Pointe Blank Firearms Murfreesboro, TN

[Guest tntitan08]

I wanted some input from you fine folks who have purchased from Pointe Blank Firearms in Murfreesboro, TN. Specifically, I would like to know who has actually purchased firearms from Vinny: what did you buy? how were the prices, etc? Basically I am just trying to gauge your buying experience. I definitely prefer to buy local and from good people. With that being said, I have had some strange interactions with Pointe Blank Firearms. I agree 100% that he is a super nice guy, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. I also like the fact he updates his facebook page with new guns and current stock. On 4 different occasions, I have gone to his shop to purchase a gun he has on the wall and in stock. When I tell him I want to purchase "said" firearm, he tells me he doesn't know the price of it or he is waiting for another customer to buy it or some other excuse not to sell. Now I completely understand about a waiting list--that is straight forward. I just don't buy the story he is selling guns and doesn't know the price or won't quote me one. I have literally been in his shop with cash in hand and cannot get him to sell me a gun. Has anyone else had this problem? Again, I understand we are human and I may have just caught him on bad days, but my common sense is telling me to just move on and give my business to a more receptive shop. . It seems like he is willing to sell you a glock but everything else is just a display of his personal collection. I appreciate any perspective on your interactions with them

[Kenstaroni]

He said he was getting in a Keltec KSG and sone Sub 2k's months ago. He was supposed to call me when they came in, promised he would a couple times on the phone and once when I stopped by in person and didnt. I stopped by again and they were in. We already discussed a price on the KSG. I went in to buy it with cash in hand and he said he didnt know if he wanted to sell it or not. This went on for about two weeks. I stopped by two more times and got the same run around so I gave up. Hes a nice guy but I am never going to waste my time in their again. He doesnt want to sell anything just show it off. He also lies on his posts on GOC saying he has 100's of guns in stock when he probably has 20 in the whole store. I was hoping to have a nice local small store to buy from but oh well. Edited January 30, 2013 by Kenstaroni

[Guest drv2fst]

Is this the one on Park Ave?  I've been in that shop looking for an FS2000.  This is back when you could get them on GunBroker easily for $1800 or less.  He had his priced at $2,500.  He said he had a KelTec RFB coming in but he would not sell it.  I thought it strange that he would not sell such a hot item.  He didn't seem to want customers.  I was there ready to buy and he was too busy doing inventory or something to sell me anything.

[Guest tntitan08]

Kenstaroni, glad to know I am not the only one.  I had the exact same thing happen to me (both with attempted purchases and the communication for attempted orders). I did have him do two transfers for me. Ironically for the same guns he wouldn't sell me in store. He never called to let me know they came in. Luckily I paid attention to the tracking info and stopped in. The transfer was straight forward enough--$10 for transfer, $10 for background check. Great deal for the transfer.

[timthetoolman]

Same story here....great guy..but its really hard to actually buy something from him.   We agreed on a trade and I actually got extra mags for the gun he was getting, another 200 bucks I didn't need to spend or invest in a gun I was selling.  After that we could never connect.  I ended up selling it outright to someone else for more money anyway.  It's a shame, he is a great person and I still want to buy from him, but I'm not going to beg him to take my money either.

[Kenstaroni]

I'm glad Im not the only one....lol. I think he uses the business as his personal collection if you will. The point of a business is to sell stuff.. last time I checked anyway. He must like to have semi cool stuff on his wall more than money in his pocket.. lol. He may think keeping the cool stuff on the shelf gets customers in the door, but when they get there and cant buy, I bet many are like me and just dont return. I knew it was a lost cause when the last time I went in to buy the KSG there was another customer there getting the same run around. That sealed the deal for me.

When I get ready to buy something, Im generally ready to buy it and dont have time to go to a store where I have to do multiple counseling sessions with the owner to convince him to sell me something. Ill just go to the Outpost and pay a little more and get it over with.

[ManCalledNoon]

I've had a few bad experiences at this place and with the owner. First was him telling me he'd get some prices on stuff and call me back. Didn't call back. I called again and he promised to call me back in the next 30 minutes, again never called back. Second time I was looking at trading in a AR and buying a pistol. Long story short he offered a price and then a few hours later went back on it. Also this is 100% my opinion, but I don't like the guy. Well I was in the store some regular people came in and he acted like their best bud, only to trash talk them after they walked out. I don't think he has to like everybody, but that's not the kinda guy I'd ever call a friend. 

[Fourtyfive]

Never been there but by looking at his web site you would think his place is as big as BassPro.

[bowtieguy]

I'm going to speculate that he probably has guns on gunbroker so he doesn't want to quote a price on something that is being bid on at the moment. There are tons of ads from him on armslist, so I assume that he is pretty active on the internet. It sucks that he doesn't want to sell to the local buyer first, but he is probably getting outrageous prices on the net.

[xRUSTYx]

I'm going to speculate that he probably has guns on gunbroker so he doesn't want to quote a price on something that is being bid on at the moment. There are tons of ads from him on armslist, so I assume that he is pretty active on the internet. It sucks that he doesn't want to sell to the local buyer first, but he is probably getting outrageous prices on the net.

 

Doesn't look like he actually sells anything on GB:  http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewUserFeedback.aspx?User=2202038

 

He may just be one of those people that uses his FFL more like a ticket to his own collection.  One of the pictures dated 1/28 on his facebook page shows a wall of AR's .... Unless they are literally 200%+ over retail, there should be no other reason why they would be on the wall.  He's either A)  Looking for crazy money  B)  He is indeed holding on to them for his own personal gain/collection and simply wants to show it off.

[piercedan]

This is sad to hear. He started out with a lot of praise on here. I bought a box of hollow points from him. Seems like there was a lot of talk about him becoming a vendor on here but he never made it happen.

[Steelharp]

Seems like there was a lot of talk about him becoming a vendor on here but he never made it happen.

Doesn't being a "vendor," by definition, require being willing to sell merchandise?

[TripleDigitRide]

Have you asked him for an explanation?

[TripleDigitRide]

Doesn't look like he actually sells anything on GB: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewUserFeedback.aspx?User=2202038

He may just be one of those people that uses his FFL more like a ticket to his own collection. One of the pictures dated 1/28 on his facebook page shows a wall of AR's .... Unless they are literally 200%+ over retail, there should be no other reason why they would be on the wall. He's either A) Looking for crazy money B) He is indeed holding on to them for his own personal gain/collection and simply wants to show it off.

I'm not sure that link is affiliated with this dealer. The name affiliated with that link lacks the "e" in Pointe.

[tartanphantom]

I haven't been to the shop yet, but I saw them at the last Mboro gun show. he seemed quite willing to sell there... although it seemed that his wife was setting the prices at will--since nothing had a pricetag on it and he was deferring to her when asked about pricing. Of course this was only 1-2 days after Sandy Hook before the political rhetoric kicked into full gear. He had a gently used SUB2000 with two extra mags for $650 that I considered but (regrettably) passed on.

 

After seeing the discussion here, now I'm wondering why even bother to visit the shop? Sounds like the Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons-- good stuff to sell, but not willing to part with it.

Edited January 31, 2013 by tartanphantom

[vaiger]

I bought a G26 there in early December.  He was great to deal with and gave me a price that was better than what I could find online.   I am sorry to hear you guys have had bad experiences.  Based on my experience, I will be going back though.   I will definitely use him for $10 transfers when prices return to normal.

[TN-popo]

Not worried about possibly paying a little more (supporting a new upstart), I went in there to purchase a S&W M&P 15-22.

It wasn't in stock...no problem, he took my name/number and said he would order it and call me...I even offered to leave him money (so he knew I wasn't dicking around) and told him that I was in no hurry.

No call.
I called back and was blown off.
Having once owned a small business, I thought that this was incredible. Here was a guaranteed, minimal effort sale where price wasn't a huge deal (within reason).

He won't see me again as I don't like to be a "bother." Edited February 2, 2013 by TN-popo

[Guest tntitan08]

TN-Popo, I went in there to buy the exact same gun and had the exact same outcome. It is a shame to hear so many others have had similar experiences.

[TN-popo]

TN-Popo, I went in there to buy the exact same gun and had the exact same outcome. It is a shame to hear so many others have had similar experiences.

It really is, since more stores equals more options (plus, I just like more EVIL gun peddlers).
One of my officers tried to use PB for one of those cheap transfers...same negative result and it didn't happen.
Dude couldn't even fax a copy of his FFL for easy money.

[tartanphantom]

Wow, couldn't be bothered with an FFL transfer? Now that's pretty strange.

I'm beginning to believe that there's more to it than meets the eye in this scenario. Open a business, with all the associated costs, yet avoid positive cashflow by ignoring or blowing off potential sales?

 

Interesting business model, to say the least.

[kieefer]

FYI, I haven't been there or knew they existed.

 

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&pc=FACEBK&mid=8100&where1=800+Park+Avenue%2C+Murfreesboro%2C+Tennessee+37129&FORM=FBKPL0&name=Pointe+Blank+Firearms%2C+LLC&mkt=en-US

[DaveTN]

He has a crap load of guns on his website that show as “In-Stock” with many saying things like “Only 17 left”. It appears you can order directly off the site. So unless he is advertising guns he doesn’t have I don’t know why you couldn’t go pick one up.
 
Shame to hear that though, we really need a good gun store in Murfreesboro. Nothing against my dealers on here I use, but I’m tired of making a 60 mile or more round trip to pick up a gun.

[alingo2001]

I tried to see if he would do a transfer for me. It seemed like it was a bother for him and told me to call back on the following Monday.

[kieefer]

Maybe he needs to be invited to be a Vendor here on TGO? 

 

We wouldn't be allowed to dogg him if he was.

[TN-popo]

Maybe he needs to be invited to be a Vendor here on TGO?

We wouldn't be allowed to dogg him if he was.

Please explain.

A. When I started a new training company, I sought TGO out as it was my responsibility to market my new venture. I wasn't "invited."
B. I'm not seeing any "dogging" here...just folks relating their experiences (good and bad). I really want the guy to succeed. So far, he's not on the right path, IMO.
C. I don't see negative vendor experiences, properly articulated, routinely squashed. I slammed a vendor here (Lebanon's Armory Outpost) and wasn't censored. Edited February 2, 2013 by TN-popo