Atlantic Guns Closing

[engineerbrian]

They had a policy in place back when I bought my first gun that even if you were of age they wouldn't sell it to you if you still lived at home with your parents unless they okayed it , That stemmed from altercations with irate parents because they didn't want guns in their house and that seems reasonable .

How would they know if you lived at home with your parents? I've never been asked that question when buying a gun

 

[BuildnBurn]

Seeing the complaints about this store and a whole thread against my favorite LGS I have to ask.... is there a Gun Shop in MD people actually like?



And please do not mention the one that posted my real name here on the forum from an invoice.

Gunrunners in Frederick. A very small shop, but Bob is always provides excellent service.

I wasn't going to jump in the Atlantic Guns pit, but why not. The Rockville store lost my business years ago. Most of the reasons have been posted and I found other gun stores that actually wanted to sell to me.

 

[jollymon]

Gunrunners in Frederick. A very small shop, but Bob is always provides excellent service.

I wasn't going to jump in the Atlantic Guns pit, but why not. The Rockville store lost my business years ago. Most of the reasons have been posted and I found other gun stores that actually wanted to sell to me.

I had some work on Ft. Detrick a few weeks ago and and stopped in Gunrunners
and stopped in to look around some , It seems like a nice shop but didn't have a lot of inventory or quality used guns .

 

[Melnic]

Seeing the complaints about this store and a whole thread against my favorite LGS I have to ask.... is there a Gun Shop in MD people actually like?



And please do not mention the one that posted my real name here on the forum from an invoice.

I only went to Atlantic once looking for old C&R stuff but did not see anything I was looking for.

I like almost all the IPs here on MDS. I can say that a couple of them I won't go to for a certain service but I'll go ahead and call out the ones Ive felt were polite. (only the ones I"ve been in). Not afraid to call out the ones I"ve been to.

2A Very consistantly polite, helpful and awesome. If you don't like them, there MIGHT be something wrong with you.
Blue Fins Group purchase one time
Duffys (couple times visited)
Scotts (well, always polite, gunsmithing is long wait and high priced)
SCSG (consitantly polite and helpful, gun shows, couple purchases)
A1 never purchased but couple visits polite
Engage (engraving, very helpful)
Shooter's Discount (RIP Lou, He was a Charactor, but always has stuff one wanted)
Tyler Firearms (My dad used him as FFL before he had the storefront and praised him)

If I did not list them above, I likely did not go there.

About the only place I went that I felt they were either rude or more KIRT than they needed to be cause it felt like you were wasting his time was Accurate Pawn. I did make some purchases there cause he was right by my work.

 

[jollymon]

I only went to Atlantic once looking for old C&R stuff but did not see anything I was looking for.

I like almost all the IPs here on MDS. I can say that a couple of them I won't go to for a certain service but I'll go ahead and call out the ones Ive felt were polite. (only the ones I"ve been in). Not afraid to call out the ones I"ve been to.

2A Very consistantly polite, helpful and awesome. If you don't like them, there MIGHT be something wrong with you.
Blue Fins Group purchase one time
Duffys (couple times visited)
Scotts (well, always polite, gunsmithing is long wait and high priced)
SCSG (consitantly polite and helpful, gun shows, couple purchases)
A1 never purchased but couple visits polite
Engage (engraving, very helpful)
Shooter's Discount (RIP Lou, He was a Charactor, but always has stuff one



wanted)
Tyler Firearms (My dad used him as FFL before he had the storefront and praised him)

If I did not list them above, I likely did not go there.



About the only place I went that I felt they were either rude or more KIRT than they needed to be cause it felt like you were wasting his time was Accurate Pawn. I did make some purchases there cause he was right by my work.

For C&R stuff at Atlantic you have to ask they have stuff in back that they don't put out due to lack of space and that newer stuff sells better for them , I used to ask Carl or Dale if they had any cool old stuff in back thats not the tac cool thats all the rage now.

 

[Bob A]

I stopped into Atlantic in Silver Spring today because of the closure rumor. The clerk I spoke to knew nothing about it. However, he's a new guy - despite his magnificent white handlebar moustache - and unfamiliar with such things as the C&R exemption from MD's HQL.

They had an old S&W Hand Ejector in .44 Special that I thought was underpriced, and decided to go for it. Went to and fro about whether I needed an HQL; finally the latest Schneider, grandson of my old friend George, was able to resolve the matter. When the gun was rung up, I was shocked - apparently I misread the price, or looked at the wrong label, this after a half hour of screwing around with the MSP website, old passwords, and general digital dissatisfaction. Long story short, we came to an agreement that knocked 40% off the price. I was amazed and grateful.

To the OP's point, young Schneider was shown the first post in this thread, and told me that at this time nothing has gone beyond the preliminary discussion stage, and that whatever was decided, Atlantic would be maintaining a presence in MoCo.

So there it is; decent customer service, generous treatment of a customer over a pricing question, and a great old revolver for a very reasonable price. IMO this is what a LGS is all about, and why Atlantic is, and will remain, on my short list for local gun shops.

A loud shoutout to three generations of Schneiders, with gratitude for all they've done - mostly unheralded here - to support the 2nd Amendment and shooting sports in MD. Thanks, folks, you'll be seeing me again, certainly in a week, to pick up my new old Roscoe.

roscoe
old (30s-40s) term for a handgun: same vintage as gat, heater, cannon, etc.
He pulled a roscoe and ventilated the gorilla.

- for those whose memories begin after 1970 or so.

 

[outrider58]

I stopped into Atlantic in Silver Spring today because of the closure rumor. The clerk I spoke to knew nothing about it. However, he's a new guy - despite his magnificent white handlebar moustache - and unfamiliar with such things as the C&R exemption from MD's HQL.

They had an old S&W Hand Ejector in .44 Special that I thought was underpriced, and decided to go for it. Went to and fro about whether I needed an HQL; finally the latest Schneider, grandson of my old friend George, was able to resolve the matter. When the gun was rung up, I was shocked - apparently I misread the price, or looked at the wrong label, this after a half hour of screwing around with the MSP website, old passwords, and general digital dissatisfaction. Long story short, we came to an agreement that knocked 40% off the price. I was amazed and grateful.

To the OP's point, young Schneider was shown the first post in this thread, and told me that at this time nothing has gone beyond the preliminary discussion stage, and that whatever was decided, Atlantic would be maintaining a presence in MoCo.

So there it is; decent customer service, generous treatment of a customer over a pricing question, and a great old revolver for a very reasonable price. IMO this is what a LGS is all about, and why Atlantic is, and will remain, on my short list for local gun shops.

A loud shoutout to three generations of Schneiders, with gratitude for all they've done - mostly unheralded here - to support the 2nd Amendment and shooting sports in MD. Thanks, folks, you'll be seeing me again, certainly in a week, to pick up my new old Roscoe.


- for those whose memories begin after 1970 or so.

Excellent news Bob. Congrats on the Roscoe.

 

[jollymon]

I stopped into Atlantic in Silver Spring today because of the closure rumor. The clerk I spoke to knew nothing about it. However, he's a new guy - despite his magnificent white handlebar moustache - and unfamiliar with such things as the C&R exemption from MD's HQL.

They had an old S&W Hand Ejector in .44 Special that I thought was underpriced, and decided to go for it. Went to and fro about whether I needed an HQL; finally the latest Schneider, grandson of my old friend George, was able to resolve the matter. When the gun was rung up, I was shocked - apparently I misread the price, or looked at the wrong label, this after a half hour of screwing around with the MSP website, old passwords, and general digital dissatisfaction. Long story short, we came to an agreement that knocked 40% off the price. I was amazed and grateful.

To the OP's point, young Schneider was shown the first post in this thread, and told me that at this time nothing has gone beyond the preliminary discussion stage, and that whatever was decided, Atlantic would be maintaining a presence in MoCo.

So there it is; decent customer service, generous treatment of a customer over a pricing question, and a great old revolver for a very reasonable price. IMO this is what a LGS is all about, and why Atlantic is, and will remain, on my short list for local gun shops.

A loud shoutout to three generations of Schneiders, with gratitude for all they've done - mostly unheralded here - to support the 2nd Amendment and shooting sports in MD. Thanks, folks, you'll be seeing me again, certainly in a week, to pick up my new old Roscoe.


- for those whose memories begin after 1970 or so.

They will deal and haggle if you get to one of them that has the power to do so the regular counter guys don't , I've gotten great service and some lack luster treatment as well but till I head back to Tennessee they are my go to shop .
The former employee that told me of the move said they don't want folks to know , they signed a lease and working with a architect for what ever reason but he's gone and I'll have to deal with the new guys for now , But I like to explore other shops too .

 

[jollymon]

They will deal and haggle if you get to one of them that has the power to do so the regular counter guys don't , I've gotten great service and some lack luster treatment as well but till I head back to Tennessee they are my go to shop .
The former employee that told me of the move said they don't want folks to know , they signed a lease and working with a architect for what ever reason want to make it a State Secret , But he's gone and I'll have to deal with the new guys for now , But I like to explore other shops too .

 

[Neutron]

I've always been treated cordially at AG. I have only bought one gun from them; a used PPK. It broke a year or two after I bought it so I sent it to Walther for repair. Walther told me it couldn't be repaired and sent me a new gun at no charge. So I'm pretty happy with my only deal from Atlantic. I'm sure whoever sold it or traded it to Atlantic knew it had a problem because it had issues the first time I used it. Anyway I've got a brand new PPK that I'm very pleased with and is my carry gun when I'm in a state where I can carry.

 

[Clifjr]

I have not been to the Silver Spring location but I have been and purchased from the Rockville location. Saying that, it has been years since my last purchase or visit. At the time I was looking to make purchases back in those days my first choice was the old Rockville Trading Post and the Gun Shack in Mt. Airy.

 

[K-43]

Oh man, the old Trading Post. Bought cheap cases of dove loads, flies, and fishing stuff there.

 

[Postell]

They had a policy in place back when I bought my first gun that even if you were of age they wouldn't sell it to you if you still lived at home with your parents unless they okayed it , That stemmed from altercations with irate parents because they didn't want guns in their house and that seems reasonable .

Yep, That policy has been there since George opened Silver Spring.
And if one doesn't act like an adult they aren't gonna buy a firearm from the Schneider's.

 

[Postell]

I think they were on 2200 block of 14th St IIRC. There was a picture of there old store front on their web site a few years back. I just checked google maps street view and IIRC it was the vacant building 2 down from the Bank of America

I'll call and talk to Bill or Bob but I would bet thats when George was just doing gunsmith work.

 

[engineerbrian]

Oh man, the old Trading Post. Bought cheap cases of dove loads, flies, and fishing stuff there.

I loved that place. Anyone that paints their building in Tree Bark camo is OK with me

 

[Postell]

That is true and you don't see that much in gun shops , It was Carl that got me interested in guns when I walked in out of curiosity when I was in college, Invited me to go to Ft.Mead for John Peppers pistol shoots, Back then it was Randy , Dale , Carl , Joel, When I came back to here to work temporarily I had just missed Carl he had retired Joel a few months before him Dale was still there then but he quit . Randy isn't there anymore too.
In all the years I was away all the LGS's I'd been in never had a crew that knew so much and really took care of you the way they did, My current dealing's with the newer crew have been ok , As in if it's was on the shelf your good but ordering stuff is a crap shoot as to when you'll see it.

I talk to Dale and Joel quite frequently myself, I was disappointed when Randy left, I have known Bill and Bob since early HS, my wife went to school with Bobs wife. When in one of there stores you could easily have 100 plus years of gun knowledge behind the counter at any give time before the recent retirements.
Most folks have no idea how much business they really do, does one not understand how much money has been made in the gun industry since the Clinton Administration? Those boys are fricken tired..
Its funny that its been posted that they just recently have internet presence, they have been online since 56 baud dialup.
If they do go to one store I would bet Steve is selling the company to his oldest son. They have a great family dynamic those Schneider boys.
Their mom and dad were good people.

 

[jmike3543]

They had a policy in place back when I bought my first gun that even if you were of age they wouldn't sell it to you if you still lived at home with your parents unless they okayed it , That stemmed from altercations with irate parents because they didn't want guns in their house and that seems reasonable .

When they put "Do you live at home" on the 4473 or 77R and up the age to purchase to 21 I'll understand. Until then that's not their business or their problem. I've happily taken my business elsewhere to companies like Engage that actually work to defend my 2A rights in this state instead of trying to get out in front of the MD General Assembly.

 

[Occam]

I've happily taken my business elsewhere to companies like Engage that actually work to defend my 2A rights in this state instead of trying to get out in front of the MD General Assembly.

I don't understand what you're saying. And I think you have no idea how much of their own money the Schneiders have spent on your behalf in this state, fighting the crap we all have to deal with.

 

[TheBert]

I used Engage to consummate a Silencer Shop purchase. That was a pretty hostile experience, including parts missing from an obviously pawed-through box. The factory took care of it, Engage was actively dis-interested. Three subsequent stops in - cash literally in hand - to consider in-stock rifles, and couldn't get anyone at the counter to give me the time of day. The dog was super friendly, but he didn't have opposable thumbs. Conversely, I've never failed to get friendly help at either Atlantic location for decades straight. So: sizing up an LGS based on anecdotal testimony from any few vocal discussion forum examples is a fool's errand.

My gunshops in order of preference are:

1. United Gun Shop -- These guys are outstanding.
2. Engage -- Good place, but have experienced the favoritism to guys who just walked in vs. us waiting to see something and buy something.
3. Atlantic Guns -- I only go there for stuff I can't get at the other two shops.

Yes, I have purchased multiple firearms at all three shops.

 

[Bob A]

I think you have no idea how much of their own money the Schneiders have spent on your behalf in this state, fighting the crap we all have to deal with.

Yes, this ^^^ absolutely.

For quite some time, they were the only folks I was aware of that were spending serious money suing MD over 2A issues. As we know, lawsuits are terribly pricey. These guys were going it alone (as far as I'm aware) and not asking the community for support.

I think it was the 2013 GA session that brought other FFLs into the fray. If I'm mistaken, I hope someone with the facts will post them up.