ArfinGreebly
Moderator Emeritus
Having completed my first week in North Idaho (Post Falls/Coeur d'Alene) I decided it was time to trawl the gun shoppes.
Having already visited Wal*Mart (nice gun counter) and Sportsman's Warehouse (very nice gun counter indeed), I decided to visit Black Sheep Sporting Goods.
The differences are profound and cultural.
The local knife expert is a young lady (Jen) who knew the lines, knew the hardware, had her own opinions. God, I love competence.
Then I checked out the gun counter. Oh, YES! Very nice. Asked if they had a Marlin 1894C on the rack. Yes, they did. Blue and walnut -- and for $50 less than the same rifle in Reno. And they had more than one.
Asked if they had a Marlin 39A. No, they didn't, but I should try up the street at Northwest Pony Express, who had a wide selection, including older and classic models. I would like them, I was told, as they knew their stuff and had good merchandise.
This from the competition. How very new and different.
And right up the street I went.
And asked if they had a Marlin 39A.
They had two, one from the '40s or '50s with Ballard rifling, and one from the '60s or '70s (the "Golden") with button rifling.
Their gunsmith, Lloyd, gave me the fifty-cent tour of both rifles. We stuck a bore light down both barrels and determined that they were both clean and shiny.
The newer one had a cheesy cheap scope ("no charge, unless you want us to take if off") and the gold trigger with an unvarnished (oiled, I guess) stock.
I allowed as how I'd been referred to them by Black Sheep, and they allowed as how they were good folks. "They send us plenty of people."
We chatted on about different lever guns, and they produced each one as I brought it up (Marlin 22 mag, Ruger 22 mag, etc.). We discussed the advisability of habitually shooting shorts out of a rifle, the proper application of CB longs, why high speed rounds like Stingers might not yield tight groups and so on.
In the end I plunked down for the newer (Golden) 39A with the button rifling and the cheesy scope. After all, it was $100 less.
Then I went back to Black Sheep and thanked them by buying the price difference in knives. Got a Schrade PHW, a Swiss "Tinker," and the cutest Kershaw "Whiskey Gap" pocket knife. Skipped the Buck, since I picked up a 119 from them two days ago, along with a Kershaw Echo (hey, it was my birthday!).
Went by the gun counter and made a point of thanking them for sending me to the Pony Express guys, and promised to pick up the 1894C as soon as my cash recovered. And I will make good on that promise.
My apologies for the crummy lighting and lack of steady platform.
Oh, and I almost forgot, as we were wrapping up, I inquired about M1 Carbines and stuff like that, told them about my dad preferring the Iver Johnson, but that I'd never actually met one.
"Oh, really? We have one here. Been sporterized in the stock, but otherwise all original. Here ya go. Ain't she gorgeous?"
And indeed she was. I got to hold and fondle an Iver Johnson. And for only $3,500 I could have taken it home.
You know, I think I'm gonna love this place.
Having already visited Wal*Mart (nice gun counter) and Sportsman's Warehouse (very nice gun counter indeed), I decided to visit Black Sheep Sporting Goods.
The differences are profound and cultural.
The local knife expert is a young lady (Jen) who knew the lines, knew the hardware, had her own opinions. God, I love competence.
Then I checked out the gun counter. Oh, YES! Very nice. Asked if they had a Marlin 1894C on the rack. Yes, they did. Blue and walnut -- and for $50 less than the same rifle in Reno. And they had more than one.
Asked if they had a Marlin 39A. No, they didn't, but I should try up the street at Northwest Pony Express, who had a wide selection, including older and classic models. I would like them, I was told, as they knew their stuff and had good merchandise.
This from the competition. How very new and different.
And right up the street I went.
And asked if they had a Marlin 39A.
They had two, one from the '40s or '50s with Ballard rifling, and one from the '60s or '70s (the "Golden") with button rifling.
Their gunsmith, Lloyd, gave me the fifty-cent tour of both rifles. We stuck a bore light down both barrels and determined that they were both clean and shiny.
The newer one had a cheesy cheap scope ("no charge, unless you want us to take if off") and the gold trigger with an unvarnished (oiled, I guess) stock.
I allowed as how I'd been referred to them by Black Sheep, and they allowed as how they were good folks. "They send us plenty of people."
We chatted on about different lever guns, and they produced each one as I brought it up (Marlin 22 mag, Ruger 22 mag, etc.). We discussed the advisability of habitually shooting shorts out of a rifle, the proper application of CB longs, why high speed rounds like Stingers might not yield tight groups and so on.
In the end I plunked down for the newer (Golden) 39A with the button rifling and the cheesy scope. After all, it was $100 less.
Then I went back to Black Sheep and thanked them by buying the price difference in knives. Got a Schrade PHW, a Swiss "Tinker," and the cutest Kershaw "Whiskey Gap" pocket knife. Skipped the Buck, since I picked up a 119 from them two days ago, along with a Kershaw Echo (hey, it was my birthday!).
Went by the gun counter and made a point of thanking them for sending me to the Pony Express guys, and promised to pick up the 1894C as soon as my cash recovered. And I will make good on that promise.
My apologies for the crummy lighting and lack of steady platform.
Oh, and I almost forgot, as we were wrapping up, I inquired about M1 Carbines and stuff like that, told them about my dad preferring the Iver Johnson, but that I'd never actually met one.
"Oh, really? We have one here. Been sporterized in the stock, but otherwise all original. Here ya go. Ain't she gorgeous?"
And indeed she was. I got to hold and fondle an Iver Johnson. And for only $3,500 I could have taken it home.
You know, I think I'm gonna love this place.
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