How many of you bought airguns at a physical store vs online?

[Shuggoth]

I have been shooting airguns since 1970 and other than early Daisy and crosmans there have never been any stores with European airguns near enough to go to. In the past I bought from paper catalogs like Beeman's etc. I have also bought a few cheap B3 rifles from the old Cummins Tool Truck when they traveled around to grange halls etc. now it's all online from classifides or places like Baker Airguns, Pyramid, AOA etc

 

[rich177]

Both, but not many stores to buy from.

 

[jkingrph]

My first three were mail order, before we had the internet, then online from dealers and a few from individuals on this forum and gatewayto airguns. I visited a fairly new gunshop last week that was rather high end, and asked about airguns and got a definite no.

 

[Contndr35BB]

My first PCP was from Utah Airguns. I was working at job in Provo & staying about a 1/2 mile from UA& passed the store on the way to the job (not good) . The next few were online . A trip to Boston to visit family landed close to New England Airguns so.... yes came away w/ another. The rest have all been online .
But , I have found two B&M stores w/ in a few hr.s of me in the last couple months here in PA. I've never made it to any airgun shows yet.

 

[sekiar]

All but maybe a Daisy lever action. Over 80 via internet. Charles

 

[Chasdog]

All 3 of the Airguns I bought have been online. No stores near me that carry them. The last 2 were from Utah air.
I would love to spend a day in their store.

 

[Heavyopp]

The pellet shop is an hour drive for me...

 

[Dead-On]

The pellet shop is an hour drive for me...

I miss the days of being able to visually see stacks of H&N or Beeman pellets in an actual store.


Well for me, prior to 1999, they were all brick & mortar stores. Still have my Beeman P1 & Webley Tempest bought in 1986 & 1987 respectively.

The internet and the advent of PCP's changed the airgun for the better. But I still wish I could go to a store.

 

[Mike257]

I bought mine online from an actual store in Arizone. Hopefully it will be here today .

 

[Shooter22]

After seeing the long lists of guns that some own, I have to wonder if that resulted at least partly from not being able to try one in person. There don’t seem to be that many commercial vendors operating brick-and-mortar airgun stores (compared with PB stores).

Not long ago, someone on this board did buy from a real store and soon decided that the gun did not feel comfortable...after he’d bought it. So that mistake turned out to have been driven by impulse.

But IF there is no such store within a few hrs’ drive from you, and IF you couldn’t rent/borrow a model you were interested in, did you gamble and just order it?

The question doesn’t pertain to the low-priced models sold at some big box stores, because those are easy to at least look at in person, though not test fire.

If I cannot handle it and try it first I wont buy it, Its that simple.