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Dealer that sold V-Tech and NIU handguns to sell guns at cost

DreQo

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The news link I was going to post isn't working at the moment, but I'm looking for a new one. The gist of this is that the online FFL dealer that sold firearms to the V-Tech and NIU shooters is selling firearms online "at cost" for the next two weeks.

http://www.gunsatcost.com/Content.aspx?cKey=Guns_at_Cost

What I don't get is that these prices don't seem that much better than normal. I'm kinda dissapointed! lol

EDIT: Ok, here's the article:

http://www.thegunsource.com/Article.aspx?aKey=Guns_at_Cost


Owner of Web-based Firearms Company that Sold to Virginia Tech and NIU Shooters to Forgo Profits to Help Prevent Future Loss of Life

TGSCOM, Inc


GREEN BAY – A regrettable tie to two mass murders on college campuses is spurring a firearms dealer to forgo profit for the sake of preventing future loss of life.

Eric Thompson’s company, TGSCOM Inc., sold Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-Hui a Walther P22 through the Web site www.thegunsource.com. Steven Kazmierczak, who killed five people at Northern Illinois University (NIU) on February 14th, received two 9mm Glock magazines and a holster he ordered from the TGSCOM Inc. Web site www.topglock.com.

Ever since the NIU shootings, Thompson has been using his unfortunate coincidence to press for changes that will make it easier for law-abiding citizens to carry a gun to protect themselves, the people they love and their neighbors.

Today, Thompson is backing up his words with actions. For the next two weeks, Thompson will not take any profit on firearms sales from any of his over 100 Web sites. Instead, Thompson will offer guns to customers for the same cost he pays for them.

“I hope and pray I will never again be in a position where I am asked questions about selling items used in a crime,” said Thompson. “The next news story I want to be involved in is how I sold a firearm to someone who helped stop a mass murderer. By forgoing a profit, I hope to help give law-abiding citizens the tools to prevent tragedy.”

By logging onto www.gunsatcost.com, law-abiding citizens will have the chance to purchase a firearm to protect themselves and their loved ones. Customers will have over 5,400 different kinds of firearms from which to choose.

Since learning of the unfortunate and random twist of events that made Thompson’s company a part of both the NIU and Virginia Tech shootings, Thompson has said he has “a special responsibility to work to prevent future tragedies.”

Thompson has since launched a Web site, www.gundebate.com, to help spur a dialogue in search of solutions to stop future mass shootings and also to act as a clearing house for public safety ideas.

Thompson also announced that he plans to visit Blacksburg, Virginia on Thursday, April 24 to speak at a Virginia Tech Students for Concealed Carry on Campus event. Thompson will use the speech to highlight his support for giving law-abiding citizens the right to protect themselves from criminals.

Thompson recently partnered with Students for Concealed Carry on Campus to provide hundreds of holsters donated by his customers and gun manufacturers to nearly 30 colleges and universities for students to participate in the second-annual “empty-holster protest.” The purpose of the protest is to object to state laws and university policies that forbid law-abiding citizens from carrying concealed weapons on campuses.
 

Legba

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That sounds swell, except that those are NOT wholesale prices, even if he was born yesterday.

-ljp
 

t3rmin

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Good stuff. Sounds like a stand-up guy. Way to turn around the debate.
 

Prophet

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Hmmm...i just checked and the MSRP for a walther .22 is $295. He's selling them for $275. Do gun dealers only make $20 for every $300 sale? Seems a bit low...you'd think they'd get at least a 10% profit. Can anyone illuminate my understanding of whether this guy is legitamately selling them "at cost"?

Or is at cost meaning that he still makes a profit but to the point that he can pay off his operating costs and break even?
 

expvideo

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Prophet wrote:
Hmmm...i just checked and the MSRP for a walther .22 is $295. He's selling them for $275. Do gun dealers only make $20 for every $300 sale? Seems a bit low...you'd think they'd get at least a 10% profit. Can anyone illuminate my understanding of whether this guy is legitamately selling them "at cost"?

Or is at cost meaning that he still makes a profit but to the point that he can pay off his operating costs and break even?
I don't know where you shop, but at the gun stores in my area, I've never found the kind of deals people are always telling me about online. A Walther P22 at the gun shop next to my house is $349. I think that gunbroker and online sales have convinced a lot of us that guns cost less than they do. If you sell several thousand guns a month through your website, then sure, a $20 markup on a $300 gun is enough profit, but if you only sell 300 guns a month or so, then you have to give that gun a good $75 markup to make money.
 

Legba

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Case in point: he lists the Hi-Point model CF380 (.380 auto) as costing $128.36. These wholsale for $86.52 through AcuSport. He doesn't stand to lose any weight over the course of this "at cost sale," even though it may represent a reduction from his usual pricing.

-ljp
 

DreQo

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expvideo wrote:
Prophet wrote:
Hmmm...i just checked and the MSRP for a walther .22 is $295. He's selling them for $275. Do gun dealers only make $20 for every $300 sale? Seems a bit low...you'd think they'd get at least a 10% profit. Can anyone illuminate my understanding of whether this guy is legitamately selling them "at cost"?

Or is at cost meaning that he still makes a profit but to the point that he can pay off his operating costs and break even?
I don't know where you shop, but at the gun stores in my area, I've never found the kind of deals people are always telling me about online. A Walther P22 at the gun shop next to my house is $349. I think that gunbroker and online sales have convinced a lot of us that guns cost less than they do. If you sell several thousand guns a month through your website, then sure, a $20 markup on a $300 gun is enough profit, but if you only sell 300 guns a month or so, then you have to give that gun a good $75 markup to make money.

I dunno, the local shop here sells their P22's for $250. When you factor in shipping and "transfer" fees from an online shop, it's cheaper just to get it from the shop here.

I'd have to say "at cost" just means "no loss, no gain" in this case. They're not bad deals, but they're nothing amazing either.
 

imperialism2024

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douglama wrote:
I don't understand

I checked the Barrett 82A1, regular price is 8,800 he is selling them far 8,805.47

It shows a savings of -5.47 (neg)
Hmm and quite a bit more than here: http://schryvergunsales.com/Barrett.htm

It's tempting to just put one on credit cards and pay it off in a month or two, but I think I'm just gonna wait 'til I can pay cash.
 

Tess

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Selling "at cost" for a merchant usually means selling for what it costs him to sell, not what it costs him to buy.

He pays for the merchandise, plus overhead, plus wages and benefits. Without a percentage for profit, that's still more than it will cost him simpy to buy the item. If he sells at what it costs him to buy, he's essentially taking his selling expenses out of his pocket - that is, giving money away.
 

DreQo

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Tess wrote:
Selling "at cost" for a merchant usually means selling for what it costs him to sell, not what it costs him to buy.

He pays for the merchandise, plus overhead, plus wages and benefits. Without a percentage for profit, that's still more than it will cost him simpy to buy the item. If he sells at what it costs him to buy, he's essentially taking his selling expenses out of his pocket - that is, giving money away.
Well his "at cost" is still more expensive than my local gun shop's "at profit", so eh. He either needs to get new suppliers or reduce his overhead lol.
 

DreQo

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ama-gi wrote:
Anyone know why this gunwould be almost $70 more expensive than this one?

They look like the only difference is that one is blued and the other stainless. Is blued steel cheaper?
Generally, blued guns are cheaper than their stainless, or otherwise shiney, counterparts. Often the blued guns are made of steel that can be blued, while stainless cannot be blued (normally), since it doesn't oxidize to begin with. Or at least that has been my experience.
 

sjhipple

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DreQo wrote:
ama-gi wrote:
Anyone know why this gunwould be almost $70 more expensive than this one?

They look like the only difference is that one is blued and the other stainless. Is blued steel cheaper?
Generally, blued guns are cheaper than their stainless, or otherwise shiney, counterparts. Often the blued guns are made of steel that can be blued, while stainless cannot be blued (normally), since it doesn't oxidize to begin with. Or at least that has been my experience.

Does blued steel rust easier than others? What are the downsides?

(Last question and I'll end my thread hijack)
 

DreQo

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ama-gi wrote:
DreQo wrote:
ama-gi wrote:
Anyone know why this gunwould be almost $70 more expensive than this one?

They look like the only difference is that one is blued and the other stainless. Is blued steel cheaper?
Generally, blued guns are cheaper than their stainless, or otherwise shiney, counterparts. Often the blued guns are made of steel that can be blued, while stainless cannot be blued (normally), since it doesn't oxidize to begin with. Or at least that has been my experience.

Does blued steel rust easier than others? What are the downsides?

(Last question and I'll end my thread hijack)

I'm not an expert on this topic, but I'll tell you what I think I know:

Normal steel can and will rust. Rusting is when the iron in the steel bonds with oxygen from air or water, forming iron-oxide (rust). Bluing is applied to steel to form a protective layer of oxidation to prevent the steel from rusting further. The blue (or black) color is actually a form of oxidation in and of itself.

Stainless steel is very resistant (but not absolutely impervious) to rust. It will not rust simply by being exposed to the air. It also cannot be blued, since it wont oxidize.

To answer your question, properly blued steel will not rust any more than stainless will. The bluing prevents that. If the bluing is scratched or rubbed and bare steel is exposed, that portion of steel could begin to rust. A bluing pen can be used to touch up wear and tear.

If I'm wrong, someone please feel free to correct me :D.
 
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