GunsAmerica is an a highly successful firearms sales site run by a fellow member of the tribes named Paul Shlomo Helinski [above right]. Helinski recently gave SHOT Show gun bloggers hell, basically running down the small(er) fry, claiming they’re not important enough for the gun makers to bother with. Needless to say, the gun bloggers returned the favor. TTAG remained above the fray. Ish. Until now . . .

During our little chin-wag this afternoon, Helinski dissed gun bloggers who “just fired-up WordPress last week and think they’re a big deal.” Yes, well, TTAG started two years ago. We’re a WordPress site.

And while we love sitting on top of the gun blogging Google analytics pie (heading for 1.65m monthly page views this very day), we know from whence we came: zero page views and zero unique visitors. We salute anyone with the guts and sticktoitiveness to start and maintain a firearms blog/website.

All blogs, big and small, have to earn their bones one post at a time. Frequently. For eternity. Thankfully, Helinski ceded that point, advising gun bloggers to STFU and get on with it (oxymoronically enough). Which is exactly what I’ll do.

Now, where was I? Oh yes, a scantily clad girl hawking an anti-aircraft shaped cigar tube. Rock on.

 

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49 COMMENTS

  1. I dunno, Guns America seems like it is sort of pricey. Sometimes can get new stuff cheaper than the used stuff, over at Bud’s.

  2. “Nobody reads a damn word that you all say . . . nor do they take any stock in the opinions and suggestions that you make.”

    Funny, I’ve been thinking the same thing about the industry rags like Guns and Ammo, Guns, Shooting, Special Weapons, SWAT-boy Monthly, Navy SEAL Wanna-be Times, etc. etc.

  3. “…sitting on top of the gun blogging Google analytics pie…”

    I wonder how big the pie is. 1,650,000 page views per month is a bunch to be sure. What about a monthly figure for the top twenty gun blogs? Say they averaged 200,000 views per month each, that would be 48,000,000 views per year. That’s not “nobody.”

  4. Funny thing – TTAG is the first gun blog site I found that I started reading regularly – like once or twice or three times a day. Those before were good for one or two reads, then lost interest for various (usually negative) reasons. Long ago lost faith in the standard printed Gun Mags as they are too obviously beholden to the Firearms and Shooting Gear Manufacturers who advertise heavily in them.
    Not saying the others are without merit, just saying TTAG provides the veracity and variety that holds my interest better than the others I have read. Thanks!
    And don’t screw it up!

  5. “run by a fellow member of the tribes named Paul Shlomo Helinski [above right]”

    Well yes, we know that Paul Shlomo is not the beautiful woman (above left). She’s adorable. Hey Robert, I’m a bit freaked out. I’m probably going to move to NYC soon for family reasons. I just got off the phone with a NYC attorney about the anti-gun ownership draconian laws there. It’s worse than I imagined 🙁

      • There’s an excellent gun shop in downtown Yonkers, run by a current YPD officer. Great prices on ammo and inbound transfers. Definitely a good alternative to NYC proper – cheaper to live there, too.

        • And only a thirty minute ride from midtown. Better yet, pack up the whole family and move to Montana! No Jewish deli within a thousand miles, but you can shoot in your backyard. Priorities are always a bitch.

    • Slab Rankle and Aaron,

      Thanks for your replies. I’m going to have to live in Brooklyn for a while with my sister and her family. I will keep the gun dealer and Yonkers in mind for the future. I’ve never been to NYC. I’m looking forward to the museums, delis, and maybe even an Asian massage parlor.

  6. Wait, what? Am I missing something? I receive regular emails from the email address, “GunsAmerica Blog .” Is Paul castigating any and every gun blogger, including himself, or is he just complaining about “rookie” bloggers or only SHOT bloggers? The most recent email I received from the GA blog arrived this morning and was entitled, “SHOT 2012 Range Day; Springfield XDS Micro .45ACP, Savage Rascal .22LR, Browning A-5, New Era for Thompson Center.” I MUST be missing something somewhere, correct, as he does maintain his own blog?

    Now, let me close with this. One of his recent emails (January 9, 2012) contained a pro-Ron Paul screed entitled, “2nd Amendment Voters Should Vote RON PAUL.” This piece was authored by Paul Helinski, and I found it to be extremely condescending, insulting, and downright uninformed and contradictory. In my unprofessional opinion, I don’t believe we’re dealing with a critical-thinking, intellectual powerhouse named Paul Helinski.

  7. Not that I am accusing you guys of taking his comment out of context, but I would really love to hear what he said before and after that quote. Any chance of a youtube video popping up?

  8. “Funny thing – TTAG is the first gun blog site I found that I started reading regularly”

    +1this is my experience as well.

  11. 1. From what I understand, some of the context is a post on some blog where Mr. Helinski complained about too many gun bloggers getting the same privileges as established gun “press.” I can sort of understand this. Take for example my blog…should I qualify as “press” at the shot show? I wouldn’t think so, but I wouldn’t mind a pass if it were offered. But I wouldn’t want to take advantage at the expense of those who actually write about guns for a living. Clearly, TTAG is “press,” but where should the line be drawn?

    2. Robert-Since you have your Jewdar turned on at the show, please tip me off to other landsmaenner you come across. If you can confirm Kimber ownership and Ron Cohen of Sig Sauer I’d really appreciate it.

  12. Actually, my oldest brother turned me on to the Keep and Bear Arms website, which I would read religiously. But then I started noticing that most of the stories I would always read, were TTAG stories, reviews etc. So I figured why not just go right to the source (TTAG), and haven’t looked back. Do I agree with everything that TTAG espouses, hell no, and do those that read and respond to this blog agree with me, hell no. But that’s what I like about this blog! So, Robert keep it up, it seems you must be doing something right, since you are the top blog out there.

    • Ralph gets my laugh of the day. Nice. Wonder what gunsamerica thinks of everyone’s favorite “original” gun blogger?

  16. One of the reasons I started following TTAG is the reviews. Specifically, the negative reviews. If I wanted to hear glowing recommendations I’d go to the manufacturer’s web site or read one of the gun magazines. I find I can make a better decision based on negative reviews. Based on negative reviews I can tell pretty accurately if the negative is due to a minor or serious problem with the firearm or if it tends to be because it doesn’t function the way the writer’s favorites do. So, keep up the reviews regardless of how they fall. That in itself sets you apart from most.

  17. Hey Paul, I’ve never bought a damn gun that you all have had for sale.

    I expect that trend to continue ad infinitum.

  19. Robert, I find it hard to believe he spoke to you like that, referring to TTAG. I think you guys are the greatest, well except for Ralph and Silver and some of the others, but you know what I mean.

  20. Title should be, “Shooting Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face: Online Firearm Retailer Edition.”

  21. Guns America is pricey. They turn up on a lot of my searches yet their prices are a joke. I also found that when I clicked onto their site that the gun for sale at such a great price is no longer available. I will no longer go to that site for any reason as it is a waste of time to me.

  22. Interesting. I recently got an email from them about their “blog” so perhaps they don’t dislike all blogs (just everyone else). At least it had a link to opt-out of future messages which I think I’ll follow up on.

  24. It’s unfortunate that he doesn’t understand where his market comes from. I have a gun website built on the wordpress platform and I purchased a gun off the Gunsamerica.com website in November, 2011. I wonder if this has anything to do with their site being down as of writing this (January 21-22, 2012).

  26. This concerns me as I have purchased several guns from GA without a hitch and I also receive their blog newsletter or whatever.

    In addition to all that, I have actually met Paul Helinski on more than one occasion and he was more than kind and willing to help me with my questions. He is a character, that’s for sure but I have a hard time believing he meant to talk crap about all blogs out there. GunsAmerica Blog is good because they cover everything from reloading, to CC, to rifle accuracy tests, to long range shooting and cowboy shooting. They have pretty good content and I do enjoy the blog, but if Paul truly feels this way about other bloggers, he should maybe pick a different profession or stick to programming.

    TTAG is a great blog and I would also recommend Say Uncle (more for quick fun reading) and Gun Nuts Media for those looking for other good info. So listen up BLOGGERS, Keep up the good work!!! (that includes you, GA!)

  29. I finally woke up on day when I pulled a search. GunsAmerica had 6 items and GunBroker had 577 items of the same gun parts for the same gun. THEN I went back and forth and back and forth; and the REASON that GunsAmerica IS DEAD; and they are dead, IS BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND LACK OF ORGANIZATION. Over Billing from these folks who don’t seem to give a damn. about anything. The site RUNS SLOW too. IF you take the time to go back and forth and do 3 searches, then you will see Guns America is dying if not already dead. It was suicide though. Remember that. Paul’s no business man; he just got lucky like them Duck Boys did!

  30. I’m very upset with guns america at this time. My account was closed by them, and I’m willing to correct the issue since I should have put my ads to hold instead of sold. But I have not heard from them since 8 days. I’m really concerned since I have open orders/sales and questions and I’m sure these customers are wondering what happen. I don’t want to give them a bad impression. Is this happening anyone? They have on there website 24 to 72 hours and its been longer than that.

    Help

  31. I ordered from this site – two boxes of Federal .22 HP ammo. Dealer (specifically Mike’s Magazines) sent me the wrong ammo, rejected my order so I was unable to provide feedback, and after making several promises to ship the correct product and never following through, stopped answering my phone calls, voicemails or emails.

    When I contacted the web administrator and used their website resources to flag him as a fraudulent dealer, I was unable to get them to respond or help, even though I was able to provide them with all of the email correspondence before he stopped communicating showing he admitted he sent the wrong merchandise, and that I was just asking for a refund or my correct order. Mike’s Magazines claims he was out of stock on what I wanted, even though he still to this day (this happened in July) shows it as available on the website.

    BUYER BEWARE – Not everyone on the site is legit, and the website administrators do little, if anything, to protect visitors to their website!

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