One of my best friends is looking to purchase his first handgun in Wilmington, NC. Does anyone have any local recommendations on a shop?
He will also be looking for a local trainer in the area as well, so any suggestions there would be great. Thanks!
@rcbusmc24 is somewhat local and could probably advise on shops and training. Wilmington isn't far from Lejune, and there are a lot of gunshops around there
Backwater Guns on South Kerr Ave. https://www.backwaterguns.com/
I shoot IDPA at Buccaneer Gun Club http://www.buccaneergunclub.org/ the 1st Saturday of each month and it is a very new shooter friendly match. They run some NRA handgun shooting classes there also.
Last edited by Amp; 07-11-2019 at 06:15 AM.
I vacationed in that area this summer and ran across an awesome shop in Jacksonville called Guerilla Armament. The shop isn't huge but they carry brands and accessories that a "gun guy" looks for. The guys in the shop were very friendly and happy to just talk gun stuff. I'll make it a point to stop there anytime I'm in that area.
http://guerrilla-armament.com/
Backwater guns is the big shop in Wilmington. They have everything. Nice people , expect to pay at or near MSRP.
In Wilmington I like Tiller and Lanier on Jacksonville Street. Its the shop you find old smith revolvers and 1911s in. Run by retired Wilmington Police officers. Not nearly as much stuff but willing to do fair trades and can get what you want.
Up in Jacksonville.....Guerrilla Armament is my buddies shop. If you stop in, there is a good chance I'll be hanging out behind the counter or doing dumb shit with power tools in the back if Im not on base or actually out shooting. ( No one should ever let me have access to power tools...) Toph, the owner can get you what you want most lukely for the cheapest price in town.
While Jacksonville is drowning in gunshops, to include a place named "gunshop" which is simply a tax write off buisiness for the guy who owns half the strip clubs in town.... The only other shop I buy from is Armageddon Armory. Its owned by a retired Marine named Dave and specializes in PRS stuff along with higher end pistols. 1911 builds and such. Dave has a smith working for him who is a retired percision weapons armorer from the USMC who spent his days building MeuSoc 1911s and M40s. His day job is at the MARSOC armory as a civilian still doing the same thing. Needless to say, Daves shop does all my gun cutting..... both shops are dealers in class 3 toys if you feel the need for them as well.
By the way we have the Class 3 Jamboree coming up this Sat from 1100 to 1500 at flatwoods outfitters. It is a Machine gun and suppressor shoot for the public raising money for Hope for the Warriors. It is being put on by Guerilla....
Bullzeye Shooting Sports on Market. They also have an indoor range. Wide selection of carry guns.
Everyone I have dealt with here is very nice, helpful, and knowledgeable. This is the shop where I remarked that I had never seen a Charter Arms in the flesh, and the employee behind the counter responded "gee, It's like spotting a cockroach in the wild." Last time I was there, the staff let me try their Safariland holsters, and we had a good round of shit talking about Serpas. Most seem to be competition shooters. They are great about showing good handling technique.
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Shooter's Choice on Gordon Road is a pretty nice shop with indoor range. Former PF member and Wilmington PD officer either still works there part time or is sponsored by them in his USPSA shooting or both.
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Last time I was there, which I admit was several moons ago, their entire handgun inventory could be counted on one hand. Not sure if they were going through some reorganization or such, and it’s certainly possible things are different now.Originally Posted by JHC
As mentioned above, Tiller and Lanier is the place to go if you are looking for a good, older model Colt or SW revolver.
I have really enjoyed meeting and working with the good people at Backwater. The owners and I have come to know and understand each other well. I’ve purchased handguns, long guns, as well as several class 3 items from them.
The other big store IMHO is Jim’s on Oleander. They are part of a chain of stores in the state, thus their selection is usually quite good. They typically are known to have higher prices than they other stores, but sometimes they will haggle with you. They are friendly, but not as get to know you like the Backwater folks.
Their size though can make a difference. I happened upon an LTT Elite in there not too long ago, also some CZ Custom Shop guns.
Thus if you’re looking for a modern duty style handgun, I would check out Backwater and Jim’s and see who’s willing to make you the best deal.
Best of luck
cc
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