Gun Shops, of Days Gone By...

[Winamac]

My first gun was a FIE 20gauge shotgun my dad ordered it for me from the JC Penny's catalog in 1977. Went to the Logansport mall at the catalog department and picked it up. Would not even THINK of doing that today. BTW I still have the FIE its in great shape.

On another note later in life when I was in the Army stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs 82-86. There was a sporting goods store out there called Dave Cook's Sporting Goods. They had racks and rows of M1 Garands and M1 carbines still in cosmoline for $99.99 your choice. I remember looking at them and holding them and thinking "why pray tell would ANYONE want one of these greasy old things" Wish I new then what I know now. Stupid, stupid,stupid.

 

[woody131]

Daves guns and tubs was a great hangout for me I had buddy's that worked there part time. Dave would always get something I needed I still have a Rossi gallery 22 I bought new there when I turned 18 some 20 years ago.

 

[Bushido Devil Dog]

I remember back in da' day when me an' my homies use ta' go to this DOPE-ass place called Don's Guns on da corner of Tray-eight street and Laffyette Road an' shizznit. We'd go 'dere an buy us some gats (= Glocks, Hi-points, an' AK-Foe-tee Sebens) and exchange our empty clips fo' full ones before headin' out fo' ah driveby, or to make a deal in our recreational pharmacial bidness. We'd use his range and practice bussin' some caps to make sure our gats was werkin' legit, and dat our bad-ass Gangsta skills of poppin' caps wiff our right hand tilted at least 95 degrees and slangin' da boolits at a sucka while holdin' our junk wiff our left hand wazn't slippin'...

After poppin' caps at the paper that they insisted we hang up on tha' wire thang (we had no idea why they had us put it out there at 5 feet...none of our boolits ever hit it and they jus passed the paper & cardboard thingy onto the next crew waitin' ta buss caps...), we would rap with Don and admire his bling if he happened to be in da sto'. Ol' Don was a straight-up pimpin' Original Gangsta, an' he would tell us about his Mob-/Teamster days as Jimmy Hoffa's bodyguard in the years before Jimmy tha' hustla's (union) Thug-life caught up with him and he got hisself disappeared/perished.

Daddy Don wasn't concerned about clockin' mad dollas' and he told everybody that, "I don't wanna make any money, folks...I just love to sell guns...he he he!", in his tee-vee commercials. Peeps can't be sayin' shizznit like dat on da tee-vee iffin' it ain't true, so all of my crew/peeps/baby mommas/etc. knew that he had da BEST prices on his guns, so we never went anywhere else. Besides, he wuz conveniently close to da' hood, and his employees would help a homie out on how to get a gat even if he had a felony record. I buyed my used Glock fo only seven hunnit, and my homie scored a brand new Hi-point Foe-tay wiff a lazer sight for only $500...at dat price, we might as well have stolen dem shizznits from ol' Don, LOL!!

Unfoechannutly, da gubbamint shut my boy down after they kept finding that lots of da gats he sold kept being found at murder scenes or were connected to me an' my homies' hands-on implementation of Pressadent Obama's wealth redistribution programs... Now we gots ta drive to Obama's hood in Chicago to get our gats...

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[jcwit]

Heights gun shop on Cassopolis street on the north side of Elkhart. Ya I know I spelled his name wrong, but it was as close as I knew. He had elephant foot stools to sit on and as a kid I'd listen to the guys tell hunting stories. He was loaded with stuff and everything was just jammed into shelves. If he couldn't find it his wife could. If he didn't have it we was going to Chicago on Thursday, always Thursday. I think he got lots of stuff from Klines in Chicago. Same place Lee Harvey Oswald got his rifle.

Also remember the old United Mills outlet on Beardsley St., they sold surplus military rifles for $10.00 each.

This was all back in the 50's.

 

[rockhopper46038]

I don't think it was the aforementioned On Target, but there was a range in Terre Haute right next to the ISU stadium that I used to shoot at in college. Nice older gentleman ran it with the help of his son, who made reloads for us poor/cheap college students. He didn't have many guns, but I remember buying a NIB Beretta 92FS off him for what seemed to me a heckuva price at the time. And then Poff's Sporting Goods, also in The Haute (which may still be in business) where I laid out a princely sum for what must've been one of the very first S&W4006s to come off the line. My brother has possession of the Beretta right now, but I've still got the 4006 a few feet away from me.

 

[dwh79]

I too miss Albros I bought my first second gun from there my first was from Bradis. Paul was great and fair. I dealt with Randy a few times and he was fine. The move was deffinetly a bad deal. I am not sure why they moved as the location they had was better. Maybe they were forced to move. I believe however that he also tried to change the store into more of a tacticool store instead of the type of gun shop it was. I liked Albros for what it was not for what Randy tried to change it into. Also the staff and himself became less friendly and started sounding more soldier of fortune ish and they turned me off from wanting to shop there. I was so happy when Beechgrove Firearms opened up and now with the new store it reminds me more of the Albros type store.

 

[patience0830]

I remember Stewart's in Bloomington. Didn't they have a good lookin blonde daughter that drove a 'Vette with a lic plate that said "Puppy"?

 

[funeralweb]

Any older INGOers remember Marting Arms in Richmond? It was the epicenter of the downtown explosion on April 6, 1968.

 

[Speedybruin4]

There was one I grew up with in Grensburg Indiana,

"GUNS and TACKLE" on Main St
R.I.P

Then when I moved to Indy it was PlainFields Galyan's on W U.S 40

Guns and Tackle in Greensburg is still open. They are on Lincoln Street by CVS. I don't know if it's the same owners or not though.

 

[red_zr24x4]

The Other Place in Lake of the Woods was always good. So was Laporte Sporting goods when John owned it, it was a sad day when he had his stroke and ended up selling the place. The people that bought it had another store somewhere down by Knox and move all the good stuff down there. It went down hill fast, I don't go to Laporte much but I think its closed now

 

[mayor al]

I grew up in SoCal. Golden State Arms had a big store in Pasadena back then.(1960) When I came home from Basic Training (Ft Ord) I was an E-1 making all of $78 a month. G S Had Garands selling for $29.95 and I spent half a months pay to buy one to show off to my H S friends... Left it with my parents when I went overseas, and some time during my 2 years away they sold it for $80 and sent me the cash. I drank it up !

 

[TheRude1]

Broadripple sporting goods
Late 70's, I was 13 and walked in and picked out a Marlin M-22 rifle. After makeing several 8 mile or so trips on my bike with payments I walked out with it and a new sling, threw it over my shoulder and rode my bike home.
And yes I still have it

Days gone by ?
4 to 8 guys walking down Georgetown Rd between 71st and 86st all with shotguns going from field to field (that we had permission) to pop some bunnys and a Sheriff would drive by and not even look in his rear view mirror.
Those kind of days gone by ?

Some times getting older sucks but I have had experiences that the young will never know but have to settle for a story now and then as they will experiene things I can only dream of

 

[tallend]

Not a local shop,but a sad,true story

A "few"years ago,I would make 2 or 3 trips through the Springfield,Mo.,Tulsa,Ok.area---------In Springfield,it was always Bass Pro,then Westley Richards-------then in Tulsa it was a Great Trapshooter that supported his habit by selling more trap guns "Phong Wong Dong" Guns---------Sadly on one of my recent trips through Springfield--------WTH-"NO WESTLY RICHARDS"???????The story told was this----one day,the BATF showed up with several trucks and lotsa help,even the locals took note at "how careful they were with all items removed"as the ATF was finishing, a readheaded hillbilly boy,Johnny(RedHead)SOMETHING,made an astonishing statement--"IF you will move your business FAR AWAY,I will see that all charges???are dropped------The new address is Bozeman, Montana
I miss visiting Westley Richards*** and I havent put money in Johnnys pocket for several years now

 

[DocHoliday]

Guns and Tackle in Greensburg is still open. They are on Lincoln Street by CVS. I don't know if it's the same owners or not though.

You need to turn sideways to walk into there. Stuff all over the place and counter full of paperwork. Deliveries still at the front door. Husband and wife own it. The owner has been there forever. Not sure if original owner.

 

[12bee]

Heights gun shop on Cassopolis street on the north side of Elkhart. Ya I know I spelled his name wrong, but it was as close as I knew. He had elephant foot stools to sit on and as a kid I'd listen to the guys tell hunting stories. He was loaded with stuff and everything was just jammed into shelves. If he couldn't find it his wife could. If he didn't have it we was going to Chicago on Thursday, always Thursday. I think he got lots of stuff from Klines in Chicago. Same place Lee Harvey Oswald got his rifle.

Also remember the old United Mills outlet on Beardsley St., they sold surplus military rifles for $10.00 each.

This was all back in the 50's.

Yeah it's spelled Hites and he was still open in the 70's, but when I got out of the Army in 1980 the shop was gone and a steak house was there. My Dad used to go there for his reloading supplies. Bermans and Sportsmans had quite a gun selection also also. I don't remember the name, but there used to be a gun shop on S main just north of Lusher, I think it was a barber shop also.

 

[12bee]

Plinkers on Old US 20 on the west side of Elkhart. They had good prices and John the owner was a great guy.

I saw John last summer at the County fair. He was selling custom made wood pens in the commercial bldg. John is quite the woodworker.

 

[Dirty Steve]

The Plainfield Galyan's, Albros and one I have not seen mentioned yet; "Cove and Covey" off of SR 135 in Greenwood. I used to spend a lot of time in Cove and Covey. If they didn't have what I needed, they got it for me quickly. Everything from archery stuff to guns and accessories. Still have and use an 870 12 ga. slug gun I bought in there and a Burris 2.75X long eye relief scope they recommended and mounted for me. That was a great little shop with friendly guys.

Dirty Steve

 

[PGRChaplain]

Sheets Brothers in North Manchester. They used to make Barrels for the U.S. Olympic Rifle Team. Here's one for you N/E Folks, Jack Thompson on Lima Rd North of White Sawn Plaza. Jack reminded me of a Carnival "Barker", Really funny guy. You had to hang on to your wallet when dealing with him. I remember when his wife's 870 Trap gun blew up with one of his reloads. Those were "The Days" LOL

 

[IndyDave1776]

I don't think it was the aforementioned On Target, but there was a range in Terre Haute right next to the ISU stadium that I used to shoot at in college. Nice older gentleman ran it with the help of his son, who made reloads for us poor/cheap college students. He didn't have many guns, but I remember buying a NIB Beretta 92FS off him for what seemed to me a heckuva price at the time. And then Poff's Sporting Goods, also in The Haute (which may still be in business) where I laid out a princely sum for what must've been one of the very first S&W4006s to come off the line. My brother has possession of the Beretta right now, but I've still got the 4006 a few feet away from me.

Poff's is gone (good riddance) and they brought it on themselves.

 

[LtScott14]

Sheemas would trade, and sell handguns. Nice people, once their customer, always knew your name. Think it was a retirement time issue, and don't blame them as the area has changed to a more potential crime zone. They had a couple of incidents, and weren't harmed, but those things all add up. Cathy and Jim also shot a lot of competition events, and did well.
Miss their smiling faces.

Fetlas: like a junk shop, but did have a lot of guns hanging up, cased, and ammo everywhere. I remember British 303 Enfields laying in wooden crates in front of the gun aisle. Had a 1 year layaway that no one could match. Who can afford $600.00 cash in your wallet every day? Knew all the guys and girls there also. Yep, another Gary, Indiana victim.
I bet the gangbangers quit selling "hot pieces" snce the stores closed, LOL.