Houston shops?

[BlkHawk73]

My in-laws recently moved to the Houston (Pearland) area and my wife and I will be heading out there to visit them this summer. My father -in-law and I would like to find a good gun shop or three in the Houston (south) area. Anyone have any experience in that area? He'll be looking for older military and me, mostly any diff. handgun.

Thanx!

 

[Cawdor]

You will find the best selection of guns at Collectors. Prices are high, usually retail and above.

Also, try Fountain Firearms and Pruett's.

None of these stores is close to Pearland.

The best prices on new guns are at the gun shows: High Caliber and HGCA.

 

[Jerrywahid]

For older miltary I second the gun show suggestion.

Around Pearland, the best you are going to do is Bailey's off of Almeda (also an outdoor range), ProDefense on I45 and 518 (mostly LEO type stuff) and Marksman Indoor Range in Pasadena off of Hwy 3. These are the ones I got to though I am sure there are a few more in the general vicinity. Give me a PM if you have anymore questions about these places or Pearland in general.

 

[synoptic]

The guys at Pruetts seemed a little pushy for me. But at least they don't ignore you. Carter's country usually has very helpful people, haven't bought from them yet, but have gone to them for other things. good luck

 

[sensei]

Live in Friendswood. The two towns touch each other. Can't tell when you leave one and enter the other. There are a lot of places arond here if you know where to look. You can get good deals. Alot better than what I hear people talk about on the board here.

When you get ready...e-mail me and I will pass on some information. One of the best ways is to go to some of the local gun shows. There is one in Pasadena every other month. Close by, good prices, and good people.

sensei

 

[Detritus]

Fountain!! best place i've found in 3-1/2 years living in the area, it worth the drive from Pearland (esp if you're coming from the side near 288). even though it's alot closer to pearland, Bailey's leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

to give you an idea of how much i think of Fountain, i live around an hour drive away from the place, and it's still in the top two of shops i WANT to do business with. the other being a small mom and pop store that gives me damned good prices on things.

oh and do the whole gun owning community a favor and when you go to a gunshow stay AWAY from AJC sports. they are outrageously high priced, seem to veiw non-show customers as just above plauge carriers, and are the rudest pack of idiots i've ever met (and a fount of BAD information).

BTW i live less than 5 mins from their storefront, and i'd rather drive an hour or more into houston to pick up a bore brush (i use Pro-shot cleaing tools exclusively, next nearest source after AJC is the Carter's Country off of 59) than EVER set foot in that shop again!! that should tell you something.

 

[aerod1]

I'll have to agree with Fountain Firearms. The people are friendly and knowledgable. They have a very good selection.

Jim Hall

 

[BlkHawk73]

Well, I'm in pearland. Won't be able to make the gun shows or into Fountain. Did make it to Bailey's yeaterday. Well... I'm wasn't impressed at all. reloading selection was good but as for actual firearms, hardly anything. A few Glocks, a few ruger SA's, a few Ruger .22 MKIIs and some cheap small autos. All overpriced. Clerks were first class rednecks (in the negative sence - no disrespect to good rednecks). The range facilty was . father-in-law just won't drive anywhere else so he's stuck going here. Too bad. Fountain looks good. maybe next time.

 

[cookiemonster]

BlkHawk73,

you need to trust me when I say if you want a good deal of options, then go to the Pasadena GS. It came around just recently...Lost of good stuff...and plenty of the "good" rednecks.

The next one for Pasadena is coming up on January 1st and 2nd. Doubt if I can make that one....but just to let you know how good it is? I drive from Tomball, meet a friend in downtown (off West Alabama) and then drive out there to the GS...prefer that one over the same that goes to the Reliant...they don't sell ammo at that one...some kinda city ordinance I believe...the gunshows that go to the George R. Brown Convention Center DO sell ammo, however...

Hope this helps.

Darrell

 

[No4Mk1]

BlkHawk73,

Wish I had found this thread sooner, I would have warned you away from Bailey's. That place is a dump. There are a lot of other good options for your FIL, he doesn't have to put up with that. If he shoots with any regularity there is a good private range in Pearland.

 

[BlkHawk73]

I'm leaving tommorrow (Friday) so I'll miss the shows. FIT may try to make the Feb or Mar one though.

I would have warned you away from Bailey's. That place is a dump. There are a lot of other good options for your FIL, he doesn't have to put up with that. If he shoots with any regularity there is a good private range in Pearland.

that's an understatement! Ant additional info about this private range? he may be interested.

 

[DWS1117]

Dang! Wish I would have seen this sooner to be of help. Maybe next time your here you can hit a few more.

The ones that cawdor mentioned are all fairly good. Collectore Firearms is more of a museum. I haven't seen anything in there that wasn't way, way overpriced. But, you also won't find more guns in one place in this area without going to a gun show, and thay do have some of everything. They also have a very extensive book section. No reloading section.

Carter's Country ( only been to I-10 and Treshwig locations) has the redneck quota down. Fairly decent selection of just about every gun need. From my experience they don't stock magazine for guns they don't sell. They also don't seem to want to admit that the AWB has gone away. Carter's does have the best selection of reloading suppies that I have found in or around the city.

Pruetts is a fun little store. For the non locals, Jim Pruett is a former radio jock. Kind of a local celebrity for a while, and he will talk your ear off. Nothing shy about that man. I was in there just this afternoon. He has a decent selection. His store focuses more on the tactical types, unlike Carter's where hunting is the focus. Pruetts has all the EBR you want. He even stocks some C & R and class 3. I don't find them pushy at all. I spend as much time laughing as drooling while I am there. No reloading stuff there.

We also have a Gander Montain that just opened. Large gun section. No c & R type guns. No magazines over 10 rounds. I had the feeling that if I asked for normal capacity mags that I would have gotten the Bil Ruger lecture. Didn't feel like ruining my trip. Now if you are looking for just about any moden lever action, rimfire, bolt action, or shotgun then Gander is the place to go. Prices seemed a little high, but I've seem higher. Not too bad for a retail store.

Mayby you can keep these places in mind for next trip.

Have a safe trip back home.

 

[oneshooter]

You might go to "A Gun Shop" at Clay Rd. and Hwy6. Nice shop,small with a fair selection of new and used firearms,knives,and reloading equipment.

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas

 

[DWS1117]

Cookiemonster:

they don't sell ammo at that one

I think it is up to the individual promoter of the shows and the venue. I was at one last month (well maybe November) at Reliant hall and they had tons of ammo. I have never seen HGCA doesn't have ammo whether they are at Reliant or Brown. Saxet shows always have ammo. They are usually in Conroe. They High Caliber shows have ammo when they are at Reliant or Pasadena, but not when they are at George R. Brown. All of the shows are typical with a lot of the same vendors.

 

[Detritus]

they don't sell ammo at that one...some kinda city ordinance I believe...

the reliant show is the Houston Gun Collector's association, and it has from several different sources been expalined to me that the ban on ammo has to do with the fact that since that show is run by an "association of individuals" Vs. a for profit corporation that has been setup in such a way to avoid such entanglements.
if someone were injured by a loaded gun at an HGCA show and the injured or their family decided to get Litigious(sp?) the members of the assocation themselves could be sued into the ground, instead of like would happen if say the folks that run the High Caliber show got taken to court if expenses went too high they can declare the COMPANY bankrupt without signifigant PERSONAL loss.

btw i'm hoping to get to the pasadena show saturday but i don't know if i'll be able to, fingers crossed.

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

Yeah, Jim Pruett is (was) one half of Stevens and Pruett that was on 97.1 (The Eagle) in Dallas years ago. The man can be a real scream if you get him talking, not that he has any trouble getting jump started. He's one of the Deans of Rock Talk and is a legend.

I've got to get by his shop when I run to Houston next time.

One of the local radio guys called him up a couple of weeks ago and had him on the air again. I hear he has a pretty good operation from all indications.

Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[DWS1117]

Wow going back to Jim's Dallas days. That is going back. Stevens and Pruett were on the air with 101 KLOL for a long time here. I believe that the ranch they set up for abused children and animals is still going, but I am not sure about that.

The shop is very much a family affair, His wife, Joy, runs the business end while Jim does what he does best, talk. One of his sons works in the store and another son teaches the CHL class. I took CHL class trough them.They charge a bit more than most. Myself and 6 friends signed up for the class at the same time and he gave us a group discount. Knocked $10 off of the cost. They provide breakfast and lunch. It was a lot of fun.

 

[No4Mk1]

Tell him to check out PSC at http://www.psc-range.com/

I took hunter's ed there, and thought the facility was pretty nice. Also know a few members and they speak well of it. I would have joined myself but found a club closer to my home.

 

[cookiemonster]

DWS1117,

the ranch they set up off of 288 is still going strong. I was in there a month or so ago with a friend doing a transfer and J. Pruett started talking about it. It was indeed a sad day when those two were seperated...what happened to Mark Stevens? Someone told me he went around the bend, so to speak...

And as far as the HGCA, I have never seen one of their shows in the GRB...and the ones at Reliant always have a decent supply of reloading gear and components...but I have never seen loaded ammo...I guess I just go to the wrong ones. I have been to the Saxet in Conroe several times...I have found many deals there that are better than the Houston gunshows...small town atmosphere and no parking charge.


Darrell

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

I think Mark Stevens is still on the air somewhere...maybe OKC? Dang, they're making me feel older than I ought to.

Mark maight be pushing 65 or 70 now...

Regards,
Rabbit.