I miss C R Specialties in Kansas City, MO

[E4 No More]

I sure wish there was a shop like C R in the Nashville area. C R is in downtown Kansas City, Missouri on baltimore Street, and the place is huge relative to the gun shops in the Nashville area. You could go there for all your handgun, rifle, black powder, reloading, bow, or hunting needs. I particularly miss having a place where you could buy reloading equipment at reasonable prices.

Seems the only place within reasonable driving distance of where I work and live is The Reloader's Bench in Mt. Juliet, but their selection isn't all that great, and the prices can be really whacked-out. For instance, Midway has the 110 volt Lyman 1200 DPS for $279.99 without tax and $11.71 for shipping coming to $291.70. The same thing at Reloader's Bench is $330 plus tax coming to about $$360.53! What makes them think someone would pay darn near $70 more for the same thing?

Personally, I like to touch and feel the stuff before I buy, but that kind of difference is just nuts! Then, more often than not, when I go in there it's as if they don't care about my business. Several times nothing has been said to me until I go to the counter to check-out, and then they'll look at each other as if silently deciding who loses the draw to check me out.

Is there a better option in the South Nashville area for reloading equipment?

[Westwindmike]

I buy all my reloading stuff from Larry at the Reloaders Bench. Maybe you just need to get to know them better. I'm always greeted when I come in. On some things the prices are higher than Midway, but I'm the type that wants it "now".

I bet if you got Larry aside and dickered with him a little, he'd get a lot closer on the price on that Lyman thing.

[56FordGuy]

I've had hit or miss experiences with the guys at the Reloader's Bench. Combined with the $40.00/ 1000 primers they carried for a while (maybe they still do), I do my best to shop elsewhere.

Try Champion's Choice in LaVergne. They're a mail- order place, but they have a local sales counter in their building. Several months ago they were selling small pistol primers for $30.00/ 1000. They don't have a showroom, you may well have to find what you want to buy in their catalog on the counter. However, when I've been there the staff has been very helpful and the prices were good.

There's a gentleman from Ashland City that sells reloading stuff at the gunshows. I saw him at the Murfreesboro show a month or two ago. Seems like a nice enough guy, I didn't check prices that much as I didn't need anything.

[E4 No More]

I buy all my reloading stuff from Larry at the Reloaders Bench. Maybe you just need to get to know them better. I'm always greeted when I come in. On some things the prices are higher than Midway, but I'm the type that wants it "now".

I bet if you got Larry aside and dickered with him a little, he'd get a lot closer on the price on that Lyman thing.

I am in sales, and perhaps my standards are too high, but a customer shouldn't be required to get to know the staff to get appropriate service. I would expect something like this from a chain store like Bass Pro Shops, but not a small shop. I am one who is willing to pay more for good service than cheap-out for bad service.

[DaveTN]

I got a C&R so I could buy my stuff at Midway. You can’t price your stuff at Midways site and then expect your local dealer to match their price; many of the locals are buying their stuff from them.

I pay more for my guns at local dealers than I can get them for from Buds. I buy from Buds when my local dealers can’t/won’t get what I want.

If we don’t buy from local dealers they won’t survive and we won’t have them. Then all the big discount stores will do the same thing Wal-Mart does once they run all the local competition out of business; raise their prices.

The gun market makes no sense. There are dealers that charge ridiculous amounts for stuff and seem to sell. Take a trip over to the Firearms for sale section and see how many used guns are at prices higher than you can get them new from a dealer for. Makes no sense.

[Hgunner]

Next time I'm in KCMO, I'll check this place out, I get most of my stuff off of the thing called the internet or gun shows. It would be nice if there was a place locally that was in direct competition to Reloaders Bench, they do tend to be pricey.

This last summer I was in there and priced 200grn LSWC at $75 for 500, I choked at that. Made a trip KC at Christmas and stopped by Missouri Bullet Company and bought them at $62 a 1000. I brought enough back to last me the summer and will get more when I go back this summer. I don't have a problem with someone making a living and making a profit but gouging like that isn't acceptable.