Transcript

[00:00:00] Travis Bader: I'm Travis Spader. And this is the Silvercore Podcast. Silvercore has been providing its members with a skills and knowledge necessary to be confident and proficient in the outdoors for over 20 years. And we make it easier for people to deepen their connection to the natural world. If you enjoy the positive and educational content we provide, please let others know by sharing common.

[00:00:35] And following so that you can join in on everything that's Silvercore stands for. If you'd like to learn more about becoming a member of the Silvercore Club and community, visit our website at silvercore.ca

[00:01:07] I'm joined again by one stalls co-owner and larger than life. Social media personality, Matt Mendell. For those new to the Silvercore Podcast. Make sure to check out episode 59, where Matt lays out a roadmap for anyone wishing to thrive in the niche industry, particularly that a fire. Matt. Welcome back.

[00:01:26] Thanks for having me, you know, I was toying around with the intro. The other intro I was thinking of was something along the lines of integrity, quality service, magic. These are just some of the words used to describe one. You man. Uh, of course I stole that from one of your commercials, 

[00:01:42] Matt Mendel: for sure. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:01:43] We love doing 

[00:01:44] Travis Bader: those. And I was looking, I think soapbox industries, are they, 

[00:01:48] Matt Mendel: were they helping you out with this? Soapbox does a lot of the filming and editing actually all the filming and editing. 

[00:01:53] Travis Bader: Yeah. It's amazing. If anyone wants to watch some quality made. You to gun store advertisements, just type in one stalls into YouTube and you'll see all of their commercials are really funny.

[00:02:05] Yeah. We 

[00:02:05] Matt Mendel: just did a homage to a full house. So that's the next one that we just 

[00:02:09] Travis Bader: dropped. Yeah, you definitely have that retro vibe goal with them. So you were saying, look, we should get back on. We should get on the podcast. And then what, two days ago, you're like, so what are we going to talk about? Totally.

[00:02:22] We came up with this massive list of things. There's a number of things that I think the listeners would be very interested in. There's some things in the industry that are happening that are of interest. Uh, one of the things that I'm looking at is I'm trying to purchase ammo and I'm getting a harder and harder time trying to find it.

[00:02:39] Yeah. Can you tell me what's going on with ammo in the industry right now? 

[00:02:43] Matt Mendel: I mean, we can start from kind of like the beginning of where, like this all kind of started, obviously at the beginning of the pandemic, um, you had the U S panic buying, literally every. Primer bullets piece of brass gunpowder, anything that went bang, the Americans were buying it.

[00:03:02] And we were quite lucky because, um, during the pandemic, because the ammo slated for Canada comes to Canada, it can't be rerouted back down to the states because of the type of labeling they have on it. And all. So we were quite lucky for that, but, uh, we were always sitting there saying, it's, it's going to come full circle eventually at some point.

[00:03:20] Um, and we were just waiting for the ball to drop and we really didn't notice it until, um, probably fall of this year hunting season or sorry, fall of 2021, I should say. Um, when all of a sudden we're looking at our stacks of ammunition downstairs and there was none left dwindling, dwindling, like, and we're talking about stuff as simple as like a box of like a Powershot blue box, 30 on six.

[00:03:43] That's like, you know, you can stop at any gas station pretty much in Canada. Right. And buy a box of, and we had none of it. So we're like, oh, we'll just go to the distributors. You know, like we must have been not paying attention or something. And then you go to the distributor and there's nothing. And there was nothing for a long time.

[00:04:01] And then we got really nervous. So we went, um, for a few months, they're kind of like buying what we could and how we can. Then we went for booking season this year, which happens pretty much December to January. Uh, that's where we book all of our products, what we think we're going to sell for the year.

[00:04:21] Right. Um, and ammo just went up for flat out, just went up anywhere between 40 to 50% cost. Whoa. Uh, and that's just straight up because there's such an insane demand in the states to fill. And Canada is always a second thought when it comes to us manufacturing. 

[00:04:40] Travis Bader: So is that still panic buying leftover in the states from COVID or is there anything they're just 

[00:04:44] Matt Mendel: trying to restock?

[00:04:45] Well, I don't know if that I don't live there, so I don't know. I'm sure some states are still panic buying for some reason or another, but they're trying to just stock the distributor shelves in the states so that, you know, gun stores in the states can call and say, I need a blue case of blue box 30 on six when they haven't had any.

[00:05:05] God knows how long, you know, 3, 4, 2 years essentially. Um, so yeah, that's been where what's been going on there and we have just seen an absolute, insane spike and pre. 

[00:05:17] Travis Bader: I, you know, when you talk with panic buying in the states, I remember I was at Smith and Western academy a number of years ago. And this was when, uh, I think it was Obama was getting elected in and there's a lot of panic buying there because everyone figured all mom was going to get rid of all the guns.

[00:05:33] And I remember there was one police officer on the course and he said, Hey, you want to see something? Look what I bought. That was just two to three. And he has pallets and pallets of two to three delivered by truck into his garage. And he's like, I'm getting 

[00:05:46] Matt Mendel: ready. Yeah. Yeah. That's the American, that's the American way of doing things, right.

[00:05:50] That's why, like, you know, I think what was the F the famous saying when, uh, you know, Japan was asked why they didn't invade America is because there'd be a, a rifle behind every blade of grass or whatever they said, you know, later, and it's a hundred percent true. And, um, you know, you had the double whammy, right?

[00:06:05] Because there was the Trump election and then, or the lack of Trump election. Um, and, um, Joe Biden got in there. And then, you know, you couple that with a global pandemic 

[00:06:18] Travis Bader: and then the war right now, and Ukraine, which is 

[00:06:21] Matt Mendel: on everyone's minds. It'll be interesting to see what happens in that regard too, because that's, you know, what the, what the states does there in regards to how their populous will be purchasing AML, right.

[00:06:32] Regardless 

[00:06:32] Travis Bader: of there's an impact or not, the psychology of a possible impact creates an impact. 

[00:06:37] Matt Mendel: Exactly. I would like to say, you know, one kind of funny thing there back in our, uh, when we were on Canadian gun that's, um, we put out a, uh, uh, kind of like a public service announcement. Um, I think in maybe. I want to say February of last year, and we just said, Hey, you know, everybody, this is just letting you know, this is the trend that we're currently seeing between, uh, importing, distribution, and retail.

[00:07:05] Like you're going to see very soon, you're going to see a massive spike. Um, I'm sure that was well-received. Oh yeah, no, everyone just said we're just a bunch of price, gouging jerks and blah, blah, blah. And then it was funny. So that threaded. Fell apart. And everyone was, you know, had their point to say about us.

[00:07:25] And then when it actually started happening, other retailers started doing the same thing. And then the response was all, thank you so much for, you know, you'll be in such a straight up love with us and we appreciate it so much. So yeah. 

[00:07:37] Travis Bader: You ever get, give the temptation just to go back and repost it just like macro, what do they call it?

[00:07:41] That 

[00:07:41] Matt Mendel: grows. Yeah. And that girl pose? No, not really. Well, we're not on there anymore, so we don't have access to it, but it's just like, it's a funny, it's just a funny, psychological thing, right. Where you're like, you know, you had best intentions and maybe it's the timing or how it's received, but yeah, it's, it was funny.

[00:07:57] Travis Bader: I it's, it's the crowd mentality I find. And it's the crowd that you run with because once you start running in certain crowds and there's different online forums and different groups, even just within the shooting community and everything can be all doom and gloom and negativity. Or vice versa. And if you accidentally start finding yourself, dipping your toe in the waters of that doom and gloom inadvertently, cause you're like, oh, look at what they're doing.

[00:08:20] It looks kind of neat. Or these people look knowledgeable. If you're not self-aware and looking around, at some point you start, you start becoming susceptible to that same sort of thing. Yeah, exactly. And I don't think it's a bunch of bad people out there who just want to want to get after the, uh, the different gun stores or organizations or groups.

[00:08:39] But I do think just like the last couple of years have shown us the human nature in crowd mentality versus 

[00:08:46] Matt Mendel: yeah. I mean, without a doubt, right? It's, it's easier to, you know, fall into a crowd than it is to be the one guy who stands out with, uh, with your own opinion and it's easily. You know, to have your negative, um, opinions of the whole situation reinforced when other people say that it's the right thing to do where you know, which, which 

[00:09:05] Travis Bader: I find really odd because firearms in general is typically an individualistic activity, a hundred percent.

[00:09:11] I mean, if you're looking for a group of individuals, look to the firearms industry and they might be on competitive shooting teams, they might all have shared interests. But at the core I find firearms owners in general are very individualistically minded, but it's funny when all of these individuals come together and without even realizing it becomes such a group thing.

[00:09:32] Matt Mendel: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I, 

[00:09:35] Travis Bader: I remember doing a, we had an instructor course and we're training some new safety course instructors. And I said, you know, just, just for fun, like aside from firearms, what do you guys like to do? And one guy said, well, I love to scuba dive. Okay. And the guys said, well, I love, um, back country, Alpine touring.

[00:09:53] I love. And all the things that they're listing off, there is one person who says, Hey, I enjoy gardening, which is a little different. He was more, he was into hunting and, uh, and one guy said, Hey, I like playing hockey. He was the only person in a class full of instructors who actually did something, which was team oriented.

[00:10:11] Yeah. I, um, yeah, just a funny observation of, of the community, a bunch of individual minded. People that I think would really benefit from, um, some team perspective. I mean, like how people can play together as a team to achieve a mutual goal. 

[00:10:32] Matt Mendel: Yeah. That's a, I think that's probably a good lesson for the community at whole.

[00:10:36] Probably get a lot 

[00:10:37] Travis Bader: done. Yeah. And you know what I can't say, I'm not susceptible to it. I'm individual minded as well. And I always have to take a step back and start looking like, okay, what's best for the industry. What's best for the macro the longterm. Cause when I look at certain things, I can, I can see some things where industry can make some good money quickly, but I don't see a long-term benefit to it in consequently we'll steer away from 

[00:11:02] Matt Mendel: that for sure.

[00:11:03] Yeah. Without a doubt, there's a, there's been lots of examples of that in the industry as a whole, where as you know, you know, some retailers will, um, They confuse success with, um, number in sales. And, um, generally the historically speaking, the, how they've done that is run super low margins and hoping that, um, you have enough stuff sold at the end of the day to make up for the low margins.

[00:11:37] And the reality of the fact is in this industry, you're not Costco, you're not Walmart, you're not, you know, a big box store. It's a very niche industry. And it's, um, you know, you've seen time and time again, where there's been a lot of companies who race to the bottom, essentially when it comes to that. And then what you've seen recently, um, with the pandemic and the price increases and all that stuff is, um, a complete those particular retailers or whatever have you, if they're still around.

[00:12:13] They're all trying to make the shifts back to, um, increasing their margins because you you've come to the realization that when there's nothing to sell, you can't sell it for cheap. Right? Right. So when we're all fighting for the same box of 30 on six or 3 0 8, you know, it doesn't make sense for one person to sell it at no margin and somebody to just sell it.

[00:12:37] And we're not, I'm not saying by any stretch of the imagination to gouge customers or anything, there's, it's a very, there's an industry standard as far as what pricing is. And if I'm, for instance, A box of 3 0 8 through me is $35 and a box, um, through a dealer, a is $50 and through B is $20. You're not going to see that huge of a difference in price.

[00:13:06] It's not really, you know what I mean? But we're talking about, um, you know, if I'm 35, someone's 30 and someone's 40, then that's where you're going to kind of see the, um, the differences 

[00:13:16] Travis Bader: in price. Yeah. You know, and when you say a race to the bottom, I totally agree with that. If you compete on price alone, that is a race to the bottom.

[00:13:25] Cause the only way others can compete with you of that mindset is to give it a cheaper price and a cheaper price until finally people are just selling things just slightly above cost and that that'll kill a business and that'll kill it. That'll harm an industry. I think if. Uh, I think people will pay a premium for customer service and for quality advice for, I mean, there's a reason why we have some major big box stores from the states that come into Canada.

[00:13:54] I think wholesale sports was a good example, right? Uh, and there's Cabela's and bass pro yet your local gun store will still be able to thrive in an environment when these large organizations with massive buying power are able to, uh, the local gun stores can still not only survive but thrive. And I think that's based primarily on the customer service and the reputation and the, uh, the quality of advice that for 

[00:14:22] Matt Mendel: sure, uh, you know, a big misconception too with big box stores is that they're too.

[00:14:27] Um, yeah, they're not always there rarely are cheaper. Um, and we've always said it cause we were next. We were probably the closest gun shop to, uh, wholesale sports. I'm pretty sure for a number of years to the point of when they installed the, uh, the golden ears, like it was a five minute drive or 10 minute drive each way you could go to us or, or sports.

[00:14:48] Um, and we didn't, we honestly didn't mind them being around because, um, same thing when they first, when the wholesale first opened or whatever, they had all these amazing deals and blah, blah, blah. Okay. But when you have a 10, 20, 30, 40,000 square foot store with a bloody airplane hanging from the roof and you know, and you've got 50 the staff on and all this kind of stuff, you can't, the industry just doesn't allow for that type of business to be.

[00:15:15] Run, right? Like you can't sell guns and ammo. I'm exclusively, exclusively at that price. Right. So they rely on stuff like their clothing and all that stuff to keep the doors open. But yeah, a lot of people are always shocked when they come into our store. They said, oh, I've always shopped at, uh, you know, say Cabela's or, you know, and I'm shocked that your prices are the same, if not sometimes cheaper.

[00:15:38] And it's like, yeah, it's just to me, I've never really shopped at big box stores, so I didn't understand it, but a lot of people just assume if you've got a giant store full of a bunch of junk. It's going to be cheaper, right? Like if it's a chain store or something, it's gotta be cheaper, they have better buying power or whatever.

[00:15:55] Have you. And that's actually, that's the cool part about the firearms industry is that it's not the case. It is. That is the case in a lot of other, other industries, as far as like my family owned a bookstore and stuff, books, um, you know, DVDs, electronics, all that kind of stuff. Yes. If you have buying power because there's an endless supply of it, but because firearms and ammunition are, they require so much to make produce.

[00:16:21] You have to be licensed on every aspect of it. There's only X number of product to go around. Yeah. So, um, yeah, it's a pretty interesting when people come in and say, oh my God, I can't believe you guys, you know more about guns. You have the same prices, if not better. And you 

[00:16:37] Travis Bader: know, right. And that's not the poop on the big box stores.

[00:16:40] Cause my, my, my thinking on it always been. The more the merrier, but people have to be educated to know that, I mean the big box stores are not necessarily going to be giving you a better price. They're not necessarily going to be giving you better service or, or better anything. If there is more exposure of the outdoors hunting firearms type ropes.

[00:17:02] I think the rising tide floats 

[00:17:04] Matt Mendel: all boats a hundred percent. And like I shop at Cabela's too, when I need camping gear, I go there, you know, for example, my store, it's only 2300 square feet. Um, I can't have 20 different 40 gun safes, you know, up for people to peruse and all that kind of stuff. It's not going to happen.

[00:17:22] So there are advantages to it. But yeah, when you come down to the actual core of our industry, which has guns and ammo, essentially an optics, we're all going to the same. Well, to pull things out of you, you know what I mean? So there's no magic voodoo sauce. Um, as far as pricing or anything like that, Well, 

[00:17:41] Travis Bader: and then if you have a place that perhaps doesn't have as high of a turnover rate, then you'll probably find people who encounter the same questions and over and over again, staff who are able to be knowledgeable from experience through all of these different things that they see.

[00:17:57] And so that's, I think one of the big advantages to go into your local gun store is the, uh, the turnover rate. Usually isn't super high compared to some of these larger 

[00:18:07] Matt Mendel: organizations, 100%. I mean, I'm coming up at wan stalls. I think next year is my I've been there for a decade. And, um, when we have new staff on there, know, sometimes shocked at like the answers I can give or how quickly I can fix a firearm or whatever.

[00:18:22] But, you know, when you sit there literally all day, every day, and there's only so many jammed up eight seventies or Mossberg five hundreds that you finally figure out, like, you know what I mean? Like it's yeah, exactly. Right. So a hundred percent and we're also not. Uh, hamstring by company policy either, right?

[00:18:39] Which part of a big box stores like you can't bring, um, like for example, a firearm into a big box store that's not working and have them disassemble it in front of you on the counter and, and fix it for you. Right. Whereas us it's me and my two buddies who own the company and, you know, we make the calls and helping customers is our call.

[00:19:01] Travis Bader: So that gets me thinking a little bit. I think we talked about it. We touched on it before. I actually tried Googling it. I couldn't find the video. I know Coleen Nawar, who's a lawyer in the states. And he'd say with, I think he's involved with the NRA and he's an awesome, uh, advocate for firearms owners and firearms rights in the USA.

[00:19:22] Uh, he's done a bunch of funny videos. I know one of them was types of people you see at the gun range, but somewhere along the lines, I'm sure I've seen both types of customers that you see at a gun store, a hundred percent as well as types of gun store attendance that you see. And I couldn't find either, or maybe if someone was listening, they might want to post a link up to if they knew where these are.

[00:19:44] Uh, what do you find are the typical types of people that you see coming into your store? 

[00:19:50] Matt Mendel: Um, I'm I think that we're a very lucky in our regard. So we get a lot of brand new shooters who have never shot anything who just got their license and they were just like, I want, this is my end goal. I want to go hunting.

[00:20:04] I want to be able to kill a moose or deer or bear or whatever it is. And completely new people, which is awesome. Uh, then we have our regulars who come in, who, you know, we know exactly what they, like. We know what to show them. Um, you know, they hang out for a bit, we chit chat and there's that. And then like every now and again, you get like the, what I would probably say falls into your, your, your line of questioning there, like the YouTube professional, you know, where, you know, uh, you know, you try to give them a piece of knowledge and they say, well, no YouTube says, or the internet says, and it's like, well, I was like, you know, I've only done this like 700 times, so take it or shake it.

[00:20:42] Right. You can take it for what it is. And like, and then they're just completely convinced that I'm wrong. Right. But it's Chris scruffy nerve heard are 69 on a Reddit forum. I know it was more than I do. Right. Which is it's fine. Right. Like you're going to find out one way or the other, how it's done and just trying to save you the time.

[00:20:59] Um, yeah. Then. You know, then you've got like, you know, you got to preppers who come in and, you know, they've always got some interesting theories as to what's going on. What's going down in the world. I like talking with those people. Yeah. For a, for a bit, but yeah. Yeah. There's only so many, a secret world wars going on and, uh, cabals and all that kind of fun 

[00:21:18] Travis Bader: walkie or whatever the end of the world as we know 

[00:21:21] Matt Mendel: it.

[00:21:22] Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I mean, but as far as customers go, I mean, you know, I personally think like, um, from my perspective, I like, uh, I like the different types of people who work in gun stores. Okay. It's kinda like, I think that's can be, uh, a funnier aspect of it. Like you got the guy who's like sat in the corner for 35 or 40 years who like, just as this crusty old, you know, whatever.

[00:21:47] Right. And yet he, he knows exactly what he wants to know in his, what he, in his scope of things that he finds interesting. And everything else is trash. Yes. I've seen those. Yeah. And then, um, you got a. Um, people hyper-focused, you know, like the hyper-focus guy who, you know, will, hyper-focus on a single aspect of a fire, like a micro details of trying to figure out what's going on or something like that.

[00:22:14] And then you sit there and then you've got the way broader issue being completely ignored. And you're like, finally, I got it. And then he looks back and he's got, you know, he's only done like a half a percent of the job. Um, and then he got, he had an know, like, I guess he could throw me in there. Who's just a kinda guy like me.

[00:22:31] Who's just, guns are awesome. And I like just hanging out and, you know, be asking about guns and fixing guns and working on guns and all that kind of stuff. That guy, my, you know, more of the modern stuff is my take. And then like, you know, you got a guy like my, uh, partner Craig, uh, who's like, literally I lean on him constantly.

[00:22:51] He, his thing is old stuff. There's a. 

[00:22:54] Travis Bader: Who used to own a gun store out in Surrey many years ago, I remember I was helping him out when he, uh, was in the process of trying to take it over and he eventually ended up running it into the ground, but he was the, I guess the fan boy type of person just diehard about one certain thing.

[00:23:10] And I remember being in the store one time when he's going on with this customer, this is the gun you have to get, and this is the bomb. Nothing else will compare for what you want to do. This is what you want. And I guess his fan boy is, um, had changed from a month previous to this new, latest, greatest thing.

[00:23:30] And there's another guy in this story it's like, but I just purchased that other thing that you're saying is bad a month ago. Cause you told me it was the best and I watched him tiptoe and tap dance about how the other one just isn't the best anymore. And this is the best and why, but by the fan boy, I am a hundred 

[00:23:47] Matt Mendel: percent.

[00:23:47] Yeah. Kind of funny, without a doubt. 

[00:23:50] Travis Bader: Um, Yeah, the, um, I guess going to a gun, sir, I've been going to gun stores since I've been a kid and it's sort of my, my life I'm used to it, but for somebody brand new to it, it's gotta be 

[00:24:07] Matt Mendel: intimidating. It's terrifying. I remember like, because I didn't grow up in a gun family at all.

[00:24:11] Right. Like I, my first gun I got, I went and got my power when I was 18 and I actually walked into reliable gun was the first place I ever went. And, uh, I remember being so bloody nervous, I think the most in to intimidating places, you can really go as a tattoo parlor for the first time in a gun store for the first time.

[00:24:31] Right? Yeah. And, uh, I just remember how nervous I was when I went in there and I was just like, just kind of like shuffled up and I'm like, can I get a gun? Even though it was a, you know, it's such a foreign thing to somebody who's never stepped foot in a gun store. No doesn't know anything about not, it doesn't know anything about, but like the industry or how it works and the process and like, you know, are they going to take it to the back and waterboard you to make sure you're not a drug dealer or anything like that.

[00:24:58] Right. So you don't want to skip it. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. You don't want to look like, you know, but the best possible thing anyone can do is just say, Hey, this is my first time at Hogan store. And you'll get a whole, at least with us, like, you'll get a whole different kind of experience. We'll literally show you every single cartridge we have in stock, every single rifle and give you you'll.

[00:25:22] If you don't buy anything, you'll at least leave with knowledge of what is there and available to you as 

[00:25:27] Travis Bader: an individual. I have actually never heard that as a tip before, and that's a fantastic tip because the gun community will open up their arms and welcome you in 

[00:25:37] Matt Mendel: yeah. 100%. And then from the retailers, from the dealers perspective too, right?

[00:25:42] Like if somebody is coming in and acting weird and a gun store, well, they don't tell. Yeah, exactly. And they don't tell you why. Right? Like, so there's always that kind of. Um, aspects, especially now with like masks as well, up until a few days ago with masks. Um, you know, if somebody is coming in with sunglasses on and a mask on and acting like a weirdo in your store, you get kind of on edge.

[00:26:04] But if it's the person is nervous and has never been in a gun store and just says, Hey, I've never been into a gun store. The whole, like the dynamics are going to completely change. And it's going to be like, let's show you every single gun on this rack. Right. So you can handle and touch and feel and know.

[00:26:19] Travis Bader: And yeah, the nervous thing I remember about 20 years ago, young fellow, and I'm doing a firearm safety course and. There's this one guy. So I'm six, six, two hundred and fifty pounds. And he made me look small and he's got tattoos up and down his arms and he's got his biker leathers and his long hair.

[00:26:39] And he's really quiet the entire time he's going through the course. And I'm looking at this guy, like, what's this guy's problem. What's his attitude. Everyone else have a fond or open. And this guy just looks like he must have a chip on his shoulder or something. And I'm in the back and I'm doing testing with him and he's kinda kind of shaking really.

[00:27:00] And I look at him, I'm like what what's going on? Right. And then he starts laughing. I'm like, dokey, what is going on? He's like, I'm so sorry. I'm so nervous. I've been so nervous the last couple of days. And I, and I get the giggles when I'd get nervous. There's this guy he's bigger than me with tattoos, a biker level biker letters that gets the giggles when he gets nervous.

[00:27:20] Yeah. Let's reset. Let's take a deep breath. We're going to go through this. And he was awesome. Super nice guy. But like, if you want to talk about judging a book by its cover and the entire time I'm with this guy, I'm like, man, this guy, every time I try and reach out, he's withdrawn. And he just, yeah, a hundred percent, same thing in the gun store.

[00:27:36] The nervousness doesn't matter if you're a big guy like me or a smaller person, who's I getting into it for the first time. That level of nervousness doesn't change. 

[00:27:47] Matt Mendel: No, a hundred percent. Yeah. Especially if it's something so foreign to you, right? Like holding something that explodes in your hand for fun is like a, that's not a normal thing that people want to do.

[00:27:59] Right. So if you've already gone through the process, like men made that mental, okay, I'm doing this. I'm going to the course that takes a lot to step into a room full of people you've never met before and learn about firearms. Then the next step is to go get one. And again, if you don't have the family history of owning fire, You know, it's like you giving someone like a thousand horsepower drag car and saying, yeah, just go down the drag track with it, see how you do, right.

[00:28:26] Like it can be, yeah. Like it can be super scary. Right. And, uh, I remember when I got, when I got my first gun, I bought it and it sat in my safe for like two and a half months before I could, you know, muster up the courage to, you know, go out and shoot it. But, you know, and then after I did, I was obsessed.

[00:28:43] Right. And I've been obsessed since that day. Right. Um, so knowledge 

[00:28:48] Travis Bader: is power and knowledge is empowering and it gives you confidence. And that's one of the things I'm hoping that this podcast will be able to do is sort of reach past the typical gun community. And even those within the community, just give them an alternate voice from the people in businesses, in the community so that they can.

[00:29:08] They can use that to form their opinions, essentially 

[00:29:10] Matt Mendel: make a more educated decision. 

[00:29:12] Travis Bader: Yeah. What about etiquette in the gun store? Cause I know that, you know, there's gun range etiquette, which is a one thing that I think has been talked about a fair bit on, on online and in different areas where people can Google buy gun store.

[00:29:25] Etiquette is not something that I see talked about a lot. 

[00:29:28] Matt Mendel: Yeah. Um, I would say that gun, uh, the reason probably is this guy gun range etiquette is super important. Like the most important thing, cause you're dealing with loaded firearms on and you know, typically on a firing line with other people, um, when you're in a gun store, uh, Yeah.

[00:29:49] I mean the, my big, honestly, my thing that drives me, the craziest is when people just drop guns on the counter, like that literally just boils my blood. It's like, yeah. It's like taking, give me your iPhone, let me just drop it onto your glass counter and see like, you know what I mean? Like, especially, you know, and then the other one, you know, um, the other one too is so, you know, just say firearms knowledge, right?

[00:30:11] Like always, you know, we always open an action and hand it to a customer. Right. And, and stuff like that. Um, and we just kind of like expect a customer hands the gun back in the same way that we, you know, right. Open, clear it, hand it back to you. Right, right. Um, but yeah, the other thing too, is that people freak out also about gun store etiquette because, um, some.

[00:30:34] Uh, Powell courses teach you like, you know, when you walk into a gun store, ask what the safe direction is, all that kind of stuff is the reality in my gun store is you're pointing guns at more guns or right. Like our guns are checked every day, you know, constantly, um, we check clear every time we had it to you.

[00:30:51] So after that's done, we're not too worried about it, but people often come in, especially new people and are like, you know, they don't know where to point the gun, you know, they pointed down, they put, you know, so the big thing would just be to come in and say, Hey, what's your guys' policy or what would you like me to do when you hand me a firearm?

[00:31:08] Perfect. Just say, yeah, exactly. That would be, that's the best thing to say. And you say, yeah, you can just point it over my shoulder up here or over there. Right. That's the safest place to point it. Um, but yeah, I mean, it's kinda more so when it comes to, um, etiquette, it's, it's a mixture of gun safety and not being, um, Yeah story, you know what I mean?

[00:31:31] Like yeah. And realizing like, it's, you know, w that gun you just handled, you know, it's a $2,000 gun and don't whip it around. Like, it's a toy that you've seen on TV. And the one that kills me that kills me is stainless steel revolver, or nickel, plated revolver. Somebody spins it and whips it shut. And you, and I just, that's the one thing in my store, we're all like, dead.

[00:31:53] I, you it'd be like, don't ever do that again. Right. Because they're like, oh, why? Like that's, you know, and I'm like, look what you just did to the gun. And there's a giant scratch down the cylinder. And yes, that's like this isn't, this isn't a movie. Don't do that. And it's not, I don't mean like dead. I, them like, like, I'm going to come get you.

[00:32:13] It's um, I did. I like, that's a serious thing. Like you just took a $2,000 gun and, you know, you dropped the price, dropped the price, or, you know, the next. Gets it. And he's like, what the hell? Like, why is it all scratched up and stuff? So those are the big ones. Um, and also like we've had stuffed crazy stuff too.

[00:32:32] Like we had to, we've had guys come in with their biker helmets on like the full face ones. And I'm like, I look at I'm like, what do you guys do? Yeah. It's like, you know, this is a gun store, man. This isn't like shoppers drug Mart. You can't walk around with a helmet on. Right, right. Just stuff like that.

[00:32:49] Like facials, um, stuff. That's covering your face, sunglasses, just stuff like that. And um, if you do decide to wear them, uh, just make yourself known to the people working in the store, don't lurk in corners or look around, you know, just stuff like that is the big one. 

[00:33:04] Travis Bader: You know, that the whole asking questions thing I think is imperative.

[00:33:08] Even gun range, gun store, like you're in the range. Someone says, oh, I always love those who, okay, try shooting your gun. What can I try doing this? Right. Well, the easy answer is no. And that's, I've learned that the hard way after. Having a firearm broken on a actually Vancouver gun club, but 15, 20 years ago, this guy, I don't know if he listens to his name was Greg Neeson healthy.

[00:33:32] I'll use his name. He's always stuck in the back of my head and I'm shooting a, a Brita shotgun, which, uh, I got a pretty cheap price, but it was it predated what is there? So are there sq series and, uh, it was worth a couple of bucks. Anyways. It was, it was sticky. It had been re blued. It would had a crack in the forest stock, but after each round I would shoot I'd open the, uh, the break action just a little bit.

[00:34:00] Yeah. Oh, sorry. I press see a little lever on the back and it was sticky and I thought it easier to just give a little tap on my knee and opens up and I take the spent casings out and, and he was I going to go head up and change the clays in the, uh, in one of the houses that's throwing the clay birds out in this fellow says, can I?

[00:34:19] And he came onto her team on our squad as sort of the, the last person on there. And he said, well, can I, can I tag along to the team? Sure. No problem. Um, he says, can I, can I see your firearm? It looks pretty neat. Yeah, no problem. Check it out. I said, and I go up into the, uh, up into the high house to, and change the clays out.

[00:34:36] And then I hear one of my buddies. Drouth what'd you do to your shotgun? It's broken in half. What? Come on quick, you got to see this. And I'm like, whatever, if it's broken, it's broken me rushing down. Isn't going to change anything. So I do the clays and I come on down and. I look at this, I look at this Greg fellow, so what the hell?

[00:34:56] Right. And, uh, he was just about open his mouth up and it's like, Sam, sorry, or this, or, or whatever it looked like. And my other buddies says, cause it was a full team of my, my friends there and this one other fellow, he says, yeah, we just came here and saw it like this. We don't know how this happened. And all of a sudden this guy's mouth clamped shut down.

[00:35:14] He's like, I don't know what happened, man. Oh, great. So I slipped, but it was in your hands last and it's broken. The best I can figure is that he didn't realize you actually had to press the little lever on the back of the side. And he was trying to open it up how he saw me doing that and he broke it right at the wrist.

[00:35:31] Okay. So that's when I learned the easy answer is no in a gun store. However, you can't always say no, because you're trying to sell something, but asking, Hey, do you mind if I press the trigger on this one? Hey, I don't, I'm not familiar with this one. Do you mind showing me how to open it up, 

[00:35:47] Matt Mendel: right? Yeah. Oh, that's the other two big ones too.

[00:35:50] Is disassembling guns in the store. Like, forget about it when people do it all the time and 

[00:35:56] Travis Bader: this just shows you how much they know, 

[00:35:57] Matt Mendel: right? Yeah. It definitely shows me how much they know that's without a doubt, which is generally nothing. And, you know, I remember we had one guy who wanted to take apart a Ruger mark to right in the store.

[00:36:10] And I was like, no, man. And I'm like, you know, you can't take that apart. You, you have to be a bloody engineer to get one of those back to, you know, I do this all the time and he literally popped it open apart without like me without, after I just said no. Right. A thousand pieces on the counter and tried to, and then he started like trying to get it back together, scratching it up and stuff.

[00:36:29] And then he just literally looked at me, dropped it on the counter and walked out of the store. 

[00:36:34] Travis Bader: So, so embarrassed said nothing. 

[00:36:37] Matt Mendel: So never ever take a gun apart in the store. Right. Ask the attended to, if there's something you want to see, um, and two, the last one, and this will get you like the worst tongue lashing.

[00:36:48] And at least my store is bringing a loaded firearm in. Yup. That's something that happens so often, like not so often, but it happens enough to where you're like, you feel like you should take the people's gun license and like you have to go retake your course. Right? Like we're going to, we're going to send it back to wherever you got those license for it.

[00:37:10] Cause apparently they didn't do the job. That one drives me nuts. And it's often like something. Super simple, um, to fix on the gun that like, you know, but yeah. Coming in, not telling anyone the firearms loaded, slamming it on the table and saying, oh yeah, there's a live round in there. It's like, and I can't get it out.

[00:37:29] That'll just like, yeah, that's the worst possible thing you can do in my opinion, against her and their stories. You know, I think there's a young man in Alberta that had that assembly thing happened to, there was a single shot. The guy brought in and forgot there was around a target load and slammed it down on the counter.

[00:37:44] And the round went off like point blank and a stomach who, um, there's lots of stories like that in Canada. Right. And that's like, really, you know, there's more stories or that than there are gun stores getting robbed. So that's what kind of gets me going. Yeah. 

[00:37:58] Travis Bader: It's not that it happens all the time, but a few times is more than it needs to 

[00:38:02] Matt Mendel: happen.

[00:38:03] Well, you know, honestly it does happen like more than I, like when I got into the industry, I had never, like, I've never brought a loaded firearm anywhere. Right, right. Um, It happens way more often than I ever thought it would. And it still shocks me to this day that people are just so Willy nilly, like, oh yeah, it's too much work.

[00:38:22] Just going to bring it to the gun store for them to fix. That's always been a bit of 

[00:38:25] Travis Bader: a conundrum from a legal standpoint, because of course you're only allowed to have a loaded firearm in a place where it's lawful to do so every once in a while, somebody will have an issue where they can't get their gun open, whether it's user error or something mechanical, messed up on it.

[00:38:37] And there's a round in the chamber. How do they transfer it the same legally? 

[00:38:42] Matt Mendel: Yeah. That's true. I mean, you know, generally speaking, if that happens, you're on the range, right? Like, so, or out in the Bush or yeah, exactly. So, yeah, it's, that is a tough conundrum. Um, the best thing I can tell people is just be like, for example, if you're going to a store and you can't get it, done yourself, call them in advance and say, listen, this is my name.

[00:39:05] This is what I've got going on. Is it okay if I bring a loaded firearm to your store? I can't get it out or I'm having a problem and they say yes or no. And then after that, just tell them, listen, I'm going to come in. This is what my, the shirt I'm wearing, blah, blah, blah, who do I need to speak to? And just make it as simple, clear as possible.

[00:39:21] That's the best possible thing you can do rolling into a gun store with a loaded gun, um, you know, in a case and just slamming on the counter and just like, Hey, by the way, this is loaded. What can you do for me? That's not going to fly one 

[00:39:32] Travis Bader: of the things I've seen, some people do or thinking about. They'll put that loaded fire and they'll throw a trigger, lock, secure locking device, whatever that they can fix to it.

[00:39:41] They'll put into a case, but they'll make a mark on the outside of the case as to which end is a muzzle end. Yeah. And then when they come in, they're dealing with the safest available direction, which I mean at a range, okay. That's down range and a gun store. That means where there's going to be zero loss of life and minimal property damage.

[00:39:59] So, and they'll keep that, that case kind of pointed in the best possible direction. A hundred percent. I remember years ago, working in a, uh, in a, in a shop guy brought in a, uh, a 22. I'm trying to remember. I think it actually was, it was a mark one or mark two Ruger. Anyways, he's waving this thing around.

[00:40:18] What do you do with like what? We've nothing in my face. It opened it up. Take the Meg out. Oh no, no, it's not loaded. And he presses a trigger and around goes into the cold, saw. And what the hell. Right. And that's probably the closest I've ever seen. And this was a long time ago, uh, in a, in a gun store, gunsmith Smith situation to something that could have gone really 

[00:40:41] Matt Mendel: poorly.

[00:40:42] Yeah. We've had people to like, Hey, do we, you know, do you guys buy firearms? And you're like, yeah, no problem. We buy them all the time. And then like, I had one guy for example, pull a tow of, out of the back of his pants and it had a trigger lock on it, but he was in his good for his man. And then, so he pulls it around and I just see the, but yeah.

[00:41:00] Right. And so I just grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into the counter and he's like the look on his face. He was so surprised. I was like, you're what are you doing right now? Like, and he just didn't understand, like, can he, he flat out said, he's like, oh, I didn't know that this wasn't legal. Oh man.

[00:41:16] That's, that's special. 

[00:41:18] Travis Bader: Yeah. That's one of those things. So, I mean, if you're working in a gun store, you've got to have eyes in the back of your head. Cautiously suspicious. Right? Just casually suspicious at every point, this person coming in, what are they going? Like the odds of somebody coming into one or Rob a gun store, although there are items of interest to the criminal element, uh, decrease when there's people actually in the gun store, because of the concept of particularly particularly the American mentality.

[00:41:48] Well, these guys are probably packing, right? 

[00:41:50] Matt Mendel: Yeah. I mean, you gotta, I mean, regardless of what part of the world you're in, if you robbing a gun store, you got to have some pretty big homes or a special kind of stupid. I probably go a special kind of stupid and the correct terminology in that one. 

[00:42:04] Travis Bader: Uh, yeah.

[00:42:05] So I'm asking if you can open it asking, and when you talk about spinning it, like, even if it's not stainless or nickel, I mean, you're going to do, you can possibly do damage to the cylinder, stop to the yolk, or if it's a cult to the crane, um, You just don't manhandle these things or bend them around or I can see drop it on the counter from a twofold perspective as well.

[00:42:28] I mean, those counters aren't cheap. 

[00:42:31] Matt Mendel: Yeah. And it's also like, it's not yours, it's mine. You know what I mean? Like, you know, I wouldn't want you to drop my iPhone on encounter my watch, but anything I own, you know, like it's just like common courtesy, right? Like it's not yours. Treat it with respect. It's all it is.

[00:42:46] So here's another one I've been reading 

[00:42:47] Travis Bader: online. I, the gun buyback, I guess it's supposed to be coming up in April and there's things that have been reading about that. They're going to, I think caliber press actually puts something out about, uh, Sorry, caliber magazine, caliber presses over the states, Daniel fritters, cat caliber magazine out of Canada was talking about, um, oh, either ship the guns into the, uh, to the RCMP.

[00:43:15] And then the later on, they'll tell you what the value is. Is, have you heard anything 

[00:43:19] Matt Mendel: about this? Yeah, I've read a little bit, or I've read that article that, I mean, a damn put out there and it was a great article and people should read it. It'd be educated on it. Cause again, typical Canadian politics, you know, you don't have any idea of what's going on until after the fact.

[00:43:34] And so that'd be a good thing for people to go read, but yeah, from my understanding, their plan is to like send you either a box or a case in the mail. You put your stuff in the case and send it, you know, paid postage back. And uh, I mean, come on, you know, let's, let's put tens of thousands of firearms in the exact same box going to the exact same place through Canada posts.

[00:43:58] Well, first off, you know what, probably going to be a hundred thousand. Firearms potentially going through the mail. What's that going to do to the postage system? Yeah. And you know, that's going to back everything up, like crazy too. You know, this isn't a slagger Canada post, but there are some people in Canada post firearms do go missing in the mail mysteriously that there aren't answers to.

[00:44:21] Yup. And putting, like, making it so blatant that it's the same box. Same, the same that everywhere. It's just, you know, I mean, it's typical. I mean, am I shocked at this point? No. Like that it's such a ridiculous system. Um, and then the big thing is, is that they're going to tell you what it's worth after they have everything back.

[00:44:40] Yeah. That works 

[00:44:40] Travis Bader: well. And if you don't 

[00:44:41] Matt Mendel: agree. Oh, well, yeah. Or how about how long has it, you know, how just getting your tax return money is a big enough pain in the ass sometimes, you know, so now you're going to deal with prohibited items, you know, I don't like, I can't remember it. The ma at the article said like, I'm pretty sure it's not the RCMP doing the physical work there.

[00:45:00] They're going to have, um, like big centers to have this stuff. And it's just like, did, did you, 

[00:45:09] Travis Bader: did they publish or say anything about the centers that are dealing with, or the companies that are dealing with that? No. 

[00:45:13] Matt Mendel: Uh, well, if they did, I wasn't really, I didn't, I can't remember it off the top of my head.

[00:45:17] Um, but yeah, I can't remember 

[00:45:21] Travis Bader: honestly, well, I try to remember where I heard this one from, but a Murray Smith was supposed to be involved with one of these at one, one point. I don't know if that's just somebody causing rumors. And so I'll say allegedly this. So 

[00:45:33] Matt Mendel: what I've heard, I heard that rumor too, that he is somehow involved with the company doing the buyback, which is, I mean, talk about conflict of interest.

[00:45:42] So 

[00:45:42] Travis Bader: Marie Smith is C um, he's worked with, uh, uh, firearms program registry services and they're high. Essentially the chief was he scientists. He had chief scientist for the CFUs, Seton CFP, and he's their lead, um, star witness for the whole buyback program. And it's based on a lot of his, his affidavits and his work.

[00:46:09] I mean the, the conflict, I'm sure there's a lot of conflict. I mean, he's getting paid to this monster some allegedly after retiring to come back in and to run the job that 

[00:46:20] Matt Mendel: right. Yeah. That he come on. Like, it's just such a, if that is the case, I mean, I can't wait for the lawsuits to just start flowing like money and power, right.

[00:46:34] Yeah, exactly. Right. It's it's crazy. But I mean, we'll see what happens. Um, Yeah. It's I was thinking about it the other day. And we did a actually made a meme that we posted on our Facebook page. I don't know if you saw it or not, but, uh, you know, we're going back to when this all started and, you know, Trudeau, you know, sitting on his soapbox with his, you know, whatever it costs you means wearing this money.

[00:46:58] I'm saying, you know, people don't need assault weapons, and we're going to get them off the streets and blah, blah, blah. And then meanwhile, you know, he's sending Carl Gustaf's over to the UK. Exactly. Right. And then, so we put, uh, I put it up with him and then, you know, he was, had his hands in like a prayer position saying, you know, we're going to take AR fifteens away from, you know, civilians don't need AR fifteens.

[00:47:19] And then, then there's the guy with his hands on his hips, in the Ukraine going like, you 

[00:47:23] Travis Bader: know, 

[00:47:25] Matt Mendel: so yeah. It's a, you know, it's a funny, like, you know, it's typical politics stuff right here. It's like, you know, the rules are for the, not for me. 

[00:47:32] Travis Bader: Yeah. You know, you're talking about Canada post. I had, I remember a number of years ago, uh, Canada ammo, where you at one point worked, uh, three Glocks are getting shipped over and from, I think it was north Vancouver where their, their warehouse was over to Delta here and they mysteriously go missing.

[00:47:51] So you file your police report, but the fire's program doesn't remove. The firearms for the business license. And I always, that always made me question. I said, well, hold on a second. They were Canada. Ammos, I've never received them. I've never seen them. I've never touched them. They've never come into my possession, but they're registered to me.

[00:48:12] Yeah. And then the insurance company through Canada post we'll do a, we'll pay you out. So I got three new ones to get. I still have these three that are registered to me. 

[00:48:21] Matt Mendel: Every time you get an inspection for your renewal on your business license, the grill you about them. Where are those? Three? Same as last time.

[00:48:27] Travis Bader: Right? Same as last time. So I said, well, hold on a second. What happens? They said, this is great because if they show up, then you get three free guns. I said, hold on a second. Like if the insurance company now paid for them, they're not my guns. Don't they belong to the insurance company. Right. Anyways, um, that always, but yeah, you're right to human nature.

[00:48:49] Yes. Guns go missing in Canada post, um, I don't know how this whole buyback thing is supposed to play out. I can only hope that a future election will help reverse. 

[00:49:05] Matt Mendel: Yeah. I mean, in the big thing too is right. And like, you know, none of us are naive as to, you know, gun owners have been through this a lot of times.

[00:49:14] And the reality, the fact is the vast majority of that list is non-restricted and they're relying on people's good intentions and be honest and sending the stuff back in. So it'll be interesting to see how they report it. Right. If they get the ER, like if they get, so their big thing is like the air 15, right?

[00:49:30] Like, like, you know, like who cares at this point? Um, I think at those back, they're probably going to report it as like a 90% success rate because they got. The percent of the AAR's back. Right. But like, you know what I mean? Like, so the numb, no matter how this boils down the numbers are essentially going to be cooked.

[00:49:48] Um, as far as, you know, its success rate and people who know will know that it's absolute garbage and, um, you know, they'll just post it as like, you know, the great victory of whatever on, on CBC or whoever's talking about it 

[00:50:03] Travis Bader: this week, what do they say? There's liars damn layers and statisticians. Yeah.

[00:50:08] Right. 

[00:50:08] Matt Mendel: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Right. You can make those numbers 

[00:50:11] Travis Bader: sing any 

[00:50:11] Matt Mendel: way you want. Yeah, exactly. So it'll be interesting to see how they report on that. And it'll be interesting to, like, I gotta be a hundred percent honest. Um, I'm not down with sending a prohibited firearm. That's in my name in a box. Like, you know, like, you know what I mean?

[00:50:29] Like with no. 

[00:50:30] Travis Bader: So, if that goes missing, does it all on me? Does it all of a sudden become the property of the RC, like had happened 

[00:50:36] Matt Mendel: in my clock. Exactly. But they're not like, so this is, it won't work that way. They're not transferring the guns out of your name. Right. Uh huh. Like I imagined because who are you going to transfer them to the cause if you transferred them to the RCMP, they have to go into, um, what's it called?

[00:50:50] Um, CFUs and exactly like it goes into a different system essentially. Right. And then they hold it in their arts, their system. Um, so yeah, like I N no fence, I'm not super down with like throwing my prohibited item. That's in my name that I'm responsible for in a box with a hundred thousand other Canadians and hoping that it gets there.

[00:51:09] And if it doesn't whose fault is it going to be? Right. 

[00:51:12] Travis Bader: And that's the other one that's always made me scratch my head. The person that is registered to will be the deemed owner of that firearm. Well, I mean, I can, you can register one of my cars in your name. It doesn't make it your car. I mean, look at the rental companies are looking at a leased vehicle, right?

[00:51:29] It's yeah. You're registered and licensed in, in your name, but at the end of the day, it isn't 

[00:51:35] Matt Mendel: your vehicle. Yeah. And even if they do drop off centers, you're not allowed to transport them. Like, what do you like? So, you know what I mean? Like, there's a lot of, there's a lot of politics involved in this clearly because it's not thought out kind of smart.

[00:51:49] So 

[00:51:50] Travis Bader: what's the future of the gun industry. What's that looking like too in Canada? Anyway, 

[00:51:54] Matt Mendel: um, it's hard to say, like, it's our industry's ties so hard to pull the current politics that, um, but for me, like, you know, I'm an optimist because this is my life and this is my obsession. It's guns and ammo until I'm dead essentially is what I'm going with.

[00:52:12] And, um, I think that. The way Canada is, is that we'll have firearms in some shape or form because we just, there's just too much untouched land here that people live in and all that kind of stuff. So the reality, the fact is, is that it's going to require a new government and a government to realize that like farms ownership is important in Canada and it's to stop using it as a, um, a soapbox to stand on and, you know, bump your stats and everything like that.

[00:52:46] So the future is it's really unknown right now. I've been between the shortages of firearms and ammunition right now with what's going on in the world. Um, you know, with Ukraine, Russia, China, all that kind of fun stuff. Um, again, then what's going on in the states. It's, everything's up in the air right now.

[00:53:04] Everyone's fighting for whatever product is available. And 

[00:53:07] Travis Bader: are you guys, I know some gun stores are putting limits on the number. Uh, on the amount of ammunition somebody can purchase. Are you guys doing that right now? 

[00:53:16] Matt Mendel: We've thought about it. Um, right now we're not, we'll see, we were so, um, when we realized we were out of blue box 30 on six, um, we went pretty hard and bought hard.

[00:53:29] We bought a lot in deep what we could, where we could. Um, so we've got a pretty okay selection right now in the future. Who knows. Um, you know, I understand that federal for example is really not doing a lot of reloading, so, or it's ATK who does great, like the. Parent company. Yeah, exactly. Right. So they're like not doing a lot of reloading, so there's not going to be a lot of powder available primers perhaps because they're making ammunition.

[00:53:54] Um, but in the future, who knows you, I mean, if we get down to it, we might, but I 

[00:53:59] Travis Bader: wonder just thinking outside the box, because I guess I see the reasoning behind limiting ammunition so that one customer doesn't come in and buy it all out and nobody else gets it. Some gun stores are saying, we're not a museum.

[00:54:11] If somebody wants to buy a buy it, others are saying, well, it's only going to be fair to the others. And they got the scale system. I wonder if a buying club would be an interesting thing for a gun store to, to look at where people can pay to be a. Be involved with a, a club and as their numbers cycles through, they get X amount of whatever it is that they put on there.

[00:54:34] Ah, yeah. I wonder if that's an opportunity 

[00:54:36] Matt Mendel: for, um, I think that like immediately for reloading stuff, that makes a lot of sense. Cause reloading stuff before all this is hard to get, right. Like, you know, and reloaders are kind of notorious hoarders. They, you know, they'll get 10,000 primers as much powder as they can, so I can see us a potentially limiting, uh, reloading stuff.

[00:54:57] Um, but yeah, I mean, that, that makes a lot of sense what you're saying there. Like, um, if it gets to, I mean, I hope it doesn't get to that point where we're seeing that, but we'll see what happens and I'm hoping that we'll go through it like a six, seven month window here of like. Well, maybe a bit longer, but you know, of the industry getting back to where it was and then you'll start seeing a flow back in.

[00:55:21] Um, so I don't know. We'll see. Yeah. 

[00:55:24] Travis Bader: Silvercore Club got members all across Canada and we worked something there. Um, Hmm. Just thinking about that. So, and so you guys, I think with the first gun store, I think once also was the first gun store to offer financing. Oh yes. For firearms and ammunition, I think you could finance too or 

[00:55:46] Matt Mendel: not?

[00:55:46] Uh, no. So when we first started doing the financing, um, it was through a company called taco capital Corp. Okay. And I believe off the top of my head, the only thing you couldn't, you couldn't finance ammunition because they were like a. Explosive. Yeah, no, cause you use them, right? Like, so like financing a hamburger or something, right.

[00:56:05] Like you eat it exactly. Right. So yeah, we started doing that and like, um, that was really interesting. We had, uh, I think CTV or somebody, a few news companies came in and tried to spin it. And uh, I remember one specifically was so brutal. Like they had like the criminology professor at some university was like, essentially, like blatantly said, this is bad because now poor people can have guns.

[00:56:31] I was like, so like what? Like, this is insane. I can't believe they put this on the news. Wow. Right. So that's what they said. And like the reality of the fact is, is that, uh, For me personally, it's um, like when I want to buy something, if I can break it up into chunks, why wouldn't you? Right. Like, it makes a lot more sense.

[00:56:49] And especially it can help me make way dumber decisions financially. Like all of a sudden that $5,000 Nighthawk or something, it's an attainable thing. If I've only got to spend, um, down the road or, you know, a few bucks a month or whatever it is, but now a big one is settled for us. Okay. Um, that one's a lot easier as far as, um, the integration and all that stuff.

[00:57:13] Sessile is like a byte it's it became super popular with. Um, because so many people were stuck at home during the pandemic, essentially what it is is they'll do like bite-size payments. Like, so they'll do, um, Your payment broken up. Uh bi-weekly for, I think, six weeks or something like that. So it's not as long-term, but what it does is it allows you to, again, break it up over a few payments and they do do ammunition.

[00:57:39] They'll do everything right. And what's really cool about sizzle. Is there. Because we're in this industry. Um, we confirmed with them that they're okay with firearms and they're like, yeah, we're a hundred. Okay. We left. Totally. I do have to give a great shout out. Cause in this, you know, in this industry, in this world that we're currently living in, um, supporting our community doesn't mean a lot to us and me.

[00:58:01] So I'll always have a, you know, a place in my heart for says all for, you know, being somebody who supports the gun industry when you know, so many people don't, 

[00:58:10] Travis Bader: it's hard, it's hard for them to support the gun industry is a hundred percent social. Pressure's 

[00:58:15] Matt Mendel: not on their side. Yeah, exactly. You know, I can take one tweet or one tech doc to sway a company's decision on who the who, and how they do business.

[00:58:23] So yeah, it's awesome. It's a great option for a lot of people. Um, and yeah, it's super easy to use. That's cool. How long have you 

[00:58:31] Travis Bader: been using them 

[00:58:32] Matt Mendel: for says a little since I want to say September. Okay. Um, so yeah, it's still a kind of a new thing, but, um, yeah, it's, it's cool. And it's easy for everyone to use.

[00:58:41] Travis Bader: Is 

[00:58:41] Matt Mendel: anyone else using that? Yeah, I think a SFRC might be using it in a few other people. Um, it's, you know, I could see why some companies don't, cause it goes back to that conversation. We were just having a boat, you know, being the absolute cheapest in Canada and the margins aren't super high, um, in this industry, as it is and says, well does take, so it's 0% to the customer.

[00:59:03] Um, but they do take a percentage from the retailer. So if you're already running ridiculously low margins, that's barely keeping you going. And you're, depending on that high turn rate, the product, if they're taking their percentage out of it, it it's, it makes a giant difference in your company's profits.

[00:59:20] Right? Right. So some companies who don't, uh, who run those low margins, uh, you know, they won't take says Alon, but, um, as far as isolate, you know, we're happy to extend that to our customers as an option. And that's pretty cool. Yeah. 

[00:59:34] Travis Bader: So any other interesting advancements that you can see the industry moving in aside from the buyer's club, that aforementioned buyer's club?

[00:59:42] Matt Mendel: Yeah. Um, I mean, the technology is great now. I mean, when, um, you know, our website, for example, we're going to be launching a new website with soap box in the next little bit here. Um, you know, the, the industry was so far behind to get online from day one that like a lot of people still use their original websites from back in like the mid two thousands and stuff.

[01:00:07] And, um, I mean, if, uh, I think, is it, oh, what ups? Yup. You've got like that old school. Right. And the thing is, is a lot of people love that. Right? Like a lot of, lot of people love that older kind of thing, but you know, if you're selling stuff, like we are like backpacks and blow kits, all that kind of stuff.

[01:00:26] Um, you know, a new website lends itself to that. So that's really cool. Um, but yeah, as far as that goes, it's just as the technology increases is keeping up with it is the trick and knowing what kind of new cool stuff you can do. Yeah. Social media is a big part. I mean, I've said it for a long time. Um, kick 

[01:00:46] Travis Bader: talk, are you on Tik TOK yet?

[01:00:47] Matt Mendel: I'm trying, man. It's just, honestly, it's like, I can't describe tick tock to me is like, um, It's like plugging your brain into like, like techno music, almost like it's like, so like, like there's so much going on in karma, like 20 seconds, so much information all the time. So, um, my wife who helps me quite a bit with social media, um, she's slowly getting me into it, but I'm definitely not as deep into it as I should be.

[01:01:18] I mean, I see a lot of gun companies. I do see the advantage to tech doc, right. Because, um, again, it's like all social media platforms is direct to your customer without any, without any middlemen. So that's good. So we're going to be working on that slowly. Um, but again, it's hard to like with all the responsibilities, I have to film a funny tech talk during the day when we're filming, you know, when we have to film our commercials and do all that kind of stuff.

[01:01:41] Right. So it's, and there's a 

[01:01:42] Travis Bader: clamp down on Tik TOK, from what I understand on firearms related things. So. It makes it a little bit more difficult. And the only reason I got that is because they're showing some clips from the Ukraine and everyone's like, all, I guess they changed their firearms policy until yeah.

[01:01:56] Um, so I'm not a. I'm not well versed in the tech doc world, but I do understand that if you want to be relevant and you want people to hear you, you have to speak in the places where people are looking and that's exactly, and that's one of them. And I don't know if it necessarily always has to be funny or if it can be educational or informational or, uh, but I've thrown a couple up there myself, but I mean, for me, I'm just doing it for fun, right.

[01:02:26] I mean, I'm not selling product. 

[01:02:27] Matt Mendel: It seemed like. Yeah. So that's the big thing too, is like, uh, you know, the algorithms are always running against us. Right. So, um, I've been doing some research to like, um, people I follow on Instagram and also have tech talk. Um, you know, and there, there, there are some cool stuff to do that I'm kind of, I'm writing some notes down and stuff to start doing that, but I think that's where 

[01:02:46] Travis Bader: the future of the gun industry is, is finding.

[01:02:50] I mean, there's, there's two ways on it. I mean, number one, you can say, Hey, from our cold dead hands and I'm through and through guns and ammo, right. And I sure that's an important stance and important way to do it, but it's also, uh, going up against a larger and larger force of opposite opposition. So if you can find that prevailing tide, that stream, that's going down and be able to ride that one with the firearms messaging.

[01:03:20] And that's, I think the difficult or the tricky part, how do we, how do we find the over overriding interest right now? That's probably, I'm gonna throw it out. There might be preparedness, uh, safety, survival. I mean, COVID probably awaken that and just leave the firearms is 

[01:03:38] Matt Mendel: yeah. Two and I agree a hundred percent, right?

[01:03:40] Like there's. Like, so part of this, what I like about this industry too, is that it's all encompassing, right? So like first aid is a part of it, a wilderness, you know, going out into the Bush, wilderness, survival, preparedness. That's all part of it, which is good. The other thing too, that's important is, um, realizing we're living in a different time than we were in previous years.

[01:04:01] And what I don't want to say, I'm going to say it. I hope it is not taken the wrong way. Is watering down the message of yes. Guns and animal from my cold, dead hands, all that kind of fun stuff. That's sure. But you have to present it in a way that doesn't make, you seem like some kook living in a basement, like getting ready for an apocalypse that's not happening.

[01:04:20] Right. Right. So that's, what's really important. And a lot of people in the industry like fight against that. Um, and the reality is, is that times are changing and you have to get your message out there in a way that people are going to accept, not. That you think they should accept. Right. So, um, figuring that out and like, you know, for us, for me, what I'm super sarcastic and like, you know, I'm, I love comedy and all that kind of stuff.

[01:04:46] So doing those funny videos and stuff, that's how I like doing it personally. That's the only way of doing it. There's a lot of other ways, but for me, it's just like breaking down that barrier. Um, you know, when you do it in a funny way, people can see, oh, they're not just like a bunch of, you know, guys, you know, in a gun store talking about how awesome world war three would be or whatever it is.

[01:05:07] Right. Like it's just, we're just dudes. And this just, just happens to be what our passion is. It's no different than anybody else's passion. Um, yeah. And it's just presenting it to people to where, you know, they can feel okay, walking into a gun store, asking questions to somebody who owns guns and they're not going to get.

[01:05:24] Well, you need it to defend your life in case the end of the world is happening. And it's just also cool and fun. That's a large aspect of it. And you know, I always tell people that when they're first guns, I was like, it's 50% function and it's 50%. What you think is cool, because if you don't, I could tell you what the greatest gun in the world is going to be.

[01:05:43] If you don't think it's cool, you're not going to want to use it. Yeah. So, you know, that's an important part of it. Right. 

[01:05:49] Travis Bader: Awesome, man. We've covered kind of the gamut here. Is there anything that we missed that we should be touching on? 

[01:05:55] Matt Mendel: Um, I don't know, like, um, off the top of my head, I can't think of it.

[01:06:00] Okay. 

[01:06:01] Travis Bader: Well, if the audience wants to learn more about anything, I'm sure they can leave comments and they can write in a, what is it? podcast@silvercore.ca perfect. I can go to one soul so they can check out. Is it once 

[01:06:14] Matt Mendel: those.com no one sells online.com. Juan installs, online.com. So I was.com is like some family law office in like South Carolina.

[01:06:22] Well, 

[01:06:22] Travis Bader: you can leave him some messages. They might, they might be good enough to forward that over. Uh, Matt, thank you very much for being on the Silvercore 

[01:06:29] Matt Mendel: Podcast. Thank you for having me, man. Appreciate it.