I was in Cabela's a few weeks ago. They had a Winchester 97 in the gun library. Today I decided to go back and get if it was still there. My son and I found it was ill available. We pulled it from the rack and ask a staff member if we could look at this. He said you are looking at it. My son stated I would like to see if the trigger works and sight down the barrel. The sales person said we can't do that. We put the shotgun back on the rack. I thanked them as they just saved me $490.
I don't know where they find these rude sales people but this is the 2nd time they have been nasty to us in the past year. It will be the last time. I can also add I have spent 1000's of dollars at this store every year.
if it had a trigger lock on it, then the store may not allow it to be removed in the store by state laws. If you buy it you receive the key at the door. Since it was a lever action the trigger lock would prevent you from opening the breach to see down the barrel. I would have asked to see a manager, sometimes they can do what a floor sales person cannot. Sometimes you have to stop dealing with the Peons and talk to the Chiefs!
I have no problem dealing with store policy and state laws. The sales person was just plain rude. When he said you are looking at it and turned his back to us that was enough for us.
Sorry to hear of your ordeal. The bad thing about a lot of gun stores is that they hire jerks who don't really care to work there. I've had similar things happen, and it really takes 'the shine' off of going out to look at a firearm that you are really interested in buying. My old pet-peeve was back before CC was common, a lot of guys hired on at gun shops solely to strap on a sidearm and walk around the store like Wyatt Earp.
$490 for a Model '97 is a little on the top end. Could be worth it if it is in very good condition. Mine was pretty well used when I paid around $350 for it, and I thought it was a pretty decent deal. Mine was mechanically sound and the barrel was bright and shiny, but the bluing was well worn and the stock and fore end were scuffed and had small dings. Don't loose the faith and keep looking! Your '97 is still out there...
I'm still looking for the perfect (for me) 1897 Winchester. No luck at our local gun shows, but this is rifle country. I'll look around South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin this summer while visiting family.
I just got this from the Cabela's Facebook page. Cabela's Hello George. We're very sorry for the rude treatment you & your son had to deal with. Please send details to customer.service@cabelas.com w/Facebook in the subject. We'll have this reported for you. -Melanie
Next time, ask for the manager. If they do not provide satisfaction, ask for the general store manager. If that is not handled, go to HQ Cabelas. I doubt you will have to go above the general floor manager as they do not want anyone going above their head because it makes them look bad. Rudeness to customers was normally a firable offense at the old Cabelas. I was in Cabelas a few weeks ago and the ability to pull triggers was still available (except on those 22's that state do not dry fire in their manuals). The old Cabelas was not allowed to put in snap caps so all you could do was look at the firing pin on those 22's that didn't allow dry firing. I can't say if the new Bass Pro Cabelas allow snap caps. Everything else is game for pulling the trigger except on those really high dollar guns. They are protective of those as no one wants to buy a firearms that has been dinked with by the general public when high dollars are in place. The tirgger locks are for those guns that are on the floor unwatched by employees to prevent a flake from putting a live round. You get a gun counter employee to unlock the trigger so they can check and verify cleared, then you can dry fire it in a sfe direction.
Not sure why but all the used guns at my Cabela's have trigger locks and they're not willing to take them off.
None of the new guns have trigger locks on them.
Unclear what's driving the policy.
Hasn't been an issue as I've not seen a used gun at my Cabela's that wasn't shockingly priced.
I used to stop by every week and look over the guns in the gun library. Most of the guns are over priced but a few times a year I would find a real nice deal. Over Christmas the wife and I spent around $3000 there. If they don't address this it will be the last dollar I spend there. This is the 2nd time in a year they have been rude to us.
At the pawn shop where I work every firearm is required to have a trigger lock, muzzleloaders too. Nobody likes to be treated badly, And when you are spending quite a bit of money it's even more so. In my case we get people that come in every day and look for anything new we've put on the rack or case. They are looking for anything they can resell. They refuse to accept any price you give them. It always needs to be lower. They are rude, demanding and demeaning. Like the guy that told me I was full of S#*% and a F-ing idiot because I reminded him he could shoot .38 spcl ammo from a .357 mag. According to him the gun would blow up if you tried it.
There are some good customers that come in and are looking for a long gun for hunting or something for personal defense. They are great to work with and it's enjoyable to help them find what they want.
Lots of people will complain loudly about everything. Corporate policy says I have to get an ID from anyone who wants to handle a firearm. A big sign posted at the counter states this. Yet they throw a fit and act insulted. They want the trigger lock removed, and again, I'm not allowed to do it. More complaints. Finally if they do decide to purchase they act as though they been scalded because the store uses the computer tablet to fill out the 4473.
I'm not making excuses for the Cabela's person that treated you badly. we have a couple of clueless staff that are allowed to show guns at the shop, only because were are so shorthanded. They don't help things for me.
You were treated badly and the person failed to explain what they are and aren't allowed to do. Makes for a unpleasant experience. Asking for management might help. If nothing else
No sane shopper is going to put out money for a firearm that they can't inspect, work the action, check out the barrel, etc. That particular store needs better training for the floor walkers (I refuse to call them sales people).
I was in a gun library and all the guns had trigger locks. I asked if the rifle I was looking at had a set trigger, available but unusual on the Browning Abolt Eclipse. The gentleman told me he was unable to let le inspect without the lock on it. He was intrigued as he was unaware the Abolt had that option. He then said HE was able to remove the lock and look for me which he did, no single set trigger on this one.
Bass Pro does not know how to sell guns or hunting equipment
Closest Bass Pro and Cabela's to me is St. Charles MO. About 200 miles round trip. I admit to not shopping at either place for firearms or anything else. The added cost of sales tax and shipping raises the price too high.
If the sales person would have stated due to corporate policy he could not remove the trigger lock that would have been understandable. But to say you are looking at it and turn away to resume his talk with the other sales person.
This store was empty. Since Cook County put in the $25 per gun tax and 5 cents a round on ammo this store is a ghost town. All the guys in the gun library are not like this. Some are good guys. The older retired guys that work there are good guys. They re gun lovers that work there for extra cash to fund their addiction. Its the 20 or 30 year old guys with the bad attitude.
The older retired guys that work there are good guys. They re gun lovers that work there for extra cash to fund their addiction. Its the 20 or 30 year old guys with the bad attitude.
That's kinda of the way it usually is. That age group are the ones that will be running the country in a few years. I guess it's good i won't be around.
This is one of the reasons that I love to use local gun stores. Granted some of them are a little expensive but I always figure out the costs of FFL fees, and shipping and normally it usually evens out or at times I may end up paying about $20 to $50 dollars more. When its only 20/50 bucks more than big box store the LG's get my business especially since I can inspect the firearm and they even allow me to field strip it or they do it for me if I do not know how.
I also like the piece of mind that should there be something wrong they have an in store gunsmith who will fix the problem or they deal with sending the firearm back to the manufacturer without me having to jump through hoops and other hassles. Many customers bad mouth some of the LG's here but than they never make an effort to establish a history and relationship with them.
Must be a state thing with the trigger locks. The cabelas closest to me doesn't have trigger locks on their guns, and many are on a set of racks outside of the gun library. There is always a salesman near by, but you can open them up and check trigger pull and they don't say anything about it.
We just got a local GS last year. First one in out town to my knowledge. We've bought a few guns from them, stop by and chat, and occasionally give or sell range brass to one of the owners sons, who is in elementary school and tumbles the brass then sells it in the store for a little less than the big online dealers sell theirs. Often you can buy a gun cheaper at the local shop than at cabelas or sportsmans. Sometimes being friendly with the local guy pays off too, last weekend I was shooting my 44 and the screw, nut and spring for the base pin came out and couldn't be found. I looked them up on numerich and it totaled up to $22 and some change. The GS ordered them for me, from numrich for $21. It wasn't a huge savings, but no shipping fee, and when it comes in they'll call me and I can go down with my revolver and try out the parts, if they're wrong, they'll handle the return and ordering the correct parts. Hard to beat that kind of service.
One of the local GS has turned from a good place to a store full of jerks. They have a fixation with "big box store guns." According to them, they can tell by serial number if a gun was sold by Walmart or some other chain store. They claim these firearms are "2nd's" and unsafe. Not sure about the serial number thing. However, I was there one day when a guy came in attempting to sell a rifle. He wanted to sell his and purchase a different one from them. Store owner told him it was a "big box gun" and he didn't even want it in his store. Argument ensued about it and the potential customer finally told him "I bought this here a year ago you SOB" and stormed out.
These are not the 20-30 year old sales people. Not sure what happened, they used to be a decent place.
Sounds like they really want to go out of business, and like to play on the ignorant. They must be working on the assumption that most people are almost totally ignorant about guns, trying to pull scams like that. I can understand them wanting people to buy guns from them, instead of the big box stores, but that is not the way to go about it.
Only "box store" local is Walmart, unless you count Rural King. They have sales on firearms we can't compete with. I often have people come in and tell me "I can buy that new at ......for what you are asking. I tell them "I'd go buy it if I were you." Day in and out our prices are lower than the other places. But you're getting a used firearm. If you desire new, shop the chain store. I understand and it doesn't bother me.
The local GS has moved 3 times in the past or 8 years. Each time to a bigger building. They carry very little in reloading supplies. Their ammo inventory is good and they sell new/used guns. They offer gunsmith services but have had lots of complaints as of late.
I haven’t bought anything from Cabelas since 2013. I bought an Ithaca Flues 20 ga at the Cabelas in Grand Junction, Colorado and the sales person broke the gun down for me to inspect anyway I wanted to. Of course that was a long time ago.
Not exactly.
There was an incident at a Bass Pro where a customer asked to look at a handgun, and when he had it in his hands, he put a bullet in it and shot himself.
Where and when did this suicide happen? I have never heard of this before I read your post. I searched and the only thing I found was in 2011, someone killed himself setting in his car while parked at a Cabela's.
I quit Bass Pro probably close to 15 years ago unless one of my kids gives me a gift certificate. Cabela's lost out about 10 years ago, I would estimate. My shadow won't darken either door again. Closest thing we have is a new Academy. They don't stock any firearm I'd be interested in and their reloading stuff is....well, I think I have more and certainly more variety. Their "stuff" isn't bad if all you need is targets or cleaning supplies and they do have some safes but, I ended up getting a refund for the one I almost bought and then bought one at a local store.
Where and when did this suicide happen? I have never heard of this before I read your post. I searched and the only thing I found was in 2011, someone killed himself setting in his car while parked at a Cabela's.
Unfortunately I don't know the specifics. I had read about it, I believe, on the 1911 forum. Then I was at the Reno Cabelas as was told the same thing from the gun counter guys.
Maybe it was all BS ... but it seems plausible.
The number 1 thing that they'd like to sell is clothing.
Unfortunately for them all of us ugly Americans out here want Guns, Ammo, Boats and a variety of other boy toys.
My Father had a one armed friend named Clayborn Featherston that went into a gun store in Galena Park, Tx. Back in the 50s, he pulled his boot off, put a round in a 12 guage, put the barrel in his mouth and pulled the trigger with his toe. He lost his arm by pulling a 30/30 from behind his pickup seat by the barrel, somehow it went off and distroyed his arm.
Most of the ranges have had someone put a gun to their head pull the trigger around here. One range will not rent a gun to anyone that comes in alone. They have had 3 people commit suicide in their range.
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