Long-Gone Gun Shops of New England

My first rifle was an Interarms 30-06 I bought with Christmas gift cash from Grandma from The Value House in Auburn (eventually bought out by Service Mechandise"
 
The ORIGINAL Gun Room run by Peter Dowd, first almost next to Spags (same side of Rte. 9), later moved across the street and then sold it to John (has a long mustache).

Spags sold ammo, lots of it.

I also miss the old Ivanhoe's and Lew Horton's retail shops (downtown and later on Rte. 9).

I had a long and useless discussion with a guy at the ammo counter at spags one day. I asked for some 243 winchester ammo. They guy told me I needed to tell him the caliber and not the gun model. It went back and forth about the caliber 243 winchester for a Browning BLR and he kept telling me I needed to tell him the caliber and not the model of the rifle.

Underwoods in Northboro used to be a good shop.

Bill Morin had a nice shop in Charlton in his basement. I bought a set of Beretta police trade-ins from him...a 92 and 96.

The Fair in Auburn/Millbury/Worcester depending on which part of the store you were standing in had an excellent selection of guns...including many cheap surplus pistols (Makarovs, Tokarevs, CZs etc) I remember seeing 25 rd boxes of tokarev ammo for 99¢ a box.

There were 2 gunshops in Millbury when I was a kid...in the 60s. One in the center of town which I think burned when the whole block went up and the other in a house on Millbury Ave. I was too young to buy anything then.

There was a gun shop and police supply in Milford that was hard to drive by without stopping in. The machine guns hanging from the ceiling were cool. Always had bulk ammo stacked 3 or more feet high throughout the store. The owner bailed to SC after AG and MA AWB.

I also remember when Sears was on Main Street in Worcester. They had all the rifles and shotguns out on display where everyone could hold them.

The Outdoorsman in West Boylston was a good store but carried mostly Fudd guns.
 
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I don't know why I thaught of this, but I was driving through my old hometown the other day, remembering my childhood. Does anyone remember the hunting section of "MVP Sports" in Woburn, by 4-corners? I remember as a kid going in there and oohing and aaahing over the guns. I remember the guy who worked there used to watch us like hawks. if I remember, it went from "MVP Sports", to "Decalthlon" to "bye bye!"

So, what are your memories of gun shops of long ago?

I bought my first handgun from MVP in Danvers.

MVP Sports in Danvers was Colman's Sporting Goods and had a great gun shop inside. Much later, Sports Authority in the Liberty Tree mall had rifles and handguns. Galyans, outside the Liberty Tree Mall also had handguns, now only rifles and shotguns as Dick's Sporting Goods. Also on the North Shore, Jerry's Army and Navy in Salem, MA had a great hunting and fishing section downstairs and sold ammo, not sure about guns. K-Mart in Danvers had rifles and ammo. Herman's at the Northshore Mall also sold rifles and ammo. More recently, the North Shore has seen the departure of Magnum Sporting Goods on 62 in Danvers, Bob's Rod and Gun on Boston St. in Salem and possibly Dave Frank's Motorcycle and Gun shop (not sure about this one) on Bridge Street in Salem.

Not sad to see the original owner of Collector's (back when it was Collector's Coin Gallery) out. He was a first class jerk, and I am being kind.

On a brighter note, there are several newer shops now open north of Boston including North Shore Firearms and the great guys at Patriot Arms.


Chris
 
The Cheap Shot Gun Shop up that was up in Tamworth I believe,He had rows and rows of C&R rifles he had Hundreds of them.AKs galore,thats were I picked up my caught in customs polytech neutered down for post ban.

Cheap Shot was worth a drive from anywhere! I remember when people were moaning about how no one could find any Saigas, and Cheap Shot had about 50 in the racks, and more still boxed.
 
- There was a store in a small strip plaza almost across from Curran's that sold full auto toys.

Woodlawn Sports shop in Randolph, I bought a Remington nylon 66

Was this the name of the shop I referred to above? Sounds familiar.


Another one, Tom's Handloading in Burlington

I remember this place. Stopped there a few times when I was traveling thru the area after a business meeting.
 
Bernie Goulds in Medford. Went there with my dad when I was 10 or 11. He bought a model 37 for the princely sum of 107.00. The only gun he ever owned, carried it for work. Dads gone but that model 37 goes everywhere with me. Almost like having a part of him with me.

Also Days sporting goods in Malden, got my first bb gun there around the same time
 
I worked at County Stores (hardware store) in Milford NH as a kid in the early '80s. At the time they had a case with rifles and pistols.

They still sell ammo and bb/pellet guns, but no more firearms.

Yeah they stopped selling firearms in the early 90's,I remember them on the back left wall...as for ammo they are sold out for good[wink]

Cheap Shot was worth a drive from anywhere! I remember when people were moaning about how no one could find any Saigas, and Cheap Shot had about 50 in the racks, and more still boxed.

I really miss that place,knowing now what I didn't know then,I would be completely broke lol.
 
Yeah they stopped selling firearms in the early 90's,I remember them on the back left wall...as for ammo they are sold out for good[wink]

Nope. I was in there this eve on my way home from work. Still sellin' ammo. Didn't look to see what they had, but did notice ammo in the case.
 
Armco in Boylston, club fed for the owner for bringing arms (Glock) INTO china when they were not our friends IIRC
I remember the owner stating that he was paying $125 for each AK he bought if he bought them by the container load. The gun was under $75 (i think) and the rest was importing and paying bribes to the officials to speed up the paperwork in China. I went in at least twice a week while going into work for about a year. First G17 (1989) bought there.

Only basement shop that had a room full of full auto and tons of everything including his own labeled ammo. Norinco ammo with his own printed boxes.

Bought a Smith 640 at The Fair in Worcester when they closed out their firearms, dont remember the discount, maybe 30, 40 or 50%?? (I just remember it was a huge discount) but the line went out the door the day the sale started and I was only smart enough to by two pistols.

Baird's gun shop in Berlin. maybe 1988-89? Cellar of their house near the gas station. Tiny shop but good prices and decent people running it (husband and wife). Milsurp stuff used to go in and out of that shop and I didnt give it a second glance as I wanted tupperware and modern semi rifles.. my loss...
 
United Arms at 261 Main in Northboro the owner worked a ARMCO and had alot
of ClassIII items (475.00 HK sears) . Alpha Arms also had a lot of tool / back room guns and class III that came from H&R. Paul from Alpha is dead and I still wonder what happened to all those guns.
 
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Tight Lines in West Bridgewater on RT 28. In the early 80s that was the largest camping / gun shop on the south shore. The store that they to moved and closed on Rt106 was sad.
 
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As a kid I remember going to Coleman's in Canton for fishing gear and bb guns. I seem to remember a nice outfitter up in Natick / Rt 9 area, like a mini Bass Pro, but it's a hazy memory. Could have been much further north.
 
Marble Hardware in Wareham center. I never bought a gun here, but bought plenty of ammo.
Cline's Gun Room in Canton.
Ortin's Sporting Goods in Norwood.
My father bought me my first 22 at Sears, Roebuck in Norwood.
 
Tight Lines in West Bridgewater on RT 28. In the early 80s that was the largest camping / gun shop on the south shore. The store that they to moved and closed on Rt106 was sad.

I remember them, I also remember the time some scumbags crashed a car right through the building and stole a shitload of guns. [shocked]

The other shops I used to deal with that are no longer around are Ivanhoe, Lew Horton, B&D Reloaders, McIlenny's, The Arms Chest, North American Sport & Taxidermy, Armco, ADCO, Colmans and K&R Target Sport.
 
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Does anyone remember the gun shop that was on Park Ave in Arlington? It was there for many years while I was growing up. I think they had a small range in the basement and I heard that supposedly some people committed suicide there, which may be part of why the store closed down. Sucks that it's no longer there now that I'm old enough to be into firearms...

That was PMSG Guns, affectionately known as "Pound Sand Moan and Groan". The so called "gunsmith" that ran the place installed sights on a 45 slide for me. I ended up using the slide for an ash tray until I quit smoking; now its a paper weight. I, for one, did not mourn the passing of PMSG.
 
American Arms in Wareham,MA. a big S&W dealer. Ammo from Sears in Quincy center. There was a gun shop in Pembroke on RT 53 near RT 139 whose name escapes me. All from the late '60's.

As a kid I remember always going to "Pierce Hardware" in downtown Taunton with my dad in the 60's. Dad got his High Standard - Olympic Trophy .22 Short, target pistol there.

I purchased my first gun at American Arms in Wareham in 1971. A S&W model 49 pistol. Prior owner was MDC police in Boston. Even has his badge number engraved on the backstrap.

Bob's in Westport. Got a Steven's 12ga there back in the 70's.

Best part about was the the great guy that was involved in all three sales. Ronnie O' Very friendly & knowledgable. Miss him the most...
 
When I got into shooting I bought my first shotgun from Roache's in Cambridge. Nice people who were very helpful when I first began reloading. I'm sorry to hear that they are closing. In those days I also frequented Coleman's in Woburn and Danvers and was sorry to see them close. The good news is that FS in Woburn has done a lot to fill the void.

I also had Bernie Gould in Medford install a set of sights on a Spanish Mauser for me. He was a nice guy who did a great job. I was sorry to see him close.
 
Larue's (sp?) in Portsmouth (Near where Port City Nissan is), and Tink's Fly Fisherman's Workshop, Rte 16B Somersworth.
 
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