Remember going to Milikans in downtown Hammond Gun department was downstairs.
My neck of the woods. That was a great store!
Remember going to Milikans in downtown Hammond Gun department was downstairs.
Someone mentioned Dave's Guns and Tubs in another thread, and I thought it might be fun to remember shops that no longer exist, and the characters who owned or worked in them.
As a very young man, I used to talk my father into taking me out in the country, east of Cloverdale to Starr's Gun Shop. Old Gerald Starr, (I believe that was his first name) ..did not just allow anyone to walk right in. If I remember correctly, he looked out at you, then unlocked if he desired. He was quick to promote the idea, that .45 ACP was about right for self defense! I have not been that way for a while, but I am sure Mr. Starr is long gone.
I went to the auction of The Bullet Holes inventory. Heimels (sp) in Beech Grove. Think the Bullet Hole north store had some association with Rick Mount.The Bullet Hole had in addition to the store on S. Madison Ave., a store at 86th & Keystone. In the late 80's Jim, moved it south to 75th & Keystone (what's now the Wally World strip center), moved back into the same strip center on 96th and a couple years later moved to Pendleton Pike and Franklin road into a building that housed a bar Jim Shirley owned. That lasted a year or two before Jim died in a car wreck.
Joe Montgomery opened 500 Guns on West 16th St and is still going strong.
Gary Shoemaker had his shop behind the Mickey D's at Rockville Rd and Girls School road and then moved to Main St Speedway until he died.
As said before, Indpls Sports HQ, Broadripple Bait & Tackle
I seem to remember Fall Creek Bait and Tackle having guns too
Carmel had a couple on South Rangeline Rd, one where the Circle K is now and the Outdoor Sportsman just south of Carmel Drive on Rangeline
Noblesville had one on the south side of the square from the 60's until the mid 80's
The original Galyans in Plainfield and Em-Roes downtown had the most guns of anywhere
Back then, almost every hardware store sold guns and ammo. K-Marts, Ayr-Way's, Targets sold rifles, shotguns and ammo.
The Gun Room in BG was the first commercial indoor range in town. Then Don opened at 06th & Keystone, then south of the G-wood mall, then just east of Washington Square and finally Lafayette Square. All but Lafayette square are gone.
Pawn shops used to have tons of guns too.
Anyone remember Egons the gunsmith at Em-Roes? He was a master
How about Ed Parr doing bluing jobs?
Verne Trester's shop next door to 500 Guns on 16th St?
A whole bunch of pawn shops on Pendleton Pike near Ft. Harrison had a lot of guns too!
Anyone know if Jimmy Craigs near Crane naval base still sells firearms and equipment? Used to go there as a young boy.
We must be about the same age. I remember that Indianapolis Sports HQ bought the Arlington store From Jenkins, the gunsmith, who originally had his shop on Brookside Pkwy. I spent all my spare time there. I bought my first pistol at Mace's Jewelry and Sporting Goods in a strip mall, NE corner ofI 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.
We must be about the same age. I remember that Indianapolis Sports HQ bought the Arlington store From Jenkins, the gunsmith, who originally had his shop on Brookside Pkwy. I spent all my spare time there. I bought my first pistol at Mace's Jewelry and Sporting Goods in a strip mall, NE corner of
21st and Post. Also used to go to KMart on Washington as an adolescent to drool over guns at their sporting goods counter. I remember M-1 carbines there.
Albros on South (of I465) Emerson was my favorite place for years. It was an old school gun shop. In 2002 my work moved me to Kentucky for eight years and when I returned to Indy Albros was no longer in business. I never heard what happened. I really miss the people there as well as the shop itself.
I can't recall the shop name but it was just West of Lynhurst on Washington street in Indy. A friend and myself had both been saving our money to buy a gun as soon as we were legal. It was just a couple weeks after we graduated high school in '77. I got one of the original style Ruger 22s before the MKII and my buddy got a Colt Gold Cup. I remember my .22 only cost me $74.99 and the shop threw in a box of ammo.
Anyone recall the name of the shop?