Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Combination Guns and Drillings Looked Over some Cool Guns Today

My Son and I took the ride to Simpson LTD, in Galesburg, IL...

It's in a large older commercial building, just off what looks like a trendy downtown area. We parked in a free city lot across the street, as there was a delivery truck of some sort parked in front of Simpson's. As we crossed to the store, one guy was loading a hardcase in his SUV, and another guy with a case was crossing to the same parking lot we used.

On walking in, the main room was full of floor racks loaded with long guns of all description, but heavy on the mil-surp side...
Think Mauser, SMLE, Schmidt-Rubin, Moisin-Nagant, 03 Springfield, 1917 Enfield, Arisaka, Garand, M1 Carbine, and on, and on...

Towards the left side there was a rack of mostly SxS shotguns. They were of all description and price. On the left wall were some nicer specimens, and behold, a couple of nice looking drillings.
I turned towards the double gun side of the room first, and a guy behind the counter greeted us and told us to let them know if we needed help with finding anything.
There was no trouble finding things. Trouble was that I needed more time than i had to appreciate all I was finding.

I knew from their website that they had more drillings than what I was seeing, so I asked about them. The guy who had greeted us nodded and waved us past the cash register and into the back room.
Have Mercy! What a back room! A good sized room with every wall and the entire floor filled with 2 tier racks of long guns. And the floor racks were close enough together that my ample ass had to be really careful moving...

And they had drillings. One lower tier section (8 ft?) of a floor rack was filled with drillings of all sorts. We were invited to look at anything we cared to, and the guy pointed out just a couple of interesting features of some of the drillings. Then he busied himself with other stuff nearby, and allowed us to look freely.
We were encouraged to handle the guns and look them over well..

Now, These mostly aren't pristine specimens. They all look to have been handled, shot, hunted, and handled. I'd guess that they do mostly represent well cared for, and useable hunting arms that were built by workmen at the top tier of their craft.

And yeah... There was one that woulda followed me home in a better year for money... I'm saving and ciphering...

I'd be remiss if I failed to mention the Luger Room. Upon exiting the back room, I mentioned that my son the militaria buff was cranked about all of the surplus guns. The store guy, who introduced himself as Bob Simpson, allowed that no militaria buff should leave without checking out the Luger Room. It's a medium sized office in another part of the building with hundreds of Lugers in wall racks around about half of the room.

I've got a couple of cell phone pics that I'll try and post tomorrow...

All in all, a very cool and friendly place....

Awaiting said pics. Hopefull there's a few pics of the drillings along with the Lugers?

How old is your son? Glad you took him along!

Well John I'm glad you went AND that you took your son with you! I for one am also pleased to hear that your experience was a good one. I have watched their web site and spoke to them on the phone but there's nothing quite so good as an eye witness report. Thank you for that. I too am looking forward to some pictures.

Taking your son along...brings back some memories. When my boys were at home, now 38 and 40, if I was going to a gun show, shop or auction I knew I was going to have two shadows. Enjoy this time, I miss it immensely.

The boy is 16...

3 years ago I was his guide and mentor to everything in this world.

2 years ago I was the old guy who was occasionally "cool to hang with".

By last year I was just this old guy with the money.

And now I am merely a casual technical consultant (and atm).


I tried to load the pics onto photobucket but it's gonna take at least another pot of coffee before I can deal with that mess.

They are cell phone pics. 2 shots of the luger room, and 1 shot of a couple drillings hanging on a wall...

When the pics are up, the bottom scoped drilling is of my primary interest. It's a Ferlach 16x16/7x57R, and if it's not sold before I gather funds I intend to have it...

I guess fair is fair. I've used the boy as a tech consultant on all things electronic for years...

He had the pics onto photobucket between the corn flakes and the milk...








And here's why I didn't get to Simpson's last weekend.

What? Were you playing the Easter Bunny?

I understand calling on your kids for tech help. Mine are both computer something or the other for a living. The oldest took a degree in computer something..(see how much I know, "something").

Wow....that is a pile of Lugers!!!!! wow!

I like the Ferlach drilling. Great combination and I get all drooly over those old scopes.

I am not.

The fruit in the suit...

I am the nutcase grampa behind the cell phone camera...

And yeah... That looks to me like most of the Lugers ever made...

That was said tongue in cheek john....I just couldn't resist the temptation. I suspected those were grandsons....and grandpa should be proud! At 60 I STILL don't have the blessing of grandchildren. Goodness...growing up on a cattle ranch you would expect those two sons of mine learned where babies came from.

Thanks for the pics.

How could one go wrong with 16g and 7x57? I hope it's still there when you "gather funds" as you put it.

(where does one go to gather funds? I can go gather huckleberries in season, and wild herbs for the pot, but where I find "funds" to gather?

At the end of a rainbow?

If I tell ya, I gotta kill ya...

And although I do like that little drilling, I have a number of higher priority irons in the fire right now. I'd be truly surprised if it's still there by the time i get my funds "gathered"...

But I must own a combination gun, it is now decided... Everything in me cries out against the "euro-ness" of the things, but they are generously imbued with the element of cool...

Aye, and me Irish ancestors would tell me ta' ketch a leprechaun, they would

Yeah, I'm gonna have to wait for a drilling, but one is certainly on the wish list of guns to own before passing to another world, "euro-ness" or not

(heck, I own a fairly "euro" gun already, a Sig SHR-970. And love it too)