Long-Gone Gun Shops of New England

[Navy Moose]

I didn't realize that Herman's was a big enough chain to be up here, too... had them in Jersey.

My first 10/22 came from a Service Merchandise - did they have stores up here too?

There was one in Saugus, where Square 1 Mall is now.

 

[50 BMG]

I didn't realize that Herman's was a big enough chain to be up here, too... had them in Jersey.

My first 10/22 came from a Service Merchandise - did they have stores up here too?

dwarven the first "Jersey" reality show. Who knew

I remember buying a single shot Stevens 22 at KMart in North Attleboro and they wrapped it in brown paper and I rode home with it tired to the handle bars of my bicycle.

Now I would be arrested, never allowed to have a LTC ...well you get the picture. I used to buy ammo at Western Auto which was closer to me. I still have boxes of that stuff. As well as the rifle. I also purchased a Nylon Remington semi 22 from Western Auto for a incredible high price of $22.99. I still have the hand written receipt.

Wow am I freaking old

 

[dwarven1]

dwarven the first "Jersey" reality show. Who knew

Look, "50", the "1" isn't silent... That's "dwarven1".

You want to hear about the REAL New Jersey, I'll tell you. Like MA, once you get away from the big cities polluting the landscape, it's a pretty decent state. As for the shore... *glower* I don't know WHAT that show is about, but the real Jersey shore has some beautiful white sand beaches - much better than those rocky things on Cape Cod - where you can surf or just sun. Great waves, better than any I've seen at Nauset Beach or Horseneck, good shelling - better than any on the cape I've seen - and water's warmer than the Cape beaches, too, for that matter. It's got boardwalks (is there even ONE boardwalk in MA?) with rides and attractions, there's summer theatre - I recommend the Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven, personally - there's places to get homemade fudge, amazing seafood, ice cream to rival anything here in MA... There's nothing like spending a week down on Long Beach Island.

The whole state is no more to be summed up by the Meadowlands, "Jersey Shore" and the Jersey Turnpike than Massachusetts is to be summed up by the Charles, "Rizzoli and Isles" and the Big Dig.

 

[JGreen]

"Barnicle Bill's" in Littleton

I used to go out with his daughter Cindy.

 

[PDixon81]

I didn't realize that Herman's was a big enough chain to be up here, too... had them in Jersey.

My first 10/22 came from a Service Merchandise - did they have stores up here too?

There was a Service Merchandise in Auburn. The now Bed Bath and Beyond building. I used to play Sega Genesis in there while my mom shopped at Shaws next door.

 

[chris_1001]

There are two others I cant remember the names of, think they were around in the early 90's

One was in Milford by the Skate Palace, a tiny fishing centric place, that had a few pistols for sale in a case

And another in Franklin, just past Shaws (on the way to Wrentham) up stairs in a tiny plaza.

Anyone remember those?

 

[glock040]

Stuarts Sportsmans Shop in Indian Orchard
Franchels West Springfield

you beat me to it i also remember the fair in spencer and abuchon in ware used to sell ammo and maybe guns i was oung then.

 

[chris_1001]

you beat me to it i also remember the fair in spencer and abuchon in ware used to sell ammo and maybe guns i was oung then.

the Fair in Milford sold ammo at least, I don't remember any guns, but I'm not sure...

 

[Len-2A Training]

Also the was a distributor in Lowell in the same building as McKttricks

Was that Interstate Arms (Ivanhoe's distribution business)? Interstate Arms is still in Billerica at 6G Dunham Rd.

 

[GM-GUY]

Jake's Sports Shop in Fitchburg, in the plaza across from DQ (then down the street) and next to UCF (United Farmers Co-op); I bought my Rem 870 Wingmaster when I was 12yo there.

I remember buying ammo at a hardware store in Westminster was at the corner in the center on the street the USPS building is on.

 

[JGreen]

She was the one, who was a Cop?

Yeah, Barnicle Bill's was a usuall stopping point during my day. Get a cup of coffee, listen to what was going on in the area.

Long after me.... She was kitchen staff at the Mass Junior Conservation Camp and I was a sponsored camper by the old Northboro F&G Club. I'd convince my brother to drive me to Littleton every weekend.

 

[Uncle Fester]

I remember favorite gun shop growing up was in Amherst on 101A right over the border from Brookline/Milford. It's been a guitar shop now for probably 15-20 years. Can't remember the name. I used to drag my mom in there whenever we used to go shopping in the area so I could oogle all the guns, and take a lot of flyers home. I'm still bummed they went out of business before I was old enough to buy my first gun.

The other one that sticks out in my mind was the combination gun/musical instrument shop in the North End of Boston on Hanover Street. Used to go there as part of our anual trek into Boston for my birthday.

 

[mark056]

She was the one, who was a Cop?

Yeah, Barnicle Bill's was a usuall stopping point during my day. Get a cup of coffee, listen to what was going on in the area.

Yeah I remember Barnicle Bill's...just never warmed up to the shop. I vaguely remember the daughter working there part-time. BB's used to give a discount to military personnel. I remember I purchased a nice Bianchi Holster for my Colt .380 there. BB's seemed to be more into fishing than guns. although I do remember a very pristine .38 Spl Victory Model for 99 dollars there (late 80's)...now I wish I had picked it up.

 

[bolt]

-deleted-

 

[marvelshooter]

McGee's in New Bedford.

Bought my first handgun there. A Ruger Single Six on store credit. Probably a good thing they are not still around.
Capeway Sports Center on Rt 6 in Mattapoisett

 

[gasaman]

My 1st was from Colmans Sporting Goods in Canton. I still got it a Mossberg 500 32yrs old.
My 2nd was from Service Merchandise in Stoughton. Again still got that one too a Ruger 10/22 32yrs old. Both stores are gone now.

 

[stinx]

I remmber tony's in Billerica. Wildside sports in Wilmington sold gun for about 6 months before going under.

 

[Koolmoose]

Jerry's on Monroe Street in Lynn sold rifles and camping and fishing stuff on the second floor.
Bought my first gun from Royal Sport Shop in Stoneham.
Sears in Saugus sold rifles until after the Kennedy assignation.
Ivanhoe and Lew Hortons were gems. Lew Hortons was like going into a jewelry store. I remember in the early 80's they had a lot of broom handled Mausers.
Steve

 

[Zappa]

Bay State Arms was the Rte 30 place.

>>>

Not the most personable guy, but he did have some cool stuff in there.

I forgot about him, yeah he was a cranky old prick, but he had all kinds of interesting old stuff hanging on the walls.
He had the only nickle plated Uzi I've ever seen, and he did the nickle job himself.
In fact, I was so impressed with it that I had him electroless nickle my S&W Model #41 back in the mid 80's.
It came out really sweet, and the finish has held up wonderfully over all these years.
I remember he charged me $60 to do the whole gun plus 2 magazines, and that was money well spent.
I wish there was still someone around locally that does that kind of work for reasonable money.

 

[FLHTC]

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




Yup, I'm an old Randolph boy. Woodlawn sports shop.

What was the shop in Wareham, the owners name was Maeshal Buggs?

 

[center442]

Bought my first handgun there. A Ruger Single Six on store credit. Probably a good thing they are not still around.

Back in the medieval days (before credit cards) many small merchants used to do their own financing. The attitude was that it was better to have the merchandise sold and earning them a few bucks a week than sitting in the showcase earning them nothing. It also meant that you kept coming back into their shop on a regular basis, which increased the chance they could make another sale. I bought a couple of guns from McGee's that way.

Capeway Sports Center on Rt 6 in Mattapoisett

I miss Capeway. They used to have a pretty good selection of guns. The building is still there. I think they're now selling garden stuff.

 

[ra5451]

Me Too !!!!!....Your OLD!

My first 10/22 came from a Service Merchandise - did they have stores up here too?

 

[ra5451]

Bay State Arms

It was called Bay State Arms
I bought my First handgun there...Big Fat Man....

There was a gun shop on Rte 30 in Southborough near the resevoir some years ago....Southboro Arms I think (can't remember for sure though).

 

[dwarven1]

U2 eeh? 69.99 NICE RUSSIAN bayoed SKSs by the case....You know he paid dirt, if he was charging 69.99 ea. retail.

Well, duh!

Man's gotta make a profit; he's not in business to give stuff away! Ask any of the merchants on here.

Me Too !!!!!....You're OLD!

That's better'n being dead.

 

[REM1100SF]

The old Airport Sports in North Attleboro, next to the RMV office.

Custom Guns on Rt 1 in Plainville, where the Dunkin Donuts is now...the shop was in the big barn next to the house.

 

[whytie]

Caldor's Burlington
Service Merchandise Burlington
Herman's Burlington Mall

 

[whytie]

Woolworth's at Downtown Crossing in Boston used to have a gun dept upstairs. Had M1 Garand's in the $350-450 range.

 

[Buckey Flinch]

There was the "Red Fox Gun Room" on Eastern Ave in Malden. The owner repaired car radios and sold guns. 1955? to
1964?

Laferlies (sp?) onMain St in Melrose. Sold out to "Royal Guns" on Elm St in Stoneham. 1965? The "GEM" store on the Lynn

Fells Parkway, Saugus. Closed 1965?

"Essex Army and Navy Store" in Salem Ma. I think they moved and became "Colemans"

And "the Annual Maine Gun Auction", in Coopers Mills, Maine. Held twice a year. killed by the so called "Gun Control Act of

1968"

 

[jpdopes]

This thread really illustrates how ubiquitous guns were not long ago. Almost all the major department stores carried them -- Kmart, Sears, Woolworths, Lechmere, Service Merchandise and Montgomery Ward to name a few. I bought my second gun, a Mossberg 500, at Service Merchandise in Natick and my third at Woolworths in Ithaca Ny when I was in college. I remember as a kid drooling over the S&W's in the case at Lechmere in Dedham.

 

[Coyote33]

Some overlap here:
NE manufacturers & "gun valley"