How to find a good gun shop, vet them, and pick the best ones for you.

What if I told you there was an easy way to cut through the noise every new shooter has to deal with? (Not the literal noise, that’s what ear protection is for, you’ll hear a lot more about that from me later.)

I’m talking about the chaos. The information overload about what to do and when. The hundreds of companies vying for your attention and the incessant advice from your peers can leave the best of us stuck without some guidance.

After 2 decades of shooting I’ve come up with just that guidance. Since I’m not all that creative with naming things, I just call it “CFI’s New Shooter Roadmap.” Simple step-by-step guidelines for new shooters to try and stick to to go from “thinking about guns” to “hitting the range with confidence.”

Having a plan and following it will help to make your journey into the shooting world a much more enjoyable one. In our previous posts we’ve discussed many topics, what follows is a short catch-up summary of the points we’ve covered, and a look at where we’re going from here. If you haven’t read the other posts, click here to check them out.

CFI’S NEW SHOOTER ROADMAP

1. FIGURE OUT WHY YOU REALLY WANT TO SHOOT IN THE FIRST PLACE. Weekend shooting, home defense, personal defense, competitive shooting. Determining that will drive all the rest of your planning. Don’t wander into the gun world with blinders on, figure out your goals and work towards them.
2. RESEARCH (AND LEARN) SOME FIREARM BASICS. Calibers, sizes, manufacturers, as well as the local gun laws in your area are a good start. Then find some reputable gun shops and shooting ranges. Take the time to learn the language – it will help immensely. (Click here for Cobalt Firearm Instruction’s “Survival Gun-Talk Guide”)
3. GET SAFE! Before you venture into your local gun store or visit the local gun range to shoot for the first time, you need to become familiar with all aspects of safety as they relate to firearms handling (touching or holding a firearm) and operations (firing). Trying to learn gun safety “on the go” can be a recipe for disaster, and will not endear you to anyone in the shop or on the range. Learning safe gun handling and operations before you go is for your safety and that of others around you. Remember, that first gun shop that you walk into could become your “go-to” place from here on out, and there’s no quicker way to make a horrible first impression than by being unsafe with a firearm.
4. GET TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL GUN SHOPS/ RANGES. No two shops are exactly alike. Some are true small businesses, some are much larger concerns. Many have shooting ranges, some don’t. Certain shops only sell certain manufacturers’ products, some don’t care as long as it goes “boom”. You may not have easy access to one, or maybe you live in an area with many. Follow some simple tips to get to know the ins-and-outs of your local shops and ranges. Quick tip: let them know you are new. It will make it easier on both you and the store employees.
5. TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. Guns are like jeans or cars, they’re remarkably personal (if you’re a student of mine you’ve heard that one before.) Find a range that rents various calibers and models and go try before you buy. Issues like weight, recoil and ergonomics cannot be judged online, and some will only show up after firing the handgun a few times. Go to the range with some gun friends, try out some different companies and find what you like. This will be invaluable in helping you narrow down your choice company, caliber and size.
6. MAKE YOUR PURCHASE, THE RIGHT WAY. Do your research. Check various manufacturers websites, they are a great starting point and some have some really good information for the new shooter. Always buy from a reputable gun shop, but only after you have set your goals and you know that you’re buying the gun that you need for your goals.
7. PRACTICE AND FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE GUN BEFORE YOU HIT THE RANGE. Read up on your gun once you have purchased it. READ the owners manual before you start manipulating your firearm. Then, without ammunition, practice handling your firearm safely. Dry firing (no ammunition) will help develop the muscle memory and prepare you for the range. Picking up a gun for the first time and trying to learn everything you need to know on a live range is like learning to cook for the first time on an episode of Hells Kitchen. Sure you may pick up some of the basics, but you’re learning a brand new complicated and potentially dangerous skill in the most distracting of environments.
8. GET INSTRUCTION. (I know you can claim bias here, but I truly believe it and have seen remarkable results from it.) Whether it’s just an introduction course to your particular gun or it’s a formal set of ongoing training classes, its much better to begin learning the right way than to leave it to chance and risk developing bad habits.
9. HIT THE RANGE FOR YOURSELF! There’s no substitute for putting rounds downrange. Practice makes perfect. Don’t just pull the trigger, practice the fundamentals carefully and consistently. Your grip, trigger manipulation, sight picture, etc. Remember; you are just learning, it will take time. With regular, focused practice you will improve.

Got it so far? Excellent! Now let’s get back into it with #4.

So you’ve done some homework, you’ve started learning about firearms and firearm safety. You’ve visited a few manufacturers’ sites and you’ve figured out your own personal needs (see earlier blog posts on setting your goals.) You’ve narrowed down the size, caliber, and price range of your potential new gun and you are ready to move on. So, let’s get started.

There is only so much information you can glean from the virtual world when your objective lies in the real world. In other words, you’ll need to go “hands on” to find the best gun for you. Can’t do that on your phone, it’s time for the real thing; you’re going to get in the car and head out to the gun shop.

Exciting stuff.

Beginning thoughts on Gun Shops

There may be a small (or rather big) part of you that assumes all gun shops are going to be populated mainly by large, heavily tattooed, grizzled looking men. They’re most likely dressed in woodland camo or Oakley shades. These people will have NO time or patience for your questions and inexperience.

Ditch that concern. Right now.

In large part that is a stereotype perpetuated by people who have probably never set foot in a gun store and who have no experience with the shooting community or guns in general. And, like most stereotypes, it is not even close to the truth.

Can you find a “jerk” in a gun store? Sure, but where can’t  you find jerks? On the whole, gun store owners and employees are a very down to earth group of people who’s goal is the sale of firearms and spreading firearms knowledge “far and wide”. The idea that they would turn away, or talk down to new customers is counter intuitive. They want new customers, new shooters. In all my years of shooting and visiting gun shops, I’ve found that most owners/employees actually love showing someone new the ropes.

Assuming that you as a new shooter are safe, and don’t try to act as though you already know everything.

Be upfront about what you know and what you don’t know and things will usually go very smoothly.

So, what is a Gun Shop/Range?

A Gun Shop is any establishment/business legally allowed to perform the sale and purchase of firearms. Many will also sell ammunition and accessories, and have a host of other available services. These include but are not limited to:

• Big Box Stores (Walmart, Dicks, Cabelas, Bass Pro Shop)
• Small Businesses (Mom and Pop Gun Shops)
• Range Shops (Shops of varying sizes with varying offerings attached to a gun range for the sake of convenience.)

A Gun Range is any establishment/business where you can go to legally shoot your firearms. They range (as mentioned in our previous posts) from outdoor to indoor, public to private, attached to a store, or not. They may be tactical training facilities, or what looks like someones backyard. The point is, they’re a place where someone has gotten the insurance, licensing, credentials, land, and staff, to allow you to safely and legally shoot your firearm if you’re willing to pay them money.

Not all gun shops and ranges are the same! Some shops have ranges, and most ranges have some kind of shop (though this may just be where you go to buy “range time” and nothing else. Some shops only sell guns, while others may only sell accessories or ammunition. If you follow my advice in the article below, you’ll make sure you’re going to the right kind of shop for your needs. If you’re looking at a range as well, don’t forget to use the list I gave you in “Essential Knowledge for the New Shooter” (pictured below) to make sure you’re asking all the right questions so the range you pick lines up with your shooting needs!

A quick note to the new shooter…

If you’re new to shooting, and you have one available to you, I would highly recommend making your first gun shop an actual gun shop. Let me explain…

I’m sure the staff is all very good at a Dicks Sporting Goods or a Walmart, and I’m sure many know a very good bit about guns, but they are employees of sporting goods stores that happen to have guns, they don’t work at a gun shop.

Picture that scene from the movie 300 where the Spartans meet their Athenian allies (*I believe it was the Athenians) on the road to fight the Persians. The Athenian army is at least 3 times larger than the Spartans. The Athenian commander *looking concerned* asks Leonidas (king of the Spartans) why Sparta didn’t send as many soldiers as Athens did. Leonidas begins asking each Athenian man what he did for a living and they all answered with things like “potter” or “sculptor” or “farmer.” He then turns to his group of only 300 men and asks “SPARTANS… WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION?” To which they all replied with screams and smashing of shields (meaning “we’re soliders, duh.”) Leonidas then looks at the Athenian commander and says something like “You see, I did bring more soldiers than you.”

I’m obviously exaggerating a bit here but you get the point.

You’re taking your first steps into shooting, you want the people with the most knowledge at your back. You want people who live and breathe guns day-in and day-out, not someone that they just called over from the basketball section to cover someone’s lunch break. At a true Gun store they make their living selling and servicing (at some shops) firearms. Its all they do. So, who are the Spartans and who are the Athenians?

Many gun shops will even stand behind the guns they sell with an additional warranty, they may have a gunsmith on the staff, and possibly a range attached to the shop as well.

Imagine this:

How much better would you feel when buying your first car if you bought it from a dealer where you could bring the car back in any time for a tune up, or a free and unbiased consultation on what was going wrong or well with the car at any given time? What if that dealership had people on-site willing to sit with you and teach you how to be a precision driver? What if they had a track out back where you could test out all their work and practice driving that brand new car without taking it out onto the highway?

To wrap-up this “quick note”: Reputable Gun shops have a lot of additional pluses over big box stores. Don’t be afraid of visiting a gun shop. Let them know, up front, that you are new and have never handled a weapon before. They won’t laugh, they won’t ask for a selfie to post on their social media to show all their friends that they met one of those “new shooter morons”. What they WILL do, is treat you like a new person to their community. They will show you how to safely handle a firearm. They will become valuable allies in finding you just the right firearm for you. After all, they would really like to make a customer of you…right?

So, how do you find your gun shop/range?

As with just about everything nowadays, from buying a car or a house, to checking the weather or the traffic, when it comes time for you to go to the shop or the range, “there’s an app for that too”.

Put that computer on your desk or in your pocket to good use. Finding a range is not hard at all, it’s vetting them that’s the problem. Just as every restaurant is not a Michelin 5 star rated establishment, every gun shop is not going to be a 5 star shop. You have to put in the work to find the ones that meet your specific needs.

As we discussed in Essential Knowledge for New Shooters, a quick way to check on shops/ranges near you is by using the app wheretoshoot.org . With just your zip code, you can find a list of establishments near you.

Now, this does require that the shop has submitted a form about themselves to the site (which most have) but it’s possible that they have not done so yet. That being said, while the app may not have EVERY SINGLE Range, it has many of them. (see below.)

Cobalt Firearm Instruction Recommendation:,Want to find a good establishment near you? GTS (Google That Stuff) – That way you won’t just get the names, but access to pics, reviews, and more. (Reviews being the most important of them.)

You can also go and ask the NRA, or a good shooting friend, everyone’s got an opinion about the “best gun shop/range ever”. Heck, if you find yourself in a sporting goods store that sells firearms, ask around. They will definitely know, or know someone who knows, about a good shop or range.

So, you’ve got a list of your options in the area.

Might be a long list and might be a short one, but it’s what you got and we’re going to take a look at how to evaluate it.

We don’t have weeks of free time to spend going around to every gun shop in the area and getting to know them in person, so what do we do?

Read The Reviews.

The reviews are the key. A gun shop’s website (if they have one) will only tell you what they want you to know about them.

Google them.

Check YELP.

Any kind of reviews are tricky to navigate, reviews of a gun shop are even trickier.

Here’s my guide to making sense of gun shop reviews:

1. The negative reviews are ALWAYS over represented. This is the case with every establishment, but it’s especially the case with gun shops. People are much more motivated to leave a review when something goes wrong than when something goes right. It takes above and beyond service to incite a good review but very little to earn a bad one.
2. More customers than usual don’t know what they’re talking about. You’ll be hard pressed to find an industry more plagued with people who boldly and confidently talk on that which they know very little about. It’s unfortunate given the seriousness of the subject matter, but it’s the case. This is by no means everyone, but be sure you check and make sure the review makes sense and the complaint is a valid one, as many are just a result of a misinformed consumer, firm in their very incorrect opinion.
3. Read reviews about “mean” staff with a grain of salt. Some of the best stores have review pages with more than one mention of “rude” staff. I’M NOT TELLING YOU TO IGNORE 20 REVIEWS IN A ROW ABOUT HORRIBLE STAFF BEHAVIOR, by any means. However, you need to realize that when you are talking about firearms there is no room for exceptions when it comes to issues of safety or legality. This can rub many people the wrong way. When someone is handling a gun unsafely or they want to “fudge some paperwork” a firm hand is necessary to ensure a safe and professional establishment. This can offend some folks of a more delicate nature and be “cause” for a bad review.
4. You want to see a bad review or two. (But only a couple) They should look something like this: “I went into the store and was yelled at by the clerk when I tried to show him the gun that I needed to have work done on. Very rude, customer service really not the best here.” That usually translates to something more honest like this: “I brought my gun into this shop with no indication that it was unloaded, and I was barked at by someone who watched me pull what looked like a loaded gun out of my bag. I was not being careful about which way I pointed it, and once they took it out of my hands, they opened the chamber and warned me not to bring guns in the shop with closed chambers as no one there knows whether there is ammunition in the firearm.” One or two reviews like that just show me that the shop takes safety seriously.
5. Watch out for reviews about lack of safety. These are the ones that should raise red flags for you. Gun safety is paramount, and if there are repeated indications of safety procedures not being followed, be wary at least. It not only shows they aren’t keeping the firearms safety rules top of mind, but when your business is firearms, and you don’t get the safety part right? Let’s just say a gun shop with poor safety procedures is a lot like going to a hair salon where people didn’t know how to use scissors.
6. Don’t worry too much about reviews on price. One man’s “pricey” is another man’s “cheap.” Someone could be comparing prices to the deal they thought they saw on “Jimbo’s discount gun basement emporium” or could just not have enough experience to know what a good price for a good product is. Don’t shy away from a store because of one or two complaints about it being “pricey.”
7. Check the pictures! You want to get an honest look at both the shop and the range. Review pictures are the best way to do it. The state they keep their facility says a lot about the staff and the shop. Is it filthy? Do they seem to keep up with safety? (Backstops, clear aisles and walkways, etc.) Review photos can give you a better sense of the range than their website or social media will.

There you go guys & gals. Some notes on your gun shop, how to find them, and how to find which one you want to check out first.

Overall Conclusion

We’ve learned a lot so far and have a good ways to go, but you’re picking up some great knowledge and I hope it’s helping.

When you’re ready to check out your shop or range, make sure you get your homework done beforehand, it will make your time SO MUCH BETTER AND MORE USEFUL.

Find out what kind of places are available to you and try and pick a real-deal Gun Shop for your first time out. If they have a range, that much better!

Check the reviews with a keen eye, and get in touch with your list of potentials and ask the right questions before you go so you’re armed when you walk in to tell the guy or gal behind the counter: “I’m here, I’m new, I’ve got a good idea what you’re all about, I want to learn more and I’m here to start.”

Do all that, all while staying safe, and I’m sure you’ll find the perfect shop for you.

Check back in next week for my article on the Do’s and Don’ts of hitting your local range/shop for the first time!

In the mean time, go out and check your local range. Let me know what you think!

Stay Smart, Stay Safe, Never Stop Improving!