Midway USA

[S.B.]

I order a double cavity Lee mold from Midway USA yesterday and was charged a $3 special handling charge plus shipping. The cost of mold was just under $18 but, with the special handling charge plus shipping(I also rounded up $.16 to the NRA) the bill came to $29 almost half again as much as the cost of the mold! Shipping cost are getting out of hand. I know they added the special handling charge so people would buy more per order but, what if you don't need or want more stuff than the order is for?
Sorry Larry Potterfield, I think from now on if I can't find something I want or need locally, I'll just do without! Or maybe go back to the real gunsmith
s supply house, Brownells. Thanks but no thanks for my business.
Bean counters have taken over the world and please don't tell me, the Potterfield's aren't making a very lucrative living at this.

[odoh]

~ ~ and just wait 'til someday by-and-by all the inet sell points start collecting sales tax.

One can get the impression that business trend is for high speed, volume purchasing/consumption. Signs of the times I guess

[Graybeard]

I've been trying to tell you guys to buy from Midsouth Shooter's Supply for as long as I've had this site up and running and before that on other sites. They charge only the actual shipping cost to them to make the shipment and no handling charges. Plus their cost on items is almost always lower than Midway's for the same item.

Some folks are slow learners. 

[WL44]

I'm in South Africa, so I always pay a bunch for shipping!

But... I do see that there are several guys who have free shipping some always for the US and others from time to time. Not always handgun related stuff, but I've had great service and reasonable shipping from Lock Stock and Barrel, Sinclair and Creedmoor Sports.

Midway won't send anything out of the US, so I don't support them anyway....

Lockstock carries the Lee / RCBS and some SAECO moulds as I recall.

[Casull]

GB, Midway USA also charges actual shipping costs, but does charge a small order charge.  I'm not real happy with them due to the fact that they wouldn't sell me ammo about a year and a half ago (they've since rectified that), but after checking Midsouth Shooters Supply some time back, I found that they almost never undersell Midway.  In fact, Midway was cheaper on most items.

[S.B.]

I've been trying to tell you guys to buy from Midsouth Shooter's Supply for as long as I've had this site up and running and before that on other sites. They charge only the actual shipping cost to them to make the shipment and no handling charges. Plus their cost on items is almost always lower than Midway's for the same item.

Some folks are slow learners. 

Bill you know, you dance with who brung ya. Midway used to have no shipping fees and I've dealt with them for over a two decades, now and they used to ship the same day order was received?

[Swampman]

I've been trying to tell you guys to buy from Midsouth Shooter's Supply for as long as I've had this site up and running and before that on other sites. They charge only the actual shipping cost to them to make the shipment and no handling charges. Plus their cost on items is almost always lower than Midway's for the same item.

Some folks are slow learners. 

I've been ordering from Midsouth since the late 1970s.  They are good folks!

I should be getting 2 sets of dies, and a new Lyman tumbler from them today.

[S.B.]

I haven't seen anyone say Midsouth aren't good people, he just said their prices aren't as low as others, on some items?

[Swampman]

And Natchez is usually cheaper than either one of them.

[yooper77]

I looked up a 2 cavity mold on Midwayusa and it was $19.79, plus Special Handling Charge: $3.00 and the shipping to my location would be USPS Priority Mail $8.80 with the Subtotal: $31.59.
- The USPS has Priority Mail Flat Rate Options from $4.80, $9.80 and $12.95, so Midwayusa shipping charges are not elevated at all.

Either Midwayusa.com or Midsouthshooterssupply.com has a minimum order charge and the shipping is comparable, all depends on what you order and where it is going.  As for the item cost, they are so close it’s not very comparable.

I have used Midway back when they used to ship everything for free on their mail order catalog.

I always place orders with companies when I have multiple items, never for 1 or 2 items, unless they are offering free shipping or reduced shipping.  Like Cabelas.com lots of times offer $4.95 flat rate shipping on order for a certain price range, like $150.00.  I buy mostly from Cabelas.com, since they ship for free to pickup at any retail store.

I have never had any problems with Midwayusa.com or Cabelas.com on any orders I have placed, but my first order with Midsouthshooterssupply.com order was sent to California instead of Michigan, my address and zip code was correct, and it took them over 4 months to finally get the items, luckily I was in Iraq and didn’t need it right then.  This made me question their business, so I have only made a second order since then and it was all good.

yooper77

[teddy12b]

To be fair to both midway & midsouth, they both have so many items that one will be higher than the other and lower than the other depending on what you buy. 

I have not bought much if anything from Midsouth because when I compare the prices Midway wins, but those are just the items I buy.  What you or anyone else buys may be less on midsouth or somewhere else.  I recently bought some stuff from Natchez and they had everyone on the internet beat.  Cabelas is my last resort to buy from.  Don't get me wrong they have great stuff and plenty of selection, but you don't have to look too hard to find the exact same thing cheaper somewhere else. 

If I am buying something I consider expensive, I check all the online stores and I genuinely would like to support them all, but I'd guess over 90% of my purchases are from Midway. 

[corbanzo]

You should try living in Alaska, my last order, which was about the size of a 12"x20" box cost $35 to ship - and not the fast way.

[teddy12b]

One nice thing about living in Indiana is that I live within very easy driving distance of Sinclair International, now owned by brownells.  For the price of some bulk bullets and shipping, I can go buy them off the shelf and have them that day.  See, there is one good thing about being in Indiana.

[Varmint Hunter]

Like everyone else I have shopped around over the years. I have to agree with GB on this one. Although I like Midway because they have an unbelievably LARGE inventory, I can almost always find what I need at MidSouthShootersSupply.com. Their prices are usually a little better and their shipping is almost always less then Midway. At least that has been my fnding.

[John R.]

I've had great service from Midway. I usually order from them or Natchez Shooters supply, but I will Give Midsouth a look-see.

[Hairtrigger]

you know it's easy to avoid that small order charge... I usually fill my orders out with the shooting spots or cleaning supplies... just stuff I know I will use even if I don't need them at the time.
With Midway I rarely make a purchase unless it is on sale.
My money saving strategy is to buy before I have to have it that way I have time to wait for a sale

[S.B.]

My point exactly, you must buy more than you intended(as was stated in the original post).
Steve

[warrior1]

i was going to order from cabelas till i found out they are now collecting sales tax on the products purchased online. that just about kills any future online business with them.cabelas explained since they have a store in mi
they are required to collect sales tax. what really gripes me they are charging tax on shipping charges also. can't win.

i guess the only way is to place orders maybe twice a year or one each quarter.

why haven't shipping come down with the cost of gas?

[Autorim]

I shop a lot with Midway and am very pleased with service and prices. I also buy from Sinclair, Brownells and Cabelas depending on what I am ordering and who has it. I shop locally first and if they have what I want, I buy here. If the local stores have to order it, I buy on-line. Sales tax here is over 9% so any order over a couple of hundred $ pays for shipping in tax savings.

I placed one order tonight with Midway and one with El Paso Saddlery.

[Mikey]

I have had great luck and have been very satisfied with MidSouth.  I was looking for ammo that nobody else, except MidSouth seemed to catalog and I had absolutely no hassle ordering.  The ammo got here quickly and not one salesperson gave me any hype about (unwanted) deals or other stuff I wasn't interested in. 

I have also shopped other suppliers and have always enjoyed the advantage of not having to pay a sales tax for nys but unfortunately, the dark state of liberalism has eliminated the exemption for sales taxes from mail order or drop shipping suppliers and any mail order distributor conducting business over the net and selling to people in nys has to pay the tax.  Dammit, this is almost as bad as the bloomberg gun deal buisness.  Thanks goodness this is his last term. 

But, even though we have to pay taxes now in nys on the stuff we order over the net we can still get lots and lots of ammo and that is going to be necessary in the coming months..................just a thought........Mikey.

[Redhawk1]

I go to my gunsmith's shop, and he orders a lot of stuff for me. I tell him to have it put on the delivery truck, and avoid shipping costs. I may have to wait 2 or 3 weeks, but I ususally don't need what I order right away.

[Swampman]

He doesn't charge you anything?

[Glanceblamm]

I go to my gunsmith's shop, and he orders a lot of stuff for me. I tell him to have it put on the delivery truck, and avoid shipping costs. I may have to wait 2 or 3 weeks, but I ususally don't need what I order right away.

I came away with a couple of items (at the gunsmiths recommendation) at cost but there was work involved that he did. I had not considered other items for myself because it is a 60 mile round trip and we have the high fuel cost.

[Varmint Hunter]

I have had great luck and have been very satisfied with MidSouth.  I was looking for ammo that nobody else, except MidSouth seemed to catalog and I had absolutely no hassle ordering.  The ammo got here quickly and not one salesperson gave me any hype about (unwanted) deals or other stuff I wasn't interested in. 

I have also shopped other suppliers and have always enjoyed the advantage of not having to pay a sales tax for nys but unfortunately, the dark state of liberalism has eliminated the exemption for sales taxes from mail order or drop shipping suppliers and any mail order distributor conducting business over the net and selling to people in nys has to pay the tax.  Dammit, this is almost as bad as the bloomberg gun deal buisness.  Thanks goodness this is his last term. 

But, even though we have to pay taxes now in nys on the stuff we order over the net we can still get lots and lots of ammo and that is going to be necessary in the coming months..................just a thought........Mikey.

I live in NY and have not paid sales tax on my internet purchases. Where did you get this from?

It may apply to Cabelas but I don't believe that it applies to the suppliers that I normally use.

[Hairtrigger]

My point exactly, you must buy more than you intended(as was stated in the original post).
Steve

I look at it more as buying stuff that I did not know I needed!

Awww come on... in the case mentioned it was adding $7 of goodies to save $3... a no brainer

[Redhawk1]

He doesn't charge you anything?

No shipping charge at all, as a matter of fact, he has the cheapest prices on all his stuff.
Well worth the extra weight. I still get power for under $20 a pound where other places have gone up to $22 or $24  dollars a pound for certain powders.

[warrior1]

i haven't checked bass pro or gander mountain ,but cabelas explained since they have a store in our state they must collect sales tax.

[BIG Dog454]

Midway has a $50.00 min to avoid the fee.

[Hairtrigger]

Midway has a $50.00 min to avoid the fee.

I was unaware they raised it from $25... may have been awhile since I have purchased from them, I travel for my job and usually stop in at a local owned gunshop 2 or 3 times a week where ever I am at the time, I can always use a bargain!

[GameHauler]

Thanks for the thread
It just cost me over $300.00
  I had not checked out Natchez before
and found Berger VLD's for $5.00 less a box than Midway.
I have been very happy with midway and as stated, Great selection.

Natchez site was a little hard to navigate
and selection is a little spotty but I found some good deals.

Mike