Mule Deer;
Top of the morning to you John, I hope this finds you and Eileen doing well as can be.
My goodness that brought back a lot of memories for me, thanks so much yet again.
As you noted, the older ones seemed to have that smell about them and maybe it was the wood floor, I'd never thought about it.
Perhaps someone can tell me if it's still open and as wonderful as back in the late '80's, but the Gunatorium in Spokane - on Argonne I believe - was one of the better places to visit just to look around if not to buy.
The Canadian ones of my youth would typically have smaller barrels - sometimes wood maybe, that I can't recall now - but there'd be a barrel of used single shot .22's off to one side of the counter and they were $10-$12 depending upon condition. A new Cooey single shot .22 was $25 then, which my father would lament as he'd bought one in the '30's for $3.50.
In the bigger centers like Regina, one would find 45 gallon drums of Lee Enfields and Pattern 14 Enfields. There'd be a barrel of the full wood military stocked ones, a barrel of "sportserized" ones and then sometimes a barrel of Jungle Carbines. Honestly I have no concept of how many Lee Enfield variants I've owned in my lifetime John, but have yet to own a Jungle Carbine, much to my regret....
Nowadays they're commanding silly high prices, well maybe they're worth it, but I recall the $100 ones I put back onto the table at the gun shows as I just didn't have the $100 to spend on something I just wanted, you know?
Anyways sir, thanks so much for taking me along with you on your revisiting the gun shops of your lifetime, hopefully it's okay that I wandered off into some of my own as I did.
All the best to you folks John. Stay well.
Dwayne
