Frequently Asked Questions
- Do you sell hunting and fishing licenses?
- Sorry, no, not since about 1995.
- Do you have a shooting range?
- No - we'd never get anything done!
- Do you sell bulk ammunition?
- Do you sell surplus ammunition?
- Pal, there's a war on: there is no "surplus" ammunition!
- May I bring my gun into the store? I want to make sure the (holster/clip/whatever) I need will fit.
- Sure: if you don't point it at us, we won't shoot you.
- In fact, if you need a magazine, we'd rather you did bring the gun in.
- Do you do appraisals?
- Yes; if you don't need a written copy, we can be downright reasonable about the cost.
- We normally appraise at retail value. If you then want to sell the gun to us, we will quote its wholesale value.
- Do you have parts?
- Yes; we repair a wide variety of problems in a wide variety of guns, and we often have all parts needed on hand; when we don't, we order them. Parts orders and parts sales that are not connected to a work-order, however, are no longer possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this may occasion.
- Do you have clips?
- Yes, and magazines, too - but only for a limited variety of guns. If you bring us the gun, we may be able to find the magazine that fits.
- Without the gun, identifying the magazine becomes virtually impossible.
- Special orders may be possible.
- Do you carry leather holsters?
- Very few; give the folks at Double Action, in Madison Heights, a call, at 248-588-4488. They also carry pistol belts by Galco.
- Do you sell pepper spray?
- Yes, we normally have some on hand, but it's all Michigan-legal, so the concentration level is only 2%.
- Do you carry police duty gear?
- Do you sell knives or other cutlery?
- Not really: once, we did, but we have only left-over stock, now.
- Do you sell or service archery equipment?
- Not for about 25 years; sorry.
- Do you carry Airsoft or paintball guns or supplies?
- We usually carry Copperhead CO2 cartridges, but that's all.
- Do you carry pellet guns?
- Not for a while, now, but we still stock .177-, .20-, and .22-caliber pellets by
Does your gunsmith work on pellet guns?
- No; try calling 1-800-7-AIRGUN; they should be able to help you find someone who does.
Do you carry infra-red?
I see that ordinary citizens can own automatic weapons, now, in Michigan - do you sell machine guns or assault rifles?
- No, we only have the class 1 federal firearms license.
Do you have more than one location?
- No. The store was originally opened, in 1946, on John R, north of 6 Mile Road. The business was moved to its present location in 1981.
Do you set up at any of the gun shows?
- No, we lack sufficient staff.
Do you offer any training, such as for the Michigan Concealed Pistol License?
Say, speaking of concealed carry - do you know what states allow it, and so forth?
- See this map; for more information, see these folks, the source of the map.
What about the Michigan carry license - is it any good anywhere else?
- Sure - see this map (more info as above).
Why do I need a gun? I got a baseball bat - my kids take karate!
- Statistically speaking, you probably won't ever need a gun. You came to us - remember? Seriously, if you're attacked by someone who doesn't care if you live or die - do you really want to get inside knife-range? (None of us do.) Of course, if your attacker isn't trying to kill you, a gun will only get you into trouble. You pays your money and you takes your choice.
What do I need to buy a handgun from you?
- Michigan residency;
- no less than 21 years of age;
- either
- an unexpired Michigan pistol purchase permit ("Application and License to Purchase a Pistol"), available from your local police department, or
- an unexpired Michigan Concealed Pistol License;
- an unexpired Michigan driver's license or state identification card;
- cash or plastic; management approval required for checks.
What do I need to buy a rifle or a shotgun from you?
- No less than 18 years of age;
- an unexpired driver's license or state identification card;
- residents of other states may also need to meet other requirements, such as the FOID in Illinois.
- All buyers will be required to complete a federal form 4473; many will need to pass a NICS background check.
- You will, of course, need cash or plastic or, with management approval, a check.
But suppose I am not a citizen? Suppose I am a Resident Alien?
- In general, buyers need to be citizens - except for Resident Aliens (holders of the so-called "Green Card"). If you are a Resident Alien, we can sell you a gun if you provide, in addition to that listed above, documentary evidence that you have been a resident for the last 90 days.
- Acceptable evidence includes documents such as water bills or leases, and must contain the buyer's name and the address shown on the buyer's photo ID; these documents should also be dated within the last 90 days and cover the entire 90-day period.
Some guy at a gun show said I need a license to buy a pistol grip shotgun - what's up with that?
- Ah. In the state of Michigan, a pistol purchase permit (or a Michigan concealed pistol license) is required when any rifle or shotgun that is less than 30" in overall length while still functional is sold. Kel-Tec makes a 9mm pack carbine that folds in the middle - and is not functional after it is folded - so neither purchase permit nor CPL is required. A pistol grip shotgun less than 30" in overall length, however, should not be sold without processing a pistol purchase permit or a concealed pistol license.
Can you run a background check on me?
- Only if we are actually in the process of selling a gun to you.
May I sell my gun to a third party, someone else, while I am in the shop?
- Not even in the parking lot.
- There are legal inferences that can be drawn and we simply will not allow behavior that encourages these. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
What happened to all your guns?
- We buy and sell guns - not necessarily always in perfect synchronization!
Do you guys work on commission?
- Nope - we think we can be more helpful on straight wages.
Are you going out of business?
Are you hiring?
- We'll be happy to look at your resume, but keep in mind...
- ...we don't pay relocation.
- ...we have no training program,
- ...we're all on straight salary (except the gunsmiths), and
- ...did I mention the Michigan economy?
Why ".biz"? Why not ".com"?
- Well, when we started the website, the domain name we wanted wasn't available - as a ".com" - so we started as a ".biz". Eventually, the ".com" version became available and, now, either URL will get you to the same content.
NOTE
Depending upon how busy we are, we will do our best to answer your questions - but many questions about any gun or gun problem you may have are EXTREMELY hard, if not impossible, to answer unless we have the gun in front of us.
DISCLAIMER
Wessel Gun Shop, Inc. is licensed by the federal government to buy and sell guns for profit and livelihood, and strives with due diligence to conduct its business in compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
Wessel Gun Shop, Inc. reserves the right to decline service to anyone its employees suspect of attempting to violate federal, state, or local law, especially with regard to buying guns on behalf of people legally prohibited from owning guns, or buying ammunition before reaching the minimum ages for doing so (18 years for rifle and shotgun ammunition, 21 years for handgun ammunition).
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