View Full Version : Stores that no longer sell firearms.
The Sears thread got me thinking about all the places that used to sell guns but no longer do.
I'm was born in 69' and my dad bought me my first .22 at Sears (At North Valley Mall if I remember correctly). I got my first Remington 1100 at Target in Boulder and another at Service Merchandise. I remember a gas station over off of about 74th and York that used to sell guns and gas.
Hell, I even managed to buy a nice 20ga SxS and an HK93 off of ebay before they stopped selling firearms.
There are probably quite a few people on here that never realized the types of places that used to sell guns.
Dicks sporting goods and sports authority used to sell pistols. Now they only sell long guns.
kmart, jcpenny, western auto(now parts america) for the old guys, yellow front, gibsons, and montgomery wards, and i'll add others as my oldtimers memory allows.
kmart, jcpenny, western auto(now parts america)
I do remember Kmart, didn't know about jcpenny or western auto. Now Wal-mart is the only place left to get wiper blades, some tires and a .308. :)
funkymonkey1111
11-17-2012, 15:59
Service Merchandise used to have decent prices on the handful of guns they sold. I haven't seen one of those in years.
I do remember Kmart, didn't know about jcpenny or western auto. Now Wal-mart is the only place left to get wiper blades, some tires and a .308. :)
walmart used to sell handguns as well,
Service Merchandise used to have decent prices on the handful of guns they sold. I haven't seen one of those in years.
Used to be one of my favorite stores but it looks like they're gone forever.
"Service Merchandise is an online retailer (http://www.ar-15.co/wiki/Online_retailer) and former retailer chain of catalog showroom stores carrying fine jewelry, toys, sporting goods, and electronics (http://www.ar-15.co/wiki/Electronics) that existed for 68 years (from 1934 to 2002)."
newracer
11-17-2012, 16:07
Bought my first shotgun from JCPenny.
Great-Kazoo
11-17-2012, 16:13
Long's drug
buffalobo
11-17-2012, 16:14
We used to buy our guns from the local hardware store.
StagLefty
11-17-2012, 17:17
I remember my dad buying guns from magazine ads and the postman delivering them [Beer]
Kraven251
11-17-2012, 17:27
There are so many places that sold guns of all varieties that don't anymore, but in contrast to that there is a much larger number of gun shops cropping up. I am sure all the legal trappings are what has driven many of these stores to not carry firearms, but luckily there are other businesses filling the void.
DSB OUTDOORS
11-17-2012, 17:34
kmart, jcpenny, western auto(now parts america) for the old guys, yellow front, gibsons, and montgomery wards, and i'll add others as my oldtimers memory allows.
^^^^ This. I'm only 42 but I remember all of those. My dad bought me my 1st 30-06 from Target when I was 15yo. still have it too.
There are so many places that sold guns of all varieties that don't anymore, but in contrast to that there is a much larger number of gun shops cropping up. I am sure all the legal trappings are what has driven many of these stores to not carry firearms, but luckily there are other businesses filling the void.
Definitely seems like there are more gun stores these days but I'm still amazed at how many large retailers have stopped selling guns and even sporting goods for the most part (Target for instance). Have you been in the new Sports Authority Elite? It's more like a clothing store; we couldn't even find appropriate shoes for the kids to go fishing in (we were looking for some kind of outdoor open shoes like Teva or anything similar). When I asked if they had shoes that would be good for getting wet they looked at me like I was crazy.
kmart, jcpenny, western auto(now parts america) for the old guys, yellow front, gibsons, and montgomery wards, and i'll add others as my oldtimers memory allows.
"Yellow Front", I was trying to remember the name of that one. My wife had never heard of them and we were over off of 72nd and HWY 2 and I was telling here about the store that used to be there where we bought sporting goods.
I got my first Remington 1100 at Target in Boulder
If only they carried them now....
I distinctly recall Herter's catalogs around the house as a kid.
Whistler
11-17-2012, 18:23
My 1st shotgun - H&R Topper .410 from Western Auto. I was surprised to see the Ace Hardware in Eaton has a small gun room in the back.
My first shotgun came from Target.
Snowman78
11-17-2012, 20:38
My 1st shotgun - H&R Topper .410 from Western Auto. I was surprised to see the Ace Hardware in Eaton has a small gun room in the back.
Ace in Loveland also has firearms
My first shotgun came from Target.
I always laugh about how horrified mamy people in Boulder would be to know that their Target once sold guns.
I was born in '56 in OK, and I remember all kinds of places that sold guns. One of the best places in town was a small family-owned drugstore chain. The best place to buy the coolest gun-type toys was the local Safeway store.
I was born in '56 in OK, and I remember all kinds of places that sold guns. One of the best places in town was a small family-owned drugstore chain. The best place to buy the coolest gun-type toys was the local Safeway store.
Yer old. [Coffee]
Safeway and Piggly Wiggly for candy cigarettes and cigar gum. Our local 5&10 was the best place for toy guns.
my first new gun came from Kmart. I was 14. Also bought a bowling ball from them 10 or 15 years ago. They drilled it right in the store, next to the guns. Boy times have changed. The worst part is I'm not even 40 . I can only imagine how I'll be "looking back" when I'm in my 60's.
my first new gun came from Kmart. I was 14. Also bought a bowling ball from them 10 or 15 years ago. They drilled it right in the store, next to the guns. Boy times have changed. The worst part is I'm not even 40 . I can only imagine how I'll be "looking back" when I'm in my 60's.
This was my dad at 60.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt3Ny_BG3yQ
I bought my first handgun from Garts brothers (now sports authority) which no longer sells guns. At one point Sports authority had stopped selling guns altogether. I also bought a hand gun from Gallyans which was my favorite sporting goods store for ages (now Dicks) and they no longer sell handguns.
GilpinGuy
11-18-2012, 00:15
Service Merchandise used to have decent prices on the handful of guns they sold. I haven't seen one of those in years.
Man, I bought my first gun ever (a Mossberg 500) at a Service Merchandise in Fishkill, NY when I was 18yo...that was a LONG time ago...hahaha. I still have that gun. Works like a charm. [Weight]
It started with well before but "bowling for columbine" put the end to caring guns and ammo. No business wanted Michael Moore on tv telling them they contributed to killing 13 people.
Bailey Guns
11-18-2012, 08:03
I still have the Sears Model 101-10041 .410 shotgun my parents bought me when I was about 9 years old...would've been around 1969 or 1970. The squirrel population in east Texas is a lot lower because of that gun. I happened to see it in the back of the safe a week or two ago and just had to put a few rounds through it. Ahh...the memories.
I bought a Mini-14GBF and a stainless GP-100 at the Western Auto in Plattsmouth, NE back in 1988. First guns I ever bought for myself. Spent almost $700 for both of them. :)
spittoon
11-18-2012, 08:24
wool worth's at the villa itala mall use to have surplus 30 carbines ,m1's on a open shelf . that was fun as a kid to pick them up and dream.
KevDen2005
11-18-2012, 08:30
walmart used to sell handguns as well,
Just talked to a walmart employee in Parker yesterday while buying ammo. That store will for sure be selling rifles again after the store remodel. I don't think this will happen but he said walmart is trying to get the ability to sell pistols...maybe they see money in the gun selling world right now.
Foss Drug store in Golden used to sell guns and you could buy ammo at any 7-11 store. Bought a Ruger 10-22 at K Mart for $54.
It started with well before but "bowling for columbine" put the end to caring guns and ammo. No business wanted Michael Moore on tv telling them they contributed to killing 13 people.
Back when Clinton was Pres the he directed the ATF to lower the number of FFLs. A lot of home gunshops where I lived gave up their FFLs when it was time to renew because of the pressure put on them by the ATF. I also know of one hardware store that quit because the owner didn't want to put up with the ATF breathing down their neck.
Whistler
11-18-2012, 08:58
My dad told me about buying cheap surplus Enfields out of a barrel at K-mart, dig out the one you like. Don't recall it myself was still a little kid.
Western Auto used to sell me ammunition when I was a kid, $.25 a round for shotgun shells and .05 cents a round for .22 ammo!
We also had OTASCO stores (Okahoma Tire And Supply Co.), and they always had big gun, ammo and accessory selections. Probably had 'em at Sears and Woolworth's too. Enid, Oklahoma, there was all kinds of places to buy guns! Just wasn't any place to go shoot 'em unless you knew a landowner.
Western Auto used to sell me ammunition when I was a kid, $.25 a round for shotgun shells and .05 cents a round for .22 ammo!
they were gouging you.
Dicks sporting goods and sports authority used to sell pistols. Now they only sell long guns.
Sports Authority at Colorado Mills doesn't even have a hunting section anymore... I just don't give them my business any longer.
UncleDave
11-20-2012, 09:30
Yeah we used to get bricks of .22 at the liqueur store for $10.
Every small town hardware store (Pagosa Springs was Gibson, I think ... that was a long time ago) and most around here. I remember going to Target and wandering around for 20 minutes trying to find their gun section right after they stopped selling. It was quite disconcerting.
Heck, I remember gas stations in the mountains with a better firearm selection than most sporting goods stores have now. Pretty darn pricey most of them, but better than losing a hunting day driving home because you forgot ammo (Yes, I've done that. Nearly forgot my bolt one year, I don't think the gas station could have helped with that one)
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