Who here remembers George and Ikey at Sports West?

[Doc45]

I had heard of Ikey Starks before I moved to Colorado in 1984. He had built a couple of 1911s for Chuck Taylor. He built the "Chuck Taylor Commando Special" Colt 1911.

I became a real pita to him and George Orndorff at the shop in the 1000 block of Broadway in Denver (ground floor of the original Jonas Bros taxidermy shop) for constantly bringing in various 1911s and Smith revolvers to have them "massaged" haha. Ikey moved the store a bit south on Broadway in to Englewood for the last few years of business. The Golden Triangle in Denver was beginning to boom and rent etc went sky high.

Well, Ikey's 1911s always had a unique look to them and yesterday I was in Green Mountain Guns and in the consignment case is one of his builds. He always stamped the barrel bushing and usually on the underside of the slide. This is the second one I've seen there in the past few months.

This one is a two tone 5", Bomar rear sight, ramp front, checkered front strap. Ikey always liked King's thumb and grip safeties. It's priced pretty steep but seeing it brought back some good memories of Ikey willing to do anything to a 1911 you wanted as long as he thought is was proper LOL. George was a little less grumpy.

The other gun they had for a number of months was another Gov't model, all blue, fixed sights that finally sold for just over $700. Wish I'd bought it but knew it would mostly just sit in the safe and I can't have stuff I won't use.

Ikey was also a hell of a photographer. It wouldn't be uncommon for him to spend hours after closing up talking lighting, exposure, depth of field, camera equipment etc. I believe George passed around the year 2000, Ikey in December of 2011.

Anyway, just a short trip down memory lane.

[longrange2]

I've got a S&W 624 4" that was Ikey's personal gun. It has an awesome action job. Stopped in one day not long before the store closed and asked if they had a 624. He brought it out and sold it to me.

[bczandm]

I guess I am showing my age but I was in that shop many times. A quick walk through Gart's and then across the street to Sports West was the typical trip. They did a .45 for my brother, he lived in Texas and heard they were the shop to use. I also had them tune a 629 that I still have. They did great work.

And of course you remember 300 Gunsmith when they were up on Washington. Likely not as well know but they did some great work as well.

[BPTactical]

I have a bunch of Ikey's tooling. His family held a liquidation sale a few years before his passing.
I used to drop in there when I was in high school and also "Knife World" that was near Broadway & Oxford.
Bought my first AK from Sports West. A Norinco type 56 with spike bayonet and 3 chrome follower 30rd mags.
$189.00 out the door, NIB.
Also bought 4 Polytech Legends for $399.00 each and a HK91 for $600.00.

Those were the days.

[Doc45]

Good stuff guys, glad to hear where some of his tools went. I would leave lots of my pay with Bill and Lola of the original Gun Room next door to Sports West (couldn’t pay me to deal with guy that bought it after the move to Lakewood). Bill kept me well stocked in S&Ws while Lola always enjoyed it when I’d bring in my first son when he was a toddler.

Yup, had some work done at 300 as well though it was more convenient to stop by Ikey’s.

[Robb]

Ikey did some trigger work and bushing fitting for me on a govt model. He was never much for shootin' the shit with me but he did great work, I wish he was still around.

[Great-Kazoo]

Use to wander the broadway shop while out here visiting. IIRC there was a Roy Rogers? fast food joint across the street from Garts