I was going to buy a pistol from them last year. They said they needed to make a copy of my credentials and keep it on file. No other fll in MD ever wanted a copy of my creds for a purchase. Ever. I didnt buy a pistol from them.
Bass Pro is at it again!
- Thread starter JettaRed
- Start date
The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast
Member Benefits:
No ad networks! Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership Discuss anti-gun legislation Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses Discover free outdoor shooting areas View up to date on firearm-related events Share photos & video with other members ...and so much more!
Member Benefits:
smokey
2A TEACHER
- Jan 31, 2008
- 31,497
Smokey could only take so much of this stuff and ended up walking out to celebrate xmas with my family instead of dealing with their policies or any more of the gunworld craziness that has gotten much worse in the past couple years. With some things in my personal life coming up, I'm VERY glad to have my weekends back and feel like I should've parted ways with basspro a long time ago. It used to be fun and I actually looked forward to work. The last year, I just really didn't have my heart in the job. It seemed like all customers were angry, everyone bitched about politics all the time without actually doing anything about it, and gunworld dialogue in general just got more hostile. I enjoyed being the guide that brought a LOT of new shooters into our world and took the job as gunworld ambassador pretty seriously, but I was pretty over it.
That powder log has been around for a while. Some employees were more "accurate" at filling it out than others. An odd phenomenon is that customers would often correct mistakes in the log if they saw their address or name was recorded wrong though....who knew people were that willing to have such a detailed log of their purchases?
As a general rule, Basspro's lawyers are SUUUUUUUPER conservative with legal issues. When you're an international corporation, and maintaining an FFL is a large part of your overall business model, you're probably not going to be as willing to test the legal boundaries in a state and will play things safe. Rather than a mindset of, "How much can we do for our customers without getting in to trouble with the state", the mindset just has to be, "What can the state potentially come after us for?", and they stay on the safe side of that line. It's really a necessity of how business is done at that scale.
Aside from that, basspro sells a lot of guns and is a pretty constant target for multiple alphabet agencies from state and federal govt. They get pushed a lot and only push back when legal issues impact business. With the 8 day release stuff, at a certain point the gun vault was full with no room for new inventory...and many pissed off customers were demanding refunds. MSI's case came through at the state level and got the attention of BP corporate that the 8 day release stuff may have something to it. Only after all that did their big dollar lawyer folks communicate with the feds to get a written letter stating that the 8 day release is legal...and they still played it conservative with a 10 day release.
They are what they are, a big box store. They're good for sales if you generally know what you want, since bulk ordering can mean good prices. For a business that's more likely to fight for maryland 2A issues, the local guys are hard to beat...mad props to on-target in leading the 8 day release charge, and the guys at engage for giving naptown hell. I have always preferred to give business to local shops and bought many guns from gunconnection and others even when I worked at BP. I still do shop at BP because I like the store's work with conservation and other charities(they hooked up the boyscouts all the time with ammo and other things whenever they could).
It's also full of other goodies for camping or just random redneckery that I like...plus a lot of very good people I still consider friends work there and I like to visit. Being a box store, they have a few gems there that are above industry standard in knowledge and customer service...of course others still suck, it varies person to person.
JettaRed
Ultimate Member
Hell, Bass Pro had Pyrodex (black powder) sitting on the shelf. The smokeless stuff was in the back room.
JettaRed
Ultimate Member
The wanted $629 for a G19 Gen4! Why would anyone pay those prices? It's not like Bass Pro is an LGS. The Arrow and Bullet in Hagerstown can get you a G19 for probably under $550. (Don't quote me--call Bill Scally at (301) 790-0564 and get a quote.)
As a Glock Sport Shooting Foundation member (with a two-year membership), you can buy a G19 for $425 with the coupon from a Blue Label dealer.
Mack C-85
R.I.P.
Head about three miles south on Ridge Road from Arundel Mills at the corner of Rt 175 to On Target, better staff and an indoor range!!!!
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
JettaRed
Ultimate Member
Thanks for the response, Smokey. I would have had much more respect for the guy if he actually seemed to know what he was talking about. If there is an ATF regulation concerning powder says, it seems to be universally ignored. I bought a pound of Bulls Eye in Gettysburg last weekend and two pounds of IMR 800-X in Winchester last Friday. Neither asked anything about me.
That being said, they guy should have said that it is an ATF regulation that Bass Pro has chosen to comply with, regardless if it is enforced or not. If this is a Maryland thing, then it's best the sales people know the difference.
Lastly, to continue the story, there was a young serviceman buying a pistol there. He was using his active duty military ID for the purchase. The other sales guy asked if he wanted to buy ammo now or when he picked the gun up. The serviceman thought this was a cash and carry state, so I explained to him about the 7-day waiting period. The sales guy said it can take two weeks. Now, I don't know if the time it takes for military to get 'not disapproved' is longer than those with HQLs, but telling the guy to come back in two weeks is plain bullish!t as well. I wanted to tell him to go somewhere else, but I had already stuck my nose in someone else's business.
That being said, they guy should have said that it is an ATF regulation that Bass Pro has chosen to comply with, regardless if it is enforced or not. If this is a Maryland thing, then it's best the sales people know the difference.
Lastly, to continue the story, there was a young serviceman buying a pistol there. He was using his active duty military ID for the purchase. The other sales guy asked if he wanted to buy ammo now or when he picked the gun up. The serviceman thought this was a cash and carry state, so I explained to him about the 7-day waiting period. The sales guy said it can take two weeks. Now, I don't know if the time it takes for military to get 'not disapproved' is longer than those with HQLs, but telling the guy to come back in two weeks is plain bullish!t as well. I wanted to tell him to go somewhere else, but I had already stuck my nose in someone else's business.
Bolts Rock
Living in Free America!
We've been through this before. It is NOT an ATF requirement, it IS a Maryland Fire Marshall requirement.
Vile Shadow
...
- Feb 28, 2013
- 28,953
Pyrodex is intended to be a direct replacement for Black powder
But it is not Black Powder. In most states Pyrodex it is not required to be stored in a powder magazine.
BRONZ
Big Brother is Watching
I remember walmart tried that with me. I told them they wouldnt get my info and sold it to me anyway.
JettaRed
Ultimate Member
Why the hell would the Maryland Fire Marshall want or need to know that? Oh, never mind!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Exactly. MD dealers have been asking for ID for years. A guy recently complained to the Fire Marshall about Cont Arms asking for ID and was told they were 100% right.Of course because of the complaint they had to pay a visit and bust chops about some other petty things. It's the same thing as the limit on powder someone is allowed to have in MD. BPS is just fricking nuts about their policies though. The HQL thing is BS. I figure it is so they don't have to waste their time with someone who can't buy a gun to boot.
Ringmaster
Active Member
Suppose you are already a handgun owner and don't have/need a HQL?
JettaRed
Ultimate Member
Then why are you looking if you're not going to buy? (Their logic, not mine.)
If you are in an exempted category, then you show whatever ID you have.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Mooseman
R.I.P.- Hooligan #4
Just because you already own a handgun does not mean that you do not need an HQL to purchase another one. It only makes you training exempt for getting your HQL.
Streetgang
OP4
Agreed but what if your .mil or leo? Do they card for that?
Blacksmith101
Grumpy Old Man
- Jun 22, 2012
- 22,262
Tell them you are exempt from the HQL requirement and if they ask for your ID ask them recite all the exemptions to the law, after they hem and haw for awhile just walk off.
smokey
2A TEACHER
- Jan 31, 2008
- 31,497
That's just giving people living under someone else's policies a hard time. The counter-guys don't have control over the rules, they just do their best with what they have to work with. If you have a problem, it's best to direct it to management and then to corporate. Nothing will get accomplished by giving the guys at the counter a hard time except just dropping their morale a little bit, probably resulting in the next customer getting less than that employees best. If the counter employee has an attitude problem or is just a bad worker, then let management know so they can get rid of the dead weight slowing the good guys down. If it's a store policy problem, complaining to the store's management may get some changes rolling if there's enough voices complaining, but corporate is probably the best place to go voice that concern.
Many of the guys and gals behind the counter are very good people and were with us in annapolis to testify. They don't like this crap any more than you guys do, with many of them being military originally from more free states. In the back room, there's lots of, "What!? That's f^cking stupid!", when new laws/policies are handed down from leads and management at the beginning of a shift. Many of them have printed off MSI stuff and ran straight to the store management in protest of new policies that aren't necessarily the best for the freedom of the customers. I think it's important to know that before people take their frustrations out on the lowly counter-holder-uppers. Even the hunting manager has tried his best to be the voice of md gun rights....but again, a big international box store has a different business model and they'll play things very safely.
Bass pro is international? Never knew.
smokey
2A TEACHER
- Jan 31, 2008
- 31,497
ehh, kind've. Canada. It's not as much of a big whoop as other companies that cross oceans...but it does add another dimension to how they handle legal things with guns and other things.
