Kerf
Member
Anyone else found one of those gun places where you think you’re stepping back in time about forty or fifty years ago?
Rather than flying somewhere, I prefer to take an extra day or two and meander my way there. Taking my time on the local highways and byways, rather than the interstates and stopping in small towns to make inquiries about guns for sale, or someone local that can repair or work on guns. And I use the phone book yellow pages and look up likely places to stop. Also, the local newspaper will sometimes have guns for sale listed, or even better a local gun show at the VFW hall. And I’ll stop in the local gathering spot for a beer or a coffee and inquire who does gun repairs.
So I’ve ended up in a lot of gun places in the middle of nowhere; people’s homes, garages, barns, out buildings and small huts that are crammed with every thing under the sun in the way of guns. Several places only used natural day light for lighting, having no electricity. (Plus I collect anvils and planes, and antique tools in general, so those will usually come into play also.) Out in the hinterland, with nothing nearby in terms of civilization. I’m amazed that in the age of the Internet, places like that can still exist. You’d be surprised how many brand-new in the box, sitting on the shelf for 40 years, rifles or handguns you can locate that way, and at a very good price. (I won’t mention the used, no-lock, mint M25 8 3/8” .45 colt @ $275.00 from a small pawn shop I stumbled onto earlier this spring. I’m not here and I didn’t say that.)
So the next time you have a trip to make, like for vacation, or business, think about leaving a day or two early and maybe visit the twilight zone along the way. For me, it sure beats spending my time and money at the local gun shops in my area and seeing the same ol’ same ol’. You know, staring at row after row after row of black plastic, sometimes just isn’t worth the trip.
kerf
Rather than flying somewhere, I prefer to take an extra day or two and meander my way there. Taking my time on the local highways and byways, rather than the interstates and stopping in small towns to make inquiries about guns for sale, or someone local that can repair or work on guns. And I use the phone book yellow pages and look up likely places to stop. Also, the local newspaper will sometimes have guns for sale listed, or even better a local gun show at the VFW hall. And I’ll stop in the local gathering spot for a beer or a coffee and inquire who does gun repairs.
So I’ve ended up in a lot of gun places in the middle of nowhere; people’s homes, garages, barns, out buildings and small huts that are crammed with every thing under the sun in the way of guns. Several places only used natural day light for lighting, having no electricity. (Plus I collect anvils and planes, and antique tools in general, so those will usually come into play also.) Out in the hinterland, with nothing nearby in terms of civilization. I’m amazed that in the age of the Internet, places like that can still exist. You’d be surprised how many brand-new in the box, sitting on the shelf for 40 years, rifles or handguns you can locate that way, and at a very good price. (I won’t mention the used, no-lock, mint M25 8 3/8” .45 colt @ $275.00 from a small pawn shop I stumbled onto earlier this spring. I’m not here and I didn’t say that.)
So the next time you have a trip to make, like for vacation, or business, think about leaving a day or two early and maybe visit the twilight zone along the way. For me, it sure beats spending my time and money at the local gun shops in my area and seeing the same ol’ same ol’. You know, staring at row after row after row of black plastic, sometimes just isn’t worth the trip.
kerf