your fav old school gun shops that are no more

[twofifty]

This post by coulee in the current 'Wholesale distancing themselves' thread got me thinking of old school gun shops that I used to patronize and that are no more.

Let's name our favorite gunshops of yore. Some might have had a half-dozen stools to spin yarns from while the shop dog snoozes by the stove. You know what I mean.

Your old favourites don't have to be from Alberta, they can be from anywhere in Canada. If your favourite is still in business, give us some contact info.

Quoting coulee:
"The only constant is change. I miss the days when Wholesale Sports was, "Frenchy's" on 9th avenue in Inglewood. I'm talking Calgary of course. I hate to date myself, but how many of you remember, "Guncraft" on Edmonton Trail? And for you real old guys, how many of you remember, "McRae-Pioneer," on 17th Ave in Forest Lawn. The 870 my father bought me from McRae-Pioneer in 1979 still throws lead like the day he bought it.

Retailers will come and go. The important thing is to keep your eye on the ball when it comes to hunting and fishing rights for guys like us.

I can still remember having a New Years eve drink at Guncraft in 1983 with Gunther, their great gunsmith, on the afternoon of Dec 31. Unfortunately, if you live in the city, anyway, those days are gone."



Have at it! Let the nostalgia flow!

edit: bolded coulee's old favourites.

[Kanonfodder]

The old hardware store on Jasper and 97 st, where the Hardware Grill now sits, used to spend hours there

[twofifty]

My favourites were in Ottawa, where I lived through to middle age.

#1 Laurentian Trading Post, Ottawa.
Laurentian was a dark, well cluttered general sports shop, with a large gun counter, well stocked with shooting and hunting goodies. Guns were a specialty.

The good ole boys behind Laurentian's counter sold me 2 firearms over 3 years, a Redfield 10x scope, some soft and hard cases, duck decoys, a 12g Pacific loader. All are still in use today except for the decoys. Laurentian has been defunct for years-don't know why or when they closed...probably due to the big box craze.

#2 Ray's Gun Shop, Stittsville, ON
Old Ray was and looked like a benchrest shooter, a man of few words. Small shop in a small town about 20 miles W of Ottawa. Bought a rifle and shooting bags from Ray; sold the gun last year. The shop closed when Ray passed. Stittsville was later swallowed by Ottawa and is now surrounded by suburbia.

[jungleboy]

The old Klondike Arms where P&D is now. I bought my first rifle there , a used Browning BLR 308 That whole street was gun stores. Custom Gun,and a couple other I can't recall their names

[WayneChristie]

Frenchys for sure. after the fire when they moved across the road I got a great deal on a ruger superblackhawk 44 mag. miss their fishing gear too

[petew]

WW Arcade 97 and Jasper.

[Kanonfodder]

Originally Posted by petew

WW Arcade 97 and Jasper.

Lol thanks was killing me couldn't remember

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

The old Klondike Arms where P&D is now. I bought my first rifle there , a used Browning BLR 308 That whole street was gun stores. Custom Gun,and a couple other I can't recall their names

You may have bought that rifle from my Father. He also worked at Edmonton Sporting Goods and Trail Firearms when they were around.

LC

[catnthehat]

I think there was trail Firearms in Calgary?
Emile of many guns was always good to kill some time .
There were more than a few shops in McMurray, Andy Fortier had a great store for years, as did Art Avery and Bob Heinz, and a few others.....
Cat

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

You may have bought that rifle from my Father. He also worked at Edmonton Sporting Goods and Trail Firearms when they were around.

LC

Possible although it was 30+ yrs ago so I don't recall who sold it to me. Seems to me one of the guys behind the counter had a issue with one of his arms but I don't really remember for certain

[Smokinyotes]

I remember the first Remington 700 bdl I bought at custom gun. I really liked west gate guns in Edmonton as well. Bought quite a few scopes at WW arcade.

[sns2]

Don's Gun Shop on 156st and 95 avenue. Used to ride my bike there and shoot the breeze with Don when I was in junior high. Bought my first reloading kit there - Ponsness warren 375 Duo-matic - and all my supplies. I think he used to get a kick out of me coming in and asking a ton of questions.

Don was a far cry from some of the arseholes that work behind gun counters now.

[jungleboy]

Kinda Sad really ,all those mom and pop businesses gone and replaced by...Take a number and our un knowledgable staff will get to you when they are done texting their life partners about what they want on their tofu salads tonight

[Selkirk]

Long gone ... 'GunCraft' on Edmonton Trail in Calgary.

Them were the days

Mac

[bobalong]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

The old Klondike Arms where P&D is now. I bought my first rifle there , a used Browning BLR 308 That whole street was gun stores. Custom Gun,and a couple other I can't recall their names

That was a great street to spend a Saturday on. Some days it was like ants on the street, everyone going from to store, always seem to meet someone you knew down there.

[elkdump]

I miss the old informal "gun wall" in Second Hand Stores and Pawn Shops,
those previous times to FAC's ,Long Gun Registration, PALs ,POLs and all the bu11shyte that came along with Anti-Gun Paranoia,

[Coulee]

Since your from SE British Columbia twofifty, I can remember buying fishing equipment in Mountain Man Sports in Cranbrook in a year I would rather not say. I still use a folding Buck knife I bought there to gut deer.

[Big Daddy Badger]

Originally Posted by Coulee

Since your from SE British Columbia twofifty, I can remember buying fishing equipment in Mountain Man Sports in Cranbrook in a year I would rather not say. I still use a folding Buck knife I bought there to gut deer.

The place to go for guns was Norbury Lake Sporting Goods.

There was a range out back.

[bubba300]

I grew up in Olds,we had Gor's Sportsline,Lyle also sold Can-Am & Ski-doo,I remember sitting on bikes and ski-doos staring at all the rifles.I think he also had a store at Rocky Mountain House also.Then we had Mclouds also bought my first 22 there,what a piece of junk it was,can't even remember what make it was but it would only fire about every 3rd shell.

[adogwiththumbs]

DOUG's barber shop in Taber. A barber shop and fishing,hunting supplies in one place.
Serve yourself up a free coffee and BS with the boys. Best concept for a sporting goods store ever. Sadly, I'm pretty sure he's passed on now.

[norwestalta]

Ww arcade was a good one as well as custom gun, Klondike and canarm. I miss those places. Still like going to corlanes in Dawson creek

[u_cant_rope_the_wind]

there used to be 4 or 5 gun shops together on the same block where P&D enterprises is , custom gun, priemer, cant remember the others names,
then Frenchies in Calgary
McDonalds sporting goods in Portage La Prairie MB is almost exactly like what Frenchies was like
used to enjoy just going into those shops always was a pot of coffee on
and friendly knowledgeable people behind the counters
the atmosphere in these modern era shops just totally sucks big time
lots of bling
filled with staff with no personality
that if you say hello to them
they either have to pull out their iPad and google an answer
or run behind the counter to a computer to google an answer and come back to you just to say hi hows it going
their all crazy and outta control these days

[norwestalta]

Originally Posted by u_cant_rope_the_wind

there used to be 4 or 5 gun shops together on the same block where P&D enterprises is , custom gun, priemer, cant remember the others names,
then Frenchies in Calgary
McDonalds sporting goods in Portage La Prairie MB is almost exactly like what Frenchies was like
used to enjoy just going into those shops always was a pot of coffee on
and friendly knowledgeable people behind the counters
the atmosphere in these modern era shops just totally sucks big time

I liked that street. Was it not premier or Klondike that had replica 50 bmg in 22? Thought one also had a 20mm anti aircraft gun when you walked in the door.

[u_cant_rope_the_wind]

Originally Posted by norwestalta

I liked that street. Was it not premier or Klondike that had replica 50 bmg in 22? Thought one also had a 20mm anti aircraft gun when you walked in the door.

ya Klondike Mil arm premier, custom gun and geesh the 5th one still slips my mind

[HuskyM38]

Trail Firearms in Edmonton was one of my favorites...I still hunt with my 6.5 Swede and a 10/22 that I got there 20 years ago. Custom Gun and Klondike were frequent stops for me and the old man too.

[norwestalta]

Originally Posted by u_cant_rope_the_wind

ya Klondike Mil arm premier, custom gun and geesh the 5th one still slips my mind

Canarm?

[ACKLEY ABE]

Originally Posted by u_cant_rope_the_wind

ya Klondike Mil arm premier, custom gun and geesh the 5th one still slips my mind

Westgate, Smokeys ..Jacks Gun Rack, Klondike, Custom,Trail (Bob always knew exactly what everyone liked), Canarm, Edmonton Sporting Goods, WW Arcade with the lady...Dot, I think....there were a number of em and most had coffee on ..... Wolfes....Dons....ahh ..Wind River....

Only one that resembles a gunshop now is The Shootist in St Albert. The rest are Walmarts with a cpl of exceptions....

[omega50]

Bought my first .22 at Farmers Supply on Main Street in Winnipeg.
My BAR at Guncraft(Ung Video)
A scope at Ribtor

[Ronji]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

Kinda Sad really ,all those mom and pop businesses gone and replaced by...Take a number and our un knowledgable staff will get to you when they are done texting their life partners about what they want on their tofu salads tonight

Sounds like WSS Edmonton.......... not sure about the tofu though.

[Slash8]

Originally Posted by petew

WW Arcade 97 and Jasper.

X2