Gun Shops, of Days Gone By...

[Mark 1911]

Remember going to Milikans in downtown Hammond Gun department was downstairs.

My neck of the woods. That was a great store!

 

[traderdan]

The day of the small, hometown gun shop just may be drawing to a close. I think it is more important now than ever, to grow your circle of shooting friends...and to teach your children these valuable skills.
I also believe in supporting the local shops as much as I can..I do not like everything about the shops here in Morgan Co...but I am glad they are here!

 

[Hookeye]

WHOA! You just passed Norm's (US 30 by Larwill)

That and Schutz Bros (North Manchester) when I was a kid.

After them it was Lengels (Wabash). Good times.

Added:

Gary's Surplus (Kokomo)
and Sports Headquarters (Indy)

Shot bow at Albertson's (still around though).

 

[Notalentbum]

I can't recall the shop name but it was just West of Lynhurst on Washington street in Indy. A friend and myself had both been saving our money to buy a gun as soon as we were legal. It was just a couple weeks after we graduated high school in '77. I got one of the original style Ruger 22s before the MKII and my buddy got a Colt Gold Cup. I remember my .22 only cost me $74.99 and the shop threw in a box of ammo.
Anyone recall the name of the shop?

 

[rex soldier]

Someone mentioned Dave's Guns and Tubs in another thread, and I thought it might be fun to remember shops that no longer exist, and the characters who owned or worked in them.

As a very young man, I used to talk my father into taking me out in the country, east of Cloverdale to Starr's Gun Shop. Old Gerald Starr, (I believe that was his first name) ..did not just allow anyone to walk right in. If I remember correctly, he looked out at you, then unlocked if he desired. He was quick to promote the idea, that .45 ACP was about right for self defense! I have not been that way for a while, but I am sure Mr. Starr is long gone.

My old man took me there once, when i was a lad. You're pretty much spot on about old man star. Drove by there six years ago and the shack was still standing.

 

[traderdan]

He came after me one time when I was hunting on property across the road from his house/shop. I guess he saw the orange. I kept a large tree between he and I until he knew who I was !!

 

[marv]

In my lifetime there have been at least fifteen gun stores, gunsmiths, and stores that also sell guns in Perry County. Today there are three.

 

[Indycar:v1.1]

The Bullet Hole had in addition to the store on S. Madison Ave., a store at 86th & Keystone. In the late 80's Jim, moved it south to 75th & Keystone (what's now the Wally World strip center), moved back into the same strip center on 96th and a couple years later moved to Pendleton Pike and Franklin road into a building that housed a bar Jim Shirley owned. That lasted a year or two before Jim died in a car wreck.

Joe Montgomery opened 500 Guns on West 16th St and is still going strong.

Gary Shoemaker had his shop behind the Mickey D's at 10th and Girls School road and then moved to Main St Speedway until he died.

As said before, Indpls Sports HQ, Broadripple Bait & Tackle

I seem to remember Fall Creek Bait and Tackle having guns too

Carmel had a couple on South Rangeline Rd, one where the Circle K is now and the Outdoor Sportsman just south of Carmel Drive on Rangeline

Noblesville had one on the south side of the square from the 60's until the mid 80's

The original Galyans in Plainfield and Em-Roes downtown had the most guns of anywhere

Back then, almost every hardware store sold guns and ammo. K-Marts, Ayr-Way's, Targets sold rifles, shotguns and ammo.

The Gun Room in BG was the first commercial indoor range in town. Then Don opened at 96th & Keystone, then south of the G-wood mall, then just east of Washington Square and finally Lafayette Square. All but Lafayette square are gone.

Pawn shops used to have tons of guns too.

Anyone remember Egons the gunsmith at Em-Roes? He was a master

How about Ed Parr doing bluing jobs?

Verne Trester's shop next door to 500 Guns on 16th St?

A whole bunch of pawn shops on Pendleton Pike near Ft. Harrison had a lot of guns too!

 

[citizenkane]

I used to frequent Albro's myself. I really like that place. They always had a pretty good selection of decent stuff. I really miss Bob that used to work in there with Paul. I was just getting into guns back then and he was always very helpful and friendly.

I used to go Axis and Allies in Bloomington. They had part of a plane in front of the building. They always had lots of cool milsurps. I remember I bought a can of ammo and free mosin! Those were the days.

 

[223 Gunner]

My first AR came from Indianapolis Sports HQ. It was a Colt SP1, I was 14 at the time, and the show SWAT was on the television. I corn de-tassled the entire summer to buy that gun.
I gave my Dad the money, then in early September I came home from school one day, and he had it in the trunk of his car.
It was awesome, I was in love. I loved that rifle into my early 20's, then made what turned out to be one of the most profitable trades I would ever make.
I traded it to a good friend of mine for his HK 93. He was in the National Guard and wanted an AR. I was in love with that rifle until about 1999, the AWB was in full swing, I took it out to an Indy 1500 and sold if for $2000 dollars. When my Dad bought the Colt for me, it cost $327 dollars. That would have been about 1979. How the times have changed. The day I sold that '93, I realized at that point that if I could sell my favorite rifle, I could sell about any of them.

 

[steveg26]

I use to work at daves guns in Whiteland cleaning guns as a teenager also hangout at nicks hooks and bullets in Franklin. Nick tought me how to break dow glocks all the way. Sure miss those days.

 

[saberstar]

Anyone know if Jimmy Craigs near Crane naval base still sells firearms and equipment? Used to go there as a young boy.

 

[BGDave]

The Bullet Hole had in addition to the store on S. Madison Ave., a store at 86th & Keystone. In the late 80's Jim, moved it south to 75th & Keystone (what's now the Wally World strip center), moved back into the same strip center on 96th and a couple years later moved to Pendleton Pike and Franklin road into a building that housed a bar Jim Shirley owned. That lasted a year or two before Jim died in a car wreck.

Joe Montgomery opened 500 Guns on West 16th St and is still going strong.

Gary Shoemaker had his shop behind the Mickey D's at Rockville Rd and Girls School road and then moved to Main St Speedway until he died.

As said before, Indpls Sports HQ, Broadripple Bait & Tackle

I seem to remember Fall Creek Bait and Tackle having guns too

Carmel had a couple on South Rangeline Rd, one where the Circle K is now and the Outdoor Sportsman just south of Carmel Drive on Rangeline

Noblesville had one on the south side of the square from the 60's until the mid 80's

The original Galyans in Plainfield and Em-Roes downtown had the most guns of anywhere

Back then, almost every hardware store sold guns and ammo. K-Marts, Ayr-Way's, Targets sold rifles, shotguns and ammo.

The Gun Room in BG was the first commercial indoor range in town. Then Don opened at 06th & Keystone, then south of the G-wood mall, then just east of Washington Square and finally Lafayette Square. All but Lafayette square are gone.

Pawn shops used to have tons of guns too.

Anyone remember Egons the gunsmith at Em-Roes? He was a master

How about Ed Parr doing bluing jobs?

Verne Trester's shop next door to 500 Guns on 16th St?

A whole bunch of pawn shops on Pendleton Pike near Ft. Harrison had a lot of guns too!

I went to the auction of The Bullet Holes inventory. Heimels (sp) in Beech Grove. Think the Bullet Hole north store had some association with Rick Mount.
Was the gun store in New Whiteland called The Harvest Moon?
Remembered one more: Winsor Guns in Wanamaker. Was in a guys garage then in a really nice building just off Southeastern.

 

[dak109]

Jimmy Graigs down near Crane. He retired eright after I found out about him.
Hendersons in Beanblossom. Prices were too high for me but it was a neat little shop.

 

[ghitch75]

Anyone know if Jimmy Craigs near Crane naval base still sells firearms and equipment? Used to go there as a young boy.

nope he closed.....

 

[bdybdall]

I used to do all of my shopping at Indianapolis Sports Headquarters at about 12th and Arlington Ave. in Indianapolis.
It seemed that they always had what I needed. Then they lost their lease or so I remember and then they moved out on Pendleton Pike and finally had an auction and closed down for good.
I still have all the gear I bought at that auction.
Daryl, who used to work there now works at KS&E gun shop on Pendleton Pike or did the last time I saw him.

We must be about the same age. I remember that Indianapolis Sports HQ bought the Arlington store From Jenkins, the gunsmith, who originally had his shop on Brookside Pkwy. I spent all my spare time there. I bought my first pistol at Mace's Jewelry and Sporting Goods in a strip mall, NE corner of
21st and Post. Also used to go to KMart on Washington as an adolescent to drool over guns at their sporting goods counter. I remember M-1 carbines there.

 

[flightsimmer]

We must be about the same age. I remember that Indianapolis Sports HQ bought the Arlington store From Jenkins, the gunsmith, who originally had his shop on Brookside Pkwy. I spent all my spare time there. I bought my first pistol at Mace's Jewelry and Sporting Goods in a strip mall, NE corner of
21st and Post. Also used to go to KMart on Washington as an adolescent to drool over guns at their sporting goods counter. I remember M-1 carbines there.

Oh yeah, those were the days weren't they. I remember Jenkins, I think his store is still up on 21st St. between Arlington and Shadeland Ave. I think it's pretty much law enforcement only. I've only been there a couple of times.

 

[12many]

Albros on South (of I465) Emerson was my favorite place for years. It was an old school gun shop. In 2002 my work moved me to Kentucky for eight years and when I returned to Indy Albros was no longer in business. I never heard what happened. I really miss the people there as well as the shop itself.

I bought a Star PD and a Firestar .40 from Albro back when he sold out of his house around 56th St just inside of 465 on the Northeast side. Got a great deal. I always liked going to Emroe's downtown and listening to the old German gunsmith they had.

 

[12many]

I can't recall the shop name but it was just West of Lynhurst on Washington street in Indy. A friend and myself had both been saving our money to buy a gun as soon as we were legal. It was just a couple weeks after we graduated high school in '77. I got one of the original style Ruger 22s before the MKII and my buddy got a Colt Gold Cup. I remember my .22 only cost me $74.99 and the shop threw in a box of ammo.
Anyone recall the name of the shop?

You might be thinking of Yukon Sportmaster on the southeast corner of Lynhurst and Washington. An older gentleman I work with said he worked there back in the '60's while he was in high school (said he bought his first shotgun there) and I remember going in there a few times around '74-'75.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Tactical Shotgunner! (Would dearly love for them to at least get their online stuff back up and running...)

But two from my hometown - Crawfordsville: Beautiful Buds, while still there as a "bait shop" hasn't sold firearms for years and years. Don't know why they gave up / lost their FFL.

New York Shoe Shop - right down town. More like New York Army Supply, shoes, boots, and some guns/ammo shop. Johnny Gianikis. Caught the cancer, went way down hill very very quickly. Someone took over business upon his passing, but the building subsequently burned down shortly thereafter. There were about half a dozen SLUM apartments on the upper floor of that building. Was up there once to help John carry rolls of tar paper up so he could fix the roof. I remember being rather shocked as a 17 year old...