Went to Billings yesterday to use up my Cabellas points (700).

Anyway I walked into the Gun Library and it was about empty, mostly junk. What happened to all the classic stuff?

With the falling economy, many of them have put a pause on buying nice used collections.

That’s been my experience as well. The gun library, like the rest of Cabelas is not worth visiting.
I bought a few guns there pre Bass Pro.

They used to do regular price reductions when a rifle sat there for a month or so here in Billings. That Hells Canyon 300 WSM you saw sitting there for $999 has been there for at least 6 months, maybe even close to a year. The same applies to that MRC 280 AI. They just don't seem to want to do the regular price reductions any more. Oh well, their business, their call.

Not many are desperate or stupid enough to get 60c on a dollar or less?

Back in the day I used to go to Cabela's about once a week. I haven't been there in years now.

Scheels is my go to store. Fantastic.

I don't think BP intends to continue selling used guns. It seems that Scheels has "followed suit", as their St Cloud store is mostly devoid of used guns, too. I wonder if Scheels believes they no longer need to carry used guns to compete with BP, or other local stores (Mills Fleet, Runnings) that don't deal in used guns.

What are Scheels stores closer to you doing?
Another thing about Scheels, they won't ship, receive, or transfer guns who's brands they don't carry (new guns) in their stores.

Will people interested in used guns be pushed to the on-line auction sites?

If you go to the on-line library you will find a fair number of firearms listed.

Same comment.

I spent an hour in the Tridelphia Cabelas Thursday. The Gun Library was full. Plenty of bolt rifles, levers and shotguns. I was only interested in LH Bolt rifles, of which there was only one, a Blaser R93. Nice rifle. But out of my price range. Several Pre-64 M70's with "not bad" prices.

PLENTY of ammo of all flavors, also at "not bad" pricing for current environment ($25-$40 per box). Zero empty shelves. Plenty of shotgun and pistol powders in the reloading section. Not so much rifle powder. Almost walked out with an 8lb jug of US869. However, not loading any big boomers at the moment...

Fondled a LH Tikka T3x SS SL in 7RM with the grippy camo coating. I like it. If it had been a .270 / 6.5x55 / 6.5CM, it would be headed to my FFL. Also handled a Savage Impulse. Initially, somewhat interested in the ambidextrous bolt swap option. However, after handling it, zero interest. It is a BRICK.

First time ever at the Tridelphia store. Time well spent checking stuff out. But, at the end of the hour, nothing I couldn't live without...

I remember the Buda store, that was a good one back in the day.

Around here Cabelas and Scheels don’t even get thought of. People are now going to the auction house where they only lose 10 cents on the dollar instead of 50. And with the auctions being online it’s a wider audience and from what I have seen used going for new price.

I bought a few there, no more, too high.

They emptied & closed the one in Lex. Ky. after the BP buyout. It hadn't re-opened for a year or so afterward. Now, I don't know. I pretty much quit going after they filed the store with junk & kept the higher pricing that Cabela's had on the good stuff.

LGS says walnut and blue doesn't sell like it used to. Plastic striker fired and hand guards are in demand. They do deal in very nice 1911s and such.

I wonder how long, or ever, the ammo makers will run lower demand stuff like .300 savage.

Cabela’s Gun Library in Acworth GA is PATHETIC. Mosin Nagants and plastic stuff in glass displays. Give me a break.

Bass Pro in East Peoria prices used guns at way over new gun retail. They had a used Henry single shot 357 priced at $699. Retail was $549. I raked them over the coals during my online review. Got a call an hour later from the manager expressing incredulity at my statements. I said he needed to do a little soul searching and research when pricing used guns. An hour later he called and apologized and offered it to me for $449. As it had either the upgrade from recall or was made past recall, I bought it.
Haven't been back. Oh, yeah, getting their credit card saved me another $50, IIRC, and I haven't used it since.
Gotta call them out sometimes.
BTW, best hundred yard group, after mounting a Burris 4X compacr, was with Lyman 358156 gc and major load of 2400.

I’ve come across some really good finds “for my taste anyway” in the Gun Library over the years and I agree the selection has dropped off in this current market. I believe the folks that were on staff that were tasked with buying and acquiring guns specifically for the libraries have been phased out a little. I don’t know if they still have the position of buyer or “Gun Library managers”. They may but as we all know BPS has ruined the core of Cabela’s.

Newsflash, the good ol'days are gone.

I remember when Cabelas used to have racks of used guns that you could just walk up to and look at. You could take them off the rack, cycle the actions, shoulder them etc.... The only thing you couldn't do with them was dry fire because they all had trigger locks but if you were interested they'd take the lock off so you could dry fire them. I bought several rifles at decent prices off those racks but now all used guns are behind the counters and you have to get someone to hand them to you one at a time when I used to look at 100 in a day. This was the Sidney NE store and Dick Cabela used to walk around the store talking to people. Nice guy.

When BP bought Cabelas they screwed it all up. Haven't bought anything from them in years.

+1

Love going to Eden Prairie Scheels!

Scheels in Eau Claire is my go to store.

Bass Pro bought them a few years back….good news is, they now carry plenty of Circus Peanuts and Chinese made trinkets.

Cabela's Gun Library was a good business model for Cabela's, after Johnny Morris (BP) bought the libraries are still in the stores but racks mostly empty. Cabela's purchased all firearms, wrote customer checks, no consignments so for the number of stores that's sizeable investment. BP well know controlling their cash flow, slow paying manufactures and China, surprised Gun Libraries are currently still in the stores. Like others have posted the collectable market has been on decline for some time as new buyers want Black handguns and rifles.

I browse the gun library online, but holy smoke the prices are high

Their prices are high, no doubt. Once in a while they have something in there which isn't otherwise available. If you want it, you pay. If not, you walk. I missed a couple rifles i regret. Not "deals", just available. Winchester high wall in .375 H&H comes to mind as does a #1 in .458. I don't NEED either else I'd have come home with them but still .. cool rifles.

Yep. The whole going public and building nationwide was a bad decision for the consumer.

Agreed. The gun libraries at Sidney, Omaha and Mitchell have not been the same since the BPS merger. I bought a couple, but always enjoyed looking. Our local Scheel's Sporting goods kick the crap out of them now. I'll bet the Cabel's brothers are rolling in their graves. Sad end to a once great company.

Nothing stays the same, sometimes for the better, usually not lately. I like GI better than GB these days for the most part as you can deal directly with the seller. Nearest Cabelas is a mini-store in Gainesville, VA. I’d rather go to Clark Bros in Warrenton, or go a but farther to Green Top.

The ones here in Central Ohio either don’t have anything or new guns at new prices. I miss the old gun library and I miss the bargain cave too .

I have a Cabelas near me, that when I’ve got nothing better to do, I’ll stop in. Cabelas used to be one of my favorite stores, now it’s just a bunch of Chinesum and very little else. Reloading components are few and far between, and ammo is all in new calibers to make you buy a new gun. (ie. 350 Legend and 6.5 creedmoore). The gun library is well stocked with completely over priced guns. A beat to chit Remington 700 CDL in 7mm Mag without a scope, rings or base, missing blueing and the stock looked like someone had dragged it behind the truck, they wanted $1000 for. Other prices were just as insane. A bubbafied Arsenal SLR-104UR for $4500. Freaking looney tunes.

The store in Farmington UT is a small one. The Gun Library is pretty scant, with a few used handguns and multiple new $269 shotguns. At least that is the way it was when I last went there

Wasn't that the Sportsman's warehouse that closed?

Exactly.

If you stumble upon a must have. Buy it. It’s not the place to specifically look for something if you can find it elsewhere.

Live 20 min. from the Hamburg,Pa. Cabelas. Since bass pro took over the gun library sucks like the rest of the store

The Gun Library Manager at my local Cabela's was a complete dumb s hit, had to consult price guides for just about everything. They had a 6" blue Python priced at $3,500, no thanks. Strolled thru there on most visits, never bought anything. I hate BPS chinese clothing, bought a couple pair of cargo pants and they fell apart before they were a year old.

I was in Hamburg store earlier today. Used racks seemed full but didn’t take time to look around. Hamburg is the home of the $899 and up Rem 788, and $1000 760s.

Hammond Indiana gun library about done and bargain cave gone no reason to stop anymore
Hank

They post used guns on Guns International all the time.

The took out the Gun Library at the store here in Greenville SC. No more used guns just the Bass Pro chineseum crap and overpriced clothes. The did away with the bargain cave also. No point in even going into the store anymore