Bradis Firearms closing?

[Cameramonkey]

Yep, that was one of the reasons I would go to Bradis. Mark would install my Glock sights (when he was still there) and Kenny would do the M&P stuff. Kenny actually installed a few things for me.

Yep. Ask for that at a big box store and they'll look at you funny. Probably something to do with liability issues.

Hell, back when Gander was in business (and before I knew of folks like @Squirt239 ) I took dad's TOTALLY disassembled 36-1 to them to reassemble. It was in rough shape with surface rust and some pitting. They reassembled it, and then warned me it was not safe to shoot on the paperwork when I picked it up.

It was just minor pitting. structurally it was still sound. Even I knew that. "Sorry, its our policy to state that anytime we service a pistol that is rusted." I politely suggested that in the future they might want to warn a customer of that during drop off. Maybe I didn't want to pay to have it reassembled if I couldn't shoot it? After all, that is the whole point of getting it reassembled properly. If I wanted a display piece, I would have just taken 60 seconds to put the grips back and put the cylinder back on it.

EDIT then I did find out about Squirt and he did an AWESOME Cerakote job on it. No more rust issues.

 

[WebSnyper]

Yep. Ask for that at a big box store and they'll look at you funny. Probably something to do with liability issues.

Hell, back when Gander was in business (and before I knew of folks like @Squirt239 ) I took dad's TOTALLY disassembled 36-1 to them to reassemble. It was in rough shape with surface rust and some pitting. They reassembled it, and then warned me it was not safe to shoot on the paperwork when I picked it up.

It was just minor pitting. structurally it was still sound. Even I knew that. "Sorry, its our policy to state that anytime we service a pistol that is rusted." I politely suggested that in the future they might want to warn a customer of that during drop off. Maybe I didn't want to pay to have it reassembled if I couldn't shoot it? After all, that is the whole point of getting it reassembled properly. If I wanted a display piece, I would have just taken 60 seconds to put the grips back and put the cylinder back on it.

EDIT then I did find out about Squirt and he did an AWESOME Cerakote job on it. No more rust issues.

At most big box stores I've gone to these days, I seem to get drawn into a conversation with the resident kid behind the counter who wants to impress with all their knowledge on everything gun related which it's clear quickly they don't have (looking at you Sportsman's Warehouse in Brownsburg... Doesn't seem quite as bad as Academy as those guys don't even expend the fake it effort thankfully). I just start slowly backing away from the gun counter and nodding my head.

 

[Squirt239]

Yep. Ask for that at a big box store and they'll look at you funny. Probably something to do with liability issues.

Hell, back when Gander was in business (and before I knew of folks like @Squirt239 ) I took dad's TOTALLY disassembled 36-1 to them to reassemble. It was in rough shape with surface rust and some pitting. They reassembled it, and then warned me it was not safe to shoot on the paperwork when I picked it up.

It was just minor pitting. structurally it was still sound. Even I knew that. "Sorry, its our policy to state that anytime we service a pistol that is rusted." I politely suggested that in the future they might want to warn a customer of that during drop off. Maybe I didn't want to pay to have it reassembled if I couldn't shoot it? After all, that is the whole point of getting it reassembled properly. If I wanted a display piece, I would have just taken 60 seconds to put the grips back and put the cylinder back on it.

EDIT then I did find out about Squirt and he did an AWESOME Cerakote job on it. No more rust issues.

Pics or it didn't happen...

 

[Squirt239]

At most big box stores I've gone to these days, I seem to get drawn into a conversation with the resident kid behind the counter who wants to impress with all their knowledge on everything gun related which it's clear quickly they don't have (looking at you Sportsman's Warehouse in Brownsburg... Doesn't seem quite as bad as Academy as those guys don't even expend the fake it effort thankfully). I just start slowly backing away from the gun counter and nodding my head.

I envision you embodying Ron Swanson and saying, "I know more than you..."

 

[Cameramonkey]

Pics or it didn't happen...

LOL. Next time I'm at Mom's I'll snap a pic. Its hers now.

 

[WebSnyper]

I envision you emboying Ron Swanson and saying, "I know more than you..."

Sadly it's more like I say Hi and then next thing you know the kid is telling me about how he's basically the armorer for seal team six.

That said, something similar happens at fast food restaurants when I ask a counter person how their day is going and next thing you know they are telling me how they live in a van down by the river.

It's baffling because I really don't think I look like someone who is approachable. I'm the guy who actually likes the kiosk at a fast food place...

 

[Squirt239]

Sadly it's more like I say Hi and then next thing you know the kid is telling me about how he's basically the armorer for seal team six.

That said, something similar happens at fast food restaurants when I ask a counter person how their day is going and next thing you know they are telling me how they live in a van down by the river.

It's baffling because I really don't think I look like someone who is approachable. I'm the guy who actually likes the kiosk at a fast food place...

I never discuss my occupation in public. I usually give sharp elbows to those who bring it up as well for the same reason.

 

[Michigan Slim]

I never discuss my occupation in public. I usually give sharp elbows to those who bring it up as well for the same reason.

I'm a Turd Herder. I don't get many questions. Lol

 

[fullmetaljesus]

To be honest, Im surprised they lated this long after closing bradis ii. Inventory really kinda dropped out after that.

Sad to see them go.

 

[Osprey]

I think you meant Maadi...

LOL! Yikes! I stand corrected. Crazy how one letter can mess things up. That was back in the 80s! They had those thumb holes too. I quickly lost interest and sold them to an undercover cop after buying a boatload of accessories! I also bought the original Glock 17 when they first came out and people thought polymer was trash. Regret selling that one. Forgot where I bought it though.

 

[Bollorollo]

Its sad to see Bradis closing it's doors.. Its even more sad to read the place went downhill.. I used to go to Bradis a lot and the place had great prices on their firearms.. About 4 years ago I started going to Premier Arms in Brownsburg instead since they are only a few miles from my house and haven't gone back to Bradis since then..

 

[shootersix]

I had no idea Whitakers was gone! I think at one time, they were the largest Ruger dealer in the country.

I heard the cz only imported to two places in America, cz in Kansas and Whitakers in Owensboro!…I remember Chris (the other one, not Darrel’s son Chris) posting a picture on Whitaker guns facebook of him sitting in Mike Piffers chair, signing purchase agreements! (Yes sitting in the chair of rugers chairman and ceo!)…then 2 weeks later Chris was at cz’s headquarters in Czechoslovakia doing the same thing!, all that was before Darrel passed, and before the blood feud for the store after he passed.

But fyi ground has been broken for kwg guns in (w stands for Whitaker as in Chris Darrel’s son!) just outside Owensboro, and another fyi Whitaker wasn’t owned by any Whittaker’s when it closed, someone bought the store and kept the name (and kept Chris on the payroll till he was fired few months before it closed)

If you read any news articles about kwg guns, they’re trying to be the Whittaker’s of old…the old school Whitakers, tripping over stacks of barrets and ar’s stacked like cordwood!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I heard the cz only imported to two places in America, cz in Kansas and Whitakers in Owensboro!…I remember Chris (the other one, not Darrel’s son Chris) posting a picture on Whitaker guns facebook of him sitting in Mike Piffers chair, signing purchase agreements! (Yes sitting in the chair of rugers chairman and ceo!)…then 2 weeks later Chris was at cz’s headquarters in Czechoslovakia doing the same thing!, all that was before Darrel passed, and before the blood feud for the store after he passed.

But fyi ground has been broken for kwg guns in (w stands for Whitaker as in Chris Darrel’s son!) just outside Owensboro, and another fyi Whitaker wasn’t owned by any Whittaker’s when it closed, someone bought the store and kept the name (and kept Chris on the payroll till he was fired few months before it closed)

If you read any news articles about kwg guns, they’re trying to be the Whittaker’s of old…the old school Whitakers, tripping over stacks of barrets and ar’s stacked like cordwood!

Got a link for kwg guns? Googling that got mostly websites about airsoft guns.

 

[shootersix]

Got a link for kwg guns? Googling that got mostly websites about airsoft guns.

Nothing yet!…they’re still building but hopefully it’ll be the same glorious place that Whitaker guns was!

 

[LtScott14]

While my son attended college, close to Bradis, I would go to pickup on weekends. My wife couldn't understand why I would go at 7:00 am for a noon pickup?
Gave me 2 hours to walk thru Bradis and window case shop all their handguns. I bought a few, still own a couple, but they had a great selection on used.
Even bought surplus stuff next door, like MRE's, various camping things, and knew what I wanted the next trip down.
They did change their store operation, different guys working, and after my son graduated from college, no more trips there on weekends.
Sorry to hear they closed. Liked the store.

 

[BE Mike]

I heard the cz only imported to two places in America, cz in Kansas and Whitakers in Owensboro!…I remember Chris (the other one, not Darrel’s son Chris) posting a picture on Whitaker guns facebook of him sitting in Mike Piffers chair, signing purchase agreements! (Yes sitting in the chair of rugers chairman and ceo!)…then 2 weeks later Chris was at cz’s headquarters in Czechoslovakia doing the same thing!, all that was before Darrel passed, and before the blood feud for the store after he passed.

But fyi ground has been broken for kwg guns in (w stands for Whitaker as in Chris Darrel’s son!) just outside Owensboro, and another fyi Whitaker wasn’t owned by any Whittaker’s when it closed, someone bought the store and kept the name (and kept Chris on the payroll till he was fired few months before it closed)

If you read any news articles about kwg guns, they’re trying to be the Whittaker’s of old…the old school Whitakers, tripping over stacks of barrets and ar’s stacked like cordwood!

It's good to know some of the inside information about the old Whitaker's. I had heard about the new store in the works, but not having had the info, I was somewhat "gun shy" thinking that the old store might have been closed due to bad business practices. Now knowing that the old Whitaker's was sold, it makes me feel better about the upcoming KWG gun shop. Having said that, I went to KYGUNCO in Louisville a while back, for the first time, and was really favorably impressed with the huge size of the store, huge inventory and quality of the staff. Their prices are pretty good too. I ended up buying a rifle.

 

[Creedmoor]

It's good to know some of the inside information about the old Whitaker's. I had heard about the new store in the works, but not having had the info, I was somewhat "gun shy" thinking that the old store might have been closed due to bad business practices. Now knowing that the old Whitaker's was sold, it makes me feel better about the upcoming KWG gun shop. Having said that, I went to KYGUNCO in Louisville a while back, for the first time, and was really favorably impressed with the huge size of the store, huge inventory and quality of the staff. Their prices are pretty good too. I ended up buying a rifle.

I bought quite a few fat barreled 700's from KYGUNCO over the years.
They would have PSS's when no one had them in stock.

 

[WebSnyper]

While my son attended college, close to Bradis, I would go to pickup on weekends. My wife couldn't understand why I would go at 7:00 am for a noon pickup?
Gave me 2 hours to walk thru Bradis and window case shop all their handguns. I bought a few, still own a couple, but they had a great selection on used.
Even bought surplus stuff next door, like MRE's, various camping things, and knew what I wanted the next trip down.
They did change their store operation, different guys working, and after my son graduated from college, no more trips there on weekends.
Sorry to hear they closed. Liked the store.

Damn, I don't thin even during their prime I could have spent 2 hours in Bradis.

 

[BigMoose]

Damn, I don't thin even during their prime I could have spent 2 hours in Bradis.

I dunno with Bradis II, that took some time to look through. As well as move from 1 to 2.

 

[indyjohn]

I dunno with Bradis II, that took some time to look through. As well as move from 1 to 2.

This ^

Back in the days of Heartland Trading Post I did a lot of buying and selling of surplus with Jeff. I was in there every weekend, especially before an Indy 1500 event.