I just want to make money

[Deathmagnetgt]

Gotcha I'll keep my distance. The google reviews tell it all

 

[88E30M50]

The firearms community should run this guy out of business. This guy would not get one penny from me...

The problem is that he does not sell to the firearms community. He sells to folks that have no idea what a gun should cost and go there because it's the only place they've heard of before. He becomes the introduction to shooting for many that don't do their research. I remember when he had the shop down in Greenwood. I had just moved here from CA and almost went shopping there because it was the only place I remembered seeing. Sadly, he had a clerk killed in that store and it's now the Greenwood police range.

 

[jinks]

Hasn't he been investigated for selling guns to criminals before? I thought I had heard tell of that once, but it may have just been a rumor.

From The Denver Post Online - News December 1999

Yet according to an ATF survey, many of the handguns sold at Don's Guns and Galleries end up in the hands of criminals. In the last three years, almost 2,000 guns were traced from criminal suspects to two of Davis' stores, making him the leading supplier of crime guns in Indiana as well as the top seller of cheap pistols.

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

From The Denver Post Online - News December 1999

as well as the top seller of cheap pistols.

Obviously the person that wrote the article hasn't shopped at his store .

 

[chubbs]

I'm glad to say I've never been to dons, but I did shop at pop's once..... Sorry

 

[Cameramonkey]

I've never been. Don't plan on it either.

You should go just to browse and take up the clerk's time. Its quite entertaining to see what they charge. And last time I was in there several decades back, he had signs on the glass cases "If you find it cheaper somewhere else, dont tell us. Just go buy it there."

I remember a statistic that said a high percentage of firearms used in Indianapolis crimes came from his store. I don't remember if there was an investigation. He's been around a long time.

Yes, quite the investigation. Even though his store was responsible for a large number of guns pulled off the street in Chicago (7-10% of them were from his single store as I recall and all the other guns were scattered across hundreds of other stores) he somehow managed to walk away without a scratch. He has one helluva lawyer apparently.


And I can see him being the leading seller of "cheap handguns" notice they didnt say inexpensive. Im sure they are talking about hi-points and other "saturday night specials". You know... $150 hi points going for 300. Still pretty cheap as guns go.

 

[KoopaKGB]

You should go just to browse and take up the clerk's time. Its quite entertaining to see what they charge. And last time I was in there several decades back, he had signs on the glass cases "If you find it cheaper somewhere else, dont tell us. Just go buy it there."

I visited that establishment for some lolz while I was in the area. I saw an AK type rifle on the wall but could not make out the details on it, so I ask the clerk if I can see it, he walks over, he doesn't hand it to me, instead he says " its an AK" so I ask "how much?" He says "it costs $1000." I asked what kind? It was a WASR-10... I was flabbergasted that anybody would bother with this place. Also saw the $300 hi point. I don't understand how even the uniformed shop there. I was so floored by the outrageous prices, I didn't check out the range. On my way out I paused to overhear the clerk tell an underage guy that you have to be 21 to buy a handgun, apparently he was 17. Perhaps the clerk was just putting on a show, and sold it to him after I left?

 

[Leadeye]

Don launched his business into the Indy media many years ago when there was a series of heinous home invasions going through the Greenwood area. He showed off his empty sales cases talking about how the crimes had run up gun sales and he's been a local big media gun go to guy ever since. Before that he was a union organizer.

 

[bradmedic04]

All transfers in CA have to go through an FFL, with a mandated $35 transfer fee. It's a ****ty system, but certainly deters people trying to trade or purchase legally on the private market.

 

[Cygnus]

I almost bought a very nice Glock from him for the low, low price of $819.

Used and with missing sights?
It was a bargain!

Wow. For a second there you guys had me thinking Don's may have opened up in MA. Seriously, a used Glock with a few true pre-ban mags ('94) and you could get $700 easily.
Then again Don's East would likely charge $1,100.....

I'm new to the area, who are we speaking about?

who?

C'mon INGO!!! Whyskey, Tango , ..... Roll the 80's TV comercial for these guys^^^^^^^^^.

 

[Cygnus]

All transfers in CA have to go through an FFL, with a mandated $35 transfer fee. It's a ****ty system, but certainly deters people trying to trade or purchase legally on the private market.

Similar here in MA. They allow you a shred of dignity in that you can sell person to person BUT you both need to have the correct license for the transaction. You then submit a form within 7 days. Of course they are trying to pass a new law to change that.....

 

[Destro]

Beware: some of INGO's "Go-To" stores are lumped in with Don,

http://content.thirdway.org/publica...me_-_High_Crime_Gun_Stores_Fuel_Criminals.pdf

 

[asevans]

what does being a union organizer have to do with anything? Unions made the middle class. loss of union membership= loss of the middle class.

 

[drillsgt]

what does being a union organizer have to do with anything? Unions made the middle class. loss of union membership= loss of the middle class.

I'm middle class and have never been in a union?

 

[williamsburg]

Beware: some of INGO's "Go-To" stores are lumped in with Don,

http://content.thirdway.org/publica...me_-_High_Crime_Gun_Stores_Fuel_Criminals.pdf

Don's and KS&E and Pop's being on that list is not surprising. I think it says a lot when over half of the store's on-hand stock are budget guns. At least one of those shops will sell Hi Points over Glocks 10:1 almost every day of the week.

Bradis is a somewhat shock but given it is a long known cheaper shop with lower mark up than other shops gets them on the list.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Don's and KS&E and Pop's being on that list is not surprising. I think it says a lot when over half of the store's on-hand stock are budget guns. At least one of those shops will sell Hi Points over Glocks 10:1 almost every day of the week.

Bradis is a somewhat shock but given it is a long known cheaper shop with lower mark up than other shops gets them on the list.

+1

 

[williamsburg]

what does being a union organizer have to do with anything? Unions made the middle class. loss of union membership= loss of the middle class.

Back in his day it meant a lot more to be a Union Organizer than it does today.

 

[BrewerGeorge]

... Before that he was a union organizer.

what does being a union organizer have to do with anything? Unions made the middle class. loss of union membership= loss of the middle class.

Back in his day it meant a lot more to be a Union Organizer than it does today.

Definitely. This was Hoffa-era Teamsters. People in my family owned a trucking company in Indy during the 60's. In the 80's, Don came up to our table at a restaurant and said hello; he was polite and respectful. This was at the height of his TV presence and I was rather impressed with him and all his gold, being about 13 at the time. After he left, the family started telling stories about him. The one that stands out in my memory is about him walking into a supervisor's office in the middle of the day, shutting the door, and beating the guy "nearly to death" over some disagreement. I believe they said he was the union rep for the company at the time, but it's been so long I'm not sure of all the details. They said that he had to flee town after that and hide out in Chicago for a few years, and that he came back bankrolled to start the gun stores.

I'm not anti-Teamsters by any means. I was raised in a Teamsters household and enjoyed the benefits. Hell, they paid for some of my college. But the Teamsters of 40-50 years ago was more organized crime syndicate than the unions of today. Don was part of that mob.

 

[M67]

Friend of mine said he went to Dons about a month and a half ago just because he was working in the area. Stopped in and saw a used Centerpoint scope for $499.99

He started messing with the employee asking about the quality and how they got it (said it was a take off of a used rifle they bought). Said employee was raving about the quality and the illuminated reticle. Friend told him he was hurting for cash but had a brand new Centerpoint scope in his truck that was still in the package and he'd sell it to them for $300. Employee didn't bite though



Don is an interesting character that's for sure, have a gunsmith friend who's known him for 30 years or so. Don knows how to make money, one way or another

That being said, Don can't drive worth a sh@t. I got stuck behind him about 3 months ago going south bound in Greenwood on 135 around where the Marsh is and it cuts down to a single lane. Guy was driving 40 mph in a 55, with his nice white Mercedes; line behind him was a good mile long. Had to painfully follow the guy to Bargersville where he pulled off.

 

[Bravo-4-2]

Love him or hate him, Don Davis is, by far, the most successful gun store owner in Indiana history. There are "bubbas" opening gun shops all over the state but Davis actually had a clue how to operate a business. Any American, free market Capitalist has no choice but to be impressed.

Unions? Unions are near the top of the list of things destroying this country. One might be able to successfully argue that there was a place for them at one time in our nation's history but that time was gone over 100 years ago. The best possible thing we could do regarding unions is ban them entirely. Market forces would take care of all workers much better than any union possibly could and it would be optimal for the overall economy.