Gun Shops, of Days Gone By...

[joe138]

In and around Bloomington there used to be several in addition to the ones mentioned. On 11th, I think, near where the Olds and Honda dealership was a gunshop that moved to Switz City and became Switz City guns. Off Vernal Pike in the Industrial area was an indoor range and gunshop, I think a pool supplier is there now. On south Walnut there was a small shop in a guys garage. These gunshops were in the late70's and up until the mid 80's. And over by the Bloomington Crane gate was Craigs gunstore. I used to be able to make an afternoon visiting the small shops without using a lot of gas.

 

[leakywaders]

Remember going to Milikans in downtown Hammond Gun department was downstairs.

 

[dans4420]

I miss Jim Shema's gun shop in Merrillville. Family owned and run , nice guy.

Second that my grandfather went here for years for all his fishing supplies, i bought my first gun here at 18 mossberg 500.

 

[other dave]

Back in the late 80's I used to frequent a little gun shop on the south side of Logansport called J&K Hobby & Gun shop. Old guy by the name of Ken Gloser owned it, he passed away years ago and his family closed the shop. Neat old guy. He was a Korean War veteran, cigar smoking grizzled old man,kind of grouchy until he got to know you. As a newly married young man with two small kids to raise money was tight and he always used to let me put anything I wanted in lay-away for as little as $5.00 down with all the time I needed to pay it off. Even if all I could afford was $2.00 a week. Man they just do not make shops like his anymore. Rest in peace Ken.

Is that the shop that looked like a converted garage behind a house? It has to be by your description. If it is I used to go in there every time I went to Logan. You never knew what he might have from one time to the next.

 

[Indycar:v1.1]

Em-Roe's was THE gun shop in Indy for over 50 years. They sold Sporting goods/fishing/camping/gun store in Indy for years. They started in an old 1800's building across Washington St from the Statehouse. In the early 70's when they built the Convention Center they moved across and East on Wash St. in the block between Meridian and Illinois.
the 70's were good to Em-Roes, they opened stores in Carmel, Nora, Glendale, Southern Plaza and other outlying areas.

The main store and the branches closed in the 80's and Em-Roes still exist selling team sports wear.

 

[flightsimmer]

The Gun Room also located in Beech Grove. As a teenager, my dad and I shot on a PPC league there. It was an indoor range.
It was owned by Gary Reed, I'm not sure why or how it went out of business, but it did none the less.

Yeah, I used to work there but Gary and that redhead along with the Great Dane and the cats laying on the counters ran it into the ground.
I think it had something to do with the league shooting because they left and I believe went to Manual High School to shoot. I shot on the Hoosier Hills team at the time.
I really hated to see that place go under.

 

[Winamac]

Is that the shop that looked like a converted garage behind a house? It has to be by your description. If it is I used to go in there every time I went to Logan. You never knew what he might have from one time to the next.

Yes you are correct. You are also correct in that one never knew what kind of guns he might have. Do you remember how he even had guns hanging from the ceiling?

 

[IMPD31323]

Knight's gunshop in Connersville Indiana. Roy knight was a heck of a nice gentleman and one of the most amazing gunsmiths ever. I have a k22 that he slicked up. When I say slicked up it goes bang just thinking of touching the trigger.

 

[other dave]

Remember it like it was yesterday. Had to access it from the alley. Back in the early 90's no trip to Logan was complete without going there, Voltz's shop in the mall, Downham's, and one other shop whose name escapes me.

 

[flightsimmer]

I used to do all of my shopping at Indianapolis Sports Headquarters at about 12th and Arlington Ave. in Indianapolis.
It seemed that they always had what I needed. Then they lost their lease or so I remember and then they moved out on Pendleton Pike and finally had an auction and closed down for good.
I still have all the gear I bought at that auction.
Daryl, who used to work there now works at KS&E gun shop on Pendleton Pike or did the last time I saw him.

 

[Winamac]

Remember it like it was yesterday. Had to access it from the alley. Back in the early 90's no trip to Logan was complete without going there, Voltz's shop in the mall, Downham's, and one other shop whose name escapes me.

Maybe Jims guns out on State road 17? Or how about A1 Guns ran by Ed Morning?

 

[flightsimmer]

Em-Roe's was THE gun shop in Indy for over 50 years. They sold Sporting goods/fishing/camping/gun store in Indy for years. They started in an old 1800's building across Washington St from the Statehouse. In the early 70's when they built the Convention Center they moved across and East on Wash St. in the block between Meridian and Illinois.
the 70's were good to Em-Roes, they opened stores in Carmel, Nora, Glendale, Southern Plaza and other outlying areas.

The main store and the branches closed in the 80's and Em-Roes still exist selling team sports wear.

Yeah I remember Emroe's Gun Store downtown. I used to go in there when I was around 10 or 12 and I would spend hours looking at all the guns they had and they had a bunch or so I remember. Oh those were the good old days. A kid could have a rifle and go shooting and no one got upset about it and I would go to the hardware store and buy .22 ammo with no questions asked, 49 cents a box of 50. Oh my.

 

[other dave]

Maybe Jims guns out on State road 17? Or how about A1 Guns ran by Ed Morning?

A1 was the one I couldn't remember. Ed is back in Indiana and doing some shows. And I've been to Jim's on several occasions. Sad part is of the 5 shops we've mentioned Downham's is the only one still in business.
P.S. Whatever happened to Elliott's? He had a lot of nice Kimbers.

 

[flightsimmer]

The gun room used to sell "Reed Loads". I have a box around here somewhere.
Dave's tubs and guns. An unusual pairing.
The Bullet Hole. The Shirley (?) brothers. With the lion cub.
Albro's. Scott throwing people out for abusing his inventory.
S&T Hardware in Greenwood.
Beech Grove hardware. Bought a Marlin M-39a there. Last firearm he had.
A to Z reloading in Bellville. Had mystery hours.
Miles Wyatt in Cicero. He used the buy his used guns from Albro's. By the laundry basket load. You definitely wanted to get there before him.
Shoe's Gun Rack. Bought things from him when he operated out of his garage. He also had a bluing set-up for awhile. Another story.

I remember all those places and I might have been the one who loaded those Reed Loads when I worked there.

 

[Bigtanker]

Here is another memory I'll never forget........and most likely will never happen again.

Thee year was 1989. I was 12. My family and I walked into Browns Sporting Goods inside University Park Mall in Mishawaka, on a Sunday after church. My dad bought me my first shotgun, a single shot .410. We also got about 5 boxes of shells to go with it. I carried the gun in the box in one hand and a bag of shells in the other all the way through the mall and out the door of Hudsons.

 

[Winamac]

A1 was the one I couldn't remember. Ed is back in Indiana and doing some shows. And I've been to Jim's on several occasions. Sad part is of the 5 shops we've mentioned Downham's is the only one still in business.
P.S. Whatever happened to Elliott's? He had a lot of nice Kimbers.

Yes, I saw Ed at the 1500 about a year ago. He was there helping another vendor. Yeah, it is a shame they are all gone but Downhams.Seems like the slick willy era was the beginning of the end for many of them. At least they(Downhams) are still doing a brisk business. Downhams is the last of the family owned gunshops in the Logan-land area. I do all my business that I can with them. Doug and Mary Downham are great folks. With regard to Elliott's gunshop I never went there much.He always acted like he did not have time to help me, so I stopped going there. He was also big time in to building race car motor. I was told that he closed the gunshop and just built race car motors? Jims on ST RD 17 just sort of faded away. He had some good deals though in his time. WOW! Some good times were had in these shops!!

 

[other dave]

Yes, I saw Ed at the 1500 about a year ago. He was there helping another vendor. Yeah, it is a shame they are all gone but Downhams.Seems like the slick willy era was the beginning of the end for many of them. At least they(Downhams) are still doing a brisk business. Downhams is the last of the family owned gunshops in the Logan-land area. I do all my business that I can with them. Doug and Mary Downham are great folks. With regard to Elliott's gunshop I never went there much.He always acted like he did not have time to help me, so I stopped going there. He was also big time in to building race car motor. I was told that he closed the gunshop and just built race car motors? Jims on ST RD 17 just sort of faded away. He had some good deals though in his time. WOW! Some good times were had in these shops!!

I think the final nail in Jim's coffin was the road construction near his shop. Now I don't even see him at the Ft. Wayne show anymore.

 

[Winamac]

I think the final nail in Jim's coffin was the road construction near his shop. Now I don't even see him at the Ft. Wayne show anymore.

I was told his health took a turn for the worse? I have not seen him in years.

 

[paperboy]

Fetla's in Valparaiso. Its where my dad bought me my Marlin 60. City of Gary put them out of business according to my dad...don't know if its true or not. Dad was long time friends with Bert...the guy that owned the place.

Fetla's was awesome back in the day. You could get anything from skateboards to shotgun shells there. I spent a lot of money in that store. It was just as fun to spend an afternoon looking at the all the merchandise. I worked in Valpo and would have to stop there every payday!

 

[LarryC]

Hard to believe how many gun stores there used to be. I remember being in awe at the firearm section of Sears. Montgomery Ward had a nice firearm selection, as did JC Penny. I enjoyed going into Ace Hardware to get nails, bolts and the like, which gave me an excuse to look at their selection of firearms. Seems there was a time when you could buy a firearm just about anywhere.

Yeah, when I was a kid, I could look at Sears, Spiegel and Montgomery Wards Catalogs & drool. The Popular Mechanics and like publications also had ads for a lot of Military Surplus firearms with very low prices and low shipping. Unfortunately my father passed when I was 10 so didn't have funds to purchase any at that time. (Maybe that's why I collect them now!).