Right to Bear Arms Haubstadt Closes

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  • Clark & Addison

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Feb 28, 2019
    128
    28
    Gibson County
    Right to Bear Arms gun shop in Haubstadt (just North of Evansville) has closed. Announcement on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/rtbarange/). They had been open for nine years with a nice building and had built very nice indoor archery and gun ranges. Not sure if they plan on selling the building or not, but hopefully someone will find a way to reopen the range.
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    93   0   0
    Feb 11, 2008
    38,170
    113
    Btown Rural
    It was a really nice place. Very modern range facility and elaborate gun/outdoor shop.

    Coldsteel223 and I took a class down there some time back. Hate to say it, but we couldn't help but notice the absence of customers on a weekend. We hoped it was because the place was still relatively new?

    Kinda makes one wonder how viable elaborate indoor ranges are if not near large metro areas?
     

    hpd855

    Member From INGO's Early Days
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Jul 6, 2008
    225
    34
    Haubstadt
    Sad to see them close, they are great guys. I have bought over a dozen guns there and was always treated great. I now have to find a different Sunday afternoon activity now.
     

    Hawkeye7br

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jul 9, 2015
    1,363
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    Terre Haute
    Kinda makes one wonder how viable elaborate indoor ranges are if not near large metro areas?

    Same train of thought. Operators need to have a good business plan, a method of drawing or hosting popular events, and at a reasonable price point. Many outdoor facilities have the advantage of long term land ownership without the burden of a mortgage payment. I think Riley Conservation Club (outdoor) and Top Guns Terre Haute (indoor) are examples of constant adaptation to draw members & events.
     

    mmpsteve

    Real CZ's have a long barrel!!
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    11   0   0
    Nov 14, 2016
    5,869
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    ..... formerly near the Wild Turkey
    Stopped in there the last time I traveled south, and they seemed to have a good thing going. Must not have been. They didn't have a lot of used firearms for sale, or even new inventory, just a lot of the same stuff everyone else has, so maybe that's a thing. Plus, I believe their indoor range was archery only, which I think is pretty limited for demand.

    .
     

    Vigilant

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    21   0   0
    Jul 12, 2008
    11,659
    83
    Plainfield
    It’s sad to see, but WE are the reason. If we can buy it on the internet for a few bucks less, screw the local brick & mortar. Look at all the threads here about local shops not having the exact widget everyone wants. Ranges are about the only way to draw business, since profit is a bad word to most buyers. I’ve bought 1 gun online, but only after giving USDS a chance to come close. By close, I mean within $100 difference from the online price. They couldn’t go that low, so I transferred through them and spent another $100 or so on small high margin **** to “make it up” to them. They were happy, I was happy. But everytime you click “buy” at Buds or wherever, you are condemning a local business. When they are all gone, where do you do your internet purchase transfer?
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
    152
    Speedway area
    It’s sad to see, but WE are the reason. If we can buy it on the internet for a few bucks less, screw the local brick & mortar. Look at all the threads here about local shops not having the exact widget everyone wants. Ranges are about the only way to draw business, since profit is a bad word to most buyers. I’ve bought 1 gun online, but only after giving USDS a chance to come close. By close, I mean within $100 difference from the online price. They couldn’t go that low, so I transferred through them and spent another $100 or so on small high margin **** to “make it up” to them. They were happy, I was happy. But everytime you click “buy” at Buds or wherever, you are condemning a local business. When they are all gone, where do you do your internet purchase transfer?

    Truth. The constant pursuit of saving nickels and dimes will be the end of all brick and mortar businesses.
    I do buy my parts on line as I have yet to ever see a LGS that had all of what I need. USDS does have a butt load of AR parts/pieces and accessory's but yes they are spendy. Kind of a catch 22.
     

    scottka

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Jun 28, 2009
    2,111
    38
    SW IN
    Well, this will be interesting... I have two suppressors awaiting approval in the next couple of months. I just saw on their Facebook page that it said they will be in contact. Wonder what they’ll do?
     

    hpd855

    Member From INGO's Early Days
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Jul 6, 2008
    225
    34
    Haubstadt
    ATF was in their shop for 3 days, March 6th through the 8th. I had heard they were in financial trouble over the last year or so.
     

    walleyepw

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Sep 9, 2012
    2,843
    63
    Hate to see Brick and Mortar stores go. I do a little shopping on line but prefer to shop local. Like to see, touch, and feel before I purchase. Had only been into there shop a couple of times when I was in the area. Picked up a Case knife and some ammo from them.
     

    Brad69

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jul 16, 2016
    5,104
    77
    Perry county
    I thought they were nice people that were kinda overpriced and they had a tremendous amount of local competition.
    Some of the local shops have internet competive prices sad to see anyone lose a dream business/job.
     

    AMMO USER

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 28, 2011
    132
    16
    I bought from them from when they first open till last year. They were nice people, and I guessed they did a lot of transfer for people, like the Toyota workers down the road.
    They didnt have hardly any thing in their gun racks, after they added on to the store. The last pistol I bought last year was on consignment.
    I thought the local schools was using their ranges. I guess the Toyota workers bought their guns at Meeks in Fort Branch, they are not cheap but they do have a lot of guns.
     

    blue2golf

    Expert
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Mar 13, 2008
    1,130
    99
    Evansville
    I bought from them from when they first open till last year. They were nice people, and I guessed they did a lot of transfer for people, like the Toyota workers down the road.
    They didnt have hardly any thing in their gun racks, after they added on to the store. The last pistol I bought last year was on consignment.
    I thought the local schools was using their ranges. I guess the Toyota workers bought their guns at Meeks in Fort Branch, they are not cheap but they do have a lot of guns.

    Toyota guy here. RTBA was my go-to for any transfers as they always treated me well and the convenience of having them on my route between home and work.

    I also bought my first AR from their store at the beginning of the Sandy Hook panic in 2012. They charged me the normal retail price when ARs were going for 3 times their pre-panic prices...if you could've found them at all.

    I am sorry to see them go.
     

    shootersix

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Mar 10, 2009
    4,280
    113
    tbh they lasted a lot longer than I thought they would, when they were building the indoor range they told me "it'll be the most modern state of the art range in a 5 state area", all I could think was why build that in ft branch Indiana?

    build it in Louisville st louis or indy, that might work, but ft branch?????? the overhead for the range must have been killing their costs

    i'd heard the rumors that they were on the skids, and I haven't been in in over a year, but the last time I was in all I noticed was their inventory levels were way down.

    even tho I work at competing shop, I hate to see them go, and know another that another is up for sale, and a rumor that yet another is up for sale, and the other indoor rage is having employee turnover problems (3 quit in one week) and they don't sell guns or ammo, I'm worried about the south western Indiana gun shop market
     

    IronsKeeper

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Aug 5, 2018
    232
    18
    Not today, ISIS
    Well, this will be interesting... I have two suppressors awaiting approval in the next couple of months. I just saw on their Facebook page that it said they will be in contact. Wonder what they’ll do?
    What happens here? Especially since the money's been paid? Anyone dealt with it before?

    Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk
     

    White Squirrel

    Marksman
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Oct 3, 2016
    294
    28
    Evansville
    When they were a small shop and had a lot of inventory they were great to deal with. After they built the new expanded shop and the indoor range, they had very little inventory and the range prices were pretty high. Plus, it seemed they had a bunch of new people working in there who were not as knowledgeable and friendly as the original staff. I probably haven't been in there in a year and a half, but still sorry to see them go.
     
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