Ran into a little problem with one of my local FFLs today on a transfer.

[mav]

I purchased a new handgun from Bud's 2 days ago and it was stuck in "Pending." I listed the FFL I had used on previous purchases from Bud's, but Bud's kept showing on my order status that my FFL needs to provide a copy of their license.

I called my FFL and asked them to fax a copy of their license to Bud's. My FFL said they would fax over a copy of their license momentarily. I get a call back a few minutes later from my FFL telling me that they will no longer accept transfers from Bud's. When I asked why, my FFL told me that they had received stolen firearms on transfers from Bud's. Maybe I am just being naive, but I was sort of shocked.

My intention with this post is not to crap all over Bud's. I like Bud's Gun Shop. They have good prices, and I haven't had any problems with them. I have bought from Bud's in the past and if they have what I want, I will buy from them in the future. I was just curious if this is a common occurence that happens with all new and used firearms dealers.

[sigmtnman]

who is the FFL?

[DaveTN]

Receiving stolen firearms that have passed through an FFL? I guess it’s possible but I doubt it happens often.

Sounds like your dealer doesn’t want to transfer; just use a different dealer.

[mav]

who is the FFL?

Shooter's Depot. They are my favorite to deal with. I try to buy directly from them, but there are some things they can't get. This was one of those cases.

Sounds like your dealer doesn’t want to transfer; just use a different dealer.

Possibly. I did use choose another dealer I have dealt with in the past, Carter's Shooting Supply.

[Guest buttonhook]

bud's had something posted on their website about a list of dealers they are not dealing with anymore that were on their list before

[56FordGuy]

Something seems odd about that. If they'd received stolen firearms from Buds in the past, why didn't they tell you that the first time that you called, instead of telling you they would fax a copy of their FFL?

Did you talk to the same person both times?

[Metalhead]

While it is possible Bud's could have sold a stolen firearm (IE received the weapon on their trade-in program and was reported as such after the fact) it's more likely the dealer sick of Buds. Hell, I've been there.

[strickj]

SD hasn't been open very long. Seems odd that they would say that.

Is Skip still offering transfers?

[Guest tnxdshooter]

SD hasn't been open very long. Seems odd that they would say that.

Is Skip still offering transfers?

I think he is on a limited basis. I was saddened to hear he is giving it up. I bought all my guns through him. He was nearly 100.00 cheaper than anywhere else.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I seriously doubt a stolen gun was shipped from Bud's. More than likely the dealer is just tired of competing with them. I bought a gun locally that I could have gotten cheaper from Bud's. When I mentioned I would but it from him rather than Bud's he matched Bud's price. We spent a while discussing Bud's and they are making it very hard for local dealers to compete.

I might even give them a call today to ask. I have dealt with one of the supervisor's enough to feel I could trust him and what he has to say about it. I will take it with a grain of salt but I would believe Bud's not sending a stolen gun before believing they would.

Dolomite

[mav]

Something seems odd about that. If they'd received stolen firearms from Buds in the past, why didn't they tell you that the first time that you called, instead of telling you they would fax a copy of their FFL?

Did you talk to the same person both times?

No, I talked to two different people.

I prefer to buy my guns locally. However, there are instances in which they do not stock what I am looking to buy, nor can they get it. The only time I have used an online dealer was when I was purchasing a higher end firearm. We do not have any local dealers that stock these types of firearms, which is certainly understandable. If you don't have the clientele for these type of weapons, you will go bankrupt quickly if you hold inventory on > $2k firearms.

I hope they weren't misleading me with their claim against Bud's. If I find out otherwise, I will not buy anything else from them. The reason I say that is I have offered them the opportunity to compete for my business on almost all of my purchases including ammo at quantities greater than 5k rounds, and I have been willing to pay slightly higher just to buy from my local dealer (sort of support your local business type mindset).

Oh well, I guess I will find out later what is actually going on.

[Superposed]

I have found Shooter's Depot to be a circus in their showroom. Was trying to buy two S&W Model 649's. Shooter's Depot was the first gun shop I went to. I asked if they had a 649, salesperson said no and had nothing else to say. Didn't offer to check on a price or say they could order the guns. I ended up buying two 649's from Fugate's for a price a couple of dollars cheaper than Bud's price (without even bringing up Bud's price). Fugate's wanted to quote me a cash price and said they would get them in as fast as they could it being the middle of the Christmas season. Fugate's lived up to their word.

[Guest tnxdshooter]

I seriously doubt a stolen gun was shipped from Bud's. More than likely the dealer is just tired of competing with them. I bought a gun locally that I could have gotten cheaper from Bud's. When I mentioned I would but it from him rather than Bud's he matched Bud's price. We spent a while discussing Bud's and they are making it very hard for local dealers to compete.

I might even give them a call today to ask. I have dealt with one of the supervisor's enough to feel I could trust him and what he has to say about it. I will take it with a grain of salt but I would believe Bud's not sending a stolen gun before believing they would.

Dolomite

If shooters depot is willing to lie and say that instead of just coming out and saying we arent going to do the transfer because we will not be undersold then they are not reputable in my opinion.

[Guest tnxdshooter]

I have found Shooter's Depot to be a circus in their showroom. Was trying to buy two S&W Model 649's. Shooter's Depot was the first gun shop I went to. I asked if they had a 649, salesperson said no and had nothing else to say. Didn't offer to check on a price or say they could order the guns. I ended up buying two 649's from Fugate's for a price a couple of dollars cheaper than Bud's price (without even bringing up Bud's price). Fugate's wanted to quote me a cash price and said they would get them in as fast as they could it being the middle of the Christmas season. Fugate's lived up to their word.

I to have had nothing but sucess with fugates. Their prices are good and their ammo is 2-3.00 cheaper than other gun stores in the area. On some of it is even cheaper than at walmart.

[East_TN_Patriot]

In case something has changed since I worked in a retail gun shop back in the late 1990s, gun shops have no way of knowing whether a gun is stolen when they take it in. I worked for a shop in Kentucky and there was no way to run serial numbers or requirements to hold trade-in guns. If everything looked legit with the owner of the gun and there was no reason to be suspicious, then the trade-in was made and the gun was cleaned up, tagged, and put out for sale. The owner tried to work something out with the local police to have them run the serial numbers through NCIC, but they refused (rightfully so because such an arrangement was prohibited by NCIC policies). I only recall one incident when a stolen firearm was taken in on trade and it was discovered because a detective would come in a couple times per week to see what was taken in on trade. Again, unless things have changed or are just different for each state, there's really no way that Bud's, or any other shop, can check on the status of a firearm (nevermind if it was traded-in before it was even reported stolen).

[mav]

Well, I have had only a good experience with Shooters in the past. There are a few people there that I like, so I will hold off judgment until I know what is going on. My OP was basically to ask if you guys have ever experienced or heard of this type of situation. If this is a case of deceit, I doubt I will state so online. I have never been one to air my grievances with a business in an open forum such as this. I will simply just cease doing business with them in the future.

[Jonnin]

I use shooter's depo a lot and they seem to be honest. I have transferred to them (but not from bud's) something they could not get and it was no problem, no questions asked. You do have to ask if you want something ordered, they do not usually offer as their supply lines seem to be a bit strained and, from what I can tell, if its not something off their online davidson's page or in stock they have to call around for an hour or more trying to find what you need, sometimes they can, sometimes they cannot. Their sales folks are not pushy, to the point that if you want something, you have to say it, "I want this, can you get me one?" etc. I can see very easily how it may seem as if they do not care if they sell you a gun or not, they err on the side of leaving the customer alone unless asked a question rather than come down as a pushy seller. Its much, much better after you talk to their people a few times and get to know them.

As for honesty, I sold them several guns in bulk and, after buying them and the deal was done, the owner came back and said one of them turned out to be a rare item worth more than originally expected. He agreed to split the difference with me when it sells. He did not have to do that, and I would never have known. While I have become a regular there (I use their range a lot), at that time, I was just another customer, this was one of my first transactions with them.

I do not think anything shady is going on. If they were just worried about being undercut, they would not take any transfers, and that is not the case at all.

[mav]

I use shooter's depo a lot and they seem to be honest. I have transferred to them (but not from bud's) something they could not get and it was no problem, no questions asked. You do have to ask if you want something ordered, they do not usually offer as their supply lines seem to be a bit strained and, from what I can tell, if its not something off their online davidson's page or in stock they have to call around for an hour or more trying to find what you need, sometimes they can, sometimes they cannot. Their sales folks are not pushy, to the point that if you want something, you have to say it, "I want this, can you get me one?" etc. I can see very easily how it may seem as if they do not care if they sell you a gun or not, they err on the side of leaving the customer alone unless asked a question rather than come down as a pushy seller. Its much, much better after you talk to their people a few times and get to know them.

As for honesty, I sold them several guns in bulk and, after buying them and the deal was done, the owner came back and said one of them turned out to be a rare item worth more than originally expected. He agreed to split the difference with me when it sells. He did not have to do that, and I would never have known. While I have become a regular there (I use their range a lot), at that time, I was just another customer, this was one of my first transactions with them.

I do not think anything shady is going on. If they were just worried about being undercut, they would not take any transfers, and that is not the case at all.

Is your post directed to me? If so, did you read my previous posts?

[Jonnin]

Is your post directed to me? If so, did you read my previous posts?

Not directed at anyone, just throwing my experiences in there to evaluate for whatever its worth. I did read the whole thread. I have no stake in it, but I may ask one of my friends there to see if I can get the story, or get them to post the rationale up on their site, so they can explain what the deal is. Seems odd to alienate such a large supplier.

[Good_Steward]

I have found Shooter's Depot to be a circus in their showroom. Was trying to buy two S&W Model 649's. Shooter's Depot was the first gun shop I went to. I asked if they had a 649, salesperson said no and had nothing else to say. Didn't offer to check on a price or say they could order the guns. I ended up buying two 649's from Fugate's for a price a couple of dollars cheaper than Bud's price (without even bringing up Bud's price). Fugate's wanted to quote me a cash price and said they would get them in as fast as they could it being the middle of the Christmas season. Fugate's lived up to their word.

+1 on Fugates. I lived in Charleston (right across the river from Fugates) for a very long time, and have dealt with them a lot. Top notch people who live up to their word, and have been for quite some time, at least 14 years, that I'm aware of.

[Guest Yorkie Girl]

If you have a question, problem or concern, please feel free to call the store 423.305.0747. It is unfortunate that we can't please everyone (and that some people cannot be pleased at all), and we welcome the chance to right any wrong. While some companies have become complacent, we strive to uphold manufacturer rulings on MAP pricing policies, law enforcement and government program requirements as well as ATF regulations on dealer bookkeeping and firearm serial number checks. For the record, we will gladly accept transfers from any FFL holder with the exception of Bud's Gun Shop.

[mav]

Not directed at anyone, just throwing my experiences in there to evaluate for whatever its worth. I did read the whole thread. I have no stake in it, but I may ask one of my friends there to see if I can get the story, or get them to post the rationale up on their site, so they can explain what the deal is. Seems odd to alienate such a large supplier.

Sorry about that. Totally my fault. When I read your post, I was thinking to myself, "Geeze, did the guy not see where I said they were my favorite to deal with."

[Jonnin]

I was not offended, its all good.

Maybe Yorkie will spill the beans for us. Wheedle wheedle....

[Guest tnxdshooter]

If you have a question, problem or concern, please feel free to call the store 423.305.0747. It is unfortunate that we can't please everyone (and that some people cannot be pleased at all), and we welcome the chance to right any wrong. While some companies have become complacent, we strive to uphold manufacturer rulings on MAP pricing policies, law enforcement and government program requirements as well as ATF regulations on dealer bookkeeping and firearm serial number checks. For the record, we will gladly accept transfers from any FFL holder with the exception of Bud's Gun Shop.

This is not real clear as to why you dont take transfers from buds gun shop you kind of beat around the bush with the answer. I am not trying to push you I just think we want a clear understanding. Do you have any type of proof the bud's sales stolen guns?

[Guest Yorkie Girl]

I will not be drawn into slandering another company. Simply put, this is our transfer policy. Again, we will happily accept any other FFL transfers. If you have questions, please feel free to call the store 423.305.0747.

I believe police reports are public record, so feel free to contact the Chattanooga Police Department if you have further questions regarding the attempted transfer of stolen firearms. It happens more often than one might think.

Eric, if you ever have a problem, just let us know. We will be more than happy to try and work it out.

And Jon, I will see you tonight

Amiee Gregory

Shooter's Depot

423.305.0747

Edited January 14, 2011 by Yorkie Girl