canvasbck wrote:Why is everyone afraid to say it was ACADEMY? They have the 5.5' counter, the pain in the youknowwhat paperwork and the escort out the door. They sometimes have prices that may make it worth it, but everyone should be aware of what they will go through when they go to ACADEMY to purchase a firearm.
LOL...after buying a shotgun a few months ago from ACADEMY I knew exactly what store she was talking about.
The fussiness over the BATF government paperwork is universal. I've received the same warnings buying guns in other places about spelling out Texas and not abbreviating anything. The other forms were silly but mostly harmless. What annoyed me the most was being escorted to the front of the store...what purpose does that serve? Especially since I was carrying concealed the whole time! Needless to say, I'll still go to Academy for some things, but I don't plan to buy any more guns there, especially now that I have the new "Cheaper Than Dirt!" retail outlet only 1.5 miles from my house.
MojoTexas
NRA Life member, TSRA member
"An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life."
--Robert A. Heinlein, Beyond This Horizon, 1942
i think the whole carry it too the door thing is stupid. especially if your a chl holder; most of them are already carrying.
i bought a gun from collectors firearms a few weeks ago and they had some stupid form i have to inital about that i knew about gun safety and how to operate it and stuff.
though i must admit no gun store is faster then buying at the gun shows. they know how to get you through the process fast.
I have been to a few places like that. Despite the fact I am buying a handgun if you are going to make it difficult for me as a customer to purchase something then I gladly will take my business someplace else. Wasting 2 hours of my time to purchase a handgun is ridiculous not to mention if you have a CHL. I think businesses like this have policies that are made by someone in their corporate division who really dont have a clue but are trying to do all they can to avoid a problem or legal situation that just doesnt exist. While I understand some companies are just trying to reduce the chance of some unforeseen incident I think there are times the policies just get ludicrous. I have no issue having to go through a few extra steps to purchase something for security reasons. Key words: a few. But if you make me feel like a criminal for purchasing a product that YOU SELL then you lose me as a customer.
Take a place like Cabela's or Bass Pro. You buy a gun...an employee walks you out and hands it to you. I have no problem really. It is the policy they have. About the worst thing I have encountered is just the wait time to pay and get going. You fill out the required form and pay and thats it. I went to one gun store I frequently purchase from and one time the sales guy opened the paperwork that came with the Glock I was buying and made me sign copies of the included forms Glock encloses in the packet. I had NEVER had that happen before. Never happened again either. I just found it odd. Another place was so difficult when I was trying to buy a handgun that i just left and was asked why I was canceling my sale by the employee. I told him that I had never seen such a ridiculous method of trying to buy a firearm and was happy to go elsewhere.
Bottom line is I am customer. I expect a certain level of convenience and quality customer service no matter where I shop. If you treat me as if I am an inconvenience to you or provide poor customer service then I will no longer do business with you and while I am not one to complain if it is bad enough for me to walk out I will usually inform the management.
Mike1951 wrote:If it hasn't been mentioned, WalMart is another store that requires a manager to carry your already paid for firearm until outside the store.
Cabela's in Buda walks you out when you buy a handgun also. I don't know about buying post CHL as mine should be here Tuesday.
They also walk you out post CHL. I asked the older gentleman what purpose that served and he said it's so that I don't make a mess in the store if I decide to kill myself. He wasn't being sarcastic.
"When I was a kid, people who did wrong were punished, restricted, and forbidden. Now, when someone does wrong, all of the rest of us are punished, restricted, and forbidden. The one who did the wrong is counselled and "understood" and fed ice cream." - speedsix
I have bought 5 long guns and 4 handguns at a total of 4 different Academy stores. I have also bought at a gun shop and a pawn shop that specializes in guns (Tomball Pawn). My easiest experience was at the gun shop. I also paid $40 more for my Glock 19 than I would have at Academy. I think this comes with the territory to some extent.
Out of my 9 Academy buying experiences, all but two were very straightforward and efficient. The first gun I bought there (shotgun) took about an hour and 15 minutes, due to short staffing at the gun counter and a rush of customers looking to buy at the same time. Another time, I got some very strange attitude from the sales manager. I was buying a Mossberg ATR 100 bolt action rifle in 30-06 (hardly a good weapon to use in a crime) and I got the third degree about why I was buying the gun. Definitely got the impression that he thought I was up to no good. For what its worth, that Academy was in a less than desirable neighborhood in south Houston, so he may just be more skeptical with all customers. The other 7 times at Academy have been smooth and straightforward. Less than 30 minutes from choosing the gun to walking out the front door. I use the delays to look for ammo and anything else I might want to buy.
I don't think Academy is worse than any others when it comes to being anal about the paperwork. From my experience, this varies according to the person helping you. I have actually found my non-Academy purchases to be more particular about rewriting numbers and letters so they are more clear (my handwriting is not the best).
Personally, I will not go into Bass Pro shops. I refuse to check my gun at the door, and don't want to give my business to a place that has this policy.
Katygunnut wrote:
I don't think Academy is worse than any others when it comes to being anal about the paperwork. From my experience, this varies according to the person helping you. I have actually found my non-Academy purchases to be more particular about rewriting numbers and letters so they are more clear (my handwriting is not the best).
Personally, I will not go into Bass Pro shops. I refuse to check my gun at the door, and don't want to give my business to a place that has this policy.
I have bought two from Academy, one from Carter's Country, one at a gun show and one FTF from a forum member. Other than the one from forum member they all went smoothly (30-45 min.) no matter where I bought them.
As far as Bass Pro Shops go, they are not 30.06 posted and I ignore the check your gun sign and walk in and do my business. Both Bass Pro and Gander Mountain are over-priced as far as I'm concerned unless they have a special going so I wouldn't buy a gun from them anyway.
Pete92FS wrote:As far as Bass Pro Shops go, they are not 30.06 posted and I ignore the check your gun sign and walk in and do my business. Both Bass Pro and Gander Mountain are over-priced as far as I'm concerned unless they have a special going so I wouldn't buy a gun from them anyway.
I know that I could just ignore the sign at Bass Pro Shops, but I like to stick to the policy of not bringing my gun (or my money) anywhere that we are not welcome. I respect their wish to keep me from carrying in their store, the same as if a friend asked me not to carry in his house. However, they need to understand that this costs them money. Kind of an odd policy for a place that caters to people who are more likely to own guns, in my opinion.
Academy may walk me to the door after I buy a gun, but at least they don't ask me to check the one (or two) I am carrying at the door.
Pete92FS wrote:As far as Bass Pro Shops go, they are not 30.06 posted and I ignore the check your gun sign and walk in and do my business. Both Bass Pro and Gander Mountain are over-priced as far as I'm concerned unless they have a special going so I wouldn't buy a gun from them anyway.
I know that I could just ignore the sign at Bass Pro Shops, but I like to stick to the policy of not bringing my gun (or my money) anywhere that we are not welcome. I respect their wish to keep me from carrying in their store, the same as if a friend asked me not to carry in his house. However, they need to understand that this costs them money. Kind of an odd policy for a place that caters to people who are more likely to own guns, in my opinion.
Academy may walk me to the door after I buy a gun, but at least they don't ask me to check the one (or two) I am carrying at the door.
These signs are not intended by the management to address CHL'ers who will keep their guns concealed, they are for people that bring their guns in to sell, trade, have repaired or to shoot at the range (Bass Pro.) My local gun store has a similar sign saying 'All guns brought into store must be unloaded', but they will tell you flat out it doesn't mean CHL'ers.
Keith
Texas LTC Instructor, Missouri CCW Instructor, NRA Certified Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun Instructor and RSO, NRA Life Member
Pete, I don't recall seeing the "check your gun" signs at the Grapevine Bass Pro the last time I was there (2 months ago), we did go in a side entrance, there was a greeter there and my father and I both had range bags, I just said "howdy" to the greeter and kept on walking. I know that they *used* to have them, if they still do, I didn't see them this time.
As far as Academy - I bought my S&W Bodyguard .38 from the Grapevine location a few months ago, it was a smooth/easy transaction. No walkout either.
PUCKER wrote:Pete, I don't recall seeing the "check your gun" signs at the Grapevine Bass Pro the last time I was there (2 months ago), we did go in a side entrance, there was a greeter there and my father and I both had range bags, I just said "howdy" to the greeter and kept on walking. I know that they *used* to have them, if they still do, I didn't see them this time.
As far as Academy - I bought my S&W Bodyguard .38 from the Grapevine location a few months ago, it was a smooth/easy transaction. No walkout either.
The one I saw was at the Katy store and that was about a year ago. That's the last time I was in a Bass Pro.
seniorshooteress wrote:Well folks: hubs needed a new pair of work boots so we went to the local sports & outdoors store (don't think I can mention names but sure you have all been to one) While he was looking for a particular brand of boot his friend had told him was just the greatest thing since sliced bread, I wandered over to the gun case, which was like 4 ft taller than I am. (to keep people from jumping over it they said ) I asked for a step stool so I could look at and handle a couple of guns that had caught my fancy. Finally decided on a little 22lr/22mag derringer. They asked for my TDL and I also handed them my CHL. To make a long story shorter than the 2 hrs it took to actually buy this gun, they have many more papers for you to sign than a regular gun store. They walk you up to the cash register then out the door. Just as I was breathing a sigh of relieve at FINALLY getting out of there, the littler walker out the door guy says he has to make a copy of my receipt. Geez. I have no clue as to why it took so long for me to make my purchase other than someone has to come open the safe to get gun out. They check all the numbers and everything inside the box twice, maybe 3 times. Someone else then has to be called to check that all the info on your form is filled out correctly. No abbreviations. Have to spell out Blvd., which I didn't know how to spell the long way, never have had to.No state abbreviations, and date has to be 00/00/0000. Put TX in a couple of spots: OOPS Put one line only thru TX and write Texas and initial that I had made the change. When it came time for my signature I asked if I could abbreviate there cause in my - normal - signature I only use my middle initial not my full middle name. I don't like their return policy as once you buy it it's yours if defective return to manufacturer if it don't go bang. I am thinking to self while being walked thru the store and out the door and being told I can't come back inside the store with the gun in it's little plastic case that isn't loaded: what about the one on my hip that is loaded and if I wanted to wreck havoc in this store I would use the "loaded " gun not the "unloaded" one. I didn't see any 30.06 signs posted so what gives with this treatment of a CHL. Just glad I hadn't decided to buy a bigger, than a derringer gun, I could have been there til this time tomorrow. If I had bought my first gun there I would still have only one gun. So guess what? I don't care what they have on sale or how much cheaper their prices may seem, they won't see my smiling face at their gun counter again.
You should inform the employees of Academy Sports and Outdoors that postal abbreviations such as TX, OK, Blvd. and St. are allowed on 4473 forms.
Purchased a Bersa Thunder .380 from Academy (about -$50 less than stickered too, that was a pleasant surprise). It took about 30-35 mins. All the same paperwork, escort to front door, etc as others have described. It was for my woman & I was there while she was going thru the paperwork. I'm sure they suspected us of a straw purchase, but it was in fact for her.
I have bought two from Academy, one from Carter's Country, one at a gun show and one FTF from a forum member. Other than the one from forum member they all went smoothly (30-45 min.) no matter where I bought them.
