Shotgun News
SHOTGUN NEWS
PO Box 669
Hastings, Nebraska, 68902
800-345-6923
It costs $20/year, and is published three times/month).
This magazine is worth its weight in gold. It is the leading
publication of its kind. It has ads from every major firearms
wholesaler in the U.S.
Look at the ads, pick what you want, write out an order,
enclose a signed copy of your C&R FFL, enclose payment, and, some
day, the UPS man shows up with your gun.
Most of these places keep your FFL on file, so you can make
subsequent orders over the phone.
WHOLESALERS
If you would like to add to this list, please
e-mail me. Tell me the
name of the wholesaler, the phone/fax numbers, and add any comments
that you think other C&R FFL holders should be aware of.
- Birmingham Pistol Wholesale:
Birmingham Pistol Wholesale
P.O. Box 798
6969 Hwy. 11 North
Trussville, AL 35173
orders: 1-800-951-4867 class III: 1-205-854-8654
info: 1-205-655-8898, 8799 fax: 1-205-655-1213
hours: Mon.-Sat. 8-5:00 CST
- Century Arms: Phone # (___)___-____
Comments:
They definitely keep FFL licenses on file, so after
mailing them a copy of your FFL once, you can order over the phone
or by FAX. Most orders take about 30 days to arrive. When you
call, you are likely to stay on hold for a long time. (I order
by FAX for this reason. I also like to have a record of what
I ordered, which is harder with phone orders.)
- Navy Arms: Phone # (___)___-____
Comments:
Weirder stuff than Century, which makes me like them
better. Good prices.
- Century International Arms: Phone # (802)527-1252
P.O. Box 714
St. Albans, VT 05478
Fax: 802/527-0470
Orders: 800/258-8879
Cust Service: 800/527-1252
Internet: centuryarms@cis:compuserve.com
www: http://www.generation.net/~century/
- Sile Distributing: Phone # (___)___-____
- S.O.G.:
SOG (Southern Ohio Gun) International, Inc.
100 S. Mechanic St.
P.O. Box 590
Lebanon, OH 45036-0590
orders: 1-800-944-4867 info: 1-513-932-8148
fax: 1-513-932-8928 hours: Mon.-Fri. 8-6:00 CST
Comments:
Has a selection similar to Century's. Answers the phone
more promptly, ships promptly.
- Nagant Revolvers are $99 all this month(Jan '95), with the accessory pack.
- SPRINGFIELD SPORTERS: Phone # (___)___-____
Comments:
Seems to be split into two kinds of gun
offerings: Stuff that everyone wants (Mausers, Enfields,
Springfields, Garands), which they headspace, test-fire, and offer in
sporterized and original versions; and other stuff, which they make
you sign a waiver indicating that they don't know whether it's
a gun or a pinata. The guns in the latter category are "odd"
guns: Carcanos, Berthiers, Dutch Mannlichers, and such. A lot
of these are guns seen advertised nowhere else. Springfield
Sporters takes at least a month to ship anything.
- Trader Sports:
Trader Sports Inc.
601 E. 14th St.
San Leandro, CA 94577
orders: 1-800-521-GUNS info: 1-510-638-3226
fax: 1-510-638-3008 hours: none listed
HAND-PICK FEES
Also called "hand selection" or "special selection," this is an extra
amount of money you can pay, presumably to get a better specimen than
if you didn't pay. Hand-pick fees usually range from $10-$20, and
you always gotta wonder if they aren't just pocketing the money.
Century Arms doesn't offer a hand-pick fee on every item in stock.
Sometimes the fee selects for quality, sometimes it lets you select
for manufacturer. Since it varies, and because the results have
been so good, I think they're really grading guns and setting the
best ones aside. Since they won't even take your money to hand-pick
some guns, I get the feeling they only offer it if you'll get your
money's worth.
A big thanks to Robert Plamondon (robert@plamondon.com) A vast
majority of this page is due to his post to rec.guns on 10-10-94.
If you want to read his whole post here it is.
Curios & Relics Home Page -- (c) 1995 Mark R. Cervarich --
mark@shelfspace.com