"Odd" Gun Stores That Sell Nothing

[Cosmoline]

Over the years I've probably been in several hundred gun stores in Alaska in the PNW. A few have really stood out as "odd." There's one in Anchorage now that has me scratching my head, for example. The location is difficult to find, and the signs point to a closed and locked building. The actual store is in an adjoining building, but no signs indicate this. Once you actually go in, it's not clear if it's open for business or not. A lone clerk was helpful enough, but the mystery continued. There were a few cases with pistols and knives, none of which had a price tag! When I asked the prices, they turned out to be in the "so high you shouldn't ask" category for the knives and likewise for the pistols.

There's no way this place is making any money. It gets me wondering if someone is using it as a tax writeoff and just doesn't care. Has anyone else seen this sort of thing?

 

[ABTOMAT]

Money laundering? There's a store in the next town that supposedly sells live lobsters and stuffed toy animals, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone in there. Only one rumor going around.

On the other hand, it could just be a real crazy hobby. A guy a mile or two from here has a boat supply store that looks like my basement during a "bad" period. You know, stuff tipping over as you walk through, merchandise piled on the floor, an 1" of dust on everything, no price tags, everything looking 20 years old. Half the time you go in (if you can fit through the door) the wife (who knows nothing about boats) is at the counter and won't make a sale. I think most of his inventory comes from other stores with owners who have recently quit. And this isn't a flea market deal, this is a storefront with prime real estate on the water. I gather from talking around town that the store is just a hobby for a wealthy guy who likes boats.

 

[Cosmoline]

I thought of that, but being an FFL to launder funds would be one of the worst ideas in criminal history. Every transaction must be carefully recorded for the feds, and all it would take is to compare the lack of transaction records with the enormous listed profits to see something was up.

 

[stevekl]

Frankly, I find this whole thing to be bizzare and frightening.

 

[Cosmoline]

"This is a gun store, isn't it?"
"Yes sir, finest in the city! We've got.."
"No no, don't tell me, I'm keen to guess. Enfields?"
"No."
"Springfield rifles?"
"Fraid not"
"Mosin-Nagants?"
"Normally, sir yes. But the barge got stuck."
"Did it."
"Yes sir. Terrible thing. Rifles everywhere."
"Glocks?"
"No."
"1911's?"
"No."
"What about those right there?"
"Those aren't for sale, sir. They've all been sold."
"What about CZ's?"
"Not today sir."
"Colts?"
"No."
"Winchesters?"
"Oh, not anymore sir."
"Marlins?"
"Yes, we have some of them."
"Ah! Perfect, hand forth the rifles Marlin with all haste."
"Come again, sir?"
"I'd like to see them."
"See what?"
"The Marlins."
"Ahh, well it looks like the owner took them."
"Did he."
"She, sir."
"Astras"
"No"
"Stars"
"Only on Tuesdays."
"Browning Hi-Powers?"
"Not this month, sir."
"Smith & Wessons?"
"Not much call for them round these parts."
"Not much call for Smith & Wessons? They're the single most popular revolvers in the country!"
"Not round here, sir."
"Well what is popular here?"
"Rugers, sir."
"Rugers."
"Yes. They're quite popular here."
"Do you have any Rugers, he asked expecting the answer no."
"Nnnnnnn No sir."
"Do you in fact have any guns in this store at all?"
"Of course, sir! It's the finest gun store in the district!"
"I'm going to ask you that question again, and if you say 'no' I'm going to shoot you through the head."
"With what, sir?"

 

[myusername]

I was trying to quote ABTOMAT's post but couldn't figure out how to on this board.

There is a hunting shop just like that where I live, everything in the place looks like it was just left there from a shop that closed and it is all dusty. You have to walk over things to get around the place. The area is starting to be the up and coming place with new galleries and restaurants so I think the guy is just sitting on this place until someone offers him enough money for the building.

 

[c_yeager]

Yeah ive seen shops like that too. I suppose it could be someones idea of mantaining a "store front" as a requirement for their FFL that they use for collecting purposes. Or they could make their bread and butter through transfers and police business or through gunsmithing/custom work, although those places dont seem to even know how to tranfer a weapon. I'm curious about the whole thing as well.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

+1 on the front.
It might not be a bad type of front though. I think a FFL prohibits you from using a residence as a place of business so maybe it's a hobby type FFL that needs a storefront. I reckon if I ever become a SOT (oh that would be sooo cool) I'd need a storefront to keep my full-auto fantasies afloat!

 

[aaronrkelly]

There is not requirement to have a storefront to have an FFL. I know a coupe guys in town that just recently got their FFLS (this year) that operate out of their houses.

 

[P-35/53]

The oddest supposed gunstore I know of was outside of my hometown . The store was in an outbuilding on someones farm -had signs up with buisness hours posted. the first time I was there was with a friend who had actually bought a gun there. As wqe pulled up the door opened and a mn who my friend said owned the place approched us. He asked what we wanted to se i said 22 pistols he sid he was out of them - 38 specials I say - nope none . Another car pulled up and the owner ask what he wanted he said he was a Police officer looking to buy ammo. The owner ask for his ID . He looked at the card and Badge told us to leave he had nothing nad invited the officer in. Needless to say I took my money elsewhere and bought my 22 revolver. But the whole thing was odd. The Police Officer knew me and my friend and smiled and called us by name but it wa obvious he had no intrest in my new buisnes or my friends repeat buisness.

 

[gearbox]

Cosmoline, if you did that by memory I am impressed

However, you forgot to incorporate the owner's name and the fact that the shoppe is so clean, certainly uncontaminated by guns.

I love the sketch so much my cat is named Wensleydale.

 

[Zen21Tao]

We have a gunstore like that around here. Once you ask the price of a new gun you find that it is about what the MSRP and the owner won't haggle much unless you are a regular. He just doesn't care if he makes the sale or not, to him his gunstore is his retirement hobby. One big upside is that he has some great used trade-ins sometimes and there are some nice consignment guns too. Also, he offers a lay-a-way program that can't be beat, as much as 6 months for regulars. It is no surprise that the store stays alive beacuse of its regulars who sit around and chit chat with the old man (owner) for a couple hours at a time. I have to say that it is refreshing to find a gunstore that caters to its gun entusiest regulars rather trying to stick it to the off the street gun novice. I like being a regular at this particular shop.

 

[Number 6]

My mom tells me that my uncle used to run a gun store like the one Cosmoline describes. The place was a little room behind another business with just a few guns in it. My uncle was a full time engineer and only ran the business as a hobby. My uncle and his business partner probably used the store for a reason to buy more guns, and to sit there and talk about guns without their wives bugging them.

 

[PigPen]

ZEN, the first problem that I see with "groupies" around is that, I want the clerk/owners attention, while I shop. I do not want a group discussion about how useful a certain caliber is for x, y, or z and I do not want to hear what happened on last years hunt with x, y, or z. In short, I want a knowledgeable clerk who knows the product as well as his current inventory and I want (am paying for) his/her undivided attention for the brief time that I am there. If I want a discussion, I come to The High Road!

A crowd of onlookers will driver me on down the road!

PigPen

 

[redneck2]

The longer you live, the more wierd ducks you find in this world.

I used to fly small planes. The number of people that flew little or never but still hung around the airport was baffling. Just wanted to BS about planes I guess. Kinda like guys who just hang around a gunshop or an internet site BS's about guns instead of shooting. They like the idea of being involved but actually doing it is too much time, effort, or money.

There used to be a guy in Hammond, IN. Weird, weird dude. Had a lot of OLD stuff.....mil surp, 60's, 70's stuff. Prices were somewhere above sky high. Same guns every time you went in. Some of the "new" ammo had to be 15-20 years old. He was murdered in some sort of "robbery". Never solved to my knowledge.

I've seen shops like this and think it's the idea of being involved without being involved.

 

[psyopspec]

Doug's Bar, Wholesale Guns and Shells

Wierdest gun shop I've been in is Doug's Bar, Wholesale Guns and Shells. Last night I returned to my home town, and after supper I and a cousin visiting from across the state had nothing to do. The weather was good, so it seemed like a great opportunity to step off to a local shooting spot for the evening. Unfortunately, I didn't have but a couple mags with JHP's for my CCW. The worst part about being in a small town on Memorial Day weekend is that everything is closed - no hardware store, no Pamida, and Wal-Mart won't be here for another couple years.

That's when I remembered Doug's. I'd driven by it while filling in for a friend of mine who drove a mail delivery route to the satellite offices in the smaller towns. The drive was about fifteen minutes. Going into the bar, I noticed the cute female bartender behind a long counter on my left. On my right was a smaller bar stocked with cases of soda and cases of ammo. Hanging above the bar were three or 4 rifles and a couple shotguns. I sauntered up to the bar and ordered three boxes of 9mm, straight up. Hell of an experience...

The ammo was a little overpriced at 11 bucks a box for CCI Blazer. But when no one else is open for business, the market was all his. Besides, I'll be able to tell my kids I used to by ammo in a bar.

 

[thebigc]

the oddest gun store is down the street from me he wanted 500 dollars for a nra pistol class a small bottle of rem oil costs like 12 dollars he wanted 5 bucks for a box of .22lr thunderbolts and he dosent stock 12 guage 30/06 or .45acp i dont think i have ever bought anything there.

 

[Zen21Tao]

ZEN, the first problem that I see with "groupies" around is that, I want the clerk/owners attention, while I shop. I do not want a group discussion about how useful a certain caliber is for x, y, or z and I do not want to hear what happened on last years hunt with x, y, or z. In short, I want a knowledgeable clerk who knows the product as well as his current inventory and I want (am paying for) his/her undivided attention for the brief time that I am there. If I want a discussion, I come to The High Road!

A crowd of onlookers will driver me on down the road!

PigPen

First, the clerk is usually always behind the counter. There is a table that regulars sit at and the owner usually sits there with us. When a customer comes in the owner usually gets up and goes over to help the clerk and the customer. We don’t interfere unless specifically asked something by the customer. You would be more than welcome to take you business elsewhere if you came in and was offended by people sitting around a table chatting amongst themselves. Or you could come in do your shopping and leave without being as much as acknowledged by the regulars. However, there have been many customers that have asked the regulars questions and found them very helpful. Again, that is only if the customer asks for advice or information. Also, many customers have become regulars because they like the laid back friendly environment. We live in the heart of the south and many appreciate a store with good old fashioned southern hospitality.

As for “groupies” that couldn’t be further from the truth. The regulars aren’t people that just come in and hang around a gun store. People “hand out” because they are friends with the owner and the owner enjoys and appreciates their company. Again, the owner is an older retired gentleman that uses his store as a hobby and social environment. In fact he even sells beer and soda at cost.

Kinda like guys who just hang around a gunshop or an internet site BS's about guns instead of shooting. They like the idea of being involved but actually doing it is too much time, effort, or money.

Actually there is a shooting range on the site that the gunshop owner sold a couple years ago. Also this shop not only makes more money from repeat customers than from new customers it also makes more money in repeat business that every other gunstore for a 20 mile radius combined. The regulars aren’t just BS they put their wallets where their mouth is. And most shoot at the range on a regular basis. (Right now I usually shoot there about 2 hours a week).

check the place out for yourselves
Old home page for both the gunstore and range
http://www.afn.org/~guns/

Here is a write up my Massad Ayoob about the gunstore and the owners famous shootouts.
http://www.afn.org/~guns/ayoob.html

 

[Mooseman]

I've got a weird shop in my area. Dom's Old, Odd, and Otherwise. It's really cool inside with all sorts of milsurp, antiques, etc. The problem arises when you ask about buying anything. Prices are way too high and the stock looks like it hasn't turned over in 20 years. The owner is older than Yoda but with a worse personality. Shame really, the place is more like a museum than a shop.

 

[sm]

I miss the stores of yesteryear.

These were not "odd" in our way of thinking back then - today they would be considered so.

-Mom & Pop grocery store, with the selection of simple guns and ammo. Various hunting seasons would of course change the gun selection, or ammo needs. Always a few handguns in a simple glass showcase, with the Shrade and Case knives, the "Dollar Barlow" knives in a tin can up near the register.

"Gimme a pound of that bacon, half pound of BB Loaf, that single shot .410 still there, okay I want it and toss in some birdshot from the coffee can, and a box of .22 shorts"

Since most folks only had one vehicle, and the husband used it to get back and forth to work, Ma / Grandma would have Mom&Pop Grocery deliver this stuff.
Maybe was for a kids B-Day,.... and folks would pay off the tab on Friday

-Hardware Stores the same as the Grocery.
Ladies did fixin' around the house if something broke and hubby at work.
Not uncommon for a delivery to be made ( no extra vehicle remember?) so along with the plumbing part, a knife, ammo for a kid, and help learn how to fix a leaky pipe by mom/grandma.

-Ditto the Drug store, he mostly keep .22 guns and ammo.
Read his comic books, get a Cherry Coke, remember you were supposed to get that medicine for a neighbor, and get 10 .22 shells out of the tin box...catch the bus back...or hitch-hike, to save that .07 bus fare.

-General Stores. [Mom&Pop]

I was about 6, and mom and I had taken the train to see my Aunt. Girl cousin needed a bathing suit and "had to have" the one at the General Store. Us boys ( me and cousins) got dragged to this thing [yuck]. The showcase has the handguns, back behind the counter the long guns. "You boys behave", they found us, in the back with the owner - he was showing and letting us handle a Beretta Minx.

My Aunt and mom said to behave, we were.

"Can we have it [Minx]? She got a stupid bathing suit, we want to share this"

We didn't it, we *sigh* got to pick out water pistols, to play with while swimming in the lake...not fair.

Uncle made up for it later we got .22 ammo from the gas station and got to shoot afterall.

 

[real_name]

Cosmoline, you forgot the gun that was "too runny".

Maybe these 'non-operational' stores are an elaborate cover for people in a Witness Protection Scheme. They sit in a room surrounded by guns hoping none of them sell and that Billy the Razor doesn't walk in, of course if he does they are suitably armed though.

/tin foil hat off.

 

['Card]

I have no idea what the rules may be in WYA (Where You Are) but here I suspect these kinds of places have something to do with gun shows.

See, down here in eastern NC, there's one rotating gun show that kind of shuttles around between 4 cities. Every weekend it's in one of those 4 places, and they just kind of rotate. Several times I've seen a gun that interested me there, so I've grabbed a business card and then later gone to look for the shop during the week, only to find something like what you described. A few guns, no one very interested in selling anything. I've just kind of figured they might be required to maintain a storefront in order to participate in the gun shows, and since that's their main source of business they probably don't bother packing and unpacking all of their stock every week.

Or, those places may be where the space aliens are tuning and tweaking their mind control lasers, preparing to enslave us all.

 

[Onmilo]

Yeah, I love old time gun shops.
The reason there never seems to be any old winchesters or colts, or smiths is because very few can actually command the top drawer prices that upscale gun stores charge.
Most old time shops price according to condition and ten day or less turn around is the buisiness of the day.

Visit these places often and be prepared to buy, you never know what you will find on your next visit.
P.S. Those guys hanging out with the owner are collectors and they are just sitting there fishing.
Sometimes we get the gun registered in the book and a form 4473 filled out in less than 30 minutes.
Those hangers on know the game.

If a clerk tells you a stock of stuff is coming in on tuesday, then make an appearance on wednesday.
UPS and Fed-Ex usually show up the day after they are supposed to.

 

[gamachinist]

I agree with Zen21Tao about the "air" of his favorite shop.

It sounds a lot like my favorite shop when I first started collecting guns,except he didn't have as many all day visitors.

He was a retired Army Major,and the shop was a hobby that made some money,and he was very helpful to a 18 yo kid.I bought one Mauser on layaway and let it sit until my 18th birthday.
Same with one of my first Colts Government Models,it was waiting on me until me 21st birthday!
I sure miss Wallys.

I've been in one pawn shop that advertised guns,and I was told that they didn't want to sell them over the counter,they kept them to display at gun shows so they could get in the door with the jewerly and other pawn shop stuff.
Since then,most shows in GA have made it a gun and related item only show to keep the flea market stuff out.

One other shop took me about two years to make a deal with,but after that,I was treated like a valued customer.
I must have hit them on just the right day for that first deal,as the Light 12 A 5 I bought was located and removed from a case that was ready to be loaded in the truck for a gun show.
Maybe it wasn't such a good thing after all,they got me to collecting Winchester Lever Actions instead of Colts and mil surps!

 

[slide]

I'm another who can't figure out how to quote on this board.

Anyway, I met a guy at a gunshow once who was a dealer, but his prices were silly high. I asked him why he bothered to show up because nobody would buy this stuff at those prices.

He said that his motive was wife - appeasement. He excused his collecting habit by saying he was in it for the money as a buyer / seller, but he really never wished to sell. So he bought, then priced high. The gun shows were his way to leave his house, get in with some friendly sorts, and say he was off selling.

I surmise his wife didn't audit his books.

BTW, how DO you quote on this board?