Heritage & History

Rural King is a farm and home supply chain operating over 130 stores across 13 states in the Midwest and Southeast. Founded in 1960 in Mattoon, Illinois, the company sells firearms, ammunition, farm supplies, and outdoor gear. Rural King also operates rkguns.com for online firearms sales with ship-to-store transfers.

:::callout
Rural King is the farm store chain that sells more guns than most gun stores. With 130+ locations across the Midwest and South, their firearms department is a major profit center — and a major source of customer service complaints. The ship-to-store model through rkguns.com eliminates transfer fees, making Rural King one of the cheapest places to buy a gun online. Just be prepared for the Rural King experience: great prices, variable service.
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Key facts:

• Founded: 1960, Mattoon, Illinois (by Ron Wagler)
• Stores: 130+ across 13 states (IL, IN, OH, KY, TN, WV, PA, MO, AR, AL, GA, NC, MI)
• Ownership: Family-owned (Wagler family)
• Online firearms: rkguns.com (ship to store, no transfer fee)
• Competitors: Tractor Supply (no guns), Fleet Farm, Runnings

Shopping Guide

Aspect	What to Expect
Store size	40,000-80,000 sq ft (warehouse-style)
Departments	Farm/feed, firearms, outdoor, lawn/garden, automotive, clothing
Pricing	Competitive to very good, especially during sales
Online firearms	rkguns.com — ship to store with NO transfer fee
Staff knowledge	Variable; good at some locations, poor at others
Loyalty program	RK Plus (discounts and early sale access)

What Rural King does well:

• Very competitive firearms pricing (especially online)
• No transfer fee on ship-to-store gun purchases
• Wide selection of hunting rifles, shotguns, and handguns
• Farm/feed selection rivals Tractor Supply
• Family-owned; locally focused on underserved rural markets
• 130+ locations = broad geographic access

What Rural King doesn't do well:

• Online order fulfillment is frequently criticized (delays, poor communication)
• Customer service quality is highly inconsistent
• BBB complaints are common for firearms transactions
• Staff firearms knowledge varies wildly by location
• Some locations have had regulatory/compliance issues
• rkguns.com website experience can be frustrating

Firearms Department

Category	Selection	Notes
Hunting rifles	Good	Ruger, Savage, Winchester, Remington in common calibers
Shotguns	Good	Mossberg, Remington in 12/20/.410
Handguns	Good	Glock, S&W, Ruger in common calibers
Modern sporting rifles	Moderate	S&W M&P15, Ruger AR-556
Ammunition	Good (when available)	Common hunting and range calibers
Optics/accessories	Moderate	Basic selection; not a specialty

:::callout
The rkguns.com no-transfer-fee model is Rural King's killer advantage. Buy a gun online, have it shipped to your nearest Rural King, do your background check, and walk out — no $25-$50 FFL transfer fee that you'd pay at a regular gun store. On a $400 rifle, that's a 6-12% savings just on the transfer. If your local Rural King has good gun counter staff, this is hard to beat on price.
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Rural King firearms vs. alternatives:

Feature	Rural King	Walmart	Academy Sports	Bass Pro/Cabela's
Selection	Good	Limited (declining)	Good	Excellent
Pricing	Very competitive	Competitive	Competitive	Higher
Online + ship-to-store	Yes (no transfer fee)	Limited	Yes	Yes
Gun counter staff	Variable	Minimal	Good	Good to excellent
Customer service	Poor to fair	Minimal	Good	Good
Locations	130+ (Midwest/South)	4,700+ (national)	260+ (South/Midwest)	170+ (national)

Store Locations

Region	Key States	Notes
Midwest core	IL, IN, OH	Highest store density; established markets
South/Southeast	KY, TN, AL, GA, NC	Growing markets; strong hunting culture
Mid-Atlantic	WV, PA	Rural communities; farm-focused
Central	MO, AR, MI	Newer expansion markets

• 130+ total stores across 13 states
• Headquarters: Mattoon, Illinois
• Focus: Small to mid-size communities (10,000-50,000 population)
• Typically located on highway corridors with large parking lots

:::callout
Bottom line: Rural King is the budget firearms buyer's farm store. The rkguns.com ship-to-store model with no transfer fees makes them one of the cheapest places to buy a gun in America. The trade-off is real: customer service is inconsistent, online order fulfillment generates legitimate complaints, and your experience will depend heavily on which location you visit. If you have a good Rural King nearby with competent gun counter staff, take advantage of the pricing. If you're ordering online, set your expectations for communication and shipping accordingly.
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References

• Rural King official site: ruralking.com
• rkguns.com online firearms platform
• Trustpilot and BBB reviews of Rural King firearms sales
• Customer forum discussions across firearms communities
• Farm store industry comparisons

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Read the original article in The Handbook | By Boise Gun Club Editorial Team

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Join the Discussion

Has anyone here ordered firearms through Rural King's online platform - how was the FFL transfer process compared to buying in-store?