Anyone actually encountered a Happy Gun shop??

[Gareth W-B]

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How about The Airgun Centre in Rayleigh, Essex? Been there many times over the years, and have always found them to be very welcoming and friendly.

[oldskoolzzz]

Litts in Newport (sorry, SGC as it is now), the guys are always fine in there.

Probably safety in numbers (there's always a fair few working in there), and a 'buzz you in system' means there's less chance of the next customers being yardies or psychos... although I confess to have not worked out what yardies and psychos look like.

Good to hear another good one

More staff would probably give more time for a better experience however the biggest shop I frequent around here which has multiple staff is probably one of the worst

It just seems to rub off through all the staff maybe there first briefing before the shop opens is to have a competition to see who can be the most miserable

[I. J.]

Some gun shop customers instill happiness when they arrive .....
........others when they leave.

Im one of the later.

ATB
Ian

[oldskoolzzz]

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How about The Airgun Centre in Rayleigh, Essex? Been there many times over the years, and have always found them to be very welcoming and friendly.

That's good to know another that I would like to visit if I'm ever in the area

[SuffolkRifle]

Though I do have a few 'good' places in the area, there's one that I just do not understand how he makes a living - not ONE of the people I know (including Shotgun users) have a good word to say about him - I've only been in there once, son wanted a case for his first airgun (Christ, that was a few years back!) I was going to leave the shop as the guy walked off halfway through the sale to 'attend' another customer who was looking at wellies, but son wanted the case & refused to leave with me & I wasn't going to leave him in there on his own.

[mdunn]

hi, has anyone got anything to say about kranks in pudsey leeds. atb mick ps good or bad.

[tinbum]

In all honesty I have to agree. Wherever I go, if I see a gunshop I go in. Of course I do!

I am usually recieved with a suspicious stare followed by unveiled contempt if I only look at the pellet guns. This has been a constant throughout life from Chris Potters in T Wells to J Bloggs shite guns in Nowheresville. Its one of the reasons our sport is doomed. Other shooters see us as nothing more than weirdos.

The notable exceptions are shops specialising in airguns, but by no means all of them! Pickering guns are right up there along with AirGun Centre in Essex. An airgun shop in Blackpool however had all the welcome of a damp pair of someone elses pants after a long swim.

[Rossi2k]

Wiltshire Shooting Centre based in Devises. Paul Cook and co are very friendly and have always been very helpful to me. I have become a reasonably regular visitor and I believe they do reward loyalty. I've bought all my recent air rifles from here since returning to the sport. Before I did I visited the local shops around my area and did find that they were either indifferent or miserable beyond comprehension for some reason, one not really wanting to sell me a gun, but not the shop in devises.

I'm able to have a bit of banter with the staff and see them having banter between themselves and other customers quite a lot. They also have a range where you can try before you buy which is always a bonus. They cover air rifles and pistols, rim and centre for along with shotguns and everything else in between. If they have not got it, it is a pretty good chance they can get it for you. There is a large amount of knowledge there and are happy to answer any questions you may have and pass it on.

And when I visit there are always a couple of people there shooting to have a chat to and catch up with over a coffee, once they meet you. I highly recommend a visit if your ever passing.

Ross

[copperjacket]

**Rant mode on**

Miserable sods


I won't mention no RFD names but within a 30 mile radius I have visited at least 9 RFD's and 8 of them I would consider to be not very friendly one of them is ok but he's still a miserable sod


Do we actually have that thing called a Happy Gun Shop??

**Rant mode finished**

At least you have choice! I doubt there is a single shop within 30 miles!

[Rickenbacker]

If it weren't for the quaint vcr act I'd have a gunshop and it would be the happiest one in the world!!

In fact, sod it! I'll open one here in France and give you regular updates on how awesome it is!!!

Hey, that's an idea... you could avoid the VCR BS by posting dangerous stuff to swivel-eyed British loons - from France!

At least you have choice! I doubt there is a single shop within 30 miles!

About 30 miles here too... there was a tiny farm-gunshop in the Forest of Dean, near here - but they're just as likely to kill and eat a customer as sell them some pellets...

[oldskoolzzz]

At least you have choice! I doubt there is a single shop within 30 miles!

That's a valid point it's easy to take for granted what's on the doorstep.

There's also been some other excellent replies on this thread.

I think enthusiasm is one of the main issues here.

Without it some of these staff maybe are just simply not interested although strangely we do have dedicated airgun sales shops and at least two of them only sell airgun stuff

It's a strange one that's for sure.

[Tony.T]

Guess I'm lucky-
Two gunshops I frequent on a regular basis look after not just me but anyone else really well- complete with banter and chat. One is in East Grinstead and the other is in Crawley- I'll leave you to search them out, not naming names!

A few others locally (within a 10 mile radius) who have also given good service over the years.

[charub]

In all honesty I have to agree. Wherever I go, if I see a gunshop I go in. Of course I do!

I am usually recieved with a suspicious stare followed by unveiled contempt if I only look at the pellet guns. This has been a constant throughout life from Chris Potters in T Wells to J Bloggs shite guns in Nowheresville. Its one of the reasons our sport is doomed. Other shooters see us as nothing more than weirdos.

The notable exceptions are shops specialising in airguns, but by no means all of them! Pickering guns are right up there along with AirGun Centre in Essex. An airgun shop in Blackpool however had all the welcome of a damp pair of someone elses pants after a long swim.

You are bang on the money with that!
I quite often judge whether I'm going to purchase anything from a shop by starting to look at the Big Bang rifles/shotguns and then see if I'm treated any differently when I start looking in the air rifle racks.
A lot of RFD's don't give two hoots about the air rifle fraternity and are quite often full of bad advise based on poor knowledge. Before smartphones and easy Internet access it would quite often work in our favour though, I have picked up some mega bargains over the years. My best to date was a AA Pro target with a nice little WTC on it for £250.00
Countryways are an exception because their air rifle dept. Is a shop in its own right (away from the big boys toys) and you are treated with enthusiasm and a smile.
C.H westerns in Brighton are also very helpful and friendly.

[Geezer]

My local ones (no names, no pack drill) have been good to me.

Fact is, most gunshop people like guns more than they like shops.

Establish that you are a proper gun person, and not some random walk-in and you will usually be fine.

Though if you want a definition of unfriendly gunshop staff, I think it would be shop staff who are only clay shooters, to any other kind of shooter, in clay shooter oriented shops.

I can recall being ignored in the past in a couple of places like that where the guys had no idea if I was looking to buy a tin of pellets, or a £10,000 over and under. Just wasn't one of the gang (of about three people) drinking tea, talking stuff, and avoiding their wives shopping a little down the road.

[Geezer]

You are bang on the money with that!
I quite often judge whether I'm going to purchase anything from a shop by starting to look at the Big Bang rifles/shotguns and then see if I'm treated any differently when I start looking in the air rifle racks.
A lot of RFD's don't give two hoots about the air rifle fraternity and are quite often full of bad advise based on poor knowledge. Before smartphones and easy Internet access it would quite often work in our favour though, I have picked up some mega bargains over the years. My best to date was a AA Pro target with a nice little WTC on it for £250.00
Countryways are an exception because their air rifle dept. Is a shop in its own right (away from the big boys toys) and you are treated with enthusiasm and a smile.
C.H westerns in Brighton are also very helpful and friendly.

My Weston's feedback is that I first went there about 20+ years ago and got ignored for ages, then got no shrift in suggesting they were asking a bit much for an FWB Sport in good nick, except that someone had cut the barrel down in a shed and glued a BSA Scorpion cocking aid on the muzzle.

Whereas I was there three or so years ago, and they were immediately welcoming, chatty, and generally nice. If they had had something I really wanted, I'd have felt good about buying it.