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Ammo shortage? Common mistakes in the gun store? Gun “buy back”?
I am joined again by Wanstalls co-owner and larger life than life social media personality, Matt Mendel and we discuss the current state of the industry.
For those new to the Silvercore Podcast make sure to check out episode 59 where Matt lays out a roadmap for anyone wishing to thrive in any niche industry, but particularly that of firearms.
https://www.instagram.com/wanstalls/
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Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.trav
Silvercore Instagram - @Silvercoreinc https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors
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The Silvercore Podcast explores the mindset and skills that build capable people. Host Travis Bader speaks with hunters, adventurers, soldiers, athletes, craftsmen, and founders about competence, integrity, and the pursuit of mastery, in the wild and in daily life. Hit follow and step into conversations that sharpen your edge.
Kind: captions
Language: en-GB
I'm Travis Spader.
And this is the Silvercore Podcast.
Silvercore has been providing its
members with a skills and knowledge
necessary to be confident and proficient
in the outdoors for over 20 years.
And we make it easier for people to deepen
their connection to the natural world.
If you enjoy the positive and
educational content we provide, please
let others know by sharing common.
And following so that you can join in on
everything that's Silvercore stands for.
If you'd like to learn more
about becoming a member of the
Silvercore Club and community,
visit our website at silvercore.ca
I'm joined again by one stalls
co-owner and larger than life.
Social media personality, Matt Mendell.
For those new to the Silvercore Podcast.
Make sure to check out episode 59,
where Matt lays out a roadmap for
anyone wishing to thrive in the niche
industry, particularly that a fire.
Matt.
Welcome back.
Thanks for having me, you know, I
was toying around with the intro.
The other intro I was thinking of
was something along the lines of
integrity, quality service, magic.
These are just some of the
words used to describe one.
You man.
Uh, of course I stole that
from one of your commercials,
for sure.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We love doing
those.
And I was looking, I think
soapbox industries, are they,
were they helping you out with this?
Soapbox does a lot of the
filming and editing actually
all the filming and editing.
Yeah.
It's amazing.
If anyone wants to
watch some quality made.
You to gun store advertisements, just type
in one stalls into YouTube and you'll see
all of their commercials are really funny.
Yeah.
We
just did a homage to a full house.
So that's the next one that we just
dropped.
Yeah, you definitely have that
retro vibe goal with them.
So you were saying, look,
we should get back on.
We should get on the podcast.
And then what, two days ago, you're
like, so what are we going to talk about?
Totally.
We came up with this
massive list of things.
There's a number of things that I think
the listeners would be very interested in.
There's some things in the industry
that are happening that are of interest.
Uh, one of the things that I'm
looking at is I'm trying to purchase
ammo and I'm getting a harder and
harder time trying to find it.
Yeah.
Can you tell me what's going on
with ammo in the industry right now?
I mean, we can start from kind of
like the beginning of where, like this
all kind of started, obviously at the
beginning of the pandemic, um, you had
the U S panic buying, literally every.
Primer bullets piece of brass
gunpowder, anything that went
bang, the Americans were buying it.
And we were quite lucky because,
um, during the pandemic, because
the ammo slated for Canada comes to
Canada, it can't be rerouted back
down to the states because of the
type of labeling they have on it.
And all.
So we were quite lucky for that,
but, uh, we were always sitting there
saying, it's, it's going to come
full circle eventually at some point.
Um, and we were just waiting for the
ball to drop and we really didn't
notice it until, um, probably fall
of this year hunting season or
sorry, fall of 2021, I should say.
Um, when all of a sudden we're looking
at our stacks of ammunition downstairs
and there was none left dwindling,
dwindling, like, and we're talking
about stuff as simple as like a box of
like a Powershot blue box, 30 on six.
That's like, you know, you can stop at
any gas station pretty much in Canada.
Right.
And buy a box of, and we had none of it.
So we're like, oh, we'll
just go to the distributors.
You know, like we must have been
not paying attention or something.
And then you go to the
distributor and there's nothing.
And there was nothing for a long time.
And then we got really nervous.
So we went, um, for a few months,
they're kind of like buying
what we could and how we can.
Then we went for booking season
this year, which happens pretty
much December to January.
Uh, that's where we book all
of our products, what we think
we're going to sell for the year.
Right.
Um, and ammo just went up
for flat out, just went up
anywhere between 40 to 50% cost.
Whoa.
Uh, and that's just straight up
because there's such an insane
demand in the states to fill.
And Canada is always a second thought
when it comes to us manufacturing.
So is that still panic buying
leftover in the states from COVID
or is there anything they're just
trying to restock?
Well, I don't know if that I
don't live there, so I don't know.
I'm sure some states are still panic
buying for some reason or another,
but they're trying to just stock the
distributor shelves in the states so that,
you know, gun stores in the states can
call and say, I need a blue case of blue
box 30 on six when they haven't had any.
God knows how long, you know,
3, 4, 2 years essentially.
Um, so yeah, that's been where what's
been going on there and we have just
seen an absolute, insane spike and pre.
I, you know, when you talk with
panic buying in the states, I
remember I was at Smith and Western
academy a number of years ago.
And this was when, uh, I think it
was Obama was getting elected in and
there's a lot of panic buying there
because everyone figured all mom was
going to get rid of all the guns.
And I remember there was one police
officer on the course and he said,
Hey, you want to see something?
Look what I bought.
That was just two to three.
And he has pallets and pallets of two to
three delivered by truck into his garage.
And he's like, I'm getting
ready.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's the American, that's the
American way of doing things, right.
That's why, like, you know, I think
what was the F the famous saying when,
uh, you know, Japan was asked why they
didn't invade America is because there'd
be a, a rifle behind every blade of
grass or whatever they said, you know,
later, and it's a hundred percent true.
And, um, you know, you had
the double whammy, right?
Because there was the Trump election
and then, or the lack of Trump election.
Um, and, um, Joe Biden got in there.
And then, you know, you couple
that with a global pandemic
and then the war right
now, and Ukraine, which is
on everyone's minds.
It'll be interesting to see what happens
in that regard too, because that's,
you know, what the, what the states
does there in regards to how their
populous will be purchasing AML, right.
Regardless
of there's an impact or not,
the psychology of a possible
impact creates an impact.
Exactly.
I would like to say, you know, one kind
of funny thing there back in our, uh,
when we were on Canadian gun that's,
um, we put out a, uh, uh, kind of
like a public service announcement.
Um, I think in maybe.
I want to say February of last year, and
we just said, Hey, you know, everybody,
this is just letting you know, this is the
trend that we're currently seeing between,
uh, importing, distribution, and retail.
Like you're going to see very soon,
you're going to see a massive spike.
Um, I'm sure that was well-received.
Oh yeah, no, everyone just said
we're just a bunch of price,
gouging jerks and blah, blah, blah.
And then it was funny.
So that threaded.
Fell apart.
And everyone was, you know, had
their point to say about us.
And then when it actually started
happening, other retailers
started doing the same thing.
And then the response was all, thank
you so much for, you know, you'll
be in such a straight up love with
us and we appreciate it so much.
So yeah.
You ever get, give the temptation
just to go back and repost it just
like macro, what do they call it?
That
grows.
Yeah.
And that girl pose?
No, not really.
Well, we're not on there anymore, so
we don't have access to it, but it's
just like, it's a funny, it's just
a funny, psychological thing, right.
Where you're like, you know, you
had best intentions and maybe it's
the timing or how it's received,
but yeah, it's, it was funny.
I it's, it's the crowd mentality I find.
And it's the crowd that you run with
because once you start running in certain
crowds and there's different online forums
and different groups, even just within
the shooting community and everything
can be all doom and gloom and negativity.
Or vice versa.
And if you accidentally start
finding yourself, dipping your toe
in the waters of that doom and gloom
inadvertently, cause you're like,
oh, look at what they're doing.
It looks kind of neat.
Or these people look knowledgeable.
If you're not self-aware and looking
around, at some point you start,
you start becoming susceptible
to that same sort of thing.
Yeah, exactly.
And I don't think it's a bunch of bad
people out there who just want to want
to get after the, uh, the different
gun stores or organizations or groups.
But I do think just like the last
couple of years have shown us the
human nature in crowd mentality versus
yeah.
I mean, without a doubt, right?
It's, it's easier to, you know, fall
into a crowd than it is to be the
one guy who stands out with, uh, with
your own opinion and it's easily.
You know, to have your negative, um,
opinions of the whole situation reinforced
when other people say that it's the right
thing to do where you know, which, which
I find really odd because firearms in
general is typically an individualistic
activity, a hundred percent.
I mean, if you're looking for a
group of individuals, look to the
firearms industry and they might be
on competitive shooting teams, they
might all have shared interests.
But at the core I find firearms owners
in general are very individualistically
minded, but it's funny when all of these
individuals come together and without even
realizing it becomes such a group thing.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
I,
I remember doing a, we had an
instructor course and we're training
some new safety course instructors.
And I said, you know, just, just
for fun, like aside from firearms,
what do you guys like to do?
And one guy said, well,
I love to scuba dive.
Okay.
And the guys said, well, I love,
um, back country, Alpine touring.
I love.
And all the things that they're
listing off, there is one person
who says, Hey, I enjoy gardening,
which is a little different.
He was more, he was into hunting
and, uh, and one guy said,
Hey, I like playing hockey.
He was the only person in a class
full of instructors who actually did
something, which was team oriented.
Yeah.
I, um, yeah, just a funny
observation of, of the community,
a bunch of individual minded.
People that I think would really
benefit from, um, some team perspective.
I mean, like how people can play together
as a team to achieve a mutual goal.
Yeah.
That's a, I think that's probably a
good lesson for the community at whole.
Probably get a lot
done.
Yeah.
And you know what I can't say,
I'm not susceptible to it.
I'm individual minded as well.
And I always have to take a step
back and start looking like, okay,
what's best for the industry.
What's best for the macro the longterm.
Cause when I look at certain things, I
can, I can see some things where industry
can make some good money quickly, but
I don't see a long-term benefit to it
in consequently we'll steer away from
that for sure.
Yeah.
Without a doubt, there's a, there's been
lots of examples of that in the industry
as a whole, where as you know, you know,
some retailers will, um, They confuse
success with, um, number in sales.
And, um, generally the historically
speaking, the, how they've done that is
run super low margins and hoping that, um,
you have enough stuff sold at the end of
the day to make up for the low margins.
And the reality of the fact is
in this industry, you're not
Costco, you're not Walmart, you're
not, you know, a big box store.
It's a very niche industry.
And it's, um, you know, you've seen time
and time again, where there's been a
lot of companies who race to the bottom,
essentially when it comes to that.
And then what you've seen recently, um,
with the pandemic and the price increases
and all that stuff is, um, a complete
those particular retailers or whatever
have you, if they're still around.
They're all trying to make the shifts
back to, um, increasing their margins
because you you've come to the
realization that when there's nothing
to sell, you can't sell it for cheap.
Right?
Right.
So when we're all fighting for the
same box of 30 on six or 3 0 8,
you know, it doesn't make sense
for one person to sell it at no
margin and somebody to just sell it.
And we're not, I'm not saying by
any stretch of the imagination to
gouge customers or anything, there's,
it's a very, there's an industry
standard as far as what pricing is.
And if I'm, for instance, A box of 3 0 8
through me is $35 and a box, um, through
a dealer, a is $50 and through B is $20.
You're not going to see that
huge of a difference in price.
It's not really, you know what I mean?
But we're talking about, um, you know,
if I'm 35, someone's 30 and someone's
40, then that's where you're going to
kind of see the, um, the differences
in price.
Yeah.
You know, and when you say a race to
the bottom, I totally agree with that.
If you compete on price alone,
that is a race to the bottom.
Cause the only way others can compete
with you of that mindset is to give it a
cheaper price and a cheaper price until
finally people are just selling things
just slightly above cost and that that'll
kill a business and that'll kill it.
That'll harm an industry.
I think if.
Uh, I think people will pay a premium
for customer service and for quality
advice for, I mean, there's a reason
why we have some major big box stores
from the states that come into Canada.
I think wholesale sports
was a good example, right?
Uh, and there's Cabela's and bass pro yet
your local gun store will still be able to
thrive in an environment when these large
organizations with massive buying power
are able to, uh, the local gun stores
can still not only survive but thrive.
And I think that's based primarily on the
customer service and the reputation and
the, uh, the quality of advice that for
sure, uh, you know, a big
misconception too with big box
stores is that they're too.
Um, yeah, they're not always
there rarely are cheaper.
Um, and we've always said
it cause we were next.
We were probably the closest gun
shop to, uh, wholesale sports.
I'm pretty sure for a number of years
to the point of when they installed the,
uh, the golden ears, like it was a five
minute drive or 10 minute drive each
way you could go to us or, or sports.
Um, and we didn't, we honestly didn't
mind them being around because, um, same
thing when they first, when the wholesale
first opened or whatever, they had all
these amazing deals and blah, blah, blah.
Okay.
But when you have a 10, 20, 30,
40,000 square foot store with a
bloody airplane hanging from the roof
and you know, and you've got 50 the
staff on and all this kind of stuff,
you can't, the industry just doesn't
allow for that type of business to be.
Run, right?
Like you can't sell guns and ammo.
I'm exclusively,
exclusively at that price.
Right.
So they rely on stuff like their clothing
and all that stuff to keep the doors open.
But yeah, a lot of people are always
shocked when they come into our store.
They said, oh, I've always shopped
at, uh, you know, say Cabela's or, you
know, and I'm shocked that your prices
are the same, if not sometimes cheaper.
And it's like, yeah, it's just to me,
I've never really shopped at big box
stores, so I didn't understand it, but a
lot of people just assume if you've got
a giant store full of a bunch of junk.
It's going to be cheaper, right?
Like if it's a chain store or something,
it's gotta be cheaper, they have
better buying power or whatever.
Have you.
And that's actually, that's the
cool part about the firearms
industry is that it's not the case.
It is.
That is the case in a lot of other,
other industries, as far as like
my family owned a bookstore and
stuff, books, um, you know, DVDs,
electronics, all that kind of stuff.
Yes.
If you have buying power because
there's an endless supply of it, but
because firearms and ammunition are,
they require so much to make produce.
You have to be licensed
on every aspect of it.
There's only X number
of product to go around.
Yeah.
So, um, yeah, it's a pretty
interesting when people come in
and say, oh my God, I can't believe
you guys, you know more about guns.
You have the same prices, if not better.
And you
know, right.
And that's not the poop
on the big box stores.
Cause my, my, my thinking
on it always been.
The more the merrier, but people have
to be educated to know that, I mean
the big box stores are not necessarily
going to be giving you a better price.
They're not necessarily going to be giving
you better service or, or better anything.
If there is more exposure of the
outdoors hunting firearms type ropes.
I think the rising tide floats
all boats a hundred percent.
And like I shop at Cabela's too,
when I need camping gear, I go
there, you know, for example, my
store, it's only 2300 square feet.
Um, I can't have 20 different 40 gun
safes, you know, up for people to
peruse and all that kind of stuff.
It's not going to happen.
So there are advantages to it.
But yeah, when you come down to the
actual core of our industry, which
has guns and ammo, essentially an
optics, we're all going to the same.
Well, to pull things out of
you, you know what I mean?
So there's no magic voodoo sauce.
Um, as far as pricing or
anything like that, Well,
and then if you have a place that perhaps
doesn't have as high of a turnover rate,
then you'll probably find people who
encounter the same questions and over
and over again, staff who are able to be
knowledgeable from experience through all
of these different things that they see.
And so that's, I think one of the big
advantages to go into your local gun
store is the, uh, the turnover rate.
Usually isn't super high
compared to some of these larger
organizations, 100%.
I mean, I'm coming up at wan stalls.
I think next year is my I've
been there for a decade.
And, um, when we have new staff on
there, know, sometimes shocked at like
the answers I can give or how quickly
I can fix a firearm or whatever.
But, you know, when you sit there
literally all day, every day, and there's
only so many jammed up eight seventies or
Mossberg five hundreds that you finally
figure out, like, you know what I mean?
Like it's yeah, exactly.
Right.
So a hundred percent and we're also not.
Uh, hamstring by company
policy either, right?
Which part of a big box stores
like you can't bring, um, like for
example, a firearm into a big box
store that's not working and have
them disassemble it in front of you on
the counter and, and fix it for you.
Right.
Whereas us it's me and my two buddies who
own the company and, you know, we make the
calls and helping customers is our call.
So that gets me thinking a little bit.
I think we talked about it.
We touched on it before.
I actually tried Googling it.
I couldn't find the video.
I know Coleen Nawar, who's
a lawyer in the states.
And he'd say with, I think he's
involved with the NRA and he's an
awesome, uh, advocate for firearms
owners and firearms rights in the USA.
Uh, he's done a bunch of funny videos.
I know one of them was types of people
you see at the gun range, but somewhere
along the lines, I'm sure I've seen both
types of customers that you see at a gun
store, a hundred percent as well as types
of gun store attendance that you see.
And I couldn't find either, or
maybe if someone was listening,
they might want to post a link up
to if they knew where these are.
Uh, what do you find are the
typical types of people that
you see coming into your store?
Um, I'm I think that we're
a very lucky in our regard.
So we get a lot of brand new shooters
who have never shot anything who just
got their license and they were just
like, I want, this is my end goal.
I want to go hunting.
I want to be able to kill a moose
or deer or bear or whatever it is.
And completely new
people, which is awesome.
Uh, then we have our regulars
who come in, who, you know, we
know exactly what they, like.
We know what to show them.
Um, you know, they hang out for a
bit, we chit chat and there's that.
And then like every now and again, you get
like the, what I would probably say falls
into your, your, your line of questioning
there, like the YouTube professional,
you know, where, you know, uh, you know,
you try to give them a piece of knowledge
and they say, well, no YouTube says, or
the internet says, and it's like, well,
I was like, you know, I've only done this
like 700 times, so take it or shake it.
Right.
You can take it for what it is.
And like, and then they're just
completely convinced that I'm wrong.
Right.
But it's Chris scruffy nerve
heard are 69 on a Reddit forum.
I know it was more than I do.
Right.
Which is it's fine.
Right.
Like you're going to find out one
way or the other, how it's done and
just trying to save you the time.
Um, yeah.
Then.
You know, then you've got like, you know,
you got to preppers who come in and, you
know, they've always got some interesting
theories as to what's going on.
What's going down in the world.
I like talking with those people.
Yeah.
For a, for a bit, but yeah.
Yeah.
There's only so many, a secret
world wars going on and, uh,
cabals and all that kind of fun
walkie or whatever the end
of the world as we know
it.
Yeah.
Yeah, for sure.
I mean, but as far as customers go,
I mean, you know, I personally think
like, um, from my perspective, I
like, uh, I like the different types
of people who work in gun stores.
Okay.
It's kinda like, I think that's
can be, uh, a funnier aspect of it.
Like you got the guy who's like sat in the
corner for 35 or 40 years who like, just
as this crusty old, you know, whatever.
Right.
And yet he, he knows exactly what he
wants to know in his, what he, in his
scope of things that he finds interesting.
And everything else is trash.
Yes.
I've seen those.
Yeah.
And then, um, you got a.
Um, people hyper-focused, you know,
like the hyper-focus guy who, you
know, will, hyper-focus on a single
aspect of a fire, like a micro
details of trying to figure out what's
going on or something like that.
And then you sit there and
then you've got the way broader
issue being completely ignored.
And you're like, finally, I got it.
And then he looks back and he's
got, you know, he's only done
like a half a percent of the job.
Um, and then he got, he had an know,
like, I guess he could throw me in there.
Who's just a kinda guy like me.
Who's just, guns are awesome.
And I like just hanging out and,
you know, be asking about guns
and fixing guns and working on
guns and all that kind of stuff.
That guy, my, you know, more
of the modern stuff is my take.
And then like, you know, you got a guy
like my, uh, partner Craig, uh, who's
like, literally I lean on him constantly.
He, his thing is old stuff.
There's a.
Who used to own a gun store out in
Surrey many years ago, I remember I
was helping him out when he, uh, was
in the process of trying to take it
over and he eventually ended up running
it into the ground, but he was the,
I guess the fan boy type of person
just diehard about one certain thing.
And I remember being in the store
one time when he's going on with
this customer, this is the gun you
have to get, and this is the bomb.
Nothing else will compare
for what you want to do.
This is what you want.
And I guess his fan boy is, um, had
changed from a month previous to
this new, latest, greatest thing.
And there's another guy in this
story it's like, but I just
purchased that other thing that
you're saying is bad a month ago.
Cause you told me it was the best and I
watched him tiptoe and tap dance about how
the other one just isn't the best anymore.
And this is the best and why, but
by the fan boy, I am a hundred
percent.
Yeah.
Kind of funny, without a doubt.
Um, Yeah, the, um, I guess going to a
gun, sir, I've been going to gun stores
since I've been a kid and it's sort
of my, my life I'm used to it, but for
somebody brand new to it, it's gotta be
intimidating.
It's terrifying.
I remember like, because I didn't
grow up in a gun family at all.
Right.
Like I, my first gun I got, I went
and got my power when I was 18 and
I actually walked into reliable gun
was the first place I ever went.
And, uh, I remember being so bloody
nervous, I think the most in to
intimidating places, you can really go
as a tattoo parlor for the first time
in a gun store for the first time.
Right?
Yeah.
And, uh, I just remember how nervous
I was when I went in there and I was
just like, just kind of like shuffled
up and I'm like, can I get a gun?
Even though it was a, you know, it's
such a foreign thing to somebody who's
never stepped foot in a gun store.
No doesn't know anything about not,
it doesn't know anything about, but
like the industry or how it works and
the process and like, you know, are
they going to take it to the back and
waterboard you to make sure you're not
a drug dealer or anything like that.
Right.
So you don't want to skip it.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
You don't want to look like, you
know, but the best possible thing
anyone can do is just say, Hey, this
is my first time at Hogan store.
And you'll get a whole, at least
with us, like, you'll get a whole
different kind of experience.
We'll literally show you every single
cartridge we have in stock, every
single rifle and give you you'll.
If you don't buy anything, you'll at
least leave with knowledge of what
is there and available to you as
an individual.
I have actually never heard that as
a tip before, and that's a fantastic
tip because the gun community will
open up their arms and welcome you in
yeah.
100%.
And then from the retailers, from
the dealers perspective too, right?
Like if somebody is coming
in and acting weird and a gun
store, well, they don't tell.
Yeah, exactly.
And they don't tell you why.
Right?
Like, so there's always that kind of.
Um, aspects, especially now
with like masks as well, up
until a few days ago with masks.
Um, you know, if somebody is coming
in with sunglasses on and a mask
on and acting like a weirdo in your
store, you get kind of on edge.
But if it's the person is nervous and has
never been in a gun store and just says,
Hey, I've never been into a gun store.
The whole, like the dynamics
are going to completely change.
And it's going to be like, let's show
you every single gun on this rack.
Right.
So you can handle and
touch and feel and know.
And yeah, the nervous thing I remember
about 20 years ago, young fellow, and
I'm doing a firearm safety course and.
There's this one guy.
So I'm six, six, two
hundred and fifty pounds.
And he made me look small and he's got
tattoos up and down his arms and he's
got his biker leathers and his long hair.
And he's really quiet the entire
time he's going through the course.
And I'm looking at this guy,
like, what's this guy's problem.
What's his attitude.
Everyone else have a fond or open.
And this guy just looks like he must
have a chip on his shoulder or something.
And I'm in the back and I'm
doing testing with him and he's
kinda kind of shaking really.
And I look at him, I'm
like what what's going on?
Right.
And then he starts laughing.
I'm like, dokey, what is going on?
He's like, I'm so sorry.
I'm so nervous.
I've been so nervous
the last couple of days.
And I, and I get the giggles
when I'd get nervous.
There's this guy he's bigger than me with
tattoos, a biker level biker letters that
gets the giggles when he gets nervous.
Yeah.
Let's reset.
Let's take a deep breath.
We're going to go through this.
And he was awesome.
Super nice guy.
But like, if you want to talk about
judging a book by its cover and the
entire time I'm with this guy, I'm
like, man, this guy, every time I
try and reach out, he's withdrawn.
And he just, yeah, a hundred
percent, same thing in the gun store.
The nervousness doesn't matter if you're a
big guy like me or a smaller person, who's
I getting into it for the first time.
That level of nervousness doesn't change.
No, a hundred percent.
Yeah.
Especially if it's something
so foreign to you, right?
Like holding something that explodes in
your hand for fun is like a, that's not
a normal thing that people want to do.
Right.
So if you've already gone through
the process, like men made that
mental, okay, I'm doing this.
I'm going to the course that takes a lot
to step into a room full of people you've
never met before and learn about firearms.
Then the next step is to go get one.
And again, if you don't have the family
history of owning fire, You know,
it's like you giving someone like
a thousand horsepower drag car and
saying, yeah, just go down the drag
track with it, see how you do, right.
Like it can be, yeah.
Like it can be super scary.
Right.
And, uh, I remember when I got, when I
got my first gun, I bought it and it sat
in my safe for like two and a half months
before I could, you know, muster up the
courage to, you know, go out and shoot it.
But, you know, and then
after I did, I was obsessed.
Right.
And I've been obsessed since that day.
Right.
Um, so knowledge
is power and knowledge is empowering
and it gives you confidence.
And that's one of the things I'm
hoping that this podcast will
be able to do is sort of reach
past the typical gun community.
And even those within the community,
just give them an alternate voice
from the people in businesses, in
the community so that they can.
They can use that to form
their opinions, essentially
make a more educated decision.
Yeah.
What about etiquette in the gun store?
Cause I know that, you know, there's gun
range etiquette, which is a one thing
that I think has been talked about a fair
bit on, on online and in different areas
where people can Google buy gun store.
Etiquette is not something
that I see talked about a lot.
Yeah.
Um, I would say that gun, uh, the
reason probably is this guy gun
range etiquette is super important.
Like the most important thing, cause
you're dealing with loaded firearms
on and you know, typically on a
firing line with other people, um,
when you're in a gun store, uh, Yeah.
I mean the, my big, honestly, my thing
that drives me, the craziest is when
people just drop guns on the counter,
like that literally just boils my blood.
It's like, yeah.
It's like taking, give me your iPhone, let
me just drop it onto your glass counter
and see like, you know what I mean?
Like, especially, you know, and
then the other one, you know, um,
the other one too is so, you know,
just say firearms knowledge, right?
Like always, you know, we always open
an action and hand it to a customer.
Right.
And, and stuff like that.
Um, and we just kind of like expect
a customer hands the gun back in the
same way that we, you know, right.
Open, clear it, hand it back to you.
Right, right.
Um, but yeah, the other thing too, is
that people freak out also about gun
store etiquette because, um, some.
Uh, Powell courses teach you like,
you know, when you walk into a gun
store, ask what the safe direction
is, all that kind of stuff is the
reality in my gun store is you're
pointing guns at more guns or right.
Like our guns are checked every day,
you know, constantly, um, we check
clear every time we had it to you.
So after that's done, we're not too
worried about it, but people often come
in, especially new people and are like,
you know, they don't know where to point
the gun, you know, they pointed down,
they put, you know, so the big thing would
just be to come in and say, Hey, what's
your guys' policy or what would you like
me to do when you hand me a firearm?
Perfect.
Just say, yeah, exactly.
That would be, that's
the best thing to say.
And you say, yeah, you can just point it
over my shoulder up here or over there.
Right.
That's the safest place to point it.
Um, but yeah, I mean, it's kinda
more so when it comes to, um,
etiquette, it's, it's a mixture
of gun safety and not being, um,
Yeah story, you know what I mean?
Like yeah.
And realizing like, it's, you know, w
that gun you just handled, you know, it's
a $2,000 gun and don't whip it around.
Like, it's a toy that you've seen on TV.
And the one that kills me that kills
me is stainless steel revolver,
or nickel, plated revolver.
Somebody spins it and whips it shut.
And you, and I just, that's the one
thing in my store, we're all like, dead.
I, you it'd be like,
don't ever do that again.
Right.
Because they're like, oh, why?
Like that's, you know, and I'm like,
look what you just did to the gun.
And there's a giant
scratch down the cylinder.
And yes, that's like this
isn't, this isn't a movie.
Don't do that.
And it's not, I don't mean like dead.
I, them like, like, I'm
going to come get you.
It's um, I did.
I like, that's a serious thing.
Like you just took a $2,000 gun and,
you know, you dropped the price, dropped
the price, or, you know, the next.
Gets it.
And he's like, what the hell?
Like, why is it all
scratched up and stuff?
So those are the big ones.
Um, and also like we've had
stuffed crazy stuff too.
Like we had to, we've had guys
come in with their biker helmets
on like the full face ones.
And I'm like, I look at I'm
like, what do you guys do?
Yeah.
It's like, you know,
this is a gun store, man.
This isn't like shoppers drug Mart.
You can't walk around with a helmet on.
Right, right.
Just stuff like that.
Like facials, um, stuff.
That's covering your face,
sunglasses, just stuff like that.
And um, if you do decide to wear them,
uh, just make yourself known to the
people working in the store, don't lurk
in corners or look around, you know,
just stuff like that is the big one.
You know, that the whole asking
questions thing I think is imperative.
Even gun range, gun store,
like you're in the range.
Someone says, oh, I always love those
who, okay, try shooting your gun.
What can I try doing this?
Right.
Well, the easy answer is no.
And that's, I've learned
that the hard way after.
Having a firearm broken on a actually
Vancouver gun club, but 15, 20 years
ago, this guy, I don't know if he listens
to his name was Greg Neeson healthy.
I'll use his name.
He's always stuck in the back of my head
and I'm shooting a, a Brita shotgun,
which, uh, I got a pretty cheap price,
but it was it predated what is there?
So are there sq series and, uh,
it was worth a couple of bucks.
Anyways.
It was, it was sticky.
It had been re blued.
It would had a crack in the forest
stock, but after each round I
would shoot I'd open the, uh, the
break action just a little bit.
Yeah.
Oh, sorry.
I press see a little lever on the back
and it was sticky and I thought it easier
to just give a little tap on my knee and
opens up and I take the spent casings
out and, and he was I going to go head up
and change the clays in the, uh, in one
of the houses that's throwing the clay
birds out in this fellow says, can I?
And he came onto her team on our squad
as sort of the, the last person on there.
And he said, well, can I,
can I tag along to the team?
Sure.
No problem.
Um, he says, can I,
can I see your firearm?
It looks pretty neat.
Yeah, no problem.
Check it out.
I said, and I go up into the,
uh, up into the high house
to, and change the clays out.
And then I hear one of my buddies.
Drouth what'd you do to your shotgun?
It's broken in half.
What?
Come on quick, you got to see this.
And I'm like, whatever, if it's
broken, it's broken me rushing down.
Isn't going to change anything.
So I do the clays and I come on down and.
I look at this, I look at this
Greg fellow, so what the hell?
Right.
And, uh, he was just about open his
mouth up and it's like, Sam, sorry, or
this, or, or whatever it looked like.
And my other buddies says, cause it was
a full team of my, my friends there and
this one other fellow, he says, yeah,
we just came here and saw it like this.
We don't know how this happened.
And all of a sudden this
guy's mouth clamped shut down.
He's like, I don't know
what happened, man.
Oh, great.
So I slipped, but it was in
your hands last and it's broken.
The best I can figure is that he didn't
realize you actually had to press the
little lever on the back of the side.
And he was trying to open it
up how he saw me doing that and
he broke it right at the wrist.
Okay.
So that's when I learned the
easy answer is no in a gun store.
However, you can't always say no,
because you're trying to sell something,
but asking, Hey, do you mind if
I press the trigger on this one?
Hey, I don't, I'm not
familiar with this one.
Do you mind showing me how to open it up,
right?
Yeah.
Oh, that's the other two big ones too.
Is disassembling guns in the store.
Like, forget about it when
people do it all the time and
this just shows you how much they know,
right?
Yeah.
It definitely shows me how much
they know that's without a doubt,
which is generally nothing.
And, you know, I remember we had
one guy who wanted to take apart a
Ruger mark to right in the store.
And I was like, no, man.
And I'm like, you know,
you can't take that apart.
You, you have to be a bloody engineer
to get one of those back to, you
know, I do this all the time and he
literally popped it open apart without
like me without, after I just said no.
Right.
A thousand pieces on the counter
and tried to, and then he started
like trying to get it back together,
scratching it up and stuff.
And then he just literally looked
at me, dropped it on the counter
and walked out of the store.
So, so embarrassed said nothing.
So never ever take a
gun apart in the store.
Right.
Ask the attended to, if there's
something you want to see, um, and
two, the last one, and this will get
you like the worst tongue lashing.
And at least my store is
bringing a loaded firearm in.
Yup.
That's something that happens so often,
like not so often, but it happens enough
to where you're like, you feel like you
should take the people's gun license and
like you have to go retake your course.
Right?
Like we're going to, we're going
to send it back to wherever
you got those license for it.
Cause apparently they didn't do the job.
That one drives me nuts.
And it's often like something.
Super simple, um, to fix on the
gun that like, you know, but yeah.
Coming in, not telling anyone the
firearms loaded, slamming it on
the table and saying, oh yeah,
there's a live round in there.
It's like, and I can't get it out.
That'll just like, yeah, that's the
worst possible thing you can do in my
opinion, against her and their stories.
You know, I think there's a young man
in Alberta that had that assembly thing
happened to, there was a single shot.
The guy brought in and forgot
there was around a target load and
slammed it down on the counter.
And the round went off like point
blank and a stomach who, um, there's
lots of stories like that in Canada.
Right.
And that's like, really, you know,
there's more stories or that than
there are gun stores getting robbed.
So that's what kind of gets me going.
Yeah.
It's not that it happens all the time,
but a few times is more than it needs to
happen.
Well, you know, honestly it does happen
like more than I, like when I got into
the industry, I had never, like, I've
never brought a loaded firearm anywhere.
Right, right.
Um, It happens way more often
than I ever thought it would.
And it still shocks me to this day
that people are just so Willy nilly,
like, oh yeah, it's too much work.
Just going to bring it to the
gun store for them to fix.
That's always been a bit of
a conundrum from a legal standpoint,
because of course you're only allowed
to have a loaded firearm in a place
where it's lawful to do so every
once in a while, somebody will have
an issue where they can't get their
gun open, whether it's user error or
something mechanical, messed up on it.
And there's a round in the chamber.
How do they transfer it the same legally?
Yeah.
That's true.
I mean, you know, generally speaking, if
that happens, you're on the range, right?
Like, so, or out in the
Bush or yeah, exactly.
So, yeah, it's, that is a tough conundrum.
Um, the best thing I can tell people
is just be like, for example, if you're
going to a store and you can't get it,
done yourself, call them in advance
and say, listen, this is my name.
This is what I've got going on.
Is it okay if I bring a
loaded firearm to your store?
I can't get it out or I'm having
a problem and they say yes or no.
And then after that, just tell
them, listen, I'm going to come in.
This is what my, the shirt
I'm wearing, blah, blah, blah,
who do I need to speak to?
And just make it as
simple, clear as possible.
That's the best possible thing you
can do rolling into a gun store with a
loaded gun, um, you know, in a case and
just slamming on the counter and just
like, Hey, by the way, this is loaded.
What can you do for me?
That's not going to fly one
of the things I've seen, some
people do or thinking about.
They'll put that loaded fire and they'll
throw a trigger, lock, secure locking
device, whatever that they can fix to it.
They'll put into a case, but they'll
make a mark on the outside of the
case as to which end is a muzzle end.
Yeah.
And then when they come in, they're
dealing with the safest available
direction, which I mean at a range, okay.
That's down range and a gun store.
That means where there's going to be zero
loss of life and minimal property damage.
So, and they'll keep that, that case kind
of pointed in the best possible direction.
A hundred percent.
I remember years ago, working in a, uh, in
a, in a shop guy brought in a, uh, a 22.
I'm trying to remember.
I think it actually was, it was
a mark one or mark two Ruger.
Anyways, he's waving this thing around.
What do you do with like what?
We've nothing in my face.
It opened it up.
Take the Meg out.
Oh no, no, it's not loaded.
And he presses a trigger and
around goes into the cold, saw.
And what the hell.
Right.
And that's probably the
closest I've ever seen.
And this was a long time ago, uh, in a,
in a gun store, gunsmith Smith situation
to something that could have gone really
poorly.
Yeah.
We've had people to like, Hey, do we,
you know, do you guys buy firearms?
And you're like, yeah, no problem.
We buy them all the time.
And then like, I had one guy for example,
pull a tow of, out of the back of his
pants and it had a trigger lock on it,
but he was in his good for his man.
And then, so he pulls it around
and I just see the, but yeah.
Right.
And so I just grabbed his shoulder
and pulled him into the counter
and he's like the look on his face.
He was so surprised.
I was like, you're what
are you doing right now?
Like, and he just didn't understand, like,
can he, he flat out said, he's like, oh,
I didn't know that this wasn't legal.
Oh man.
That's, that's special.
Yeah.
That's one of those things.
So, I mean, if you're working in
a gun store, you've got to have
eyes in the back of your head.
Cautiously suspicious.
Right?
Just casually suspicious
at every point, this person
coming in, what are they going?
Like the odds of somebody coming into
one or Rob a gun store, although there
are items of interest to the criminal
element, uh, decrease when there's
people actually in the gun store,
because of the concept of particularly
particularly the American mentality.
Well, these guys are
probably packing, right?
Yeah.
I mean, you gotta, I mean, regardless
of what part of the world you're
in, if you robbing a gun store,
you got to have some pretty big
homes or a special kind of stupid.
I probably go a special kind of stupid
and the correct terminology in that one.
Uh, yeah.
So I'm asking if you can open it asking,
and when you talk about spinning it,
like, even if it's not stainless or
nickel, I mean, you're going to do, you
can possibly do damage to the cylinder,
stop to the yolk, or if it's a cult to
the crane, um, You just don't manhandle
these things or bend them around
or I can see drop it on the counter
from a twofold perspective as well.
I mean, those counters aren't cheap.
Yeah.
And it's also like, it's
not yours, it's mine.
You know what I mean?
Like, you know, I wouldn't want you to
drop my iPhone on encounter my watch,
but anything I own, you know, like
it's just like common courtesy, right?
Like it's not yours.
Treat it with respect.
It's all it is.
So here's another one I've been reading
online.
I, the gun buyback, I guess it's supposed
to be coming up in April and there's
things that have been reading about that.
They're going to, I think caliber press
actually puts something out about, uh,
Sorry, caliber magazine, caliber presses
over the states, Daniel fritters, cat
caliber magazine out of Canada was
talking about, um, oh, either ship
the guns into the, uh, to the RCMP.
And then the later on, they'll
tell you what the value is.
Is, have you heard anything
about this?
Yeah, I've read a little bit, or I've
read that article that, I mean, a
damn put out there and it was a great
article and people should read it.
It'd be educated on it.
Cause again, typical Canadian politics,
you know, you don't have any idea of
what's going on until after the fact.
And so that'd be a good thing for
people to go read, but yeah, from my
understanding, their plan is to like send
you either a box or a case in the mail.
You put your stuff in the case and
send it, you know, paid postage back.
And uh, I mean, come on, you know, let's,
let's put tens of thousands of firearms
in the exact same box going to the
exact same place through Canada posts.
Well, first off, you know what,
probably going to be a hundred thousand.
Firearms potentially
going through the mail.
What's that going to do
to the postage system?
Yeah.
And you know, that's going to back
everything up, like crazy too.
You know, this isn't a slagger Canada
post, but there are some people in Canada
post firearms do go missing in the mail
mysteriously that there aren't answers to.
Yup.
And putting, like, making it so
blatant that it's the same box.
Same, the same that everywhere.
It's just, you know, I mean, it's typical.
I mean, am I shocked at this point?
No.
Like that it's such a ridiculous system.
Um, and then the big thing is, is that
they're going to tell you what it's
worth after they have everything back.
Yeah.
That works
well.
And if you don't
agree.
Oh, well, yeah.
Or how about how long has it, you
know, how just getting your tax return
money is a big enough pain in the ass
sometimes, you know, so now you're
going to deal with prohibited items, you
know, I don't like, I can't remember it.
The ma at the article said like,
I'm pretty sure it's not the RCMP
doing the physical work there.
They're going to have, um, like
big centers to have this stuff.
And it's just like, did, did you,
did they publish or say anything about
the centers that are dealing with, or
the companies that are dealing with that?
No.
Uh, well, if they did, I wasn't
really, I didn't, I can't remember
it off the top of my head.
Um, but yeah, I can't remember
honestly, well, I try to remember where
I heard this one from, but a Murray
Smith was supposed to be involved
with one of these at one, one point.
I don't know if that's just
somebody causing rumors.
And so I'll say allegedly this.
So
what I've heard, I heard that rumor too,
that he is somehow involved with the
company doing the buyback, which is, I
mean, talk about conflict of interest.
So
Marie Smith is C um, he's worked
with, uh, uh, firearms program
registry services and they're high.
Essentially the chief was he scientists.
He had chief scientist for the CFUs,
Seton CFP, and he's their lead, um, star
witness for the whole buyback program.
And it's based on a lot of his,
his affidavits and his work.
I mean the, the conflict, I'm
sure there's a lot of conflict.
I mean, he's getting paid to this
monster some allegedly after retiring
to come back in and to run the job that
right.
Yeah.
That he come on.
Like, it's just such a, if that
is the case, I mean, I can't wait
for the lawsuits to just start
flowing like money and power, right.
Yeah, exactly.
Right.
It's it's crazy.
But I mean, we'll see what happens.
Um, Yeah.
It's I was thinking
about it the other day.
And we did a actually made a meme
that we posted on our Facebook page.
I don't know if you saw it or not,
but, uh, you know, we're going back to
when this all started and, you know,
Trudeau, you know, sitting on his
soapbox with his, you know, whatever
it costs you means wearing this money.
I'm saying, you know, people don't need
assault weapons, and we're going to get
them off the streets and blah, blah, blah.
And then meanwhile, you know, he's
sending Carl Gustaf's over to the UK.
Exactly.
Right.
And then, so we put, uh, I put it
up with him and then, you know, he
was, had his hands in like a prayer
position saying, you know, we're going
to take AR fifteens away from, you
know, civilians don't need AR fifteens.
And then, then there's the guy
with his hands on his hips,
in the Ukraine going like, you
know,
so yeah.
It's a, you know, it's a funny,
like, you know, it's typical
politics stuff right here.
It's like, you know, the
rules are for the, not for me.
Yeah.
You know, you're talking
about Canada post.
I had, I remember a number of years
ago, uh, Canada ammo, where you at
one point worked, uh, three Glocks are
getting shipped over and from, I think
it was north Vancouver where their,
their warehouse was over to Delta
here and they mysteriously go missing.
So you file your police report, but
the fire's program doesn't remove.
The firearms for the business license.
And I always, that
always made me question.
I said, well, hold on a second.
They were Canada.
Ammos, I've never received them.
I've never seen them.
I've never touched them.
They've never come into my possession,
but they're registered to me.
Yeah.
And then the insurance company through
Canada post we'll do a, we'll pay you out.
So I got three new ones to get.
I still have these three
that are registered to me.
Every time you get an inspection
for your renewal on your business
license, the grill you about them.
Where are those?
Three?
Same as last time.
Right?
Same as last time.
So I said, well, hold on a second.
What happens?
They said, this is great because if they
show up, then you get three free guns.
I said, hold on a second.
Like if the insurance company now
paid for them, they're not my guns.
Don't they belong to
the insurance company.
Right.
Anyways, um, that always, but
yeah, you're right to human nature.
Yes.
Guns go missing in Canada post, um,
I don't know how this whole buyback
thing is supposed to play out.
I can only hope that a future
election will help reverse.
Yeah.
I mean, in the big thing too is right.
And like, you know, none of us are
naive as to, you know, gun owners
have been through this a lot of times.
And the reality, the fact is the
vast majority of that list is
non-restricted and they're relying
on people's good intentions and be
honest and sending the stuff back in.
So it'll be interesting
to see how they report it.
Right.
If they get the ER, like if they get, so
their big thing is like the air 15, right?
Like, like, you know, like
who cares at this point?
Um, I think at those back, they're
probably going to report it as like
a 90% success rate because they got.
The percent of the AAR's back.
Right.
But like, you know what I mean?
Like, so the numb, no matter how
this boils down the numbers are
essentially going to be cooked.
Um, as far as, you know, its success
rate and people who know will know
that it's absolute garbage and, um, you
know, they'll just post it as like, you
know, the great victory of whatever on,
on CBC or whoever's talking about it
this week, what do they say?
There's liars damn
layers and statisticians.
Yeah.
Right.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Right.
You can make those numbers
sing any
way you want.
Yeah, exactly.
So it'll be interesting to
see how they report on that.
And it'll be interesting to, like,
I gotta be a hundred percent honest.
Um, I'm not down with
sending a prohibited firearm.
That's in my name in a box.
Like, you know, like,
you know what I mean?
Like with no.
So, if that goes missing,
does it all on me?
Does it all of a sudden become the
property of the RC, like had happened
in my clock.
Exactly.
But they're not like, so this
is, it won't work that way.
They're not transferring
the guns out of your name.
Right.
Uh huh.
Like I imagined because who are you
going to transfer them to the cause if
you transferred them to the RCMP, they
have to go into, um, what's it called?
Um, CFUs and exactly like it goes
into a different system essentially.
Right.
And then they hold it in
their arts, their system.
Um, so yeah, like I N no fence,
I'm not super down with like
throwing my prohibited item.
That's in my name that I'm responsible
for in a box with a hundred thousand other
Canadians and hoping that it gets there.
And if it doesn't whose
fault is it going to be?
Right.
And that's the other one that's
always made me scratch my head.
The person that is registered to will
be the deemed owner of that firearm.
Well, I mean, I can, you can
register one of my cars in your name.
It doesn't make it your car.
I mean, look at the rental companies
are looking at a leased vehicle, right?
It's yeah.
You're registered and licensed in, in your
name, but at the end of the day, it isn't
your vehicle.
Yeah.
And even if they do drop off centers,
you're not allowed to transport them.
Like, what do you like?
So, you know what I mean?
Like, there's a lot of, there's a lot of
politics involved in this clearly because
it's not thought out kind of smart.
So
what's the future of the gun industry.
What's that looking like too in Canada?
Anyway,
um, it's hard to say, like, it's our
industry's ties so hard to pull the
current politics that, um, but for me,
like, you know, I'm an optimist because
this is my life and this is my obsession.
It's guns and ammo until I'm dead
essentially is what I'm going with.
And, um, I think that.
The way Canada is, is that we'll
have firearms in some shape or form
because we just, there's just too
much untouched land here that people
live in and all that kind of stuff.
So the reality, the fact is, is that
it's going to require a new government
and a government to realize that like
farms ownership is important in Canada
and it's to stop using it as a, um, a
soapbox to stand on and, you know, bump
your stats and everything like that.
So the future is it's
really unknown right now.
I've been between the shortages of
firearms and ammunition right now
with what's going on in the world.
Um, you know, with Ukraine, Russia,
China, all that kind of fun stuff.
Um, again, then what's
going on in the states.
It's, everything's up
in the air right now.
Everyone's fighting for
whatever product is available.
And
are you guys, I know some gun stores
are putting limits on the number.
Uh, on the amount of ammunition
somebody can purchase.
Are you guys doing that right now?
We've thought about it.
Um, right now we're not, we'll see,
we were so, um, when we realized we
were out of blue box 30 on six, um,
we went pretty hard and bought hard.
We bought a lot in deep what
we could, where we could.
Um, so we've got a pretty okay
selection right now in the future.
Who knows.
Um, you know, I understand that
federal for example is really not
doing a lot of reloading, so, or
it's ATK who does great, like the.
Parent company.
Yeah, exactly.
Right.
So they're like not doing a lot of
reloading, so there's not going to be a
lot of powder available primers perhaps
because they're making ammunition.
Um, but in the future, who
knows you, I mean, if we get
down to it, we might, but I
wonder just thinking outside the box,
because I guess I see the reasoning
behind limiting ammunition so that
one customer doesn't come in and buy
it all out and nobody else gets it.
Some gun stores are
saying, we're not a museum.
If somebody wants to buy a buy it,
others are saying, well, it's only
going to be fair to the others.
And they got the scale system.
I wonder if a buying club would be an
interesting thing for a gun store to,
to look at where people can pay to be a.
Be involved with a, a club and as their
numbers cycles through, they get X amount
of whatever it is that they put on there.
Ah, yeah.
I wonder if that's an opportunity
for, um, I think that like
immediately for reloading stuff,
that makes a lot of sense.
Cause reloading stuff before
all this is hard to get, right.
Like, you know, and reloaders
are kind of notorious hoarders.
They, you know, they'll get 10,000
primers as much powder as they
can, so I can see us a potentially
limiting, uh, reloading stuff.
Um, but yeah, I mean, that, that makes
a lot of sense what you're saying there.
Like, um, if it gets to, I mean, I
hope it doesn't get to that point
where we're seeing that, but we'll
see what happens and I'm hoping
that we'll go through it like a six,
seven month window here of like.
Well, maybe a bit longer, but you
know, of the industry getting back
to where it was and then you'll
start seeing a flow back in.
Um, so I don't know.
We'll see.
Yeah.
Silvercore Club got members all across
Canada and we worked something there.
Um, Hmm.
Just thinking about that.
So, and so you guys, I think with the
first gun store, I think once also was
the first gun store to offer financing.
Oh yes.
For firearms and ammunition, I
think you could finance too or
not?
Uh, no.
So when we first started doing the
financing, um, it was through a
company called taco capital Corp.
Okay.
And I believe off the top of my
head, the only thing you couldn't,
you couldn't finance ammunition
because they were like a.
Explosive.
Yeah, no, cause you use them, right?
Like, so like financing a
hamburger or something, right.
Like you eat it exactly.
Right.
So yeah, we started doing that and
like, um, that was really interesting.
We had, uh, I think CTV or
somebody, a few news companies
came in and tried to spin it.
And uh, I remember one
specifically was so brutal.
Like they had like the criminology
professor at some university was like,
essentially, like blatantly said, this is
bad because now poor people can have guns.
I was like, so like what?
Like, this is insane.
I can't believe they put this on the news.
Wow.
Right.
So that's what they said.
And like the reality of the fact is, is
that, uh, For me personally, it's um, like
when I want to buy something, if I can
break it up into chunks, why wouldn't you?
Right.
Like, it makes a lot more sense.
And especially it can help me make
way dumber decisions financially.
Like all of a sudden that $5,000 Nighthawk
or something, it's an attainable thing.
If I've only got to spend, um, down
the road or, you know, a few bucks
a month or whatever it is, but
now a big one is settled for us.
Okay.
Um, that one's a lot easier as far as,
um, the integration and all that stuff.
Sessile is like a byte it's
it became super popular with.
Um, because so many people were
stuck at home during the pandemic,
essentially what it is is they'll
do like bite-size payments.
Like, so they'll do, um,
Your payment broken up.
Uh bi-weekly for, I think, six
weeks or something like that.
So it's not as long-term, but
what it does is it allows you
to, again, break it up over a few
payments and they do do ammunition.
They'll do everything right.
And what's really cool about sizzle.
Is there.
Because we're in this industry.
Um, we confirmed with them that
they're okay with firearms and
they're like, yeah, we're a hundred.
Okay.
We left.
Totally.
I do have to give a great shout out.
Cause in this, you know, in this
industry, in this world that we're
currently living in, um, supporting our
community doesn't mean a lot to us and me.
So I'll always have a, you know,
a place in my heart for says all
for, you know, being somebody who
supports the gun industry when
you know, so many people don't,
it's hard, it's hard for them
to support the gun industry
is a hundred percent social.
Pressure's
not on their side.
Yeah, exactly.
You know, I can take one tweet or one
tech doc to sway a company's decision on
who the who, and how they do business.
So yeah, it's awesome.
It's a great option for a lot of people.
Um, and yeah, it's super easy to use.
That's cool.
How long have you
been using them
for says a little since
I want to say September.
Okay.
Um, so yeah, it's still a kind of a new
thing, but, um, yeah, it's, it's cool.
And it's easy for everyone to use.
Is
anyone else using that?
Yeah, I think a SFRC might be
using it in a few other people.
Um, it's, you know, I could see
why some companies don't, cause
it goes back to that conversation.
We were just having a boat, you know,
being the absolute cheapest in Canada
and the margins aren't super high, um,
in this industry, as it is and says, well
does take, so it's 0% to the customer.
Um, but they do take a
percentage from the retailer.
So if you're already running
ridiculously low margins,
that's barely keeping you going.
And you're, depending on that
high turn rate, the product, if
they're taking their percentage out
of it, it it's, it makes a giant
difference in your company's profits.
Right?
Right.
So some companies who don't, uh, who run
those low margins, uh, you know, they
won't take says Alon, but, um, as far as
isolate, you know, we're happy to extend
that to our customers as an option.
And that's pretty cool.
Yeah.
So any other interesting advancements
that you can see the industry moving
in aside from the buyer's club,
that aforementioned buyer's club?
Yeah.
Um, I mean, the technology is great now.
I mean, when, um, you know, our
website, for example, we're going
to be launching a new website with
soap box in the next little bit here.
Um, you know, the, the industry was so
far behind to get online from day one
that like a lot of people still use
their original websites from back in
like the mid two thousands and stuff.
And, um, I mean, if, uh, I
think, is it, oh, what ups?
Yup.
You've got like that old school.
Right.
And the thing is, is a
lot of people love that.
Right?
Like a lot of, lot of people love
that older kind of thing, but you
know, if you're selling stuff,
like we are like backpacks and
blow kits, all that kind of stuff.
Um, you know, a new website
lends itself to that.
So that's really cool.
Um, but yeah, as far as that
goes, it's just as the technology
increases is keeping up with it
is the trick and knowing what
kind of new cool stuff you can do.
Yeah.
Social media is a big part.
I mean, I've said it for a long time.
Um, kick
talk, are you on Tik TOK yet?
I'm trying, man.
It's just, honestly, it's like, I can't
describe tick tock to me is like, um,
It's like plugging your brain into like,
like techno music, almost like it's
like, so like, like there's so much
going on in karma, like 20 seconds,
so much information all the time.
So, um, my wife who helps me quite a
bit with social media, um, she's slowly
getting me into it, but I'm definitely
not as deep into it as I should be.
I mean, I see a lot of gun companies.
I do see the advantage to tech doc, right.
Because, um, again, it's like all social
media platforms is direct to your customer
without any, without any middlemen.
So that's good.
So we're going to be
working on that slowly.
Um, but again, it's hard to like with
all the responsibilities, I have to
film a funny tech talk during the
day when we're filming, you know,
when we have to film our commercials
and do all that kind of stuff.
Right.
So it's, and there's a
clamp down on Tik TOK, from what I
understand on firearms related things.
So.
It makes it a little bit more difficult.
And the only reason I got that is
because they're showing some clips
from the Ukraine and everyone's
like, all, I guess they changed
their firearms policy until yeah.
Um, so I'm not a.
I'm not well versed in the tech doc
world, but I do understand that if you
want to be relevant and you want people
to hear you, you have to speak in the
places where people are looking and
that's exactly, and that's one of them.
And I don't know if it necessarily
always has to be funny or if it
can be educational or informational
or, uh, but I've thrown a couple up
there myself, but I mean, for me,
I'm just doing it for fun, right.
I mean, I'm not selling product.
It seemed like.
Yeah.
So that's the big thing too, is
like, uh, you know, the algorithms
are always running against us.
Right.
So, um, I've been doing some research
to like, um, people I follow on
Instagram and also have tech talk.
Um, you know, and there, there, there are
some cool stuff to do that I'm kind of,
I'm writing some notes down and stuff to
start doing that, but I think that's where
the future of the gun
industry is, is finding.
I mean, there's, there's two ways on it.
I mean, number one, you can say, Hey,
from our cold dead hands and I'm through
and through guns and ammo, right.
And I sure that's an important stance
and important way to do it, but it's
also, uh, going up against a larger and
larger force of opposite opposition.
So if you can find that prevailing
tide, that stream, that's going
down and be able to ride that
one with the firearms messaging.
And that's, I think the difficult or the
tricky part, how do we, how do we find
the over overriding interest right now?
That's probably, I'm gonna throw it out.
There might be preparedness,
uh, safety, survival.
I mean, COVID probably awaken that
and just leave the firearms is
yeah.
Two and I agree a hundred percent, right?
Like there's.
Like, so part of this, what I
like about this industry too, is
that it's all encompassing, right?
So like first aid is a part of it, a
wilderness, you know, going out into the
Bush, wilderness, survival, preparedness.
That's all part of it, which is good.
The other thing too, that's important is,
um, realizing we're living in a different
time than we were in previous years.
And what I don't want to
say, I'm going to say it.
I hope it is not taken the wrong way.
Is watering down the message of yes.
Guns and animal from my cold, dead
hands, all that kind of fun stuff.
That's sure.
But you have to present it in a way that
doesn't make, you seem like some kook
living in a basement, like getting ready
for an apocalypse that's not happening.
Right.
Right.
So that's, what's really important.
And a lot of people in the
industry like fight against that.
Um, and the reality is, is that
times are changing and you have to
get your message out there in a way
that people are going to accept, not.
That you think they should accept.
Right.
So, um, figuring that out and like, you
know, for us, for me, what I'm super
sarcastic and like, you know, I'm, I
love comedy and all that kind of stuff.
So doing those funny videos and stuff,
that's how I like doing it personally.
That's the only way of doing it.
There's a lot of other ways, but for me,
it's just like breaking down that barrier.
Um, you know, when you do it in
a funny way, people can see, oh,
they're not just like a bunch of, you
know, guys, you know, in a gun store
talking about how awesome world war
three would be or whatever it is.
Right.
Like it's just, we're just dudes.
And this just, just happens
to be what our passion is.
It's no different than
anybody else's passion.
Um, yeah.
And it's just presenting it to people
to where, you know, they can feel
okay, walking into a gun store,
asking questions to somebody who owns
guns and they're not going to get.
Well, you need it to defend your life in
case the end of the world is happening.
And it's just also cool and fun.
That's a large aspect of it.
And you know, I always tell people
that when they're first guns, I was
like, it's 50% function and it's 50%.
What you think is cool, because if
you don't, I could tell you what the
greatest gun in the world is going to be.
If you don't think it's cool,
you're not going to want to use it.
Yeah.
So, you know, that's an
important part of it.
Right.
Awesome, man.
We've covered kind of the gamut here.
Is there anything that we missed
that we should be touching on?
Um, I don't know, like, um, off the
top of my head, I can't think of it.
Okay.
Well, if the audience wants to
learn more about anything, I'm
sure they can leave comments and
they can write in a, what is it?
podcast@silvercore.ca perfect.
I can go to one soul
so they can check out.
Is it once
those.com no one sells online.com.
Juan installs, online.com.
So I was.com is like some family
law office in like South Carolina.
Well,
you can leave him some messages.
They might, they might be good
enough to forward that over.
Uh, Matt, thank you very much
for being on the Silvercore
Podcast.
Thank you for having me, man.
Appreciate it.