Don's Guns on Tru TV

[Dragon Talon TSi AWD]

I am watching some late night tv and I usually watch Law and Order this time of night. I come across on truTV and episode Mayhem and Madness 3 is on for Most Daring. Don's guns apparently is a popular place, and it looked packed to the rim with weapons/ammo. They were showing how they were being robbed and what not. Anyone remember this? It's gotta be recent, cause the copyright is 2008.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

July 2008. There were were arrests and prosecutions. I am not aware of the disposition of any of the cases.

Burglars Drive Car Into Store, Steal Guns - Indiana News Story - WRTV Indianapolis

Don's Guns . . . *sigh*

 

[doublebarrel]

"I don't wanna make any money, I just loooove to sell guns." So he's selling at cost... must have some astronomically high wholesale prices...

 

[Archbishop]

"I don't wanna make any money, I just loooove to sell guns." So he's selling at cost... must have some astronomically high wholesale prices...

yep he buys them at other gun stores retail price and then marks that up just enough to cover his business expenses. You know, rent, employee wages, hot tub, private jet......

 

[alwalker84]

I gotta say I dont mind going in there and LOOKING around, cause they have alot of cool stuff.

BUT. I dont think I could ever purchase a quality gun out of there. There prices are out of this world!!!!! I paid $479 new for my M&P, they have the exact same gun, no mods, for $799... I think that above mspr on the Smith & Wesson site.

 

[r3126]

You know... I approve of neither Don's price model nor his business ethos either but, his business plan MUST work. The object of a commercial endeavor, in the cold, grey, light of dawn is to ensure that income exceeds expenses. In this regard, his business model must be a success. I have seen pictures of his home and his ride and they certainly indicate he IS making money. Of course, outward appearances are sometimes misleading. However, in this case, I don't think so.

 

[Eiffelman]

As I recall they had a break-in at Don's Guns on Lafayette Road a couple of years ago. I believe that someone drove a stolen truck into the store late at night and they grabbed a lot of guns before making a getaway. It was all caught on the store's surveilance cameras. Don was furious that someone broke into his store and vowed to catch the guys. Within a few days the guys were caught.

Don has had that TV ad with saying for many years. Some gullible people believe that Don doesn't want to make any money and go to his store. Once there, they usually find out otherwise.

 

[Apokalypsi]

I gotta say I dont mind going in there and LOOKING around, cause they have alot of cool stuff.

BUT. I dont think I could ever purchase a quality gun out of there. There prices are out of this world!!!!! I paid $479 new for my M&P, they have the exact same gun, no mods, for $799... I think that above mspr on the Smith & Wesson site.

That's nothing. I was looking at getting a Springfield XDM .40 in black and OD. MSRP from Springfield is $599 and Don's was asking near $1k for it. There's no way I'm paying $1000 for a stock XDM.

 

[jd3772000]

Its not near $1000 for a xdm...it is $1000.

 

[zoglog]

they HAD that xdm for $599 i remember seeing it I was shocked. I talked with one of the guys and he said it was because they are a Springfield direct dealer. I went back after getting my AR at the 1500 and looked at the same xdm and it was 1k. It must have just taken him a while to realize that it was such a great handgun

 

[x2bax]

My LEO buddy was on that case, I remember that they left finger prints all over the glass on one of them cut thier hand on a broken case. they caught one guy after two days and he rolled on the others. But kind of scary to think those type of people running around with all those guns.

My favorite don's moment was seeing HI point 9mm for $299. 100% over retail, wish I could pull that off in my business, I'd be able to shoot much more often.

 

[tyler34]

dons and cosners both. I was at cosners last night and they had sig pros for $679 I paid $479 for mine with two "high capacity" mags. and they had a ruger sr-22 for $700 give or take $10.

 

[MACHINEGUN]

I remember that they left finger prints all over the glass on one of them cut thier hand on a broken case.

That is the main reason Don and Brenda make their employee's wipe down the glass cases every night before they leave.

 

[Cygnus]

I saw that last night. Didn't realize it was in IN. They said the suspects were all 13 or so. It appeared they went for the black rifles. A little scary there.......
Is Don's in a "questionable" area?

 

[TopDog]

You know... I approve of neither Don's price model nor his business ethos either but, his business plan MUST work. The object of a commercial endeavor, in the cold, grey, light of dawn is to ensure that income exceeds expenses. In this regard, his business model must be a success. I have seen pictures of his home and his ride and they certainly indicate he IS making money. Of coure, outward appearances are sometimes misleading. However, in this case, I don't think so.

What leads you to believe that Don makes all his money from Don's Gun's?

 

[Frankingun]

I saw that last night. Didn't realize it was in IN. They said the suspects were all 13 or so. It appeared they went for the black rifles. A little scary there.......
Is Don's in a "questionable" area?

They're next to Lafayette Square, the mall who's only anchor store left is Burlington Coat Factory. The area was nice years ago.

 

[alxjmrk]

They're next to Lafayette Square, the mall who's only anchor store left is Burlington Coat Factory. The area was nice years ago.

how many years ago?

 

[Whosyer]

Years ago I did a lot of work in Indianapolis. My boss had his office in his home on the north side. We would often see Don in the Shoneys?/Perkins? where we ate breakfast. He seemed quite the affable fellow in person. I stopped in his northside store once and he showed me pics of his Alaska hunt, and told stories for about an hour. I really don't know anything about his business practices, except his extremely high prices, but in person he seemed like the kind of guy you would want to have a beer with. And I seem to recall something about him being a bodyguard for Jimmy Hoffa?

 

[r3126]

What leads you to believe that Don makes all his money from Don's Gun's?

What leads you to believe he doesn't? If there is evidence to the contrary it has not been produced. With the degree of visibility that he "enjoys" and with the rumors floating around regarding his "ties" to the "underworld" I would believe that BATFE and other federal agencies would be all over him like flies on a stinky doorknob.

As I said, I don't, in any way approve of his business model but he has found his nitch in the firearms market and is making the most of it.

 

[Dragon Talon TSi AWD]

They're next to Lafayette Square, the mall who's only anchor store left is Burlington Coat Factory. The area was nice years ago.

It's funny, Cause up here in NWIN, there is the old Century Mall, and Burlington is the only anchor store left in that building. Everyone else went to Woodfield mall.