Best shop near Fort Wayne?

[csice]

Me and dad have been looking for a good place to buy guns and there doesn't seem to be much selection. The best we have seen is H & H as far as good selection goes...not so much with price. Anyways, what are a few of the best places within an hour or hour and a half of Fort Wayne? I'd have to say that a big selection is most important, closely followed by good prices. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[VanillaThunder]

to !

do yourself and dad a favor, make the drive to 21st Century in Bluffton. there is NO substitute for these guys...!

 

[roughthumbs]

Garrett has a decent shop. I like older used guns and they have plenty.

 

[lawrra]

to !

do yourself and dad a favor, make the drive to 21st Century in Bluffton. there is NO substitute for these guys...!

I will second that. They do their best to have ammo for any gun they sell, try to knowledgeably answer any questions, and treat you right. I bought my first handgun at H & H, and I wish I would have thought to go to 21st Century first (I hadn't been there since I was 16). I will definitely be making my next purchase with 21st.

 

[csice]

Thanks for the advice thus far. I just have no idea what is out there really. I'd have to say out of the stores I have been to so far, H & H is by far the biggest, which is unfortunate. I enjoy the little shops with lots of older stuff as you say, because typically the people are extra friendly, yet I am only really interested in new guns and a good selection, so those places really only seem to hold my interest for a very short while, which is a shame. I'll have to check out 21st for sure. If there are any others I can include on the list, let me know.

 

[WhitleyStu]

Ed Hirschy's Discount Guns

(260) 627-3119
17929 Tonkel Rd, Auburn, IN 46706
North of Dupont Rd 5 miles on Tonkel Rd.

Great selection at fair prices...

 

[csice]

Ed Hirschy's Discount Guns

(260) 627-3119
17929 Tonkel Rd, Auburn, IN 46706
North of Dupont Rd 5 miles on Tonkel Rd.

Great selection at fair prices...

For some reason my dad has it in his head based on second-hand knowledge that the owner is very unpleasant to deal with. Is there any truth to that or is it just misinformation?

 

[slackerisme]

No first hand experience, but I have heard that Ed runs his business like he hates it.

You call to make an appointment to buy whatever you need. He will give you an appointment "window", usually around 20 minutes. If you are late, that time comes off your allotted time. So 10 minutes late means 10 min to shop.

I kind of like to browse and shoot the poop, so he isn't for me.

Mile Corner is the shop in Garrett, they are good guys. One of the owners is an Indiana Senator or some such thing. They are at the corner of 327 and State Road 8. I-69 to 8, west to the second second stop sign, it will be on your left.

I also HIGHLY recommend the 21st Century experience. I drove 55 minutes to see the store and I will gladly do it again, and again, and again, and again....

 

[JNG]

Tomlinson's in Churubusco is a great shop. Good people, great selection, fair prices. Just head north on 33 out of Fort Wayne.

 

[teddy12b]

For some reason my dad has it in his head based on second-hand knowledge that the owner is very unpleasant to deal with. Is there any truth to that or is it just misinformation?

I have bought two guns from Ed Hirschy and that's because I was young and dumb. I give a lot of people second chances, but I'll never do business with him again. When I was younger I bought two guns from him, totaling just over $2000 and he was still an A$$@)$%&.

Here's what I don't like, if you know what you're looking for and call him up and ask what his price is he won't tell you and gives you some attitude about it. Ok that's one thing. Then if you want to see his gun store you have to make an appointment like he's a doctor and then once you get in the door and then you don't like the prices because THEY ARE HIGHER you get more attitude about wasting his time, like he's a Dentist or something.

Ed's big arguement is that he doesn't let people come in and manhandle his guns like they can at gander mountain, but the new guns always come out of the back in a brand new box so I don't see what his advantage is.

My cousin & uncle were treated the same way I was by him. I know he's been doing business for some time, and he must be doing great work for someone, but I'm not a fan and I won't recommend him.

Gander Mountaint: Decent Selection, high prices.
H&H: Great Selection, reasonable prices.
Tomlinsons: Pretty Good Selection, Good prices.

I recommend Tomlinsons to everyone I talk to because they are genuinely good people.

I've never been to 21st Century, but I plan on it.

 

[WhitleyStu]

No first hand experience, but I have heard that Ed runs his business like he hates it.

You call to make an appointment to buy whatever you need. He will give you an appointment "window", usually around 20 minutes. If you are late, that time comes off your allotted time. So 10 minutes late means 10 min to shop.

I have been buying from Ed for over 20 years. He never limits a customer to 10 minutes or only gives you a certain time limit. Ed asks you when you will arrive so he can spend time with each customer and not have 10-15 people waiting to buy and no one do start the paperwork. He is a two person business with his wife, Kerri. His reason for asking what you are looking for is so he can have the firearm in stock that you are interested in pruchasing. Ed is a retired teacher and has a layed back personality. One thing he does is zip tie each handgun so when you buy it you know it has no marks and has not been dry fired. He also has gun safes in stock is a seperate area and will give you all the time you need to select one and not keep customers in the gun shop waiting. Once you understand why he operates his business the way he does you can apperciate it....

 

[csice]

Well so far I will definitely be making a trip to 21st Century based on all that I have read on it. I'm not sure when I will be able to hit it up though, gun store hours seem counter-intuitive to me. I can't really make it up there by 6, and I may be gone this weekend; kind of a short window. I believe I have made up my mind on eventually getting a standard CZ 75 SP-01, hopefully they can get a good price on one.

 

[Jeremiah]

21st century and tomlinsons have both treated me well,H&H will to you just hve to know your prices.

Dan at Mile corner I can't deal with he mainly stocks revolvers, hunting shotguns, and varmit rifles. He is high on many prices when he does have more carry minded guns in stock. His ammo is high and I have never been able to deal with him. very limited selection of accesories.

Ed hirschy I have only talked to on the phone and will neve patronize his store, when I get ready to buy a new gun I'm not always sure what I will get, most of my gun purchases have been impulse buys, I have a "do want " list and generally buy something off it when it catches my eye. He wants you to come in after going to Gander mountain , H&h, 21st, Ranger supply, etc. handling guns there, getting an idea of prices, then trying to cut your best deal ith him, which may not always be cheaper. If I have to go to a retail outlet and do the work I want a discount on merchandise, and from my understanding you come in, look at the gun you talked about on the phone, decide on a price, pay, backround check, and then leave, no browseing allowed.

 

[teddy12b]

It's been a while since I've been to Ed's, but he always told me I had 15 minutes in his store. It's to big of a privilege to stand in his store, I'll let other people have it. I've experienced how he does business first hand. It's not like I didn't try calling him back for other purchases after the first two. It was when I was treated like that after spending a big amount of money in his store that I began looking for a new gunstore.

I'm loyal to gunstores that are good & fair. I actually bought a new rifle off of Tomlinsons tonight, because they are who they are.

 

[Scutter01]

to !

do yourself and dad a favor, make the drive to 21st Century in Bluffton. there is NO substitute for these guys...!

I will second that. They do their best to have ammo for any gun they sell, try to knowledgeably answer any questions, and treat you right. I bought my first handgun at H & H, and I wish I would have thought to go to 21st Century first (I hadn't been there since I was 16). I will definitely be making my next purchase with 21st.

 

[tatters]

Ed kinda got me once, with my M&P9c. He made me a bit of a deal, but not as much as I expected. It's also your choice to walk away. I chose to pay him. He was the only one around at the time who had the 9c I wanted. I bit. That said, I've gotten a couple of decent deals there, too. He just prefers to do business differently. No biggie, I've always felt welcome there.

Honestly, I prefer 21st Century. The only problem is I'm not closer to Bluffton.

 

[Chip]

I had a recently bad experience at H&H i got a Daniel Defense rifle with the new rear sling mount (really nothing new just a shotgun swivel). The thing is, I had to argue with the salesman (blonde hair, kind of pudgy, fair skinned idiot) who kept telling me that I had to order it from DD. I damn near had to get ****ty with him so he would show me the product. Once he did and I proved to him it fit, he became apologetic and thanked me for showing that to him but for 5 minutes he had to argue with me about it. If I hadn't needed it I would have left screaming. Why do people who work there (except for the FWPD officer) always feel they are more knowledgeable than their customer?

I actually prefer Tomlinson's in Churubusco as 21st is kind of far away.

 

[teddy12b]

Chip,
I know who the guy is that you're talking about @ H&H and he's usually pretty helpful. Problem for those guys is that they try to inform their customers and educate them on what they're looking at by telling them the basic information about the gun. They tell customers stuff that most guys on these forums consider common knowledge, but to the average guy on the street it's all new. I think that guy was just trying to be helpful, but still Tomlinsons takes the cake for me.

 

[Chip]

Teddy,

Thanks for the response, maybe I just hit him on a bad day (we all have them). I should mention that Ed Hirschy's has always been OK with me, a little low on the trade-in value, but at least he was honest and polite for his offer. Precision Arms of Indiana has always taken care of me as well and I am fortunate to have them 1/2 block from where I work.

Chip

 

[gunguy]

If you are North of Fort Wayne, the Shipshewana show is this weekend and 21st Century will be there as well as Precision Arms and ZX Guns!