Favorite One Off / Hole in the Wall Sporting / Gun Store

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We have a lot of good shops in FL. Shout out to my hometown favorite The Bullet Hole in Sarasota. It's the oldest gun shop in the state and has been family owned and operated since 1947. I bought my first of many pistols there in '76.
 
At one time in CNY we had a wonderful gun shop...Creekside Guns, in the fingerlakes area. Wonderful vintage arms, new, all open to be handled. The salesmen all were freindly and chatty, and if you were interested in a gun they gave you a handful of shells and took you out to the range in back. They have been gone now probably 20 years, but so far I havent found any in the region that could approach them for selection or service.
Several others have mentioned Kittery Trading Post, which I have been to several times. Great place. I wonder what theier gun racks look like currently.
 
Mike Schrank's Smoke'n Gun in Waukegan, Il.

Closed as of July 2019 according to their website https://www.smokengun.org/

but the website is still there, so who knows?https://www.smokengun.org/

Bought my first gun there 50 years ago; a Colt SAA in .357 mag, used but in very good condition, for $150 (which was a substantial sum in those days).

Besides lots of rifles, pistols, and shotguns, they sold tobacco, cigars, and pipes, and all sorts of accessories like humidors and those little clippers you use to cut the end off the cigar so air/smoke will flow through.

Place smelled marvelous! Hoppes #9 and wonderful tobacco smells.

Thanks for the thread, made me look them up (only to find closed) but the memories are great.
 
Ron Peterson's in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Any time I've stopped I've never failed to see something I wanted and sometimes something I've never heard of before. Very diligent, too: I bought a nice little Beretta there on the way to the airport and it nearly beat me back to Minnesota.
 
Thunderchicken said:
Ron Peterson's in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Any time I've stopped I've never failed to see something I wanted and sometimes something I've never heard of before. Very diligent, too: I bought a nice little Beretta there on the way to the airport and it nearly beat me back to Minnesota.
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However, as I mentioned earlier, Ron Peterson's has gone online only, and has closed up the shop to walk-in customers. I think that they are still doing transfers, but their fee was higher than a couple of other places in town.
 
Dunn’s sporting goods in Pevely Mo. Now strictly sporting goods, I remember when they had a liquor department. Liquor and ammunition in the same store. Ahh the good old days.
 
My favorite is Larry's Pistol and Pawn, in Huntsville, AL. I was stationed at Redstone Arsenal (Huntsville) in the 70s, then traveled there frequently in my civilian job. Larry's original store is still in the same location on N. Memorial Parkway, and now has a second location in nearby Madison, AL. I think this is the finest gun shop in the southeast.
 
Frontier Arms, Cheyenne WY (All time fav, frequented them for the 6yrs I was stationed there) They’re a family owned business that really knew their stuff.

Lee’s Gun and Pawn, Margate FL (best local guys in Broward county)
 
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NIGHTLORD40K said:
Take Aim Gun Shop and Gun Range in Sarasota.
https://takeaimgunrange.com/

Large, super clean showroom and excellent indoor range with great ventilation, air conditioning, and lots of soundproofing. They allow centerfire rifles up to .30-06 (no Mosins though), have a ton of rentals, and offer CCW classes. Family owned and operated for many decades here with a friendly and knowledgeable staff.

A large regional chain store opened a new location directly across the street in a solid D-bag move, but Take Aim continues to thrive. Many new customers have come from the big store after being mistreated there.

Highly recommended in the Sarasota/Bradenton area.:thumbup:
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Went into that place today. A very nice facility, A lot of people were in the place, the range was pretty active. Looks like all newer guns and nothing older.
 
indy1919a4 said:
Went into that place today. A very nice facility, A lot of people were in the place, the range was pretty active. Looks like all newer guns and nothing older.
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In normal times, they usually have a mix of new guns and older consignments. Unfortunately, the best place in this area to find old guns, Red Barn Gunshop, closed in Febuary when the owner, Roger, passed away at age 84. He was my good friend and that was my all-time favorite hole-in-the wall gunshop and happy place. We would have lunch together several times a week and he would tell funny stories about guns, the business, and his experiences as an Army tank commander during the Cold War.
Sadly, the best place to find old guns locally now are pawn shops and the Two Guys Gunshow in Sarasota.
 
So there is a newer gun store/range near me that has a really unique approach. There is no "gun counter" with a sales associate standing behind. Instead its more like a showroom with firearms in glass display cases and guns hanging on walls. Kinda like a jewelry store or car showroom. The sales staff walks around with you answering questions and opening up the displays to show you guns. I haven't shot there but the range is state of the art too. I can't wait to do business here! https://foxvalleysr.com/
 
Dick's Country Store and Music Oasis , Churubusco New York . Nice shop with a great selection . Plenty of firearms, ammo, components for the gun lover to stay busy for quite some time . Amazing guitar shop is a bonus , I don't play but I like checking them out, Dick has some very nice high-end Gibsons, Martins , etc . Another bonus is the country store makes great Michigans ,great sauce over a local Glazier hotdog (Red Hot) .
 
Jimbo80 said:
On the opposite side of the hole in in the wall spectrum is Nexus Shooting in Davie FL. https://www.nexusshooting.com . It has a state of the art range that is pretty amazing. Think Asteroids with live ammo. Take a look at their website and if you are ever in the Ft. Lauderdale area it is definitely worth a visit.
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Wow thanks, I kinda liked it liked the virtual targets..



Reminds me a little of the movie shooting galleries of the early 1900s..

Fig-3-Advertisement-for-the-Bounding-Buck-from-The-Sun-9-December-1917_correct.jpg

Fig-4-Illustration-from-Frederick-Talbot-Practical-Cinematography-1913-700x500.png
 
Red Dot Shooting Incorporated
WJS Outdoors
Freedom Guns
Twisted Industries
Blackside Tactical and many more within 10 miles of here
If you are willing too drive 30 miles there are about 50-100 more around here. Dimondback and Kel -Tec manufacturing are just a stones throw away. All great people and places.
 
gunlaw said:
Dunn’s sporting goods in Pevely Mo. Now strictly sporting goods, I remember when they had a liquor department. Liquor and ammunition in the same store. Ahh the good old days.
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That's a good one. Wish the St. Charles location was still open. I didn't know about the liquor.
 
Gunsport Colorado in downtown Boulder. Known as Bighorn Trading Company in a previous life. Located across the street from the Boulder High student parking lot. Amazing shop covering all eras with new, used, consignment and GunBroker. Many people are shocked that they exist, let alone thrive, in the lions den of Boulder.
 
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