Leaving for Tucson in AM, please advise...

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Mauserlady

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As the title states, I am leaving for Tucson bright and early tomorrow... Moving oldest baby there... :(

Now I know Tucson pretty good, was born there and all my family still live there but I don't know the gunshops there at all... Would like to start to get to know the people and the shops as I'm sure I'll be visiting much more now...

So give me your opinions Tucsonians on the shops...
 
Best shop overall for me has been West of the Pecos. Nice people, pretty good used and new selection, and usually good prices. There are some high ones, but most are pretty good.

Jensen's East has a good selection, and reloading stuff, but that's about it. Prices are yowza.

Murphy's usually is good, but is a bit out of the way for me.

Slash K has just about anything you need for reloading. Including cheap cheap used .45 ACP brass, $10 for 1000.

Jensen's West and Marksman both have ranges. Marksman is larger but has fewer guns for rent (and were not very open to the suggestion of trying to get an XD for rent) and only a few used ones for purchase. The Jensen's West range is super small. Empties can hit the plexiglass behind you and easily bounce back...

Jason Barrett is my local transfer dealer and low price, out of his house seller. And is a Class 3 FFL if I want to try to go that direction.

Centerfire has some reloading stuff, and some guns, but I have only been there once. Same with a few other places, no need to go back.
 
WhoKnowsWho pretty much sized it up for you.

Also, Cashbox Pawnshop is a good place to visit. Groups of Shotguns and rifles there as well. Also alot of reloading equipment and goods.

Avoid Jerrys Gun Excange like the plague. Bad service and way high prices. Besides the fact that he's full of himself.

If you all need any help getting settled in or have any questions when you get here feel free to give me a holler. I work nights and wont be going in till 9 PM every night this week. So I am able to give a hand if needed.
 
Forgot about Cashbox, lots of used rifles, shotguns, and reloading stuff. I stop there every now and again.

Jerry's Gun Exchange, no other customers in there, I rememeber the first and only time I went in, 20 minutes before he was going to close...

"Kinda late for you to be shopping around ain't it?"

Me: "Why? Are you closing right now? I'm just looking real quick"

"Closing real soon, don't want to hang around"

Me, walked around real fast, with his eyes stuck on me, and left. Yuck.
 
Thanks to both of you for exactly what I was looking for..

LennJoe - Not sure what the week holds but maybe if there looks like some time we can maybe meet up at the range, I'll PM you if I can break away and it works for your schedule...
 
Jerry's used to have an ashtray every five feet down the counter - place reeked of smoke. Don't know what he does to stay in business. Are the best guns in there still not for sale? Haven't been in for years.
Lock and Load on Campbell is a little strange, but with some interesting oddball stuff.
Bounce back from Jensens East range is not quite that bad - I worked there for about a year and a half. However, I did catch a 38 wadcutter in the groin while RO'ing a bowling pin match - no permanent damage, thank Heaven!
Now, if you have the time, take Ajo way out west past Three Points, and go to the Tucson Rifle Club. I worked there for a couple of months, and that is an awesome outdoor range. Memberships aren't very expensive, and there is a 500 meter silohuette range, a 100 yard sight in, 100 yard public, 22 range, pistol, (with some poppers already on it), DPS range, 7 bay cowbay action range, and a 1000 yard rifle range. Whole place is over a mile wide, butted up against the mountains.
Desert Trails Gun Club down on the southeast side is interesting, in that the berms are made of condemned concrete castings from the abandonded concrete factory across the road. Pistol and 100 yard rifle.

I agree with West O the Pecos being the best little gun shop - interestingly enough, it is a few doors down from the highest price one, Jensens' East. Go to J-Mart and look, wander down to West o the Pecos, talk to Big Dave, and order. I like him so much, he was invitied to my wedding!
 
The shops I recommend to my students, because they are honest people to do business with, are:

Murphys Guns & Gunsmithing

Frontier Gun Shop

West of the Pecos

Cash Box

Thunderstick is another nice little shop but leans heavily toward the Cowboy Action crowd.

As for ranges, everyone forgot Pima Pistol Club up near Catalina. If you're into competition (or want to get into it) that is the place to go. IPSC, Steel Combat, IDPA and three gun matches - something every Sunday.
 
Sorry, I thought Pima Pistol Club was closing down due to that school deal, or did that go away?:confused:
They have a 100 yard range, IIRC.
Has the new Pima County Range opened partially yet?
 
Where is Pima pistol club again?

Also noticed a pistol range on Kinney road between 86 and Old Tucson Studios. Didnt have a chance to stop by cause I had a carload. Will do so this week.

Mauserlady, dress warm, its a chilly 78 here:D
 
Ranges south of Tucson on Kinney area include Tucson Trap and Skeet, another one I forgot, and the ridiculous Tucson Mountain Park range. Dinky, weird, no water.
I can't think of any more, but probably will later.
 
There was a range on Kinney road? Hmm... haven't been out that way for a while, last time I went out that way, I didn't care about guns!

Best way to find the Pima Pistol Club, http://www.pimapistol.org/ has directions. Haven't driven out there, seems a bit far... :D
 
The Kinney Road Range is run by County Parks & Recreation. It is poorly maintained, indifferently run, hours are varied and there are almost no facilities. The only thing it has going for it is a beautiful location.

Pima Pistol Club is on private land (the club owns it) and has the distinction of being the only shooting range in Southern Arizona on land actually zoned as a shooting range. That always seemed like a pretty safe bet but a year or so back the bone heads at County Zoning issued a building permit to some moron to build a house behind and just to the North of the range. Everyone is waiting for the first stray round (bounced off a rock) to land on his property and the screaming and crying will begin.

For now it is up and running, the place to go for handgun competition, and one of the few places the understands self defense (you can draw from your holster and shoot at multiple targets on some ranges).

Oh yea, go North on Oracle past the enterance to Sun City Vistoso. The next traffic light you come to is Wilds Road. Turn right (East) and go to the second street on the right (Bowman Road). Turn right again (South) and continue past the end of the pavement (slow down). Go down into the wash, bare to the left and follow the wash for about 100 yards. The road will cross the wash and at that point you are at Pima Pistol Club. Sign in at the office and pick up a copy of the range rules. $8.00 to shoot all day.
 
I just have to put in my .02 cents about West Of the Pecos. Best shop in town. I started going there when i was 16, even though the owner knew I wasn't old enough to buy anything, he still would take the time to let me handle weapons and answer my questions. Once I turned of age, and before I left for the Marines, I made all of my purchases and transfers through them with never a hitch. They also give really good prices on trade-ins if you are looking to get rid of something.
 
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