab A Gun was up at the top (i.e. lowest listed price). I will use this in the future. I wish I would have know about it previously.

Thanks!

My pleasure. Anything to help.

I use gun.deals to search for the lowest gross price, the sum of price plus tax plus shipping. It isn’t always the top of the list. Being a Texan I try to buy from out of state stores that don’t charge me the sales tax. Free shipping is the icing on the cake.

In Houston I have a pawn shop FFL, Big City Pawn, that only charges $25 for the transfer. Nice folks too.

I like nice things, but don’t like paying more than necessary.

I buy most of my new guns from GAG. The only problem right now is they have pretty much no inventory on items that I am looking for and had to result to Gunbroker, used.

I'm in Minnesota and when I added the gun to my cart in Grab a Gun just now, sales tax has been added which confuses me. Is that new for 2021???

Also, the picture does not match the description (which I know can be fairly common on these gun websites). I tried calling them twice today but no answer and no way to leave a message. Might be because it's New Years holiday. I left an email and a chat to confirm this particular gun is what I want...

Some stores obey laws for collecting taxes for other states. Some don’t. Certainly some states are cracking down on sales from out of state stores and demanding their taxes. Avoiding the tax is becoming harder and harder. C’est la vie.

Gotcha. I just Googled it and some people in Indiana said they were charged sales tax from Grab A Gun recently (sounds like it may have been a recent change).

I'll try to get in touch with them and see. I see Able Ammo has this model but is quite a bit more (but they have no sales tax when I add it to my cart). I'll see if they can price match.

Thanks for all the help

I have bought from them a few times without any problems. I found as has been mentioned that their prices due fluctuate. I usually watch their prices for a while and buy when they are low. They also have an easy payment plan.

One thing I forgot to mention is GAG does not up-charge you for using a credit card like Buds and many other places do. I typically do not buy from places that do that which is one reason I use GAG.

I forgot to mention that as well. When I am searching gun.deals, that is the other variable I consider in arriving at an overall best price.

Gentlemen,

I have a set rule when doing business, if a company has up charges to use my credit card, most of the time I do not purchase what ever they are selling. It has to be a very serious item for me to pay a company for the right to use my own Credit Cards. I do not think I should have to pay for the way they are choosing to due business.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

I believe your position is unrealistic. I too avoid cc upcharges as much as I can. However, I understand that the store pays that charge to the cc company and is simply recouping that expense. If a store can operate profitably on a business model that does not require recouping that expense, that is where I will do business. But I don’t blame a store for needing to make up that cost. I just won’t do business with them if I can avoid it.

I agree with Dave. The store should just increase their prices and not have the extra fees.

I can add to the positive reviews of Grabagun. I have purchased mags for multiple guns from them and gotten good service.

friendofafriend,
If the store ups the cost just a small bit on most items in their store, they recoup the cost without playing the up charge game, also there are business arrangements to eliminate these charges, many companies use them and then due the up change to simply make more money. Usually the same companies doing this play the excessive shipping charge game also, to add to their bottom line.

I avoid theses companies if I can, not unrealistic at all.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Ended up ordering over the weekend from Able Ammo. They price matched GrabaGun and because they didn't have sales tax, it ended up being slightly cheaper with Able. Also, I wanted to get the order in over the weekend and GrabAGun was not open. They did email me answers to my questions this morning and I will be looking to them again in the future.

I have also bought several guns and a safe from Able Ammo and all of those have gone well.

Sorry if I was not clear. I did not mean it was unrealistic to avoid buying from companies that upcharge for credit cards. I do exactly the same thing. I meant it is unrealistic to think badly of the store for doing it. It is just a marketing gimmick as you seem to already appreciate. Nothing evil about it. And no reason to be offended by it. I don’t get angry about it. I just don’t do business there.

You can go to Gun Broker and usually do better. Plus you are supporting the smaller guy.

This ideology is backwards. If a merchant doesn't need to pass the cc fees on to you, then they are charging you more than they have to. Another way of looking at it is; the guy that charges the cc fee is basically passing the savings on to you if you pay with a check or money order. Margins on firearms is very low.

Tinker,

What you are pointing out is sometimes true, however on an expensive item such as a $20,000 L,C. Smith Classic American Shotgun, this becomes some serious money. I simply tell the vendor I do not pay extra for using my own credit cards, if he charges the extra 3% or 5% he looses my purchase, most all the time the vendor waves the additional uncharge if he wants to make the sale on the expensive item.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man