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With respect to Wall's Gun Shop; my father purchased a Model 12 Winchester in 28 gauge from Wall's and asked if they went to gun shows? The reply was no its gun show every day here. Must have been a great place. Dad said there were 6 Model 12 28 gauges on the rack.

jlb

I always stopped at Wall's on the way to Trail Ridge Sporting Clays in the late 80s. It was an about 1 hour drive from south KC.

I remember when most Woolworth’s stores had a better than average sporting goods department. You could throw Sears and Montgomery Wards in that category, also. The gun counter would feature mostly new guns, a few beaters, and a 55 gallon drum with Mausers and Arisakas stuffed in it. My needs and wants were simpler then, but, they had everything. My first 1100 came from Woolworth’s, I still have the K4 Weaver I bought at Wards for my Remington 552.

There isn’t anything that really compares, anymore.

Best,
Ted

Here's a reprint of an article on John Wall and his "General Store" from the early 90's...

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-star-john-wall-blairstow/121583451/


The image in the article shows John and the store front I remember from my college days and my trips to Blairstown.

I remember buying (with my parents’ help - paperwork wise) my first rifle from Woolworth’s in our local mall. Nowadays, that mall is the ultra-chic, can’t-afford-to-shop-there mall. Just like you described, Ted. I knew the counter man by name as we’d ride our bicycles (Sting Rays of course) three miles to the mall and hang around. Those were good days when a group of shaggy haired youngsters could safely go that far from home without fear - and be trusted not to get in trouble with the law.

Thanks for this.

Got to love the bumper sticker on the wall of the old store:

“This is a non-profit organization. It wasn’t intended to be. It just turned out that way.” 🤓

The guy behind the counter knew my Dad and I by first name. We showed up after dinner on a Friday night, an hour or so before they closed, and he brought every new 12 gauge 1100 out, his idea, not mine, and we all appraised the wood on each gun, maybe 8 of them, and he let me pick one I liked the most. With tax, it was $211.00, I think it was 1978. I made $2.65 an hour at the grocery store, it seemed like it took forever to get that pile of money saved up.

The only kids who had Schwinn in our neighborhood got them used. I didn’t live on the wrong side of the tracks, but, you could hear the trains from where I did.

I look at new guns, now, and the thrill is gone. But, it was a thrill for me back then.

Best,
Ted

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My years working at "The Gentleman Hunter" in the left wing outpost of Bethesda, Maryland lead me to nominate that store as one of the World's Best. The number of high grade and collectable guns that passed through that store was amazing. Unfortunately, most of them didn't stay long, going quickly to new owners. The store will be missed and I will miss my retirement job.