Big money in airguns! today's airguns have come a long way and so has the profit potential for gun dealers

Shooting Industry, Nov, 2003 by Tom Gaylord

Airguns. Do they have a place in youzr gun store and can you really make money selling airguns? The answer is yes.

Today's airguns are far more advanced than most shooters and gun dealers realize. They can shoot 3/8-inch groups at 50 yards and sub-3-inch groups at 200 yards. They are used for hunting, and have even harvested elk, mountain lion, Russian boar and deer.

Hard to believe? Airguns today are surprising many veteran shooters, and they can pump up your business if you know what sells.

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The Airgun Market

It's important to understand the U.S. airgun market. A survey conducted by Airgun Illustrated, revealed its largest reader age group was 46 to 55, followed by 56 to 65, then 36 to 45. A huge influx of new airgunners crosses over from the ranks of veteran firearm shooters. They're attracted to the precision and quality of airguns, plus the additional shooting challenges they present.

In youth shooting programs, NRA training manager Howard Moody believes the number of juniors participating in airgun competition each year now approaches the half-million mark. In Junior ROTC programs, the number exceeds 230,000. Moody conducts the NRA National Junior Airgun Competition, so he watches the local and regional programs closely.

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Selling American Beauties And Gamo In Three Easy Steps

Everyone knows the marts sell low-priced Crosman and Daisy airguns, and sometimes lower-priced models from Gamo. How do you compete? You don't--or at least, you shouldn't. Gun stores should sell selected models the chain stores won't or can't stock for various reasons. Here are some solid strategies for selling Crosman, Daisy and Gamo in a gun store.

1. Sell .22 caliber airguns. It's difficult to find a .22 airgun in a mart, because many local communities have legislated against airguns in calibers over .18. The big marts can't be bothered to keep up with all the local ordinances, so they simply don't stock .22 airguns. This policy differs by chain and locale, but it is fast spreading nationwide.

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Daisy makes a wonderful woodstocked, multi-pump pneumatic rifle called the 22X, and Crosman makes a model 2200B that's equivalent but with a synthetic stock. Both .22-caliber air rifles have good accuracy and great prices for those seeking to eliminate pests, which is the number two reason why customers buy airgun, according to the Airgun Illustrated survey. General plinking is number one.

Discount stores may ignore these guns but you shouldn't. Inform your customers that a .22 pellet air rifle delivers at least 20 percent more power than a .177, which makes it best for hunting/critter control.

Crosman also owns the Benjamin and Sheridan brands, and they offer a number of powerful .20- and .22-caliber air rifles and air pistols that are also disappearing from discount stores. They are more expensive than Crosman guns, but they have the extra finish, materials and performance to justify the price.

2. Sell target guns. These types of airguns generate too many technical questions for discount-store employees to answer. Daisy, for instance, has a wide range of target rifles and one good entry-level, single-stroke pneumatic target pistol discount stores don't stock. In addition, Daisy's very popular Avanti 888 target rifle is precharged, meaning it is filled from a scuba tank. Big stores can't cope with that technology, but you can.

Gamo offers a gorgeous target air pistol called the Compact that is very competitive at the regional level. It has great accuracy, a fine set of adjustable sights and a superb trigger. As an added plus, it is lightweight, which makes it ideal for smaller shooters who can't hold a heavy pistol one-handed, as formal match rules require.

Crosman makes the Challenger 2000--another target gun you will likely never see in a store, unless it's yours. This C[O.sub.2] target rifle is youth-oriented and extremely adjustable for fit.

Your employees are trained to talk about trigger performance, sight pictures and the use of wadcutters. This is the kind of support serious airgun customers need and welcome.

3. Sell the lookalikes. Crosman partners with Umarex for North American distribution, so they sell all the detailed lookalike airguns. From the Smith & Wesson 586/686 revolver to the M1911A1 Colt pistol, they have broad appeal to American handgunners.

The Remington AirMaster 77, also distributed by Crosman, has a brushed nickel barrel and black synthetic stock that's similar to the New Remington Model 7400 Weathermaster.

The Remington AirMaster, and many of the other lookalike models are licensed by the original gunmakers, so they qualify as "real" models. In other words, your customer's Walther PPK/S collection isn't complete until he owns the BB-caliber pistol, too. Imagine what that does for sales!

These authentic lookalikes also attract the attention of those throughout the industry. Consider the Daisy's 1894 Winchester Air Rifle--it received the 2003 Specialty Product of the Year Award from the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence. The Academy's 460 members, comprised of industry executives, gun dealers and outdoor writers, obviously, saw great merit in this genuine Winchester long gun. Shouldn't you?