How I miss the "Small Gun Shop".

[WILCO]

Years ago, there was a small gun shop in town. One day the owner decided to retire and he closed up shop. Hasn't been one like it since. Friendly, knowledgeable service, tons and tons of ammo stacked up on shelves and crates, hundreds of milsurps, shotguns and rifles. Books about reloading, smithing, technical drawings and dust. Lots of dust on stuff that moved when it felt like it. Owner didn't care. There was a huge rack of shotgun barrels. All makes and models. Brass? There was so much brass in different states of brightness, it made your eyes hurt looking at it. Some of it was commercial and some of it was in "baggies". Yep, if you needed something odd, chances are it could be had there. My favorite memory of this place is of an old gentleman. He could barely walk when he came in and stopped at the counter. He asked the owner a question and an even older milsurp was slipped into his hands. The gentleman looked it over, cycled the action a few times and promptly slid some cash to the register. Said something else to the owner and hobbled out with the gun. No fuss, no muss. The owner smiled and later told me this fella came in once a month to buy a milsurp. Said he couldn't shoot them anymore, but just loved to have them. Yeah. I sure do miss that place. :sad:

[home in oz]

We had too places like that in our town.

Your description sounds like either place.

Used to visit them during my lunch hour at work.

Of course, Walmarts coming to town pretty much killed them off.

Now it is a 45 minute drive to a similar-but-not-as-good establishment.

[NVWalt]

Sounds like a small gunsmith shop we had here in Ely,NV. Karl Kennyon was in his early 90's and still making his famouse triggers for a lot of our elite shooters.Each trigger was individually made by hand. Great old man to just go and BS with. He never would charge me for most of the work he did for me as he would let me help and then I would have to stuff money in his pocket for him to take it. Great gunsmith and more than a wealth of information and great stories.....Walt

[swheeler]

Had one in the town I grew up in, lathe and mill in the garage, drums of surplus powder, guns stacked in every corner, buckets of brass. I don't think the door was ever locked and Paul always had time to help. Ah the good ol days!

[Guesser]

There is still one in Idaho Falls, Max's Guns on A street. Coffee is always on and he smokes so smokers are always allowed to light up. He deals mostly in used guns and collectibles, he's a horseman so there are always saddles and tack in the shop. He's not a gunsmith, but he stocks a lot of small parts and will order anything. He has a tremendous reference library for instore use. One thing, he will answer questions with intelligent, appropriate answers but he doesn't abide idiots and lets them know it. Great place!!! 6 days a week, but will be closed for a big chunk of hunting season.

[GRUMPA]

Reading all this chatter kinda makes me home sick. OH I lived in the big cities most of my life but their was always one of those mom & pop places close by. When I got older and moved to another big city somehow I would seek them out. Some were kinda nice and friendly and others were just in it to make a buck at someone else's expense. But I just stayed with the closest and friendliest one. Boy do I ever miss that place, always a kind word and the owner was the most knowledgable person one would ever meet. But he was one that retired and the store just closed behind him. We would do soooo many favors for each other and we never even exchanged so much as a dollar between us, we both knew we did what we did just for the sake of being friends. And I did buy all of my guns from him at regular cost and that didn't even bother me one bit. Boy I sure miss that place.

[azcruiser]

Good old day my first firearm purchase was 3 rd or 4Th grade .My cousin mike and me saved our lunch money and bought a 7.65 Argentine Mauser
from the gun shop next door to our school. Think we paid $9.00 for it and with 100 rounds of ammo
think total came to something like $14.00. Bought the gun carried it back to school put in our locker
and the took it home on the school bus. Wrapped it in two pillow cases and kept it in the wash behind my aunts house .Had the gun about 2 month before our parents found out about it .Sisters ratted us out. Only got into trouble because of the pillow cases being ruined .Had great time sitting on this butte and shooting at jack rabbits some of the shots were at very very long ranges .That was in the 50s when I could see better .But can still see them in my mind .

[casterofboolits]

The treasurer of our local Sportsmans Club supplied us with reloading components out of his basemnt. He stocked shotgun wads, hulls, primers and shot. Also powder and primers for pistol and rifle.

I went to buy a pound of Winchester 748 for the .223 and he said he had some new powder that was one quarter the price. Accurate 223 for $2.49 per pound. So I went home with four pounds of powder and a thousand small rifle primers.

He had been a crew chief on a fairly well known B-17 during WW2 and my hobby was WW2 aircraft and armor. so we visited the Air Force museum in Dayton a couple times and also to some air shows in Indiana together.

He hs past on and I really miss him. A true gentleman.

[home in oz]

My nearest gun store was still selling powder in paper bags a year ago.

Now it is in the official containers-and-oh yes, it cost more now.

AND they quit carrying black powder.....

[iron mule]

well
we do not have a small shop like around here yet but i have built the building for it and started doing some business gunsmithing and sales of guns and reloading stuff
my hopes are that in about 5 or six years when my son gets out of high school i will have reached the point where i will be able to sit around and wait for my pards to drop by and shoot the bull for a little while and of course do the work that they need all in the old way as friends
mule

[Shooter6br]

When i was growing up my Dad when to Charlies Gun Shop. It was in a little house like structure,. Racks of military guns. Smelled of GI bore cleaner. In the back was a Mountain Dew soda machine. 10 cents a bottle. You put your dime in ,opened the door and pulled out the soda. Charlie would "spring " for one for me. My Dad bought guns on the "lay away plan" He would give Charlie $10 bucks aweek or so.till he payed the gun off.Charlie gave me a French 75 mm shell from WWI Still have it 40 plus years latter. The store was "Harrington and Vandergrifts"Good times.Oh yes he has a 45-70 Gattling gun in the window

[pmeisel]

Mule, I am up in Meridian, let me know when you open up and I'll be down.

We have a couple shops here that are friendly, at least... but the "gunsmith" type places are mostly gone. I miss em.

[Rockydog]

We still have a gunsmith shop in a converted house in my town. It's about 6 blocks from me. He has a lathe and various other tools but now spends much of his repair time on compound bows. I can get a gun completely stripped and cleaned for about $15 if I don't push him. Tightened my SxS too. I've bought a couple of used guns from him, powder, primers, bullets. Trying to support him even though I could get much of it online cheaper. I think he's got about another 5-7 years in him and then it'll be retirement time. Walmart drove most of the small gunshops out of Wis. and then pulled the guns out of all but about 4 stores state wide. Because of this I don't deal with WM unless I absolutely have no other choice. Try to do more and more smithing myself preparing for the day he closes. RD

[iron mule]

PMEISEL
pm sent your way
mule

[WILCO]

Thanks for sharing the stories everybody. It's good to hear of them.

[MT Gianni]

Used to be a shop in Pocatello I went to with a friend and his dad to buy a 357. we went to 3 other places first and he bought a model 28 for $20 more than the chain store sold it for. He asked his dad "are you sure? " and heard "yep'. The owner then threw in a box of ammo and a used holster worth double the extra $20. I miss those places.

[Bullshop]

There is one in Delta Junction Alaska. Our policy, no gun leaves our shop without ammo.

[george1980]

when i first got started shootin m/l i met a old fellow named tom pike he lived about an hour and a half from me and he had the coolest place named fort ticonderoga , had a museam just packed to the brim with the coolest stuff , he also made custom rifles , he made my first .45 kentucky rifle for me using an antique rifling maching from the 1890's that still shoots great after 15 years of steady abuse , sadly though when he passed away the family broke up the museam and we all lost a bit of local history

[**oneshot**]

I have one of those gun shops, All kinds of odds and ends that aren't on any shelf elswhere. I have learned over the years that you need to ask if you can't find something, the owner knows where it is without much thought. If it's not in stock it will be there in a few days.
Great people to deal with, and sometimes just visit.

[blackthorn]

This thread brings to mind the loss we all suffer when older folks retire and move away or pass on. Last Christmas my Grandaughter (age 27) asked me to write down some of my life experiences so that she can "share some of the things Grandpa did" with the kids she plans to have. So I started to do that and now, almost a year later, its almost done. Doing this for her regenerated a whole lot of fond (and not so fond) memories. I hope she enjoys it!

[EMC45]

Cook's Gunshop in Biloxi Ms. is an old time gunshop. It has the boxes of brass, the Milsurp rack, old dusty boxes of grips and holsters. Decent prices and a good selection. Knowledgable staff as well. It has been 10 years since I was there though. It may not even exist anymore......

[timkelley]

I'd sure like to visit one of the old time gun shops again. Does anyone know of one anywhere in the Idaho Panhandle?

[walltube]

Cook's Gunshop in Biloxi Ms. is an old time gunshop. It has the boxes of brass, the Milsurp rack, old dusty boxes of grips and holsters. Decent prices and a good selection. Knowledgable staff as well. It has been 10 years since I was there though. It may not even exist anymore......

alive and well, just got off the 'phone with them. Cook's dodged the Katrina boolit, just barely.

I'm headed their way today to replenish my powder stocks and maybe a bit of friendly gun-speak :)

Y.T.,
Wt.

[Geraldo]

When my parents got married, the moved into an apartment that was really the second floor of a two story house. The owner and first floor resident had his gunshop in the basement. My mom said he would test fire guns into his bullet trap at various intervals throughout the day. The shots scared her but didn't even wake me up as an infant.

My parent built a house about a year later, but I recall going with my dad to the shop as a small boy and staring into the gun cases. At that time, the local hardware stores all sold guns and ammo, but if you needed work you went to this fellow, who was a real old time smith and tinkerer.

When I moved out I lived near a guy who was running his own shop. You might have to did through the piles of stuff to get what you want, but he had a lot crammed in a small space. He would also order anything you wanted without trouble, and his trade-in policy was the fairest I've ever seen.

The small shops that I live near now are willing to trade, but they want to gouge your eyeballs out on the deal. If they have reloading components the prices are slightly high to outrageous, and the seem to be awfully proud of the stuff on the used racks.

[EMC45]

alive and well, just got off the 'phone with them. Cook's dodged the Katrina boolit, just barely.

I'm headed their way today to replenish my powder stocks and maybe a bit of friendly gun-speak :)

Y.T.,
Wt.



Cook's is good. I spent a good bit of my Military pay in there when I lived down there. If you happen to go in and Mike Creel is still the manager tell 'em Evan says hi. He may not remember me, he may. It is a good shop. Right over there behind the mall.

[square butte]

Rody's Gun Shop in Newport, NH. Bill and Henry, both on thier 80's and both look mid 60's. Have a friend my age (58) who's been going in there since he was 7 with his dad. He remembers looking up over the counter at the same two guys for over 50 years. You just can't find or buy that anymore. It's like taking a trip back in time to the 50's. Both Bill and Henry are salt of the earth - good as gold.

[woodpile]

I started working for the local gunshop because I don't want it disappear when the owner retires. Steve

[oldhickory]

There's still one in Halifax, about 6-7 miles away from my place, good prices on primers and powder, used guns, and accesories. Most new guns need to be ordered though, but it's handy having his brother's machine shop in the same building.

[West Creek]

I sure do love them small town shops - luckily I still have one nearby. Classic Guns in Crete, IL formerly of Beecher. They are a small shop where you can always find a howdy, cup of coffee and a good old fashion BS session on saturdays. Smoke'em if you got'em and dont mess with the parts on the parts on the counter - they're work in progress. You wont find much in the line of plastic hardware - but you will find SAA - Remingtons - detective special - doubles - mod 12s - M1's - falling blocks - trap doors - oh yea - they like levers too. They'll order you a plastic shooter if you want but they're stock is typically older than I am. Fortunately I think the gunshop and smithing business is a sideline to their color case hardening business. They do alot of work along those lines for the big factories. I have three pieces that include their work. Turnbull got nothing on these guys. If you have a US firearm or AWA there is a good chance these guys did the work. I purchased a new US firearms through them and it turned out to be one they hardened. I have an Uberty SAA they replaced the hammer on - John tossed it in the hardening bin to make sure it was hard and woulndn't wear like the old one. Now I have a SAA with a right perdy hammer and a butt ugly frame - just thinking on this got me to thinking I should have them color the frame too. Last time I was in their engraver was there working on an old SAA. Right nice lady too.

You wont find folks like that at a modern gun shop. They're too busy sellin **** in bubble packaging.

[Guesser]

There's another one that is working out to be a modern facsimile of what we are talking about.
On 10th Avenue South in Great Falls Montana is "Electric City Guns". Lots more used than new, every time I go in there I witness a trade or barter of some kind going on. Kevin is young (40?) and very knowledgeable and outgoing. Likes guns of all types and is open to all types of gun banter. Its the closest thing to the old style shop in the area that I have found.

[Frank46]

TNT guns in mineola long island. Used to hit Marty's place at least once a week. Lost a lot of lunch money over the counter over the years. Dunkin donuts on the counter.
Runs to the hamburger joint up the road. Always treated me well, lots of mil surp rifles, sporting rifles and handguns. Sold me a S&W model 10 in nice shape for $100.
Still have it. Hope he's still doing well. Good guy and great place to buy from. Frank

[1Shirt]

I grew up in western N.Y., and there used to be a Gun Store in Castile, and it was one of those that was first discribed. Had a big bore shotgun hung over the counter, and if memory serves me right, think it was an 8 bore. Used to be one in Omaha as well, that was most excellent. Think the owner died. Building still sits empty. Now we have Cabellas, Bass Pro Shop, and Guns unlimited. Sure do miss the private ones!
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[6.5 mike]

Used to be one of the beaten path in san jose (ca) I've seen folks from all over the state show up there. Old gentleman that owned it must have had a dozen or more of every one or two piece base redfield ever made, even knew what drawer to find them in. Always a pot of coffee & smoke'em if you got'em, his pipe always was lit. The old boy did love to trade.

[Beekeeper]

More years ago than I want to remember I lived in Chula Vista Ca.
In National City just down the road there was a gun ghop called Weisers.
Boy the stuff they had.
Brass of every make and caliber loose in bins with paper sacks nearby.
Get your own.
Powder (I shot shotgun then) came in paper ice cream cartons with the type written in ink on the side. I still have 2 pounds of Green Dot that way.
I bought my first Lee Loaders from them and the first RCBS dies I ever owned came from there (still have them and use them)
I remember the people there not letting you leave the store without assurance that you knew how to use whatever you bought and they always had time to talk or discuss something you wanted to know.
For me growing up near my Grandfather who taught me reloading it was like stepping back in time.


Jim

[cajun shooter]

We have one in the Baton Rouge, La. area that was opened by a retired Police Officer friend of mine. His timing could not have been worse however as it was just before the failing economy. It kills me that they announced the "depression" was over with. They did not have my checking account. That's the same as Bush saying the war was over. Ask any one that is in the zone what they think. I'm afraid that my friend will continue to have a rough time and it will be closed. I buy everything that I can from him even if I can save a few dollars elsewhere. I will spend extra dollars to help but many others will not.

[WILCO]

I'm afraid that my friend will continue to have a rough time and it will be closed.



He needs to find a "niche" to make it in this economy. Customer service goes a long way for repeat sales. Now would be a good time to start educating the folks on Boolit casting, selling lead, molds, gas check makers, gas check making supplies, strike anywhere matches, lubes, beeswax, melting pots, cast iron skillets hotplates, casting books, second hand unopened powders just to name a few. It won’t be easy, but he can survive if that’s his intent. Advertising is a big one too.

[Wayne Smith]

I just came from my gunsmith a few hours ago. Told him I would pay for Arisaka99's sight mounting. Asked if he had a hand for a Colt Army Special. He asked if the newer or the older model - he has my 41LC Army Special he's working on (early model ) and this one is from the 1920's. He said le me check, I had a bunch of them. Went into a back room, said the same as the Python hand, handed me one. Told me if it fit to drop him a couple of dollars.

You don't find a lot of people in business like that any more.

[walltube]

Cook's is good. I spent a good bit of my Military pay in there when I lived down there. If you happen to go in and Mike Creel is still the manager tell 'em Evan says hi. He may not remember me, he may. It is a good shop. Right over there behind the mall.

Sorry I haven't returned a timely answer, EMC45.

The shop has been in its present location on Popps Ferry Road for eleven yrs. now. It is located in D'Iberville, MS just south of I-10, north of Biloxi. No shopping mall to be seen when there. I don't remember the names of the two guys tending shop, they were maybe late 30's, early 40's in age. Friendly and accomodating.

If when you were I assume stationed at Keesler and has been more than eleven yrs., I can tell you the area is greatly changed. Particularly 3\4 mile inland from the beach because of Katrina's great flood surge.



Y.T., Wt.

[EMC45]

Sorry I haven't returned a timely answer, EMC45.

The shop has been in its present location on Popps Ferry Road for eleven yrs. now. It is located in D'Iberville, MS just south of I-10, north of Biloxi. No shopping mall to be seen when there. I don't remember the names of the two guys tending shop, they were maybe late 30's, early 40's in age. Friendly and accomodating.

If when you were I assume stationed at Keesler and has been more than eleven yrs., I can tell you the area is greatly changed. Particularly 3\4 mile inland from the beach because of Katrina's great flood surge.



Y.T., Wt.

I was actually in the Seabees down there. The mall was down by the beach. Probably gone now. I am sure it has changed dramatically. Still a great gunshop!

[WildmanJack]

Had a great gun shop " sporting goods store" back home. Went back 30 years after I bought my first gun there and the guy looked up and said... " Wildman, how the He.. are u?" I almost fell out of my shoes. Sadly he passed a few years ago. He was quite a guy, kept a wife and his girlfriend working at the store on different days !!! Never got caught ( that I know of..)
Jack

[ricksplace]

I'd like to put in a plug for my local gun shop, GMK Armouries, here in Thunder Bay. The first area you walk into is a "meeting room" with couches, chairs, table, constant coffee, and lots of bs in the air. Shop, classrooms and machine shop are all accessible from the "meeting room". Indoor range is in the basement. We had about 12" of snow yesterday, and I got "stuck" in town until the road was plowed. (I live at a fairly high elevation in the country, town only got about 4"). I spent about 5 hours just sittin around shooting the bull. A customer was interested in a smokepole, so several of us patrons talked to him for over an hour about all the virtues of owning a muzzleloader. He was from Kitchener, ON, on his way home and stopped in Thunder Bay until the weather and the roads cleared. He bought the rifle and said he wished there was a gun store like this where he lived.
Gerry, the owner said he would like to put a functioning pot bellied stove in the meeing room so we couldhave a real "hot stove club". Gerry has very knowledgeable staff. One day a guy walked in with an old sight in his hand. John, who works there glanced at it and said "That's from a Vickers machine gun". We were dumbfounded. He was right. Between Gerry, John, and Chris, you can't stump these guys. That's what customers appreciate.

[Storydude]

WILCO....You by any chance are not talking about Craiglow's Shop in West Seneca are you?

I know all we have now close to the City are either BGS or Johnsons. BGS thinks all it's stock is dipped in gold leaf, handled by teutonic gnomes and how DARE you bother one of the staff for some ammo/primers/look at the overpriced stuff on the wall.....159.99 for a 42' non matching Mosin???? Yea right. Johnsons is better, but not as much of a selection....But at least you don;t feel dirty asking them for something.

[Beekeeper]

Atorydude,
How dare you talk about my gunshop like that.
OOPPS sorry Sorry I see you are in NY and not California.
The one closest to me even has a sign aying they charge for the air you breathe while in the store so you ain't got it too bad "yet".


Jim

[WILCO]

WILCO....You by any chance are not talking about Craiglow's Shop in West Seneca are you?

Nope. I know what you mean about the BGS though. [smilie=b:

[Storydude]

Nope. I know what you mean about the BGS though. [smilie=b:
"that there's that suuuooper RAAARE Metric FAL. YOu cannot find those for 1200 bucks..."

"No, it's a Century gun..says so right there. centerfire catalog has them at 699...You do transfers?"

"blank stares....."

LOL

[captain-03]

Cook's Gunshop in Biloxi Ms. is an old time gunshop. It has the boxes of brass, the Milsurp rack, old dusty boxes of grips and holsters. Decent prices and a good selection. Knowledgable staff as well. It has been 10 years since I was there though. It may not even exist anymore......

Yea still there -- actually was able to score some primers there when you could not find them anywhere!! .... at a reasonable price I might add!!