Maple Creek Sports |
We are fortunate in our area to have many excellent local sources for selection and purchase of handguns. In the Fargo-Moorhead area, Scheel's, has locations in Fargo and Moorhead; Gander Mountain and Sportsman's Warehouse are located in Fargo (and have Minnesota locations in other cities). All three stores have excellent handgun selections. All have reputations of having an excellent and knowledgable staff and are willing to go the extra mile to secure a safe buying experience for a new purchaser.
In addition to the larger retailers, there are smaller stores that carry handguns. In Fargo there is the Outdoorsman, Maple Creek Sports and Valley Pawn; in Detroit Lakes, Lakes Sports; in Fergus Falls, South Mills Service. These retailers, although carrying a smaller inventory, also offer personal service and ordering capabilities. Further, I encourage and strongly urge people to support their local gun shops. These people have been and are the foundation of gun rights in this country, and every time one of them has closed we feel the loss.
If you are an experienced purchaser and know exactly what you want, there are some on-line vendors that have "apparent" lower prices. Keep in mind that internet sellers prices often do not result in savings once you add in the shipping costs and the local transfer fees. You can figure about $50-$75 over the internet price will be the true delivered price. At times some particular specialty vendors do have excellent sales. However, what value do you place on local service after the sale? For me, to save $25 or $50 (typically the tax amount), is not enough to not purchase locally. Supporting your local dealer is something that we should be doing, as if we don't, we may wake up some day and they will be gone! Finding a local dealer you trust is worth more, much more, than saving a few dollars.
One of the best options to compare pricing AND purchase from a "local" retailer
is to use the Gallery of Guns web site. Their gun locator service web page
(
http://www.galleryofguns.com/GunLocator/locatorstart.asp
) lets you compare pricing at three local dealers that have affiliated
with Davidson's (one of the largest distributors in the U.S.). Guns purchased
through this service have a lifetime warranty and also are delivered through
a local dealer. (Note: "local" is a bit broadly defined. In the Fargo area,
the three are in Grand Forks, Bismarck and Mandan. In Minnesota, the
three are Detroit Lakes, Crosby and Wadena.
Keep in mind that you can only take delivery from a retailer in your own home State. For example, if you live in Minnesota and want to buy from a North Dakota dealer you will need to work with a Minnesota transfer dealer at an additional cost as a Minnesota resident cannot buy and take possession from an North Dakota retailer. (Handguns can only be sold by a retailer to an in-State resident.) If they sell to someone from out-of-State, the buyer must take possession in their State from another dealer, and that other dealer will charge a transfer fee. This should not be a problem however, as all three of the major retailers do have locations in both Minnesota and North Dakota. You might also note that Sportsman's Warehouse in Fargo does have a relationship with a Moorhead location to make the transfer. Please also note that if you are buying from an out of State retailer there may be a small transfer fee that is charged. You can discuss this with the vendor to ascertain the cost, if any.
If you are a new purchaser of your first handgun, please also take a beginning training class. Whether or not it is from ShootingSafely.com or not is unimportant....what is important is that you have proper safety training so that you can enjoy your purchase for years to come!