For a few firearms, like slug shotguns, there’s a definite sales season,” Steve Shipley of Ohio Valley Trading Company told Shooting Industry. “But if you carry the right stuff, you can sell long guns year-round and keep the momentum going.”

The question is, “What is the right stuff?” Our interviews with several dealers indicate many retailers tend to stick with certain lineups of long guns, whether they move quickly off the shelves or gather dust. Sometimes, too, given the enormous array of rifles, shotguns and carbines available today, the choices are just too many and too varied for a busy dealer to study.

To help, we tapped the knowledge of four successful dealers serving very different mixes of consumers. They provided a number of keen sales tips and a look at what’s “the right stuff” in their corners of the marketplace.

Gateway Outfitters in Saint Charles, Mo., serves serious sporting shotgunners and Bob Sebring reports, “I can sell as many CZ shotguns as I can get. We haven’t been carrying them very long, but they’re already a significant part of our business.”

Sebring named the Canvasback Redhead and Woodcock over-and-under models as the most popular.

The Canvasback features a black chrome finish, the Redhead has a silver coin finished receiver and the top-of-the-line Woodcock offers color case-hardening. All have single selective triggers and ventilated ribs.

“You would expect to pay a lot more for this kind of quality,” Sebring said. “The Woodcock, in particular, is really elegant and buyers are surprised at the price. The 12 and 20 gauges are the most popular, but sales of .410s and 28s are coming on strong. CZ does a great job of advertising and many buyers say they’ve seen the CZ shotguns on sporting shows on TV or in national magazines. That makes our job much easier.”

Sebring buys direct from CZ-USA and says the company’s dealer support is “a class act all the way. They’re very responsive and they ship fast.” He also reports strong and growing sales of CZ rifles, especially the Models 452 and 453 American rimfire models in .22 LR and .17 HMR, and the Model 527 in .204 Ruger.

“I bought two 527s in .204 Ruger myself,” Sebring said. “That should tell you how good they are.”

Sebring said sales of ARs are steady, with Rock River Arms taking the lead, and cowboy-action shooters like the Uberti 1875 Lightning pump rifle in .45 Long Colt.

There has also been a recent surge in interest in .50 BMG rifles.

“The numbers aren’t significant yet,” Sebring reports, “but they’re growing. We’ve sold ArmaLite AR-50s and we’ve ordered some from Barrett and can’t wait to get them in.”
Sebring says Gateway benefits from having a sales staff who are all active shooters.

“We network that aspect,” Sebring said. “A customer can ask about almost any firearm or any caliber and we’ve got someone with in-depth personal experience, from sporting clays to big-game hunting. It’s our knowledge that makes the difference.”

Steve Shipley is the firearm buyer for the four regional outlets of Ohio Valley Trading Co., based in Nelsonville, Ohio. His big surprise in sales over the past two or three years has been in 9mm and .40 S&W carbines from Hi-Point Firearms.

“We’ve sold about 600 or 700. The demand just keeps getting stronger and word-of-mouth from so many happy customers does all the advertising for us,” Shipley said. “The price-point is super low, they’ve proven to be extremely reliable, and now, with so many Hi-Point owners out there, we’re picking up some great sales in accessories for them.”

Shipley says that most of their Hi-Point carbine customers are recreational shooters, although some buy for home defense, and over half of first-time Hi-Point buyers walk in and ask for the firearm, specifically.

“The 9mm model is the most popular. Ammo is cheap and it’s an easy, fun gun to shoot,” Shipley said.

He adds that the carbines can be ordered with black or camo furniture and factory-equipped with a 4x scope, red-dot scope or laser sight. Popular accessories are extra magazines and the ProPack buttstock magazine pouch. A new thumbhole “bullpup” replacement stock from Advanced Technology is becoming a fast mover.

“Dealers should know, too, that Hi-Point really cares about you. They ship whatever you need fast and stand behind their warranty without question,” Shipley said.

In more traditional rifles, Shipley said Savage sales are booming, with every variant in the Model 10s and 12s in all calibers offered.

“The Savage AccuTrigger is fantastic. Overall, accuracy and quality are outstanding for the money. In ARs, we’re getting a lot of demand for Smith & Wesson’s M&P15 and the ArmaLite M15 A2 with green forend and collapsible stock,” Shipley said.

During September, with the beginning of the slug-gun season, Shipley said Remington’s 870 Express and the Mossberg 500 are proven sellers in 12 gauge, with sales of 20 gauge increasing steadily. In addition, bargain-hunting customers are asking for the New England Firearms Pardner Pump 12 gauge.

Shipley’s best advice to fellow dealers is to aggressively pursue special orders for customers.

“Many dealers won’t do it, but letting people know you’ll go the extra mile for them creates loyal, return customers. If we don’t stock it, we’ll get it, and that attitude pays dividends,” Shipley said.

The AR market is growing and is “far from its peak.”

That’s what Michael Saporito, president of Pace Outfitters in Casselberry, Fla., told SI, adding, “Now, everybody wants an M4,” referring to the carbine-length, flat top variant of the ever-popular AR.

Saporito says his clientele are “primar ily tactical users: military, law enforcement and tactical professionals,” most of whom already own full-size ARs, but want the M4 model. “It’s lighter, shorter and handier than the standard AR. And almost every good AR manufacturer offers one,” Saporito said.

“Quality and reliability are the greatest criteria and Rock River Arms and Stag Arms are highly trusted. Stag and Rock River M4s are usually back-ordered. Most M4 buyers equate Stag Arms with superb quality and they offer true left-handed models.

“I suspect there are far more left-handers out there than most people think,” Saporito said. “Just let it be known that you’re able to meet their needs and you’ll pick up sales.”
While Pace Outfitters doesn’t specialize in hunting shotguns, in self-defense shotguns, Saporito says, “Remington 870s and Mossberg 500s and 590s in 12 gauge dominate.”
Pace Outfitters uses all forms of advertising, including mailers and TV and radio ads.

“Never overlook the value of half- and full-page newspaper ads for your special sales. We all know how thin the margin is on guns, but by offering discounts on hot items, you can easily make that up on sales of ammo and coordinated accessories, like Aimpoint and EOTech holographic weapons sights. The guns bring them in and the other supplies fill your sales,” Saporito said.

How did Missoula Mercantile & Pawn/Axmen Firearms become the biggest gun store in Montana?

“Easy,” said Rich Ochsner. “Always accommodate the budget-minded consumer. That doesn’t mean cheap — just offer the best quality for the money.”

Ochsner stresses the sales potential of left-handed, youth and women’s model rifles.
“We can’t keep a left-handed rifle in the store and women’s and youth models are in high demand. Savage has several fine offerings, like the 93R17, and with the attention Savage’s AccuTrigger is getting, all their rifles are selling great. The 7mm-08 is popular around here, and 30-06 with reduced recoil loads makes a great starter rifle. Not enough dealers are paying attention to that niche in the market.”

Ochsner also points out that interest in rifles chambered in .17 HMR is still growing.
“We’re selling 20 .17 HMRs for every one .22 LR rifle,” he said.

Like Bob Sebring in Missouri, Ochsner has found that CZ rifles are truly hot sellers.
“The Model 527 Americans and 550s in every caliber across the board are selling great,” he reports. “They have true-milled receivers, hammer-forged barrels and single-set triggers, which you can’t get from any other maker for anywhere near the price. And the quality is outstanding.”

Ochsner also praised CZ’s dealer support.

“They’re attentive, fast and honest. If CZ tells me something, I can take it to the bank.”
In shotguns, Ochsner said CZ’s over-and-under 12 and 20 gauges are dominating sales, while the Turkish-made Tri-Star semiautos — the Viper and TSA Series — are on the increase. “The youth and women’s models are big sellers,” he said.

Ochsner’s best advice?

“It’s easier to make fast nickels than slow dimes — as long as the quality is there. Pay attention to your left-handed shooters and the growing women’s and kids’ markets. By adhering to those rules, we keep 1,200 guns in stock and turn that over five times in a year,” Ochsner said.