doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Cabela's Gun Library defunct

My dealings with Cabelas Gun Library were all prior to the Bass Pro merger, but I was pleased with all of the experiences I had with them. I still have the Ferlib 12 gauge BLE they brought into the Hamburg, PA store from Texas for me. I also got a good deal on an AYA 4/53 28 gauge, which I've since moved down the road after acquiring a SIACE 28 gauge hammer gun. I did find the staff's knowledge base to be extremely inconsistent. Some were quite knowledgeable, others barely better than completely clueless. I also found pricing to be equally inconsistent. The AYA was the model with the coin finish and full coverage ribbon and scroll engraving. It was new in box. On the same shelf, sitting right next to it, was a similar AYA in the same gauge with the case colored receiver and minimal engraving. My gun was priced $200 less than the case colored version. I've seen other similar disparities over the years.

Cabela's has slid steadily downhill since the BP deal, in pretty much every area. The gun library is the most conspicuous casualty. I'd been very happy with the new and used shotguns I'd bought there.

I just this week cancelled my Cabelas credit card after burning the last of my remaining points... took over 2 years. I'm sure I wiil occasionally buy the odd thing there but the loyalty is gone.

I would have to disagree with Researcher. The worst Cabella's I have been to is in Avon, Ohio.

Remember when Cabella's had a great upland section? This is even before the gun libraries and when the only retail store was in Nebraska. I was checking out at that store (it must have been in the 80's sometime) when I struck up a conversation with the person behind me. He traveled to Nebraska from France just to buy a boat load of stuff there. He was so impressed with it, as was I. That was really a great store back then. I also remember when the Dundee, Michigan store opened. What a great place. The gun library there even had 2 inch, 12 bore ammo. Years ago I bought a very nice AYA No. 2 there for the right price. IMO and way before the Bass Pro takeover, that store, along with the Library, started to go downhill. Every year was worse. What was originally an "end destination" for us, being a 3 hour drive away, became a "drive by" location on our way to northern Michigan for our grouse hunts. I have probably passed that store, without stopping, for the past 6 or 7 years.

I think the gun libraries were done, when they were infiltrated by crooks, that stole many millions of dollars from Cabela’s. There’s just not enough volume in the gun library’s to make up for the effect of organized crime.

News to me- I get the mailed out catalogues from RIA steadily- I bought a nice Remington Rand 1911-A-1 from them about 4 years ago, never dealt with Julia's- but they sold some "Marquee" guns- Czar's Parker, Buckingham and Roosevelt Fox guns, Hemingway's Westley Richards double express .577 rifle- so what went wrong? Figured Julia's had the lock on high end collection quality guns?? RWTF

I generally ignore the big fancy displays, game mounts, etc., but the library looks to me like part of the decor that tries to make make the store more interesting than a warehouse. Still. I just pass through looking if they have want I want or might be interesting. I've mentioned my library find, a four hundred something dollar Colt Lightning, high mileage and behind the glass, but I had to sign an unsafe to fire waiver because it was missing a few dollar slide lock, that Colt deleted anyway.

Julia's merged/was absorbed with Morphy's Auctions. Poulin's Auctions now occupy the old Julia's facility. Last I chatted with Wes Dillon was at the 2019 Colorado Weapons Collector show. At that time he was living in Colorado, one of the towns up I-25 from Denver, maybe Loveland? I got my 20-gauge AE-Grade Ansley H. Fox with 30-inch barrels from Wes Dillon when he operated the original Gun Library at the flagship store at Sidney --



Got this near mint Savage-era Fox-Sterlingworth built on the flat-sided SP-Grade frame at a Cabelas south of Denver --





I also got my "perfect skeet gun" at a Cabelas Gun Library --



Shot one round with it, went straight, cleaned it and hung it high on the wall of my gun room.

Some really cool guns have shown up at the Cabelas Gun Library at Hamburg, PA. My buddy scored a first year Pigeon Grade 28-gauge Superposed with field chokes there.

I was in the Cabellas just north of Toledo, a few months back and their gun room was closed back then. The ones in West Chester, north of Cincinnati and Columbus were still open within the last couple months. Each gun room was hit or miss because the staffing had such varied and incomplete knowledge. One good with rifles tended to be less so on smooth bores and the reverse was true as well.

Yep the gun library is a great place to find a deal from the uninformed.
I bought a sweet 16 prototype for peanuts last month.
I did pay their asking price(without hesitation)

Going to a publicly traded company was bad and BP killed it. Buying a used gun with no guarantee and not being able to function check anything is like having a used car dealership and not allowing you to start the car or even sit in it and roll the windows down. I did get some decent guns and deals from Cabela's in the past. When BP canceled all the ammo contracts I was done ! I used up my points and the gentleman that took the order was a real Cabela's employee and said he understood why I was canceling my card. That was 2 years ago and haven't been in one since and won't ever spend a dime in either Cabela's or BP.