Convenience Store Guns

[Maser]

So I have one of those novelty sweatshirts right here that says "alcohol tobacco and firearms should be a convenient store not government agency". So it got me thinking about how the main convenience store in my hometown when I was a kid did in fact sell guns and ammo. Granted it was literally called a general store and also included a very small section for movie rentals. Wasn't anything special, but rather the same type of cheap guns you would see at Wal-Mart back then.

So yeah, any of you guys ever have gun selling convenient stores?

 

[Makinchips208]

Local true value hardware store sold guns a couple years ago until the manager got busted for cooking the books and running guns to the southern part of the state and selling them under the table.

Not sure how he also didn’t catch a bullet or criminal charge for impregnating a teenager that worked for him. But anyways, he’s gone and the store doesn’t sell guns anymore.


The local builder supply sold guns 6 or 7 years ago. It was ok but they gave it up. I think they simply couldn’t compete with the high level of customer service the real gun store offers.

Edit: I mention dale’s in post below. Great place!

 

[SeaLegs]

Western Auto was the only place to buy a gun in my little town growing up.

 

[db2000]

Bridgeport Equipment and Tool has a nice selection of guns and reloading supplies. Mostly like a Tractor Supply on steroids other than that. Bought an Ashbury Precision Ordinance Savage collaboration .308 for $600!
Also RL26 when no one else had it.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

I thought this was normal

ATF Convinience Store

Convenience Store · Mohave County, Arizona

maps.apple.com

 

[Sum Ting Wong]

The pharmacy in my old town sells guns. They had sweatshirts that said “Drugs & Guns” or something like that.

 

[Fx51LP308]

If there were any such stores/sales, they were kept hidden from all the minors. We never knew about them. Granted, I grew up in the PRNJ and spent my summers on Martha's Vineyard, Mass. There was a Western Auto on the main drag up there, but I never saw any weapons/ammo for sale.

 

[Rthur]

True Value and Coast to Coast around here.
Back in the day.

R

 

[Keeper22]

Well, I manage a outdoor store/gun store (think over 1k of guns in inventory) that you walk thru our convienance store to get to the other parts of the store, we even have gas pumps and a feed store.

 

[Hecouldgoalltheway]

Sears, ace hardware and 2 local furniture stores sold guns in my town, just off the top of my head, and some until at least the late 90's. They are all gone now.

 

[Potsy]

Knew a few convenience stores that sold guns long ago.
Folks bought my college graduation present (A-Bolt II, .25-06) from the Moodyville Cash Store, if that dings a bell with anyone here……

 

[Blue Sky Country]

In the mid 1990s when I was a kid the K-Mart in our section of Brooklyn had a very small section of .22 rifles and ammo next to the archery section and in the general camping section. The guns and boxes of cartridges were locked in a case and subject to NYC rifle/shotgun permit regs. They had higher caliber hunting bolt actions too but they were not in the store and were ordered upon someone's request and a down payment. That K-Mart stopped selling ALL guns and gun accessories around 2000 and stripped their entire hunting/camping section down to a tiny and rather sad looking rack of compound bows and some plastic vaned arrows. The entire chain was in long term financial jeopardy at this point now and Hurricane Sandy dealt it the coup de grace in 2012 when the storm surge placed the entire area under 6 feet of water. After Sandy, they kept a skeleton crew and partial inventory running until 2017 or so when it shut down for good. Now the whole seaside strip is just a Best Buys and the rest are various fashion clothing wholesalers.

 

[Makinchips208]

Dales Cashway is basically a convenience store. Delicious hotdogs, snacks, fishing/hunting/camping supplies, reloading stuff, guns and ammo. Best customer service in the area.


And, Just remembered.
New Meadows, Idaho has a little gas station/convenience store that has a few dozen guns for sale.

 

[LuckyLuke80]

Years ago @Makinchips208 and I knew a barber that sold guns out of his barber shop. Just as he mentioned with the hardware store pedophile and his mini fast and furious, the barber had all kinds of cool toys move through there. Toward the end he even had a class 3 firearm leaning in the corner.

 

[LuckyLuke80]

Dales Cashway is basically a convenience store. Delicious hotdogs, snacks, fishing/hunting/camping supplies, reloading stuff, guns and ammo. Best customer service in the area.


And, Just remembered.
New Meadows, Idaho has a little gas station/convenience store that has a few dozen guns for sale.

Yeah, if anyone is ever on highway 12 in Idaho, do Dale a solid and stop by for some good stuff. He’s an old Vietnam vet and is a super good old guy.

 

[LuckyLuke80]

At

I thought this was normal

View attachment 8574550

ATF Convinience Store

Convenience Store · Mohave County, Arizona

maps.apple.com

ATF stands for automatic transmission fluid

 

[KYAggie]

Yeah you could buy guns at Ace Hardware, Western Auto, and Gibson’s where you could also grocery shop; loved it when I was 10 and my mom would shop there, I would ditch her for the gun and fishing department. I could go into the local gun shop and buy powder and primers from about 13 on because I was a familiar face and they figured my dad was there somewhere. Those were the days……..growing up east of Conroe, Texas; Cut-n-Shoot to be exact.

 

[PJC]

My FIL worked the gun counter at a gas station as a retirement job. This was 2010ish. Station is still there…not the gun counter.

 

[Ronws]

In Sherman, Texas, there was a pawn store called Best Pawn Store, BPS for short. And they got themselves an FFL and continue to buy and sell firearms. Then the pawn shop area got moved next door so they could build a range and expand the sales floor.

So, I could totally imagine a convenience store having an FFL and being able to do that. AFAIK, there is not a limitation to what convenience businesses cannot have an FFL.

Anyway, BPS eventually changed their name to BPS Outfitters.

 

[Blue Sky Country]

Guns and ammo in a general store and hardware store, especially displayed on nice rustic and aged furniture, is 100% pure Americana. There is NO reason why it should ever go out of fashion. The laws need to be adjusted in the following administration so that it makes it easier and with less bureaucratic headaches for regular store owners to also sell guns. Let's face it: 99.99% of criminals ain't gonna be buying their weapons from Maple Grove Hardware, nor were they doing so in the past when these stores were more numerous.

 

[Fx51LP308]

Actually, I just thought of this. When I was living in the PRNJ, there was a storefront business that specialized in Military and LE/EMS uniforms. It's where all the LEOs and Fire/EMS people in the area would go for their uniforms. Apparently, there was also a gun store in in the back of the uniform store. He was also an FFL. And he was only down the street from me.

Problem being, he was wayyyyyyy too expensive, especially with his general pricing and his FFL fees (i.e. $50 per transfer per item).

 

[The D]

Not exactly a convenience store but I bought a rifle from someone in Ft Morgan, CO and we did all the paperwork at a gun counter in the back corner of the NAPA parts store in town.

 

[jbell]

My local Ace Hardware has a decent firearms selection, good ammo selection, and a pretty good reloading selection. One of the semi local grocery stores (Harps) has a sporting goods section with a nice fishing section and a firearms department that isn’t too bad. Arkansas is pretty cool…

 

[Aftermath]

Local hardware store sold guns a couple years ago until the manager got busted for cooking the books and running guns to the southern part of the state and selling them under the table.

Not sure how he also didn’t catch a bullet or criminal charge for impregnating a teenager that worked for him. But anyways, he’s gone and the store doesn’t sell guns anymore.


The local builder supply sold guns 6 or 7 years ago. It was ok but they gave it up. I think they simply couldn’t compete with the high level of customer service the real gun store offers.

Besides that...there's Dale's to compete with.

 

[Aftermath]

Not exactly a convenience store but I bought a rifle from someone in Ft Morgan, CO and we did all the paperwork at a gun counter in the back corner of the NAPA parts store in town.

Real common around the Williston basin.

 

[Aftermath]

Webow, Montana has a steak and burger joint that advertises "Burgers, Beer and Bullets". Been there, had a ribeye, drank some sort of localish IPA and bought a hoodie....no effin way was I payin those prices for the ammo.

 

[JJMoody]

Dales Cashway is basically a convenience store. Delicious hotdogs, snacks, fishing/hunting/camping supplies, reloading stuff, guns and ammo. Best customer service in the area.


And, Just remembered.
New Meadows, Idaho has a little gas station/convenience store that has a few dozen guns for sale.

I was hoping you weren’t describing Dales in the story before. Great shop!

 

[Modoc]

Webow, Montana has a steak and burger joint that advertises "Burgers, Beer and Bullets". Been there, had a ribeye, drank some sort of localish IPA and bought a hoodie....no effin way was I payin those prices for the ammo.

But when you need it, you need it! I used to tell my Hunters Ed students to pick a cartridge that was relatively comfortable to shoot (practice more) and that you could find at some Mom & Pop store in the back of beyond. Now I just encourage them to get something that they will shoot regularly to become more proficient.

I can’t stand the flavor of the month magnum shooter who bought a couple of boxes of ammo with the rifle and still has a full box or two from the initial purchase

 

[Makinchips208]

I was hoping you weren’t describing Dales in the story before. Great shop!

Thanks JJ, I edited to make that clear.

 

[JJMoody]

When I saw this thread, that was the first place I thought of. My heart sank a bit, til I saw the follow up. Used to love that place and Tom Cat Franks (might be slightly off on that last name)

Thanks JJ, I edited to make that clear.

 

[Farmerhunter]

A really small town near where I grew up had a store in an old church. The sign over the door said Hardware Guns Seafood. An old guy that sold a little of everything. Bought my .22 ammo from him

 

[Aftermath]

Dales Cashway is basically a convenience store. Delicious hotdogs, snacks, fishing/hunting/camping supplies, reloading stuff, guns and ammo. Best customer service in the area.

I have bought several firearms from Dale's. Mostly it was actually an employee that did the transfer work but, never the less, if I still lived up there, I'd drive the hour to Dale's to do my gun bizness just because I prefer to not deal with the corporations...like North 40 and I have ALWAYS been treated with respect and courtesy at Dales.

Quite a few years ago, maybe 30, I bought a Beretta handgun from Dale and it sucked. It jammed, had extraction issues, ejection issues and probably didn't know its gender.

I was upriver and was looking at a shotgun when Dale asked about the Beretta pistol. I told him it was a POS. He asked if I had it with me and I did. He asked me to bring it in for an inspection and he does know his shit, so I did. He took it apart, looked it all over and asked me if I still had the box and all. I did but not with me. He laid that pistol on his display case and asked me if I might be interested in anything else....well...no because I'm a poor bastard and can't be buying stuff everytime I'm upriver....

He says he will trade me what my purchase price was for anything else I wanted, as long as I bring him the box and stuff.

I ended up with a Beretta shotgun. Over-under. Silver pigeon or something. I still have it and it's mostly a safe queen but man is it nice to shoot!!!

I had to add cashish to the deal but...try that at the big box hunting store.

 

[Makinchips208]

I have bought several firearms from Dale's. Mostly it was actually an employee that did the transfer work but, never the less, if I still lived up there, I'd drive the hour to Dale's to do my gun bizness just because I prefer to not deal with the corporations...like North 40 and I have ALWAYS been treated with respect and courtesy at Dales.

Quite a few years ago, maybe 30, I bought a Beretta handgun from Dale and it sucked. It jammed, had extraction issues, ejection issues and probably didn't know its gender.

I was upriver and was looking at a shotgun when Dale asked about the Beretta pistol. I told him it was a POS. He asked if I had it with me and I did. He asked me to bring it in for an inspection and he does know his shit, so I did. He took it apart, looked it all over and asked me if I still had the box and all. I did but not with me. He laid that pistol on his display case and asked me if I might be interested in anything else....well...no because I'm a poor bastard and can't be buying stuff everytime I'm upriver....

He says he will trade me what my purchase price was for anything else I wanted, as long as I bring him the box and stuff.

I ended up with a Beretta shotgun. Over-under. Silver pigeon or something. I still have it and it's mostly a safe queen but man is it nice to shoot!!!

I had to add cashish to the deal but...try that at the big box hunting store.

Yeah. That’s how dales is. He remembers guns and people like nobody I know.
And he will bend over backwards to make it right if you ain’t happy.

 

[Aftermath]

Yeah. That’s how dales is. He remembers guns and people like nobody I know.
And he will bend over backwards to make it right if you ain’t happy.

Yep....everyone I know that has ever bought even just gasoline there has had a positive customer experience. I don't know for a fact because I was never afforded the opportunity to actually get to know him but my take was he wanted to just sell guns and ammo but had to sell gas and hotdogs to pay the bills every month.

From the first time I ever dealt with him, I gave him first shot. He was such a standup guy that he'd tell me to go buy it at Walmart or wherever to save me $20. And I did. But then, later in life, $20 to Walmart instead of Dale was not worth it and I'd buy from Dale.

But..mostly...especially 50+ years ago, I'd buy my stuff from Dave's at Preston and Thain. Dave Tunn...RIP. His was also sort of a convenience store. Dave's Husky Sports. His brother ran one in Moscow. Dave was a very kind and mentoring man to a young boy who's dad had recently been KIA Vietnam. I owe many thanks to the Dave's and Dale's I have had the honor to have known.

 

[LuckyLuke80]

When I saw this thread, that was the first place I thought of. My heart sank a bit, til I saw the follow up. Used to love that place and Tom Cat Franks (might be slightly off on that last name)

Tom cat’s is still in business. Fairly new owners, and they focus mostly on the fishing crowd. I don’t know if they used to sell guns, but they don’t now. I never went there before, but I swing in there occasionally for a breakfast sandwich if I’m going past in a concrete mixer.

 

[LuckyLuke80]

Yep....everyone I know that has ever bought even just gasoline there has had a positive customer experience. I don't know for a fact because I was never afforded the opportunity to actually get to know him but my take was he wanted to just sell guns and ammo but had to sell gas and hotdogs to pay the bills every month.

From the first time I ever dealt with him, I gave him first shot. He was such a standup guy that he'd tell me to go buy it at Walmart or wherever to save me $20. And I did. But then, later in life, $20 to Walmart instead of Dale was not worth it and I'd buy from Dale.

But..mostly...especially 50+ years ago, I'd buy my stuff from Dave's at Preston and Thain. Dave Tunn...RIP. His was also sort of a convenience store. Dave's Husky Sports. His brother ran one in Moscow. Dave was a very kind and mentoring man to a young boy who's dad had recently been KIA Vietnam. I owe many thanks to the Dave's and Dale's I have had the honor to have known.

I traded a gun in and he gave me full market value as trade and then also gave me cash price on the gun I was buying. I asked him how he was even going to make money on the deal. He just replied that I’ve bought from him a lot and he knew I’d be back to spend more money. With that kind of service I try to go there unless I just can’t get what I need there. As you know, it’s not a big store with a lot of inventory, but he will order whatever you want if he can possibly get it. Plus that he usually gives me a cup of coffee even if I just stop by to look around.

 

[JJMoody]

Tom cat’s is still in business. Fairly new owners, and they focus mostly on the fishing crowd. I don’t know if they used to sell guns, but they don’t now. I never went there before, but I swing in there occasionally for a breakfast sandwich if I’m going past in a concrete mixer.

Honestly, I don’t specifically remember them selling guns. I was always there buying corkies etc… for fishing when I lived in Stites. That’s been almost 20 years ago….. damn, that’s been almost 20 years ago….lol!

 

[Makinchips208]

I was in a Walmart one time that sold groceries, clothes and guns.