Guide to Houston Gun Shops (Inside the Beltway)

My work-in-progress opinion of Houston gun shops.




Collectors Firearms - This is the premiere gun shop in Houston, and one of the top in the country. For vintage guns, it is likely the top shop. The selection at this place is amazing.  It has all types of firearms, from revolutionary war muskets to modern black rifles. See for yourself as the website is phonemnal and frequently updated. The prices are generally higher than most, but it helps availability. When I was looking for an Ithaca model 37, they were the only shop in town that had one.  I could bid on one online, and they were less, but when you factor in shipping and FFA charges, it would be about $30 cheaper. Is $30 worthwhile to be able to personally inspect the gun, rather than relying on pictures?  On the week June 5 - 10, 2017, they had a store wide 15% off sale, which was great. For common modern arms they are reasonably competitive with other shops. The staff is nice but their knowledge varies. 









Lone Star Defense & Arms - This place is the best shop for new owners and the best place for FFL transfers. The owners of this shop are very friendly and nice. They don't keep stock of new guns, but you can order online and have it arrive within 2-3 days. The online prices are extremely competitive, if you are not in a rush and good benchmark for prices. They do have a nice selection of used guns sold on Consignment. This list used to be frequently updated, but it has been slower as of recent. Prices are competitive, so you have to check frequently as some won't sit for long. The price will be 10%-20% less than you might find at Collectors. FFL transfers are only $15, and free for guns bought in their online store. I've also used them to ship guns out for repair, for which they only charged me one FFL fee. Since they are a gun shop, they have better and more convenient access to shipping, so it was much cheaper to use them than to go to FedEx on my own.









Full Armor Firearms - Okay, these guys are just outside the beltway, but too big to ignore. They have both a shop and range.









Carter's Country (Katy Freeway) - They have a good selection of both new and used guns. They also have the best selection of safes, holsters, optics, reloading supplies, hunting gear, shooting accessories, and ammo. They have a small selection of black guns but their specialty is more of pistols, hunting rifles and shotguns.  For used guns, they have a weekly listing but supply may change inter-week without being updated.






Republic Arms - Nice guys, but they usually have less than 5 guns in their store.  You can order through their online shop (which looks like every other online shop). I think their specialty is appraisals and estate sales.







Sunbelt Jewelry & Pawn (2 locations) - Going to a pawn shop for a gun may seem sketchy, but they have a decent stock of used guns. Their sticker prices aren't that attractively priced, but you can bargain. Unlike a Cash America or some national pawnshop chain, the manager will have a better ability to negotiate.






Black Gold Guns & Ammo - Small shop located near Karbach brewery, and not far from Academy.






Top Gun - Primary an indoor firing range, they have a solid selection new pistols as well as some used ones. You can rent a wide variety of guns to try out, in case you are unsure about how a caliber or model feels.





Cash America Pawn (1816 N Durham Dr) - I'm not sure about other Cash America pawn shops, but this one has a few guns. I might have left it completely off the list, but they had a French MAS-49 on of the few times that I have gone it.








Freer Gun Shop - This is more of a gun repair facility than a shop. They will have a few vintage long guns for sale. Great repair shop, though, especially for vintage guns.













The Liberty Armory -  This place seems to be a great shop for people interested in black guns, e.g., AR-15s, semi automatic pistols, etc. Their website doesn't show what is in stock. They do have a range and training classes which teach more than just the CHL. These look intriguing, but I've never attended.




Academy Sports & Outdoor - No used guns, but they have a wide variety of new guns, plus they have a wide array of ammo, shooting supplies, and hunting gear.