Hi everyone,
I'm exploring opening a gun store for liberals and minorities in Orange County, CA. We're thinking of making making it a co-op store, limited hours store or a social club that also does FFL. Are there any gun store owners willing to help provide me some advice or would like to be investors?
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
2 again.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
3Do it. During a pandemic is a great time to start a new business. Just don't try and skirt California's gun laws. Just follow them. It's way more profitable. Put the store in Tustin just at the border with Santa Ana.
CDFingers
CDFingers
If I had a gun for every Ace I've drawn
I could arm a town the size of Abilene.
I could arm a town the size of Abilene.
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
4Stop by Redstone Firearms in LA and have a chat with their owners.
Glad that federal government is boring again.
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
5Cool idea. Lots of hoops to jump through for licensing but that’s probably true of any business. Curious how a co-op model would work for a firearms business but I imagine it should be fine.
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent." -Gandhi
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
6It would be nice to enter a gun store anywhere and not be assaulted by a tRump sign.
SR
SR
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition."
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
7Wouldn’t it be neat to have a gun store with all the cool paraphernalia yet filled with people of all different stripes and backgrounds sitting around sipping coffee and chatting? Such a place wouldn’t necessarily feel threatening to some Old White Trump Supporter. It may feel challenging for him to meet a bull-dyke sporting a nose ring who knows as much or more about guns than he does but curiosity usually takes over; it’s in our human nature to ask questions.
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent." -Gandhi
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
8Welcome ! Do your research and come up with a business plan to attract investors, besides liberals who are you targeting? Location is important because not all politicians want gun stores in their cities. The Sacramento Bee did a survey a number of years ago of the most conservative cities in Orange County and
The competition is Turner's and even they are having problems getting inventory. Not to burst your bubble, but it's one of the realities right now. It does have opportunities and maybe you look at more than just gun sales, you also provide personalized training. From reports there are a lot of first time gun owners who need training.
https://www.turners.com/storelocator.cf ... =&locSt=CA
A lot of things to consider.
https://www.ocregister.com/2014/08/25/s ... servative/... Newport Beach is the most conservative of the cities surveyed, with 60 percent of its voters described as conservative, followed by Yorba Linda (59 percent) and San Clemente (55 percent). Mission Viejo (52 percent) and Laguna Niguel (51 percent) are also in the top ten.
The competition is Turner's and even they are having problems getting inventory. Not to burst your bubble, but it's one of the realities right now. It does have opportunities and maybe you look at more than just gun sales, you also provide personalized training. From reports there are a lot of first time gun owners who need training.
https://www.turners.com/storelocator.cf ... =&locSt=CA
A lot of things to consider.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
9Make sure you sell used guns also. You can put them on the floor if you chain through the trigger guard. Guy touches an old gun and he's sold.
Don't ask how I know.
CDFingers
Don't ask how I know.
CDFingers
If I had a gun for every Ace I've drawn
I could arm a town the size of Abilene.
I could arm a town the size of Abilene.
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
10Also think in terms of Not Fascist rather than pro-liberal. The money is all the same but making any segment of your prospective clientele uncomfortable or unwelcome is not a good business strategy.
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
11I agree.sig230 wrote: Wed Oct 14, 2020 10:36 am Also think in terms of Not Fascist rather than pro-liberal. The money is all the same but making any segment of your prospective clientele uncomfortable or unwelcome is not a good business strategy.
A gun store is still a business that needs as many customers as possible. It’s best that the theme is “friendly to all” as an alternative to “conservatives only” in other gun stores.
Glad that federal government is boring again.
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
12Go both or go home. Fuk 'em, word gets around and you'll make $$.
SR
SR
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition."
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
13Free Biden hat with every shotgun purchase!! Seriously though, it would be real nice to walk into a LGS and not feel like an alien. I think that rather than "pro-liberal" advertising, you could make it clear through the little things, like store employees wearing masks, hiring women to do more than process FFL orders in the back, etc.
Also I would love to see a place that sells a wide array of compliance parts, and has compliance parts available for trying out before buying... like a library for fin grips? As a Californian I have SO much compliance gear laying around that I've had to buy to try that I might be able to start my own shop at this point, haha.
Crow
Also I would love to see a place that sells a wide array of compliance parts, and has compliance parts available for trying out before buying... like a library for fin grips? As a Californian I have SO much compliance gear laying around that I've had to buy to try that I might be able to start my own shop at this point, haha.
Crow
Minute Of Average
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
14I'm on the east coast so as much as I like this idea I will probably never get a chance to step across your threshold but if possible I recommend having some level of an online presence. If I can buy ammo/accessories from a business that doesn't make me feel like a misfit toy I would happily do so.
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
15Thanks for all the comments. Some other ideas:
- Various cities along the 5
- Different types of models like Co-op (like REI) with different open times (maybe just 2 days a week)
- Donations to various charities (eg. like how subaru donates to various groups with a car purchase)
- Streamlining the purchase process by using technology like docusign
- Various cities along the 5
- Different types of models like Co-op (like REI) with different open times (maybe just 2 days a week)
- Donations to various charities (eg. like how subaru donates to various groups with a car purchase)
- Streamlining the purchase process by using technology like docusign
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
16Do you have a personal relationship or can I get a soft referral?Stiff wrote: Wed Oct 14, 2020 1:09 am Stop by Redstone Firearms in LA and have a chat with their owners.
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
17Glad that federal government is boring again.
Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
18You got my business. As long as you’ll ship. Ammo, holsters, optic you name it. Heck I’ll buy a firearm shipped to a local FFL if the price is right.
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Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
19Off and running. Don't quit.
CDFingers
CDFingers
If I had a gun for every Ace I've drawn
I could arm a town the size of Abilene.
I could arm a town the size of Abilene.
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
20You would have my business — ammo, anything that can be shipped — until we have a similar store in Houston, TX. Try to include a range, safety training, and CHL/LTC training (if you have that in CA).
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
21The co-op idea is interesting and could definitely foster a sense of community. When I was starting my own small business, I found that connecting with others in my area was super helpful. Local meetups and networking events were great for sharing ideas and getting advice.You might want to consider looking into local regulations around FFLs and co-ops, as that can be tricky. Plus, sharing your vision on social media can attract like-minded people who might want to invest or collaborate with you. If you're looking for more resources, visit this site to explore business planning tools and tips that could help you get started.
Last edited by GLekter on Thu Oct 17, 2024 9:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Opening a gun store for liberals in Orange County, CA. ADVICE WANTED!
22Zombie thread. Still, the idea of a coop gun store is cool.
CDF
CDF
If I had a gun for every Ace I've drawn
I could arm a town the size of Abilene.
I could arm a town the size of Abilene.