Elmores is the closest place to me... like 5 minutes close. They arent the most personable but they didnt do anything to upset me. They seemed about twice the size or more of bgf.
All depends on where you live and how far you are willing to travel. If you are central I'd check out Indy Trading Post. I've been waiting for Beech Grove Firearms to open up but it sounds like Beech Grove is going to have to be relocated to Cali by the time all is said and done.
walked in the gun shop with a similar budget and after holding and dry firing a couple different ones i raised my price range a bit. Find something you are comfortable with. I don't find my ruger to be hard to conceal at all.
GM does seem to attract the crowds. I've seen over a half hour wait in the Castleton store on a Saturday (they were calling numbers). The staff is friendly and patient. They were a bit better about answering the newbie questions than some of the smaller shops. The prices are high, but then...
My name's Steve and just wanted to say hi. I'm a new gun owner and have been lurking around the last few days and absorbing a bunch of information. Decided I liked the place well enough so why not join in.