Ace Hardware in GA

Speedo66 said:

I was on vacation in MI 2 years ago, back in the woods. Not far away was a combination supermarket, with an entire wall of different kinds of jerky from about 15 different animals that they made on premises, plus a liquor store section, hardware store section, and sporting goods section that sold guns. All in one large store.

Not inexpensive, but the best jerky I've ever had. The Dublin General Store in Wellston MI.

From their site:
"Here at Dublin Jerky, we offer 70 varieties of Jerky all made in-house. You'll find Beef Jerky, Turkey Jerky, Chicken Jerky, Pork Jerky, Buffalo Jerky, Venison Jerky, Elk Jerky, Alligator Jerky, Kangaroo Jerky, Wild Boar Jerky, Rabbit Jerky, Pheasant Jerky, Duck Jerky, Ostrich Jerky, Antelope Jerky, Snapping Turtle Jerky, and even Python Jerky. We use the highest quality meats as well as the highest quality spices available. This ultimately give you the tastiest jerky you'll find anywhere. What everyone loves about our jerky is how tender it is. We also smoke our jerky with real wood to give it that perfect flavorful consistency. One more thing, NO MSG. We don't add any MSG to any of our products. We feel that once you try our jerky, you will be hooked."

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Dublins just burned to the ground a few months ago, scratch that off your list for jerky.

The True Value in Alpine Texas has a pretty good sized gun department but the prices are high. I go to the County Sheriff's gun shop, Dodson's Guns, down the road. Much better prices.

Simpson's Hardware in Sumter, SC is an ACE Hardware store and has a well stocked selections of rifles, pistols and shotguns. I bought my first carry pistol from them. I drove them darn near crazy for about a month while I decided what to buy.

George P said:

I remember that Coast to Coast store as I lived for over 20 years; the Long's Drugs I mentioned above was also there on highway 50. I found a MEC 28 gauge conversion kit in that C2C that the new owners found in the back and didn't know what to do with it. $10 later and it was mine.

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My Dad moved up there in 1985, I used to head up there and we would shoot at the public range out by the Carson River all the time.

Stay safe.

My local ACE hardware does not sell ammo or guns, but their sister store down the road ten miles does,,, so if i need ammo. I order it front he other store and it is waiting for me to pick up at the local one, next day.

As for obscure ammo,, I have found a local gun store, and I mean local.. he operates out of the back end of his garage behind his house.... and he has all the difficult to find ammo, at prices below the prices the online ‘discounters’ have it for, not even counting shipping.

So far he has been able to get anything I need at a better price.

True Value used to sell guns until a few years ago when the owner got caught making straw purchase sales----now he's in Leavenworth I believe. Its been torn down and nothing but a vacant lot now.

In the 80's while in Phoenix I went into a grocery store that had a rather large gun shop inside.

shootstraight57 said:

We used to have guns sold in hardware stores here in Pa. but they are long gone in this neck of the woods.

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Some 45 years ago, I traded a Ruger .22 semiauto pistol for an Astra Constable .380 at a hardware store in my hometown in Illinois. I don't remember any other hardware stores except one Western Auto in a nearby town that had any guns. None do now and, with the additional state-mandated burdens recently placed on ALL gun stores, there are already fewer stores than there was at the beginning of the year.

I checked the Ace Hardware here, they don't sell guns.

Their are 2 hardware stores within 20 miles of me that sell guns, one of them is an ACE to, the other is privately owned.

Honestly I didn’t realize it was rare, even our local “feed and seed” sells ammo. When I was a kid I used to buy ammo at the (yes singular) gas station in our town.

The Ace on Oak Road in Plymouth, IN has a really nice selection of higher end items plus stripped lowers. Also decent price on transfer

Looks good. Where I grew up in rural N.C. there was one major hardware store in town. It was divided in two section with one side devoted to screws, nails and tools and the other side was guns and ammo. That's a vanishing breed.

ACE here had a small gun counter, but their real involvement was a connection with the gunsmith in that end of the county. He would pick up repair guns at the store and take them to his basement shop. He would submit a bill for parts and labor, the store would double the number and charge the customer. Easy money. The gunsmith was killed in a home repair accident, the store owner retired, and his successors did not keep up the FFL.

There was another very old fashioned hardware store with a gun counter. At one time they were the sole Browning franchise in town, so did a good business.

Pizitz, a large department store in my home town of Birmingham, had a gun department. Not large but good quality. They sold Brownings, of course, but the selection included Browning trademarked FN FAL.

Learning that there are more than a few ACE Hardware stores that sell firearms. Good to see. It is my understanding that each Ace hardware has a great deal of flexibility in terms of the kinds of merchandise they carry in their store. I have seen ammo, but not guns personally at an Ace in the last few years.

North GA also has a store where you can find your wife a purse and clothing, get a good price on a good flannel shirt and very competitive gun and ammo prices. A little bonus while going to N GA for the fall colors, be careful they are closed on Sunday.
https://alexandersstore.com/

shuvelrider said:

Dublins just burned to the ground a few months ago, scratch that off your list for jerky.

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I just checked their site and the owner's son has another store still selling their jerky. The site mentions a rebuild in the future.

It's pretty much SOP for hardware stores to sell ammo around here. Guns, not so much, I imagine mostly because it's not worth the hassle of having an FFL. Plenty of other places to buy guns.

I haven't been in an Ace hardware store since I was a kid, maybe I'll have to check them out.

There is a small hardware store near me that started selling guns 5 years ago. I started going there 7 years ago because after a couple failures with Behr and Valspar I decided to give Porter Paint a try (highly recommend). It used to be a ghost town, and half the store shelves were empty. Then new owners came, put in a huge wall of Stihl equipment, filled up the shelves with inventory and started carrying stuff even my wife and kids like, similar to how TSC is now with toys and Carhartt clothes.

They also started selling guns, and selling them for good prices. I've stopped in there on week days at 2 o'clock and found 2-3 guys at the gun counter filling out 4473 forms. On weekends there's normally at least 5 people packed around the gun counter. Last time I was there I heard one older gentleman mention he's purchased over 100 guns from them since they've opened, and his buddy had bought slightly more than that.

Beck's Hardware, Goshen OH.

Riomouse911 said:

My Dad moved up there in 1985, I used to head up there and we would shoot at the public range out by the Carson River all the time.

Stay safe.

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He and I probably crossed paths out there now and again!

We have a Farm and Home store that sells firearms, ammo and hunting gear. Prices are crazy high and I don't buy from them, but its nice to see. There is also a gas station that had a small bait shop that now sells guns. He will price match anyone's prices and I am pretty sure he goes to the larger stores and buys their firearms on sale to sell at his shop. He uses the larger stores sales flyers with their name cut off and says they are his own.

The local ACE, here in CA, of all places, sells ammo even with all the new State regulations.Reloading supplies, too!
No firearms except pneumatics though.

Georgia is an interesting place, once you get away from Atlanta...

The meat department at the grocery store....

ive bought a couple of hand guns from the ace hardware in chadron ne. their is a ranch farm feed store in alliance ne. that has a nice gun shop in one corner. buy ammo their and also a ruger lcr. i also get ammo at the farm store in gordon ne. some of the jesse james gang spent a winter on a ranch a little south of gordon ne. cooling their heels as it was too hot for them down south.

Before the GA68 there were local five and dimes selling military surplus rifles. ‘Twas back in the day of $10 Moslins and $12 SMLEs.

lysanderxiii said:

Georgia is an interesting place, once you get away from Atlanta...

The meat department at the grocery store....
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Do they sell venison, or just the mounts?

I remember when Western Auto and Gambles sold guns, but that ended with the 68 GCA. Their business was primarily in .22s.

The hardware store near my home in Superior WI had guns into the 1980’s. My local Ace guy in Minnesota says he *could* sell guns but it’s a lot of trouble for small margin and he has more shoplifters than he can handle already. I think he sort of enjoys catching them, though—there are more cameras in there than ... well, than something funny I can’t think of right now.