Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Cabela's Gun Library Policy S U C K S

The local shops must love the direction they are going

Getting very easy to pass right by them
Hank

+1 I only buy odds 'n end from them now, nothing of any consequence.

MM

I found a Pro CORE on sale at BP for an intriguing price but told em I'd have to try the trigger first. The guy behind the counter took off the lock but held onto the pistol so all I could do was pull the trigger. Said it was company policy and he wasn't supposed to be doing that. I asked him why and he said to keep me from putting ammo in it and going on a shooting spree.

I asked him if I was gonna do that, don't you think I'd use the loaded concealed pistol on my belt first? He acknowledged how stupid it was but it was still company policy and meant his job. I thanked him for doing what he did and bought the pistol.

What’s their return policy on guns? Can you return it if it doesn’t work?

as to one offing themselves, there have been several indoor ranges in the valley that have had people renting a firearm then going boom boom in the bay. often wondered who got to clean it up?

When my sister was murdered, the authorities had death scene cleaners come in and clean it up. Not sure if that happens in a lot of locales or not.

I worked at Bass Pro store in central Missourii for 4 years and worked as the gun room specialist for 2 of those years. I have been away from there for several years now and don't miss working retail at all. With all that as lead up, I can shed some light on your experience.
The trigger lock thing is the brainchild of some bean counter at the Bass Pro head quarters from several years ago. Likely from the main company security guy there who I had to deal with on several occasions when doing our gun and books audits. Anyway since the takeover of Cabelas by Bass Pro, all of there security and gun policies now come from Bass Pro which I guess is understandable. I always said the whole time I worked there that I wished it was a Cabelas. Now they have gone and ruined Cabelas.
Most of us gun guys that worked there did not agree with the policy of the trigger locks but were required to abide by the rules.
I as the "Gun Room Specialist" was one of the people involved in putting them on when we checked in each gun in a shipment. As such, I was given a "little" leeway and could take a firearm into the gun vault room and remove the trigger lock for certain reasons, but I sure did not make a habit of it, in order to keep my job.
As for the stories of customers coming in and offing themselves. Well, I'm pretty sure that never really happened before they made the policy to put on the locks, but in their imagination it was gonna happen or it could happen so they started requiring the locks.
Hardly ever go into a Bass Pro now and when I went to a Cabelas in December, my wife and I both were very disappointed in the lowered quality of merchandise and the large assortment of "RedHead" clothing, which is a Bass Pro Brand.
Les

I kind of wonder if we are going full circle?

First the big box gun stores come in and put the small guys out of business.

Then the big box gunstores through their stupid policies end up putting themselves out of business.

And finally the small gunstores make a comeback.


Jerry

I had a similar thought. Not sure Bass Pro is in danger of going out of business, but this may be a boon for our LGS.

No, but like Dick's, they may well put them self out of the gun business.

I am pretty much done with Cabelas.

While it is inconvenient, I understand it.

Back in the 90s I lived in a bigger town near a chain story that carried groceries, clothes, household stuff, fishing tackle, and guns. A guy walked in and asked the clerk to see a shotgun. This was before trigger locks. With the gun in hand, he popped a couple shells out of his pocket and loaded the gun. Then, with their loaded shotgun, he forced the clerk to also hand over a handgun and ammo off the shelf.

He was caught ... I kid you not ... walking down the sidewalk past a Winchell's where the cops were getting donuts. He should have scouted his get-away route a little better.

Back when you 'n' I were younger probably such things were not a consideration, but in today's world, the stores have to protect their employees and their other customers. Liability and lawsuits require it. Don't just blame the stores, blame us, all of us .. society as a whole.

Tom

I buy a lot of guns. More than most but maybe not as many as some of you guys on here. I haven't bought a gun from BP or Cabelas since I quit working there close to ten years ago, and only a handful, "3 or4" when I did work there.
I would much rather support our local gun shops and even a couple of our pawn shops. Pawn shops are nice for some of the older stuff I like.
Anyway, have a good one.
Les

First nail in the Cabela's coffin was when the family went public with the business. The second, and surely related to the first, was selling out to Bass Pro.

Bass Pro has absolutely no interest in the gun business, and it's likely viewed corporately as a liability. Bass Pro is about selling boats, and now having more outlets to do so. Further, Cabela's financial/credit card/banking business was also important to the boat business.

I hope the Cabela's family is enjoying its fortune...and also hope, for their sake, they steer clear of Sydney, Nebraska.

Sad situation.

Steelhead, I can't imagine how that would leave a man feeling. You have my sincere condolences.

Copy that.

long time ago we had a local grocery store chain called smithy's. it also had a sporting guns section. a guy popped a round of 12guage out of a box, then wanted to see a shotgun, promptly taking his head off.
smitty's decided no more guns.
manage to pick up a little ladysmith for about 125 bucks.
as to cabella's in glendale, i had/have a friend who owns a long standing gun store not far from the cabella's. after they opened he noticed a little drop in business, but later was back to normal.
reason? him and his employeed knew just about everyone that walked in his store, and were knowegeable about explanations to customers and spent time with them.
classis story of how to compete against a big box retailer, plus carrying stuff they don't carry.

I refuse to buy a gun at Cabela's solely based upon their "take a number bullshit service"

And don't even try to lay one away. Bass Pro did away with the Cabelas layaway policy. I saw an original Winchester M1 carbine there for $850 and fortunately I had that kind of money even though I hated letting it go all at once. I couldn't walk away from that gun at that price.

I used to live less than 5-minutes from a Bass Pro Shop but almost always drove over half an hour to get to the nearest Cabela's as I really disliked shopping at BPS for various reasons. I've since moved and am 10-minutes from Cabela's, but I've started to dislike going there after the recent changes. I've purchased a few used handguns from them in the past, but after hearing about this new gun handling policy, I don't believe I'll bother doing so again.

In my area, Cabela's was one of the better places to pick up ammo for a reasonable price, but now I rarely see anything on sale and the average prices have gone up. The Bargain Cave at my local store is gone; over the years, I scored some nice Cabela's brand hunting clothes there for a fraction of the original asking price. Most of the floor space previously dedicated to Cabela's hunting clothing now contains BPS Redhead brand gear, flannel shirts and henley t-shirts with "Gone Fishin'!" and other non-sense printed on them (and the earlier thread comments about selling boats may not be far off: the large open area in front of the entrance is now full of fishing boats on trailers).

I don't think I'm the only one in my area to be disappointed. In the past, this store was packed on weekends; for instance, the area around the gun counter was literally shoulder-to-shoulder, stacked at least two deep. However, on recent trips it looked more like a ghost town. It's a shame.

And BPS has discontinued the Herter's brand ammo at the Cabelas stores and catalogs.