Newbie Advice - 9mm Local Dealer Recommendations

Blair9 · Aug 31, 2015

I'm a newbie with HQL in hand looking to purchase a 9mm - deciding between Beretta 92FS (full size or compact), S&W MP9, or SA XDM from a local dealer. Does anyone have any recommendations in the Baltimore/Howard Co. area? Also, I've found the gun at a good price online, but navigating the FFL requirements and locating someone who isn't going to gouge me seems tedious. Any recommendations on a local FFL?

Johnthetoolguy · Aug 31, 2015

Go to the Industry Partners section of the forum and look at 2 A Sales. Great guys. They are right on route 1 in Savage.

Bullfrog · Aug 31, 2015

2a sales, or Accurate pawn just north of 100 on rt 1.

http://www.mdshooters.com/forumdisplay.php?f=147

http://www.mdshooters.com/forumdisplay.php?f=126

BigDaddy · Aug 31, 2015

Blair9 said:
snip...Also, I've found the gun at a good price online, but navigating the FFL requirements and locating someone who isn't going to gouge me seems tedious.

That's something of a can of worms. The LGS would like to sell you one of their guns rather than do a transfer. Generally you pay more locally.

The local store has to make a profit, they have to pay employees whether the customer buys or just asks a lot of questions and plays with a lot of guns. Their dealer cost is higher than the mail order stores. The MD political climate is against making a profit for gun stores. The HQL, the waiting period, the banned weapons the standard magazine limit all drives business out of state. At the end of the year, they have less opportunity to make the same profit as a store across the border.

Should you go the online route, my advice is to sort out if the FFL will actually do your transfer and what about a fired case up until that law dies in October.

For those that don't think gun stores should make a profit, these people are on your side.
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Docster · Aug 31, 2015

Blair9 said:
I'm a newbie with HQL in hand looking to purchase a 9mm - deciding between Beretta 92FS (full size or compact), S&W MP9, or SA XDM from a local dealer. Does anyone have any recommendations in the Baltimore/Howard Co. area? Also, I've found the gun at a good price online, but navigating the FFL requirements and locating someone who isn't going to gouge me seems tedious. Any recommendations on a local FFL?

Great first post. :sarcasm:

If you want the cheapest you can find and believe a fair profit is gouging, fine. If you want personal service, support and maybe a place to hang out and talk about guns, think about a local dealer.

Sundazes · Aug 31, 2015

Support your LGS. You will not save as much as you think going the online route. You will have to pay shipping and the transfer fee. Go to one of the IP's. Shop around. Find the one you like and build a relationship with them. You will be much happier having someone to call/go see if you have issues.

BTW, since you say you are a newbie, you might want to look into a safety/use class. There are excellent trainers and classes in this area.

plinkerton · Aug 31, 2015

Blair9 said:
I'm a newbie with HQL in hand looking to purchase a 9mm - deciding between Beretta 92FS (full size or compact), S&W MP9, or SA XDM from a local dealer. Does anyone have any recommendations in the Baltimore/Howard Co. area? Also, I've found the gun at a good price online, but navigating the FFL requirements and locating someone who isn't going to gouge me seems tedious. Any recommendations on a local FFL?

Docster said:
Great first post. If you want the cheapest you can find and believe a fair profit is gouging, fine. If you want personal service, support and maybe a place to hang out and talk about guns, think about a local dealer.

Let him learn.
Buds will be cheaper than any LGS. Buds will give you almost no assistance

There is a LGS that is five minutes from my house that I will not go to because their prices are high and service is low.

My go to places are Baltimore's Best Pawn and Freestate. They both charge less that the guys five minutes away and give awesome service.

When I started buying guns again a few years ago I would have asked the same questions.

smdub · Aug 31, 2015

You should shoot them before deciding. Go to someplace like OnTarget who rents. Really can't go wrong w/ any of them.

iH8DemLibz · Aug 31, 2015

FreeState!

They have a pool table.

Springfield XD9.

canonian · Aug 31, 2015

Hold and shoot several different handguns before you jump the gun (haha) and purchase your first one.

swinokur · Sep 1, 2015

Many stores will not transfer a gun you buy on line that they can get for you.

I don't blame them one bit. I don't take food to a restaurant and ask them to cook it for me or take parts to my car dealer and ask them to install them either.

I support LGS unless they cannot get me what I want.

johnnyb2 · Sep 1, 2015

You should at least look into the Walther PPQ M1. Best striker fired trigger of ANY poly 9mm. And Baltimore's Best Pawn is great to deal with. Dan and Joel are fair, knowledgeable and easy going. In the end, you may save $5, 10 or $15 going online, but, that local relationship is worth more than that.

ras_oscar · Sep 1, 2015

After I have decided on a particular firearm I usually go to my LGS, tell them what I want and ask they can can get it for me. Half the time they tell me to get it from Buds. Then they are happy to do the transfer.

Most online gun shops maintain a list of FFLs by state that they have completed transactions with in the past. For instance, at Buds look here http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/ffl.php

mxrider · Sep 1, 2015

All, the OP stated that he is looking for a local dealer to purchase from. It sounds as if he has narrowed his choices. I don't believe he is still contemplating on purchasing online.

OP, as others have stated, check the IP section or the references listed above. GL!

eruby · Sep 1, 2015

About Blair9
Location
Ellicott City
Occupation
Attorney - U.S. Govt.

A lawyer AND a Government employee? That's two strikes, and this ain't baseball.

Welcome aboard Blair, definitely support local (IP) shops. What extra you may spend on the gun over the life of the gun (less than 2 cents a day over 20 years) will be more than made up in service, courtesy and general help.

Maverick0313 · Sep 1, 2015

TwoA Sales and Supplies, Jessup. Period.

BigT5g · Sep 1, 2015

Maverick0313 said:
TwoA Sales and Supplies, Jessup. Period.

a huge +1!

Blair9 · Sep 1, 2015

Docster said:
Great first post. If you want the cheapest you can find and believe a fair profit is gouging, fine. If you want personal service, support and maybe a place to hang out and talk about guns, think about a local dealer.

Thanks for your support. My reference to "gouging" wasn't the pricing of the LGS, but the varying charges by FFLs for transferring the gun. I have no problem supporting the LGS and would pay more to have the personal service.

Orthogonal · Sep 1, 2015

Just starting out, I believe finding a good local gun store is step one.

Choosing a firearm is highly personalized, and and having a knowledgeable person help lead you through the decisionmaking process is invaluable. They can also answer all the questions that you may have about owning one in the People's Republic of Maryland, the process for obtaining a HQL, and how to store and transport your new firearm. A firearm is a machine, and if something happens to it, having a LGS there to stand behind it is also valuable. Folks on here have given you some good ones to start with.

The advice to try a range of firearms at places that let you rent before buying is good advice also.

As always, you always want to be an informed consumer on price, which you have already taken the steps to do.

You have also narrowed down to a 9mm. I think this is the smart choice for someone just starting. The cost of the gun is only a small part of it's lifecycle cost - ammo is the biggest cost, and starting out you want to shoot as much as possible, and 9mm is the right place to be cost vs effectiveness.

Have fun !

Biggfoot44 · Sep 1, 2015

As noted several times , shoot several of your possabilities first , either as rentals, or joining your MDS friends at the range.

And as noted when taking into account shipping and transfer fees, it takes a screaming deal to meaningfuly beat shopped around LGS prices on commonly available new production guns. ( Notice I left out rare, unusual, and used guns.)

Newbie Advice - 9mm Local Dealer Recommendations

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