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Are we on the outs?


Highwall

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I went to Cabela's today to purchase a solid color flannel shirt. (hard to find locally).

Since I was there I thought I'd visit the gun display cabinets just to see what was there.

I'm, like many of you a revolver man but was very disappointed to see only two in the 

cases filled with Semi autos. One was a Taurus 44 and the other a S&W 500. Ugh!

I even asked if there were any single action revolvers available and was told by special order only.

It doesn't seem that long ago I could visit the same display cabinet and find Ruger Vaqueros,

Pietta's  and Cimarron brands. 

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Cabela's has really deteriorated, especially customer service, since it was bought out by Bass Pro.

 

I have an oversized "signature" store (2nd largest?) close by and still never go to it.

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Cabelas dropped a ton of the guns they carried after Bass Pro bought them out.  Online has even shrank now.  
add to it every gun of every type is outta stock, and you have bare cupboards. 

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I have a Cabelas store about 70 miles from me and a Bass Pro about 100 miles south of me. The Cabelas lot was always full...didn't seem to matter what day of the week. Since the Bass Pro buyout...I can almost always park close to the doors. The Bass Pro is pretty much the same way. You would think that they would get the idea maybe they need to change a little...but I guess it isn't sinking in.I was very happy when their takeover of Sportsmans Warehouse fell through. In talking with people at Sportsmans...it sounds like a lot of other people feel the same way.

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If you want a DA 44 don't discount the Taurus Tracker in 44 mag. A pretty decent revolver, as long as the price ain't over $450.

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I saw the same thing recently at the Hamburg, PA Cabela's store, which I had not been to in a couple of years. Hardly anyone in the parking lot. The store was loaded with merchandise, except firearms, and what little they had on hand in pistols were all semi auto. However the good news was that they had more powder on hand that I had seen anywhere else in a while.

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Our local Cabelas was not that good compared to some of the others I have visited before Bass Pro wrecked the chain. 
They did at least carry Cabelas brand clothing. Which I found to b pretty good. An XL shirt was a XL shirt, not a L marked as a XL and called a slim XL? 
I believe that the lack of Rugers Vaqueros is due to them not being in production. I might be wrong but is what I was told at the LGS who is a huge Ruger Dealer.

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Cabela’s really took a nosedive after they were acquired. Shame,  like some of you I drive right past a Bass Pro for Cabela’s any time I needed anything, now they’re one in the same. 
 

I’m lucky to have a Scheel’s 4 miles away, which blows them both out of the water. Plenty of everything at great prices there. 

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I have heard from my LGS that the mfg are concentrating on the plastic semi autos as that’s what’s easier and faster to make.  With production capacity limited, they don’t want to spend time making a revolver when they can make 2 or 3 plastic guns instead.    Same with ammo.   I expect now that shelves are getting stocked again the less popular items will be produced again.   
 

most places now have lots of 9 and 223.   I have even seen some on sale.  

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I was hearing the same TKD, Ruger is not running the revolver line. The demand for autos is so strong. Low and behold I walked into my LGS yesterday and they had new Vaqueros in the case. One followed me home! I was told these just came in.

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Yep, semi autos are still in high demand. Revolvers, not so much. One thing that I've noticed (for the last few years) is a complete lack of .22 DA/SA revolvers. Ruger makes the snub nose but other than that, there just isn't anything.

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My house in Massachusetts is about equidistant from the Cabelas in Hartford, Connecticut and the one in Scarborough, Maine.  The one in Hartford always seems to have a few Colts in stock.   I have no idea why.   It's been, well, let's see, I've not been to either one since before Covid, but the last time I was at either of them, they were pretty well stocked.

There is also one in Berlin, Mass, but since the day it opened, it carries NO used handguns of any kind, and it's supply of new pistols has always been limited.  But, it is in Massachusetts, so that explains a lot.  Its Gun Library was also always kind of sparse.

 

But if I need to go to a "big store" like that, I just hit the Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, Maine.  It's always worth going there.   

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In the Redmond/Bend, Central Oregon area, box store retailers have discontinued firearm/ammunition stocking.  The list includes Dick's Sporting & Walmart.  When I heard that Bass Pro, we do not have one in Central Oregon, was looking to take over the Sportsman Warehouse in Bend I was worried based on what had happened to Cabela's.  Thankfully it did not happen and they are beginning to get really stocked up.  The Bass Pro's I have visited are really main stream fishing oriented and have never impressed me.   It is obvious that they are $ driven, not product driven.  Great shopping atmosphere though.  We have a Coastal and a Bi-mart and both have a reasonable selection of cartridges and firearm mix,  Bi-mart having the better prices usually.  We have one LGS in Redmond that has been here for many years, supports CAS and is a good place.  Most of us CAS shootist's reload here as it is rare to find CAS loads on the shelf.  There are some LGS's in Bend but they mostly support the semi auto/AR type crowd.  

Happy Trails to all,  CK :)

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8 hours ago, Jon C said:

Cabela’s really took a nosedive after they were acquired. Shame,  like some of you I drive right past a Bass Pro for Cabela’s any time I needed anything, now they’re one in the same. 
 

I’m lucky to have a Scheel’s 4 miles away, which blows them both out of the water. Plenty of everything at great prices there. 

Scheels in Sparks has a smaller handgun display case than Sportsman's in Carson City or Reno.  Haven't been to Cabela's in Verdi since 2020.  In 2021 I change Medicare Advantage from Kaiser to Etna so I no longer had to drive 3 hrs. to Sacramento area.  Driving to Roseville for medical services not available at the MOB in Folsom meant that frequently I would check out Cabela's.  With Etna I had to go to Reno for neurology & MRI's.  Since, August 2021 when I received a 70% disability rating I have to go to Reno for everything except routine & urgent care.  The last time I checked out Cabela's except of a couple of Ruger SA revolvers there were several models of LCR's & S&W Bodyguards.  I agree that most handgun sold today are for defense and compact & micro compact pistols are very popular.

P.S.  When riding shotgun with my son delivering my grandson's Kia to him in Fayetteville NC we drove through Springfield and stopped at the Bass Pro home store to check out the historical firearms collection.  We stopped primarily to have brunch with my wife's nephew.  I convinced my son to stop at Bass Pro (he had been there done that).

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It's not just the big box stores. The distributors are sold out of single actions and have been for awhile. I have 3 sets on backorder already paid for, just waiting for them to get resupplied. 

 

JEL

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I have a friend that's a Kansas State Trooper. He tells me all states now require them to carry semi-autos

Mostly Glocks and mostly 40 or 45 cal. 

I have owned three semi's, a Colt 1911, a Browning Buck Mark II and the other a Ruger LCP. All jammed on me once or twice

on the range so I eventually got rid of them. I'd much rather depend on my 6 revolvers (which have never malfunctioned) in the 50 years 

plus I've been shooting. 

 

 

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Larger gun shops go to distributors for brands, sometimes they get several guns and don't always have a choice. They get a bunch of one and a couple of others. My shop just got a big ruger order and it had a couple vaquerros, one sold, shop still has the stainless 5in 45colt. Like 745.00....not bad

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On 9/21/2022 at 10:07 PM, Highwall said:

I have a friend that's a Kansas State Trooper. He tells me all states now require them to carry semi-autos

Mostly Glocks and mostly 40 or 45 cal. 

I have owned three semi's, a Colt 1911, a Browning Buck Mark II and the other a Ruger LCP. All jammed on me once or twice

on the range so I eventually got rid of them. I'd much rather depend on my 6 revolvers (which have never malfunctioned) in the 50 years 

plus I've been shooting. 

 

 

We allow wheel guns, but not many carry them as their primary anymore due to capacity, so all states are not "required" to carry semi-autos. I also don't personally know of any agency that uses .45 as a primary caliber anymore, mostly due to cost. It's either 9mm or .40 and a lot who are in the .40 are going to 9mm, my agency is one of those. 

 

While Glock's are popular among LEO agencies, the S&W M&Ps are taking their reign away quickly. There are also some that carry H&Ks, FNs, Sigs, etc. but the two powerhouses are Glock and Smith. All in all even though I do like the Glock IMO the S&W M&P is a much better gun overall. S&W has repeatedly asked what owners/users like and don't like about their gun and S&W has actually listened to their customers and made major improvements from the Gen 1 to the Gen 2. With the Gen 3 on the horizon they've asked again and I bet they will make it even better. The new M&P Shield 9 plus has a phenomenally good trigger right out of the box, that was from them asking what they could do to it to improve on what they had. With the Glock reps they alway say, Hey....it's "Glock Perfection". Well KMA, the Glock is by far the #1 modified gun. There are 1000s of companies out there making millions of dollars on aftermarket parts attempting to fix all of "perfections" problems. The ONLY reason Glock's have the factory ambi-slide and mag release and their useless changeable backstraps now is because S&W put them on the M&P. S&W also did a way better job because the gun was designed for it not modified later to add to the "perfection". The Smith's backstraps actually help the firearm fit different size hands all around whereas the Glock just extends the length of the grip. Don't get me wrong, I like and have many Glocks, but I just feel the S&W is just a better duty/self defense firearm, especially in the stock factory configuration.

 

If you have had that many jams with those particular firearms, especially the Browning, then it's probable the indian and not the arrow, no offense. More trigger time and maybe some instruction with your hold will help.

 

With that said, in a personal self defense situation you can't go wrong with a wheel gun. I have the S&W 340PD 357 that I carry. No need for jam drills, if it don't go bang when you pull the trigger just pull it again. Simple, they hold their value very well, and if taken care of will last a lifetime or longer. 

 

JEL 

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38 minutes ago, Assassin said:

If there was a market for single actions they'd be in stock. 

I don't think this is entirely true because when my distributors get them in stock they go fast. Someone is buying them. One of them had 14 of the Cimarron 5 1/2" 1858 New Model Navy's in 38 Spl. And they all sold out before I could even get an order in. I just want a set of those just because they look so cool. 

 

JEL

 

 

 

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Last time I checked 5 states still endorse the .45 ACP for troopers including Kansas. 

As far as Browning semi's go My only experience with them was with IHMSA and although very accurate

they were notorious for fouling at the range in competition. 

Experience made me a revolver man!

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14 minutes ago, Assassin said:

I just bought a 686+. Nothing like a 7 shot 357 mag. It's a hefty pistol for sure.

I had a 686 in an 8 inch barrel back in the day when I was into IHMSA, It did me good! Nothing more satisfying than toppling a metal ram at 200 yds!

 

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Howdy,

 

It's true that revolver sales ( DA and SA) are a small percent of total gun sales in stores. Our store, we stock at least 2 full cabinets of revolvers and sell more of them then some of my friends that have shops. But Semi auto is still the king of sales (roughly 90% of the handgun sales). The tough part is that the manufacturers are now constantly on backorder for all semi auto micro and mid compact handguns through the distributors. One of our big distributors told me last week that they have a continuous backorder for the Hellcats (all models) of over 5,000 units. This is a standing backorder as they come in, it reorders at 5,000. Same with many other hot guns. Revolvers they order 300 at a time.  

The other issue is that the new to firearms crowd does not want anything but a high capacity 9mm. This is from great marketing, and TV shows and movies. Rarely do you see the hero of shows using a revolver. It's a shame that it is so hard to get new shooters in most cases to consider a revolver since it would be much better for them to start with.

But we sell them what they want at the end of the day. 

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10 hours ago, C.C. Top said:

Howdy,

 

It's true that revolver sales ( DA and SA) are a small percent of total gun sales in stores. Our store, we stock at least 2 full cabinets of revolvers and sell more of them then some of my friends that have shops. But Semi auto is still the king of sales (roughly 90% of the handgun sales). The tough part is that the manufacturers are now constantly on backorder for all semi auto micro and mid compact handguns through the distributors. One of our big distributors told me last week that they have a continuous backorder for the Hellcats (all models) of over 5,000 units. This is a standing backorder as they come in, it reorders at 5,000. Same with many other hot guns. Revolvers they order 300 at a time.  

The other issue is that the new to firearms crowd does not want anything but a high capacity 9mm. This is from great marketing, and TV shows and movies. Rarely do you see the hero of shows using a revolver. It's a shame that it is so hard to get new shooters in most cases to consider a revolver since it would be much better for them to start with.

But we sell them what they want at the end of the day. 

Marketing is paramount.

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I remember when there was just one Cabela's and that was in Sidney Nebraska. I was 16 (1965) and my dad and I would stop in and load up on stuff like warm attire, ammo, fishing equipment and camping needs on our way to Keyhole Reservoir in Wyoming in early Fall. 

Once there, the pan fried buttered Walleye we caught was beyond delicious, the roasted rabbit we shot and harvested was great and sleeping in the 1961 Buick station wagon was great since it was too dang cold in the tent at night!  LOL

We kept an open fire the whole week and to this day my favorite breakfast is a can of corned beef hash scalded with a mix of scrambled eggs and onions! Bacon on the side of course. 

So are we on the outs? Indeed we are!

I have 3 grand kids, their only interest is in their Kindles  and iPads, They don't show any interest in fishing, or hunting or even going outside that much. Camping is out of the question with grandpa without the access to the internet. .:(

It's not the way I brought up my kids but I reckon times change.

 

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It’s not only Cabelas, it’s everywhere! No single actions anywhere except for one store here in Ohio, Fin Feather and Fur. They have a decent selection of Ubertis, Piettas and Rugers .

Check em out! 

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Hopefully what comes around goes around! :unsure:

My Grandson will inherit from me single action revolvers, single shot and lever action cowboy type rifles! 

It's just a shame my son-in-law doesn't have the same enthusiasm for them as I did at his age. But then he's a hero Marine vet from the Iraq war so 

I'm not about to complain. I just pray my most coveted possessions aren't sold or traded away for assault weapons one day. 

I grew up with the influence of TV and movie westerns of John Wayne, Once a Time in the West, Gunsmoke, Paladin, Wanted dead or A live and Rawhide etc.

( remember Heck Ramsey?)

That genre inspired me enough to join SASS  and IHMA  back in the day.

My dad gifted me with a Winchester 94 30/30 for Christmas when I was 16. What a great deer rifle that turned out to be!

Two Bucks, one a 6 point and a doe in the three following years! But harvesting deer isn't on the menu in my family any more.

Sadly my grandson is more influenced by Xbox and what games he can find on his iPad or Kindle. 

When he comes to my house he asks what I'm watching on the TV. Before I can answer he says "I know, Gunsmoke right?" LOL

He's 5 years old so I would like to take him out to the range and get him started with a 22 Cal single shot rifle (Savage 22lr, my first rifle) but his dad says that is his job and he's not ready yet so of course I bowed out. :(

Funny but my dad, a Marine vet from WWII let my grandpa take me shooting when I was just 5!

with a Winchester model 62.

Sorry to say times change, nothing stays the same but it's sad to see old traditions fade away.

 

 

 

 

before 

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"Are we on the outs?"

 

Ed, what an ugly thing to say. I abhor ugliness, does this mean we’re not friends anymore? You know, Ed, if I thought you weren’t my friend, I just don’t think I could bear it.

 

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9LPaIElr0M8/ThTs6xlJ61I/AAAAAAAABLM/Oyrac3kIeNs/s1600/doc01.png

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