King, I understand your point but I think you may have missed mine.
It wouldn't have been to try and find a gun. It would have been to look at the place(s) where they have been making these guns for 100's of years. The buildings, close to water for power, usually in mountainous ares for defense. The streets. The people. Sure, I'd go into a few shops and see if I could wrangle a factory shop visit. but really, it would have been to soak up and luxuriate in the ambiance and history of each of those place.
That way, when I hold a gun from St Etienne or Ferlach, I would be able to see it's birthpace in my mind's eye.
