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Cabelas/ Bass Pro?

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Dick's is having a grand opening here in town next week----- in Idaho!! Haven't they heard anything about us. We like guns! Idiots! 😝
 
Before they got bought out by Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's used to be a pretty good place to buy black powder guns from. Easy to buy online, and really good sales once or twice a year. And even not on sale they generally beat Taylors & Co., Dixie Gun Works, etc., on price. I'm pretty sure they used to allow returns but I may be confusing them with someone else.

For example, Cabela's has the Pietta 1860 Army offered for $299:
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/pietta-model-1860-army-44-caliber-black-powder-revolver
Dixie Gun Works offers the same gun for $355:
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...321/product_name/RH0705+Pietta+Colt+1860+Army
Taylor's and Company offers it for $384:
https://taylorsfirearms.com/hand-guns/blackpowder-revolvers/1860-army-steel-rev.html
MidwayUSA has a great sale going on right now at $279:
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1002264782?pid=584405
Now, I've had some sneaking suspicions as to why the big price difference between the giant companies and the little guys. For a long time I just assumed it was bulk buying power. Now I am suspicious that some companies may be paying for lower or higher levels of quality from the manufacturer and this is reflected in the cost. I have no proof for this but have noticed that many of the guns I have obtained from Midway or Cabela's had problems. I also notice that when people chime in online the responses are very varied. My revolver from EMF-Company is my best shooter and I use it in competition. So, I'm getting a little suspicious of how the big stores are offering things so cheaply.

But if a big player pulls out of the market it's generally not going to be good for consumers and it's not a very good sign for the hobby/industry as a whole.

I’m beginning to think the same thing. My 58 Remington bought at Bass Pro had nothing wrong. The Uberti Dragoon bought from Midway had stupid problems. The Pietta 1860 Army from Midway needed the action de burred, The 51 Pietta Navy bought from Midway has been ok with no problems so I wonder if in fact if Midway is getting a discount on "scratch and dent” deals? Is it hit or miss, the luck of the draw, poor manufacture quality control? 🤔
 
I blame the beginning of the demise of traditional BP guns and supplies on State Wildlife & Fisheries doing away with traditional muzzle loading season and going inclusive first to modern inlines, then allowing single shots with cartridges like the .45-70. Most of that was happening around here in the early 2000's. And now there are other agendas at work too.

And I don't do business with Dicks or watch NFL games now either.
 
who watches football
you are right. nobody except for 18 million viewers and 19 million people at the games. that is almost 40 million mostly men a year then throw in college football and might bring the number up to 80 million
 
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Dicks is dead to me. I wish they would fold do to their anti gun policies and behaviors. I hope Cabellas and BP don't follow down that path. I haven't seen or heard that as of yet buy large corporations tend to get soft
I once worked at Field & Stream (owned by Dick's Sporting Goods). When Richard Stack went liberal and politically correct by removing all AR style rifles most of the staff (including me) quit and went elsewhere. I have been working at The Gun Room of Sunbury (a mom & pop shop) for over 4 years now.
 
In my search for a BP revolver, I reached out to Colorado and Sidney, Nebraska Cabela’s stores. Their firearms people advised they were waiting on guns to show up, but they had no idea when that would occur.
Check out Dixie Gun Works, Midway USA, Brownell's and many other online stores. They can ship BPP guns to your door in most states.
 
I once worked at Field & Stream (owned by Dick's Sporting Goods). When Richard Stack went liberal and politically correct by removing all AR style rifles most of the staff (including me) quit and went elsewhere. I have been working at The Gun Room of Sunbury (a mom & pop shop) for over 4 years now.
I remember a few years back I went to a Dick!s to check out things and saw every thing over priced and walked out never to go back to one specially after they went super liberal with their anti gun bs. Ban the criminal and not the gun.
 
It is becoming increasingly difficult to buy black powder guns from Cabela's/BP.

About 3 years ago or so they got sued because they sold a black powder revolver to a convicted felon, who then used it to murder someone. They got sued for not doing a background check on them, which of course is not required by federal law for black powder firearms.

So you can no longer order them mail-order to-your-doorstep. You have to pick them up in-store, where they make you fill out a fake 4473. It's like a 4473, but of course can't be run through NICS. It's just a CYA thing they do. Nothing you couldn't do online during an online purchase, but they won't do that.

If you check their web site, you will find BP guns but they say "in store only". The trick is finding a store that has them. My local Cabela's has no BP guns in stock. If you happen to find a store that has one, the next trick is trying to get it sent to your store. The gun counter manager at my store said any store should be able to do this, but many are too lazy to do it.

I went through this a couple of years ago trying to buy a Pedersoli Pennsylvania, and a year ago with a Pedersoli Brown Bess. If you plug in various states on the web site, you can find the stores that have one. But upon calling, I had them tell me that either they really didn't have one, they wouldn't ship it as it was their "display piece", or that they would sell it to me but I had to use gift cards (?!).

I finally found a nice fellow at a store who would ship it to my store.

I had to do a lot of leg work and multiple trips to my local store to make the deals work. The only reason I bothered was with the Pennsylvania I had enough Cabela's bucks that the gun was basically free, and with the Brown Bess they were on sale for $999 and that was too good a deal to pass up.

Of course finding Italian import BP guns is a challenge right now anyway. Even Pietta's USA distributor - EMF Company - is mostly out-of-stock. I don't know what is going on in the world today with all these strange shortages.

Italy got whacked really hard by the China virus.
Factories were closed for a long time.
Chinese businessmen are heavily involved in buying up lots of old-name companies, firing the Italian management and workers. Even during the height of the pandemic there were almost daily airline flights out of Wuhan Province to Italy and back.
No one has exact numbers, but lots of Italian skilled workers died, and replacements take years to train.
A representative from one of the major importers of Italian replicas told me that some of their suppliers lost over 25% of their work force.
 
Italy got whacked really hard by the China virus.
Factories were closed for a long time.
Chinese businessmen are heavily involved in buying up lots of old-name companies, firing the Italian management and workers. Even during the height of the pandemic there were almost daily airline flights out of Wuhan Province to Italy and back.
No one has exact numbers, but lots of Italian skilled workers died, and replacements take years to train.
A representative from one of the major importers of Italian replicas told me that some of their suppliers lost over 25% of their work force.
I had heard that rumor before...wonder if it is true.
 
No thanks, will not shop at either one. Same for Dicks sporting goods stores.
Totally agree. Everything I ever bought at BP or Cabella’s was defective and had to be returned. Even a $2000 o/u shotgun! Won’t go to Dick’s either since they changed their firearm sales policy. Now its either Academy or some of the local smaller guys with limited selection. However, none of them have black powder guns or accessories except Scheel’s which just opened in Dallas about 45 minutes from the house (and a $10 toll road fee).
 
I blame the beginning of the demise of traditional BP guns and supplies on State Wildlife & Fisheries doing away with traditional muzzle loading season and going inclusive first to modern inlines, then allowing single shots with cartridges like the .45-70. Most of that was happening around here in the early 2000's. And now there are other agendas at work too.

And I don't do business with Dicks or watch NFL games now either.
Same here. The nfl is full of overpaid winers. You know our priorities are screwed up when movie stars and athletes make exponentially more $$ than our healthcare and first responders.
 
Italy got whacked really hard by the China virus.
Factories were closed for a long time.
Chinese businessmen are heavily involved in buying up lots of old-name companies, firing the Italian management and workers. Even during the height of the pandemic there were almost daily airline flights out of Wuhan Province to Italy and back.
No one has exact numbers, but lots of Italian skilled workers died, and replacements take years to train.
A representative from one of the major importers of Italian replicas told me that some of their suppliers lost over 25% of their work force.
I do not believe that about the Chinese firing the Italian workers at all. they are pure business people and that would set them back severely making the guns
 
I do not believe that about the Chinese firing the Italian workers at all. they are pure business people and that would set them back severely making the guns
As far as I know, they have not infiltrated the gun industry YET.
They are taking over ownership of recognized name Italian leather goods like shoes, coats, purses, and other mid to upscale clothing.
The cottage industry-level makers have been taking a big financial hit because of workers being brought into the country and worked at slave wages.
The new omers work and live in a sort of closed society that is tightly controlled by “ enforcers “.
The Italian police are somewhat baffled by a lot of this.
Even though many of the Chinese workers are getting up in years, and occasionally have serious health problems, Italian authorities never find a dead body in a home, shop, or elsewhere. Coroner’s reports are non-existent. One might assume that sick, injured, or the deceased are being sent back to China, but there is little to no evidence of that happening either.
I stumbled across this information about a year ago in a couple of trade journals. One article was mostly about the takeover of such a large part of fine clothing manufacturing, and the other discussed that and other mysterious voings on from a law-enforcement perspective.
Sorry I cannot name my sources. It was almost a year ago and I don’t remember now.
 
I stopped by my local Cabelas last month to pick up an undisclosed amount of #10 caps...first, I had to order them online and wait about two weeks for them to reach the store for pick up as the store itself no longer stocks them.
Three years ago when I first moved here I walked in and bought the last 5 tons on their shelf.
Second, we took a walk around the store and WOW they have changed so much since we last went:
Restaurant is now CLOSED permanently.
A big chunk of the ammo area now sells bicycles and sunglasses.
EVERYTHING we browsed in the Home Deco, Fishing, and Camping departments had tags/labels saying "Made In China"?? - I mean Everything, I found Nothing made in America, not even in Mexico or Tiwan. Their fishing poles they seem real proud of as walking down both isles the labels were all turned to be clearly visible "Made in China".
Personally my favorite poles are Japan made (Shimano) and American (Eagle) - could not find a one. Even all the fishing lures I picked up "Made in China", same with tents, sleeping bags, kid's toys...

Makes me wonder if Bas Pros have been purchased by China??

And the Jerky room now has No Jerky?? Only hot sauces. Even the fresh made fudge and candies are gone?? Only home deco signs (Made in China) now kine the counter.

Well, they don't even offer the fresh and hot Cinnamon Roasted Cashews anymore, only cold and going stale pre-packaged cones....I don't see me making the drive out there again.
Interesting comments. People in Eastern Pa. who liked going up to Dixon's black powder shop in Kempton, Pa., used to automatically drive a few miles west on Rt. 22 to the big Cabela's there; not to mention the Cigars Int'l., but that's another thread! Anyway, when I went to Dixon's and the Gunmaker's Fair up the road, I never considered for a moment going to Cabela's, thanks to helpful comments from guys like yourself who give us a true picture of what's there. Thanks again. :)
 
As far as I know, they have not infiltrated the gun industry YET.
They are taking over ownership of recognized name Italian leather goods like shoes, coats, purses, and other mid to upscale clothing.
The cottage industry-level makers have been taking a big financial hit because of workers being brought into the country and worked at slave wages.
The new omers work and live in a sort of closed society that is tightly controlled by “ enforcers “.
The Italian police are somewhat baffled by a lot of this.
Even though many of the Chinese workers are getting up in years, and occasionally have serious health problems, Italian authorities never find a dead body in a home, shop, or elsewhere. Coroner’s reports are non-existent. One might assume that sick, injured, or the deceased are being sent back to China, but there is little to no evidence of that happening either.
I stumbled across this information about a year ago in a couple of trade journals. One article was mostly about the takeover of such a large part of fine clothing manufacturing, and the other discussed that and other mysterious voings on from a law-enforcement perspective.
Sorry I cannot name my sources. It was almost a year ago and I don’t remember now.
I believe the Chinese prefer to be buried back in China.
 

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