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Bruno Shooters is now Price Gouging

Codiekfx400

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Jan 29, 2018
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I have ordered very few things from Bruno Shooters but this made me cringe. They are no better than cheaper than dirt anymore. Got this in my email today 9-10-2020.
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He raised prices significantly during Obummer administration too. He can charge whatever he wants but I'm out.

I'm not criticizing capitalism, this is America.
However, I'm smart enough to see the trends and buy before the crunch.

The lesson I want everyone to learn is to remember damn well who the hell is taking advantage and buy accordingly from now on.
 
If a business is only able to get 25% of the inventory they would normally carry because there is none available, which means they can only sell 25% as much inventory as before.... but their overhead remains the same?

How else do you stay in business?
You have to either make the bills selling what you have to sell - or fold.
 
i bought 8# of Varget a week ago for $189.00.

And i'm sure their making money on it.
and it wasn't there 3 weeks ago so they would have just got it in within 3 weeks time.
 
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Guess I have been getting fleeced for the two years that I have lived in NC. Normal price for a pound of H1000 during the summer has been $38.50 per pound. Not too far off from BRUNO’s. I ordered two pounds of RE-17 and some LR Magnum primers from BRUNO’s and got an email apologizing that although the web site showed in stock, they were out. Gave me a list of powders arriving this week, and I asked for 2lbs of H1000 plus the primers. Nobody else has any around here, or on the web. They will sell you a case if you call it in. The ad above is 1 case per person.
I usually buy Vihtavouri from Midway, and it is always $40+ per pound, so I didn’t blink at the H1000 price. Gouging? If so, every gun store for 150 miles of my house has been gouging me for two years. Better hope Orange Man Bad gets re-elected, or $40/lb powder will seem like a gift.
 
Guess I have been getting fleeced for the two years that I have lived in NC. Normal price for a pound of H1000 during the summer has been $38.50 per pound. Not too far off from BRUNO’s. I ordered two pounds of RE-17 and some LR Magnum primers from BRUNO’s and got an email apologizing that although the web site showed in stock, they were out. Gave me a list of powders arriving this week, and I asked for 2lbs of H1000 plus the primers. Nobody else has any around here, or on the web. They will sell you a case if you call it in. The ad above is 1 case per person.
I usually buy Vihtavouri from Midway, and it is always $40+ per pound, so I didn’t blink at the H1000 price. Gouging? If so, every gun store for 150 miles of my house has been gouging me for two years. Better hope Orange Man Bad gets re-elected, or $40/lb powder will seem like a gift.

Small local shops have more overhead. I stop in and buy a thing or two at the high prices to keep the local gun shop open.
 
I have had many arguments about price gouging. While I think it is their right to do it and should not have government intervention (unless it is a basic necessity) I choose never to buy from that business again. I understand supply and demand but I also have a very good memory for companies with excessive prices compared to competitors.
 
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What is the benefit of them being all from the same lot if they'll only sell you one?

I will not be paying those prices but someone will.
You have to buy a 10lb case. They are saying all 10lbs you buy will be from the same lot.
 
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If a business is only able to get 25% of the inventory they would normally carry because there is none available, which means they can only sell 25% as much inventory as before.... but their overhead remains the same?

How else do you stay in business?
You have to either make the bills selling what you have to sell - or fold.

Thank you, someone that understands how inventory turnover works.
 
If a business is only able to get 25% of the inventory they would normally carry because there is none available, which means they can only sell 25% as much inventory as before.... but their overhead remains the same?

How else do you stay in business?
You have to either make the bills selling what you have to sell - or fold.

This is what’s mainly happening.

And the “we are supposed to be a community” sentiment.......99% of those people won’t be there bailing Bruno’s or other companies out or making sure their kids eat if they go out of business. It’s only a “community” in the sense they want to be able to buy what they want at the price they want at anytime they want.
 
I have an issue with price gouging when it comes to necessities, such as food, water, and shelter in times of disaster. But at other times and with other items, charging with the market will pay is what responsible businesses do. Some keep prices relatively stable to maintain goodwill with their customers, but that is a business decision and risk. The reality is that very few customers are loyal to businesses. So that goodwill is only worth so much.
 
I have ordered very few things from Bruno Shooters but this made me cringe. They are no better than cheaper than dirt anymore. Got this in my email today 9-10-2020.View attachment 7420998

I'm just curious what is your definition of not gouging?

What would you consider a reasonable jump in price vs gouging?

Its one thing for a company to raise prices when they have unlimited access to components....but it seems like most places don't now. So in order to make the same money, or margin, they need to raise prices.
 
Nobody said we had to like it.

But this situation is not of Bruno’s, or any other retailer or dealer’s making.
And I will be completely shocked if the price Bruno’s pays for their products didn’t rise just like everything else we buy did. We are all suffering from the same global conditions and situation.

I am in the same boat with regards to pricing of my company’s products. Every single component I use has increased in price over the last year, and will continue to forever. Some by only 5%. Most by an average of 30%, while others have doubled in price - which necessitates an increase in my price.

Will all of my customers like it?
None will. I have no choice.
I either raise prices or go out of business.
It’s exactly that simple.
 
My go to ffl raised the price from 25 to 60 for a transfer but I didnt discover that fact until after it was all done and time to pay today. SO now it used to be my ffl. They said they raised it because they were getting too many transfers with covid. How could they find that to be a problem I dont know but it feels like a bait and switch to me. Im sure thats not what they intended and just didnt wait a back log or something probably rather than just denying transfers but it felt that way to me.
 
Really about in line with local shops anymore. They are all somewhere around $30-40 a pound....which made ordering online a lot more reasonable. Didn't take long at all to pay for the hazmat and shipping. I think my blackpowder alone broke me even. LGSs really gouge on BP as they have specific storing requirements and such.

I'm all for supporting local small shops....but I shouldn't have to put your kids through college myself.
 
This is what’s mainly happening.

And the “we are supposed to be a community” sentiment.......99% of those people won’t be there bailing Bruno’s or other companies out or making sure their kids eat if they go out of business. It’s only a “community” in the sense they want to be able to buy what they want at the price they want at anytime they want.

Logic.

But then I'm also guilty of driving 3 hours each way to buy 2 lbs of RL26 from a "local" store, so what do I know about the subject :)
 
Logic.

But then I'm also guilty of driving 3 hours each way to buy 2 lbs of RL26 from a "local" store, so what do I know about the subject :)

:LOL::LOL: I tried to drive to Indiana (from Ohio) for a case of primers and some RL26 but the wife wasn't having it. Of course this was about 2 months ago when our son was 1 month old and COVID was more of a concern lol.... a man can try
 
It’s about an hour’s drive for me to get to Bruno’s, and I went too late after this Covid problem started - so they were out of the primers and projectiles I wanted. But they had powder then, so I bought lots of it. I managed to get projectiles online. Still watching for primers.

We’re all in this together.
 
I wont do business with the places that gouge during panic buying. Its not right. We are supposed to be a community that supports each other.
The problem is also your neighbors that really don't care much about you or the community. They got the money they don't really care about the price Seville just stock up and sit on it. You saw the same thing with toilet paper, Meats, canned goods.
 
My go to ffl raised the price from 25 to 60 for a transfer but I didnt discover that fact until after it was all done and time to pay today. SO now it used to be my ffl. They said they raised it because they were getting too many transfers with covid. How could they find that to be a problem I dont know but it feels like a bait and switch to me. Im sure thats not what they intended and just didnt wait a back log or something probably rather than just denying transfers but it felt that way to me.


its amazing how some businesses gripe about having TOO much business.
some folks could have a ham under each arm and complain they have no bread.
 
its amazing how some businesses gripe about having TOO much business.
some folks could have a ham under each arm and complain they have no bread.

It's not griping - it's Business 101.

At $25/transfer, it's hard to make money considering how much time a transfer takes. A $100 ammo sale takes about a minute and makes them more money. Many gun shops FFL transfers as a way to bring people into the store, but if you're spending all your time doing transfers and not doing things that really bring in revenue, then you need to make a change.

I have this conversation with my gun smith every so often. His core business is building custom rifles, but he makes very little money on those for the time he puts in. He regularly laments that he wishes he could just spin up barrels - that's where he makes his money. I tell him to charge more for the builds. Charge more = less customers, but more money per customer = same revenue for less time.

As to @spife7980 's situation. I don't disagree with the store changing their prices, but they really need to make it clear that it's happened. That is not the most kosher of business practices.
 
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It's not griping - it's Business 101.

At $25/transfer, it's hard to make money considering how much time a transfer takes. A $100 ammo sale takes about a minute and makes them more money. Many gun shops FFL transfers as a way to bring people into the store, but if you're spending all your time doing transfers and not doing things that really bring in revenue, then you need to make a change.

As to @spife7980 's situation. I don't disagree with the store changing their prices, but they really need to make it clear that it's happened. That is not the most kosher of business practices.


ok then I am missing something on transfers.
the times I have transfered things its walk in, sign here, sign here, out the door. 10 minutes tops.

is there more to it? that's a honest question as I do want to know.

seems a shop can make $100 plus a hour just doing transfers fairly easy in today's climate.
with ammo and components scarce, and bare shelves plentiful, seems like shops would want to stack money however they can get it.

my point is, dont bitch about offering a service if you dont like providing the service.
if a business owner is going to lament offering a service, then simply dont offer the service, or find another profession, business 101 as you put it.
 
It's a free market and the market will pay what the market is willing to bear. I stocked up on components over the last three years, so I'm all set. I don't need to spend $325.00 on an 8 pounder that I paid $200.00 (+/-) for in the past.

I don't encourage going from $200.00 to $325.00 because yes, it does look like gouging. However, we know nothing of what has happened with dealer's costs for material either. I suppose if I needed some 4350, I'd swallow hard, buy it at $325.00 and go shoot. If things work out the way I assume they will, about the time that I need more 4350, prices will have come back down. I don't know that we'll see $200.00 for an 8 pounder again though.
 
ok then I am missing something on transfers.
the times I have transfered things its walk in, sign here, sign here, out the door. 10 minutes tops.

is there more to it? that's a honest question as I do want to know.

seems a shop can make $100 plus a hour just doing transfers fairly easy in today's climate.
with ammo and components scarce, and bare shelves plentiful, seems like shops would want to stack money however they can get it.

There are FFLs that only do transfers. They are set up to do so efficiently. A friend of mine is one such FFL. He can make money at it because he has very low overhead, and does all his transfers out of a small industrial office that costs him next to nothing. He charges $45, btw.

Stores are a different animal. Making $100/hour for maybe spending $40 all-in on an employee for that hour (including benefits, etc.) may sound like you're making out, but since you're selling other things as your primary business, you've got to hire more people (which is expensive), train them (which takes your time), and also account for down time, sick/vacation, etc. Most gun stores around me do not even do FFL transfers, and those that do, charge around $75 - some up to $125.

my point is, dont bitch about offering a service if you dont like providing the service.
if a business owner is going to lament offering a service, then simply dont offer the service, or find another profession, business 101 as you put it.

Businesses frequently offer services they don't want to do. In the case of FFL transfers, it's to bring customers into the store so they make more sales. But if you're spending all your time doing the transfers, then sales suffer.

And I don't think Spife said they were bitching.

"They said they raised it because they were getting too many transfers with covid."

To me that sounds like the transfers were putting a burden on the rest of the business and they didn't want to go through the expense, etc. of hiring someone.
 
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There are FFLs that only do transfers. They are set up to do so efficiently. A friend of mine is one such FFL. He can make money at it because he has very low overhead, and does all his transfers out of a small industrial office that costs him next to nothing. He charges $45, btw.

Stores are a different animal. Making $100/hour for maybe spending $40 all-in on an employee for that hour (including benefits, etc.) may sound like you're making out, but since you're selling other things as your primary business, you've got to hire more people (which is expensive), train them (which takes your time), and also account for down time, sick/vacation, etc. Most gun stores around me do not even do FFL transfers, and those that do, charge around $75 - some up to $125.
Businesses frequently offer services they don't want to do. In the case of FFL transfers, it's to bring customers into the store so they make more sales. But if you're spending all your time doing the transfers, then sales suffer.

And I don't think Spife said they were bitching.

"They said they raised it because they were getting too many transfers with covid."

To me that sounds like the transfers were putting a burden on the rest of the business and they didn't want to go through the expense, etc. of hiring someone.


fair points........
I guess in my part of the world, the employee benefit end of it is rare.
most shops just have part timers and such or older men looking for a part time job. (whatever minimum wage is)

your explanation makes a bunch of sense for vast amounts of the country, especially bigger shops.
 
A FFL can get fined or his business shut down because of mistakes on the 4473 or acquisition/disposition books. Higher transfer volumes equal more chances for errors, especially if the store is full of Covid panic buyers. The FFL has all the ATF liability for a firearm they did not even sell. If you have ever been through an ATF audit ,$60 transfers seem way too cheap.
 
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Correct me if I'm wrong but would'nt the majority of these transfers be for.......firearms they sold? yeah there's the occasional private party transfer and out of state transfer but I would assume most of their transfers are for guns they sold?
 
Correct me if I'm wrong but would'nt the majority of these transfers be for.......firearms they sold? yeah there's the occasional private party transfer and out of state transfer but I would assume most of their transfers are for guns they sold?

Well yes, but they don't charge for transfers when you purchase their inventory, thats already factored in.

They're talking about inbound and outbound transfers from other dealers/people/etc. The FFL I do all my transfers through doesn't even sell firearms. All he does is transfers out to other FFL's and then receives transfers from other FFLs/Dealers. He has a seriously legit process with barcodes and everything is automatic and digital so it can't get screwed up.

How do you think all of those Online Gun retailers sell so many firearms? They have to send them to FFL's, which then the person who bought it has to go pick it up and do a transfer, and with that comes a fee.
 
1 lb bottles of powder run $30 to $40 here on a normal day. 10 lbs for $399 doesn't seem out of bounds, though I haven't bought Varget in a couple of years...
 
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If it's sold at msrp is it really gouging? ctd was selling well above msrp the last time things got scarce - hence I don't see myself ever going to their website again

also is bruno paying more from the distributor?
 
Lots of good deals during panic buys end up on auction sites by flippers anyway. At least now the store can have items in stock and adjust prices lower if sales stagnate.
 
Gotta say that 25% seems really cheap if you go and look at the price of primers, 5.56 or 9mm right now. I mean if I've read articles saying that the wholesale prices of some stuff was at MSRP and if the upstream is jacking prices you've still gotta make money. That also says nothing of having to pay fixed costs as mentioned while moving almost no inventory because it all got sold out and you haven't seen anything come in for weeks if not months at this point.

Based on prices right now I think it's easier to get guns and mags than ammo which is kind of funny. I don't recall that being a situation really, the guns and mags all shot up in price but they seem somewhat steady in comparison to ammo. It's a weird place we're in for sure.
 
I have ordered very few things from Bruno Shooters but this made me cringe. They are no better than cheaper than dirt anymore. Got this in my email today 9-10-2020.View attachment 7420998
Every pound of H4350 I've ever purchased over the last couple years was between $33-35 a pound. So..... I guess the gouging has been going on for a while now.
 
You can buy direct from Hodgdon's website now for regular price $225ish for 8#ers of Varget/H4350 etc. Whether right or wrong, if it's high just move on to the next site. Too many businesses out there to get ruffled by one. If they want to sell high like Copper Creek also selling ammo high, and Cheaper than dirt, etc, just avoid them in the future as well when prices aren't high.
 
LOL. Made a years worth of money in 6 months, now they need to gouge to keep the doors open. Nope sounds like horse shit.
This is what’s mainly happening.

And the “we are supposed to be a community” sentiment.......99% of those people won’t be there bailing Bruno’s or other companies out or making sure their kids eat if they go out of business. It’s only a “community” in the sense they want to be able to buy what they want at the price they want at anytime they want.

Your 99% straw man insult/argument is utter bullshit.

We had a long thread in the Bear Pit when this first started that the gouging would not be going on here. And the HMFIC took a stance that members that did so would be banned. Should I assume it was you who rejected my report of a member here price gouging and not him? Or is all that out the window?

A free market sure is beautiful. I am free to not patronize businesses that monetarily rape this community because they can. You don't like that, you don't want us to be a community, you want to call anyone who calls this a community a liar who wants cheap shit? :LOL::ROFLMAO::LOL: Lob all the stones you want, I see what you are made of. Your baseless insults and arguments inform me you are not one to be listened to anyway.
 
LOL that isn't price gouging. If powder goes from 30 to 40 a lbs who cares be stocked or wait til it comes back down. If they are asking $100 a lbs that would be gouging. some people need to stop being so damn cheap! That is the price you pay to not be stocked ahead.
 
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