The irony is clear to gun owners as the Champaign Surplus store, built on selling military surplus gear for decades starting shortly after World War II, is now posted “NO GUNS”.
Inside Champaign Surplus is an anti-tank rifle, something like a Solothurn or Lahti. A cool conversation piece, to say the least.
Not sure if it’s still there as it’s been a couple of years since I’ve shopped there as the surplus stuff has been concentrated to a closet-sized part of the store and the racks which once held military surplus clothes and outerwear now are displaying high-end “outdoor” wear.
ALICE packs and Army tents have been replaced with exotic backpacks costing several Benjamins and $1000 tents. Jungle boots have been replaced with yuppy boots costing as much as a Glock.
It looks as though Champaign Surplus, built on a foundation of gun owners and others seeking military surplus gear and clothing, intends to move forward from here on out without most of their gun owner customers.
Decisions have consequences. It’s not like gun owners don’t have alternatives to shopping Champaign Surplus’ now-posted risky retail store.
Gander Mountain has opened in recent days in a much more trafficked retail area just a couple of miles away, gun owners can buy that high-end outdoor apparel from a retailer that welcomes gun owners and card-carrying good guys.
We’ll let you know when the going out of business sale commences at Champaign Surplus.
For those on Facebook, here is their Facebook page. Feel free to write a review. They can’t remove a review unless you’re defamatory or profane.
I’m not sure I’d want to even leave my gun in my car where Champaign Surplus is located; it would be a lot more secure from theft on my belt than in my car there – a high crime area about 2 blocks from the Champaign Police station.
Run down business catering to wealthy liberals in a run-down neighborhood? Does that pretty much describe them?
I didn’t care for the place when the old man ran it.
Now that the kids run it, I wouldn’t darken their doorway if you gave me a $1000 shopping spree there.
Feel free to send them an email or call:
customerservice *at* champaignsurplus *dot* com
+1 877 480 HIKE(4453)
Or their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/champaignsurplus
I was in Gander Mtn. yesterday for the first time since it opened.
I spent, literally, an hour familiarizing myself with every gun along the back walls, took a whole hour looking carefully in every cabinet.
Know how many salespeople helped me? NOT ONE.
Nary a single salesperson wanted to sell me a gun yesterday, and I was ready to spend about $1200 cause the one I went to buy at Rural King was BROKEN out of the box.
Whassat? I coulda asked for help? Well, at the point it became an exercise. I wanted to see how long I could stand there, leaning over the counter, and, from the edge where the used guns are, touching the used Mosins and that other oddball German one whose name I don’t even recollect right now, without a single a-hole employee offering to either help me or show me a gun.
(Unsanitary act) gander mtn. [Let’s keep the language PG, please Ken. Thank you. JB]
I will stick with RURAL KING.
I bought a Sig 938 at Farm King for $100 less than Gander Mtn. and the one at Gander was on sale.
4
Gander Mtn’s prices are higher… selection is impressive on a lot of things though.
I’d still rather drive out to Homer and buy my guns from Dean though. 🙂
They long ago ceased being a part of my life. Long ago, I used to go, to the inconveniently located, with nonexistent parking, to get cheap T-shirts. Sometimes businesses grow too big for their britches, but I haven’t been there in over twenty years, and, judging from their boring TV commercials, haven’t missed it a bit. Ironically, I often (once or twice a week,) have to walk right past it. And never considered it. Once.
Gander Mountain appreciates the business. I wonder if there are enough “Northface” university liberals to justify them staying in business.
The message is loud and clear… Law abiding gun owners are not valued or respected. We will go somewhere else.
Just sent them an email expressing my unhappiness about this decision. I’ll probably be stopping by there this weekend and talking directly with one of the managers and handing out a few “No Guns No Money” cards.
This sucks. Going over to the anti-gun darkside will have consequences on their profit margins.
Every gun store that I have been to in Florida, except for 1, places signs on their doors stating no guns allowed on premises or more specifically, no loaded guns. Lake County Arms in Mount Dora is the only exception…
I stopped by two on my honeymoon last year near Destin and neither were posted.
FWIW.
John
I went in there once, nothing spectacular, overpriced merchandise and now, meh….
If your legal rights aren’t being respected then why would you grace them with your business and your money?
Can vouch for a surplus store up around Elgin… yes its North of 80 but if you happen to be in the area and you can get there without interstate traffic. Trader John’s outpost has some surplus, seem like good people too.
Never again will I step foot in there as long as they have a NO GUN SIGN up. I fired off a letter to them today. Spread the word that they have the sign up!!
UPDATE to JUNE 17 post:
So, I emailed gander mtn. on June 17, expressing my displeasure at having spent an hour drooling over their gun counters all along that back wall without A SINGLE SALESMAN COMING TO INQUIRE WHETHER I NEEDED ASSISTANCE, actually reaching over and fondling the guns on the end, without a single salesman coming over, or a SECURITY GUARD trying to stop me from loading one up and trying it in-store.
I have heard NOTHING back from them.
Not even an auto-acknowledgement that my email was received.
Today is the 26th. Today is the day I officially end any expectation of doing business with gander flountain.
Goodbye ta youuuuuuuuu, goodbye ta youuuuuuuu, oh oh oh oh oh! (Scandal, 1982).
Gander mtn, you can cordially kiss my ass.
Rural King and Dick’s will get my business hereafter.