Gun stores in the Wilmington, Newark area

[error404]

I'm looking for a S&W 1911 E series. (The least expensive model- 5" without the Scandium Frame ).

What stores do you guys usually go to? (also, how much are their fees if I buy it on-line and pick them up at their store)


thanks

[Condition 1]

I go to X-Ring for pretty much everything but mostly I buy online and in case of firearms I have an FFL to do the transfer for me - $20. There are some members here who have FFLs, I.e. BlueHen firearms.

Let us know how the pistol runs. I have read great reviews on the new series E, great choice.

[error404]

I saw a whole bunch of bad reviews on-line about X-Ring... So I haven't stop by. Maybe I'll try today

[TwistedKarma]

You should pm Blue Hen, and at least check with him for price, also Gunbroker, and Advanced search, for Delaware.  This will bring up Blue Hen, Scottess, A seller in Hockessin, Delmar,  ect.   Dont' be afraid of some bad reps,  Shop around.  And good luck.

[oldgraygeek]

I saw a whole bunch of bad reviews on-line about X-Ring... So I haven't stop by. Maybe I'll try today

If 95% of a store's customers are happy, 3% are indifferent, and 2% are impossible to please, guess who writes most of the online reviews?

Actually, I've never read the online reviews about X-Ring. Maybe I'll read them now... but I will continue to shop there, even if the reviews all suck.
I've bought several firearms and many accessories there in the last decade. I've always found good service, good advice, and fair pricing.

When I bought my Saiga-12, way back before they were popular, they tracked down the right one and gave me a great deal on it.
When my son shipped out to Kuwait in 2002 with just a 9mm pistol -- tank drivers didn't get rifles -- they helped me find the right accessories to stack the deck in his favor. (He survived 3-7 Cav's thunder run to Baghdad, and the folks trying to kill him didn't, so...)
When I asked them about the CCDW process, they convinced me to take the course before applying and referred me to "Master Yoda" for training; both recommendations worked out so well that my wife did the same and trained with him last year.
When I wanted a featherweight weapon for my wife to carry, they spent plenty of time helping me review all the best options, and then gave me a great deal on her 340PD.

I spend money at X-Ring because we need places like that to stay open. I value their experience, the selection on their shelves, and the services they provide.
(In case you can't tell, I have my own small business, so I tend to stick up for local shops in general if they deserve it).

[czer]

I agree X-Ring is about the best all-around gun store in Delaware, if you combine good advice, experience of the staff, fair prices and good selection (even of used guns). And the store has a quick turn-around, if you want to consign a gun (which I have done three times).Some of the guys are friendlier than others - you just have to be direct and ask what you need to ask. Sometimes you will be looking in the cases for minutes before someone will ask if you need help. But this may be a guy thing, letting you alone and not bothering you if you just want to look around....The funny thing about Millers and X-Ring, is that their floor space is so small it is a major disadvantage to the customer - you just cannot see the pieces in the cases too well, once more than a few people are milling around in there.

[Radnor]

I go to a local guy (FFL) who is a member of our club.  Pay DEALER COST plus shipping... 

[error404]

I stop by X-ring yesterday.  Really nice place / people.

They are going to make a few calls and track the gun that I want and then give me a call. 

[Kensk8man]

...snip...Actually, I've never read the online reviews about X-Ring. Maybe I'll read them now... but I will continue to shop there, even if the reviews all suck.
I've bought several firearms and many accessories there in the last decade. I've always found good service, good advice, and fair pricing...snip...When I asked them about the CCDW process, they convinced me to take the course before applying and referred me to "Master Yoda" for training;snip...I spend money at X-Ring because we need places like that to stay open. I value their experience, the selection on their shelves, and the services they provide...snip...

 

It's funny that you should mention that.  I walked in the other day and the staff seemed extremely kind and helpful.  They turned me on to the same guy (his name is Bill), he trains all forms of self defense.  I plan to take his November course.  

I too was looking for an ultralight snubby...I'm stumped though...don't know if I want the .357 S&W M&P 340 or the .357 Ruger LCR...I would get the CT Laser grips for my choice of course

[oldgraygeek]

We really like the 340PD, but it's a handful shooting .38 Special, let alone full-power .357 Magnum loads.

A bunch of us went to the range with it, including my son and a combat vet from 'Nam, and the only one "man" enough to fire more than five rounds through it was... my wife. She fired about twenty rounds of .357, because it's her gun and she really wanted to know how to shoot it.

Her right hand wasn't quite the same for several days afterward, but neither of us have any doubts left about her ability to handle that weapon (or any other).

(Our guy was named Dan, and he's a bit too, um, experienced to teach anything but pistol... but he really knows his stuff, which is why I referred to him as Master Yoda).

[czer]

Wait just a minute there, Oldgray, aren't you the one who shoots 10mm exclusively and you say the 340DP is a handful in .38 special? Enlighten me!

[oldgraygeek]

Wait just a minute there, Oldgray, aren't you the one who shoots 10mm exclusively and you say the 340DP is a handful in .38 special? Enlighten me!

You deserve a thoughtful answer, so I broke out the digital postal scale so I could include accurate numbers:
I love shooting 10mm out of my Glock 29. It weighs 34 oz. loaded, and the moving slide and polymer frame absorb the worst part of the recoil. I could do it all day without discomfort.

The loaded 340PD weighs only 14.2 ounces loaded with .357 Magnum ammo. Firing those five rounds is punishing, and only my wife did it more than once; the next day, her hand was visibly swollen. (One person put it down after firing only two rounds... of .38 Special). Our other J-frame, a .38 caliber S&W 642, is three ounces heavier. It's a bit easier to handle, but nobody is shooting either J-frame for fun. (You're welcome to meet us at the range and try for yourself).

The Glock 29 is the weapon I would hope to have in almost any self-defense situation, from an ATM stickup to a Die Hard movie, but we can't always have what we want. It fits my hand, and my skill set, perfectly; I shoot it better than my Glock 20, despite its 'subcompact' size. When I'm dressed for the corporate gig, I carry the 340PD because my wife can't carry at work and it's easy to conceal... plus, I'm a pessimist: if I can only have five rounds, I'd prefer .357 over .38 Special.

[Condition 1]

Oldgray "I envy you", I shoot 4 or 5 magazines out of my G29 and my hands start getting sore.

[czer]

OldGray, thanks for the detail. The physical weight of the Glock explains alot. As for the light snubbie, I can relate. I had a Taurus 85 Ultralite, .38 special and I tried my darndest to "get good" with it, by shooting a box at a time, over several months, stagging the trigger, etc. but it just hurt too much, and that's not even .357! Mercifully, it broke. Taurus repaired it but I traded it away. Eventually, I got the Kel Tec 3PAT, as an approximate substitute, which also kicks but not nearly as much as that Taurus. I am still tempted to get another snubbie every now and then, because I like the feel of the grip, plus it points well. Maybe the Ruger LCP would be better, but then I remember how the web of my hand felt....

[error404]

Thanks guys...

I found what I was looking for in Targetmaster (it's in transition to X-ring). I was reading in some S&W forums of people waiting +5 months for the next batch.