5 Best Gun Shop POS Systems

Gun stores are busy places and having a good gun shop Point of Sale (POS) system can take a lot of workload off your shoulders. My buddy runs a gun shop in Arizona and let me tell you, there’s so much happening at any point of the day. Whenever I go there, I end up lending a hand and working with him in the store. But the day he ended up getting a good gun shop POS system, our lives got a lot easier. It helped him handle inventory easily, collected details for ATF and FFL compliance, and automated a lot of processes. 

While gun shop POS systems are practically essential to run your gun store successfully, finding the right one for you is difficult. There are so many options out there, and even when you manage to shortlist the ones that fit your requirements, you still need to see how they compare with each other. Well, that’s exactly what I’m hoping to cover in this article.   

When I helped my friend buy his gun shop POS system, I did some in-depth research and signed up for several providers’ trials and demos to find the right one for him. I’ve used all of that information to put together a list of the best gun shop POS systems. But before that, you should know what a gun shop POS system is and why you need one instead of using any old general POS system for your gun store. 

What is a gun shop POS?

In short, a gun shop POS system is a cashiering software for gun retailers that helps you manage your day-to-day business operations. The reason you can’t just use any run-of-the-mill POS system for your gun shop is that gun shops have to be compliant with a number of local weapons regulations. They make gun Shop POS systems with these regulations in mind. 

Then there’s the case of collecting customer identities and serial numbers for FFL (Federal Firearms License) and ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives) compliance. ATF regulations are always changing, so you really need something solid to back you up here. 

Now apart from the regulation side of it, using a gun shop POS system just is more convenient. It can:

• Automate several processes in your store and improve efficiency 
• Help you track inventory in real time and the serial number of the guns 
• Integrate with your FFL A&D bound book 
• Support marketing and growth efforts
• Handle weapon sales and payment processing

But what exactly are the differences between a specialized gun shop POS system and the traditional old POS system? How do they compare side-by-side? Let’s talk about it.

What are the differences between traditional POS and Gun shop POS systems?

First off, a traditional POS system is like a jack-of-all-trades; almost every store uses one because it covers the basics like processing payments, managing inventory, and generating sales reports. It’s a solid all-around player.

But when it comes to a gun shop POS system, things get a little more specialized because regulation comes into play. They are tailor-made for a gun shop, so you’ll have special features like firearm serial number tracking, compliance with gun laws, and managing background checks. 

	Traditional POS Systems	Gun shop POS Systems
Features	General readers that don’t store serial numbers for the FFL Multiple payment processors  Detailed reports  Integration with other software  Easy checkout process	All the features found in the traditional POS system Specialized barcode readers to track firearms and serial numbers Integrated scales for weighing ammo boxes. Customer facing displays to show product info and special promotions. Gunsmithing management.
Regulations	No required regulations to follow	FFL (Federal Firearms License) and ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives)

So, with that, let’s look at the top options and see how they compare. 

Gun University’s picks for the best gun shop POS system

Best Gun Shop POS System

#1 Trident 1		One stop shop Easy to Use Easy to train	Go To Website
#2 Bravo Store Systems		One stop shop Great for compliance Good starting price	Go To Website
#3 Orchid		Great features for increasing revenue and growth Supports marketing efforts as well Transparent software pricing One Stop Shop	Go To Website
#4 Rapid Gun Systems		Impressive shooting range support Convenient to handle customer accounts Vendor catalog integrations FFL transfers	Go To Website
#5 MicroBiz Cloud		Affordable Detailed reports Easy to use	Go To Website

Best Gun Shop Point of Sale Systems

Here is our list for the best POS systems to use for your gun shop:

1. Trident 1
2. Bravo Store Systems
3. Orchid
4. Rapid Gun Systems
5. MicroBiz Cloud

Gun Shop Point of Sale Systems – Reviews

These are the detailed reviews of all the systems I’ve researched. They are all excellent systems but I’ve ranked them from what I consider best to what, in my opinion, would be an okay choice.

Buyers Guide for Gun Shop POS Systems 

With gun shop POS systems, some features and specs are more important than others and it’s hard to know what to look for. Don’t worry about it, because I’m going to give you a crash course on how you can find the right gun shop POS system for your shop. 

How to find the right gun shop POS system?

All the POS systems I reviewed are great choices that I shortlisted for my buddy’s store as well; from inventory management to marketing support, they’ll give you all the facilities you need to manage your gun shop successfully.

That said, which one should you actually buy? That depends on a bunch of different factors. These are some of the key ones I looked at when we bought the POS system for our store.

• Requirements – What are your biggest problems and what do you need from the gun shop POS system? If you are a small business and are on a budget, going with MicroBiz Cloud could be a good choice. On the other hand, if you manage several stores and ranges, I’d recommend Rapid Gun Systems. 
• Security – With the POS system, you’ll be handling some pretty sensitive data, so you need to make sure your system is secure. Check if they have firewalls and encryption to keep your data safe. You can also go the extra mile and see if they are compliant with data security standards like ISO 27001. 
• Tech support – A lot of people don’t understand how invaluable good tech support is. My tech support guy from Trident 1 has patiently walked me through so many situations with the system and having someone who is accessible and willing to help you out at any time is a big plus. Also, if something goes wrong with your POS system, you are going to need an accessible and helpful tech support service, so definitely look into this before making your decision. 
• Features vs costs – See if the features you are getting for the price are actually worth it for you. Again, this is a very personal choice; features that are perfect for my buddy’s store may not be what you need. Always check that the core features offered by a system are a good fit for your shop. If not, move on to the next option. 

Something that’s cool about the gun shop POS systems is that we can also combine them with other software to make things more efficient. Let’s take a look at that next. 

What are the features integrated into gun shop POS systems?

The main thing you’ll be doing with your gun shop POS system is cashiering. This is very important with guns because you need to track their serial numbers and your stock, along with all the normal POS things, to stay compliant with the laws.

But one mark of a good POS system is that you can combine it with other useful software that can be very helpful in running a business. Some of my favorite gun shop POS systems, like the Trident 1 and Orchid, are one-stop-shops; they have plenty of features already integrated and you don’t have to worry about finding other software.   

That said, here are some benefits you can gain by integrating other useful software into your gun shop POS system. 

• Inventory management – Inventory management is, like the name suggests, all about handling inventory. All the systems I’ve reviewed either come with an inbuilt inventory management software or you can add one to it; this helps you track your inventory in real time, view sales history and even set up automatic purchases when stock runs low. 
• Accounting – Accounting software (the one my buddy uses is QuickBooks) really helps to improve overall efficiency. Being able to combine it with the POS system has saved us both more headaches than we can count. Since everything is connected to the software already, we could cut down a lot of duplication and manual labor in the shop.
• Reporting – Reporting software helps you see the big picture and understand what’s working in the store and what needs to be improved. Go for something that can generate detailed reports in different formats, as this can help you make more informed decisions about your store.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – Managing your customer relationships is vital if you want to succeed in this line of business—keeping your customers happy is a large part of what turns them into regulars. CRM software will keep track of your customer for you and help you make sure they have the best shopping experience with you. 
• Electronic A&D bound book with 4473 – Having an electronic A&D bound book is not only great for complying with FFL and ATF but also tracks every gun sale and even lets you view the history of any firearm. This helps you prevent fraud and follow your local laws. 
• Firearm vendor catalogs – Since gun stores carry guns from several brands, integrating firearm vendor catalogs with your POS system can save you a lot of time in finding information about different firearms. Personally, they’ve been a lifesaver at my buddy’s store because we don’t have to manually find the information and can look products up without any hassle at all.
• Work orders for repairs and gunsmithing – Work order features are very useful if you offer gunsmithing and repair services at your gun shop. This would help you set a schedule for the order, assign it to an employee and even view the service history of that particular customer. 
• E-commerce sites – Integrating with e-commerce sitescan help you grow your business online and display your inventory to online customers as well. A good POS system will let you do this as well as sync your inventory levels and prices in-store and online.
• Firearm-friendly payment processing – A lot of the mainstream payment processors are not really compatible with gun stores and they don’t offer competitive rates. So a firearm-friendly payment is essential for running a successful gun store. If your POS system is integrated with a firearm-friendly payment processor, you’ll be able to sell products with no restrictions, get competitive and consistent rates every time you use them, and have access to a good customer support team in case you need it.

Now, all of these features are really helpful for any gun store owner, but depending on the features you choose, the cost of the system varies.

How much does a gun shop POS system cost?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The cost depends on the size of your shop, the features you need, and the specific software you choose. The more bells and whistles you want, the higher the price tag. These are what would factor into your costs 

• Upfront costs – Upfront costs are linked to buying essential hardware like cash registers and barcode scanners. Some POS system providers might offer hardware bundles or leasing options to help you spread out the cost.
• Software costs – Apart from your upfront costs, you’ve got to consider software fees. Are you going to be paying monthly subscriptions or a one-time licensing fee? 
• Additional fees – It’s worth noting that some gun shop POS systems may have additional charges for specific features like ATF compliance reporting or integrations with other software. So I suggest you ask about any hidden fees or ad-ons, so there are no surprises.

Now, let’s get down to the numbers. The cost of a gun shop POS system can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, depending on what you need. It’s the same for monthly software subscriptions that can go from tens to hundreds of dollars. 

At the end of the day, it really comes down to your budget and what you really need for your store.

What are the downsides of gun shop POS Systems?

When you install a gun shop POS system in your store, there are a lot of advantages, but also open yourself up for possible downsides. I personally believe knowing about them is more helpful than going in blind; at least then, you are more prepared to face them. Here are a few you need to look out for. 

• Data security – Since you’ll be handling all sorts of sensitive information with your gun shop POS system, like customer details, inventory records, and financial data, you need to make sure it’s properly protected. I always make sure that any software we use in the shop has security measures like firewalls and encryption to keep data safe.
• Compliance – The law doesn’t mess around when it comes to gun shops, but a good POS system can help you comply with all the regulations. Make sure your system is up to par cause you’ll be risking a lot of fines otherwise. 
• Fraud detection and prevention – Credit card fraud has always been a real problem, especially in gun retail. A good POS system will have your back and keep an eye out for any shady transactions and give you a heads up when something suspicious is going on.
• Employee fraud – It’s a bummer to think about, but it’s important to watch out for some bad apples among your employees. It always pays to be prepared for even the most unexpected incidents—if your POS system isn’t set up properly, it can create opportunities for employees to pull a fast one on you. 

Conclusion

While managing a gun store is hard, the right gun shop POS system can make it easier. So, if you are considering getting one for your store, go for it. Finding the right POS system for you depends mostly on what you need and your budget, so after reading the reviews, check out the free trials and demos and choose the one that’s a good fit for your store. 

Gun Shop POS System FAQs