Good old traditional awful British gunshop adventure.

[bobt]

It would pay a dealer to sell a "selection box" of cartridges, say 5 of each, or get together with other owners to buy a box of each and share on a range day?

btw I was left standing in York guns for 15 mins once with my licence an £800 shotgun and the cash in my hand as they wandered off to talk to someone else,
took the cash and licence and havent been back, I drive past to Richards at Pockington. always welcome and a pleasant atmosphere.

 

[bewsher500]

I would have walked out of the shop at this stage and never returned!

I am sorry you lost me at "shut the door then"

bye bye
I relish the day when establishments like that go out of business and make way for those interested in doing business and not just occupying shop space

 

[paul o']

hmm how was JO!
must have got him on a good day

 

[Richard Parsons]

Excellent - I was reading the OP and having visited most of the gunshops around London was thinking which one this could be. Seems my first guess was right! I visited there on a Saturday and the shop was clearly full of this blokes mates drinking tea at the counter. Having eventually asked if anyone was serving I was then honoured with the owner laughing at my proposed trade in against a new rifle. I asked what price he could do the new rifle for and having waited for another 10 minutes or so whilst he seemed to be discussing a price with his mates, I walked out. It's a shame because he seems to carry good stock levels but from my experience it seems these are for him and his mates.

Yes, customers are no better. Who IS that complete **** at the counter swigging tea and talking crap about how he shot a fox with his .22 in the dark. At 350 yds. Round a corner. One handed. I hate gunshops but have to use them sometimes....

 

[enfieldspares]

I have used Gunshop East Barnet for at least twenty plus years. The guy is always a pleasure to deal with and I have no hesitation in going back there at any time. He is totally straight and I've never known anyone complain of being "shafted" there unlike many other places I could name, now long gone, and in particular George Staden at London Armoury on Commercial Road just down from the London Proof House.

 

[stalker.308]

I have used Gunshop East Barnet for at least twenty plus years. The guy is always a pleasure to deal with and I have no hesitation in going back there at any time. He is totally straight and I've never known anyone complain of being "shafted" there unlike many other places I could name, now long gone, and in particular George Staden at London Armoury on Commercial Road just down from the London Proof House.

3,353 views and eventually someone defends the OP's gunshop! lol!

 

[pierred]

Pm I use Joe quite regularly but I am sorry to say I have never found anybody who has had a pleasant first experiance with him, but believe it or not once you get to know him he has a wealth of knowledge and gets a lot easier to deal with.

As an appology on Joes behalf if you would like to take the trip to mine I will take you through the process of the dark art of reloading,may throw in a cuppa and a cake, you will have to shut the door even if not snowing or my dogs will get out and I promise not to slag of your choice of caliber as it is also my weapon of choice.
Brgds Pierre

 

[User00047]

I did call them about 7mm-08 ammunition and they offered to order some for me, but as I didn't know exactly what I needed, I declined the offer. As regards prices, their own brand shotgun cartridges aren't particularly expensive. The rifle you describe sounds lovely, but I think that £14k is perhaps quite a lot more than my budget. If I had a spare £14k to play with, I'd be off to the Yukon to hunt moose and caribou.

Off topic slightly here but just read a great old book about hunting in the Yukon circa 1898-1926ish :
"After BIG GAME in the UPPER YUKON"
by Major Neville Alexander Drummond Armstrong

Also if I were you I'd ring matey up and tell him you're delighted with the 7mm-08 ammo and could he order in 200 rounds for you. Go back during a blizzard in 2028 (leaving the door open of course) and see if he wants to do you a deal yet on some 7mm-08 ammo?

 

[Gary Mills]

Pm I use Joe quite regularly but I am sorry to say I have never found anybody who has had a pleasant first experiance with him, but believe it or not once you get to know him he has a wealth of knowledge and gets a lot easier to deal with.

As an appology on Joes behalf if you would like to take the trip to mine I will take you through the process of the dark art of reloading,may throw in a cuppa and a cake, you will have to shut the door even if not snowing or my dogs will get out and I promise not to slag of your choice of caliber as it is also my weapon of choice.
Brgds Pierre

I must say you are right
Once you get to Know him he has some good advice at times
But he can have bad days as we all can. But some times he seems to have more bad days then good

 

[Pine Marten]

Off topic slightly here but just read a great old book about hunting in the Yukon circa 1898-1926ish :
"After BIG GAME in the UPPER YUKON"
by Major Neville Alexander Drummond Armstrong

Also if I were you I'd ring matey up and tell him you're delighted with the 7mm-08 ammo and could he order in 200 rounds for you. Go back during a blizzard in 2028 (leaving the door open of course) and see if he wants to do you a deal yet on some 7mm-08 ammo?

That sounds like a great read! Good idea as regards the practical joke, but it probably won't happen because:
1. I doubt that shop will still be going in 2012 based on current trends.
2. I don't think Remington still load the 1998 vintage "boat tail" round.
3. I rather worry that we may have globally warmed the blizzards away by then.

 

[Muir]

Sorry I lost my sympathy as soon as you said you bought the minimum anyway. I would have walked out regardless of whether I really needed the ammo or not and not given him a single penny!

Yeah.... That would have been me as well. I'd have told him to have a miserable day and walked out.~Muir

 

[Si]

It would pay a dealer to sell a "selection box" of cartridges, say 5 of each

That is an excellent idea :idea:

 

[Grandhubert]

That's Joe for you...

I am one of those who will speak up for him, he can be an ornery bugger but if you do get to know him he's a decent sort at heart.

i remember my first conversation with him and it ran a lot like yours but I'm not the silently offended sort so we established a rapport within short space of time.

I live in Kensington and work in Chiswick, if you'd like to meet up to go through reloading get in touch and I'll help you get going. I managed to to get uber-reloading philistine Boghossian of these forums up and running in reloading after our experience as London based stalkers so closely mirroring your own.

 

[Pine Marten]

I live in Kensington and work in Chiswick, if you'd like to meet up to go through reloading get in touch and I'll help you get going. I managed to to get uber-reloading philistine Boghossian of these forums up and running in reloading after our experience as London based stalkers so closely mirroring your own.

Thanks! That's about the 132nd offer to teach me about reloading I've had in recent days! I daresay I'll crumble under the pressure one day...

 

[timbrayford]

One thing i have no tollerance for is rude service from someone whos premises i am patronising to spend my hard earned.Especially a hobby or interest which gives me pleasure to spend money on.
The above post brought back some not so great memories of my local shop some years ago.The sort of olde worlde place with ancient counters that Harry Potter might buy a wand.However, the effect was totally spoilt by the know it all behind the counter and his regular`posse`sat in chairs drinking tea, nodding sagely to each other when the owner spoke.
As a customer, you were the cabaret act.Lots of winks at each other,belly laughs, and `fork handles`type banter for the benefit of each other.
As a consequence i never used him.A lot of others didnt either.It was easy then as i just had shotguns and bought my carts from farm suppliers.The bloke is now fortunately history and my local shop is a good place to go.

+1 I totally agree.

Since our only local gunshop, Arnold Heal in Newport IW, has been taken over by Jai Nolan it has improved greatly he is very helpful and if he has not got what you want in stock he will try to get it for you, and his prices are close to online discount suppliers like Sportsman or Uttings. atb Tim

 

[Grandhubert]

Thanks! That's about the 132nd offer to teach me about reloading I've had in recent days! I daresay I'll crumble under the pressure one day...

The consensus is comforting is it not?

It is not hard and can be quite rewarding in it's own right, the kind offer of a press to get you going is the main bit, the rest is dies, powder, bullets a set of scales and a vernier calliper.

I think I might have a spare beam balance somewhere...

In all seriousness, it is the way forward in terms of accuracy and availability.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Oh how I miss the 60’s and not just for the music and chicks but a certain wee gun shop at the far end of a traditional tobacconist in Welling, Kent.

Never since have I experienced a more pleasing scent when opening a shop door that was Young’s 303 oil blended with a maturing pile of Old Jamaican Shag tobacco!

Heady days indeed even if the talk was predominantly wildfowl and shotguns rather than rifles.

No idea if they had any 7mm-08 in stock at the time.

Cheers

K

 

[Pine Marten]

Better still go in and speak to them, you may be surprised and they could also have ammo for you, or get some in..


nutty

Well I just received a reply from Boss and they kindly said that if it's just for a collection, it's not a problem "as long as the gun is already on your licence", by which I assume they mean that I have a slot on my FAC for it. Actually, how does this work? Would I have to send the SGC my FAC and they fill it in and send it back, or would that be done by the RFD I pick it up from?

 

[Grandhubert]

Well I just received a reply from Boss and they kindly said that if it's just for a collection, it's not a problem "as long as the gun is already on your licence", by which I assume they mean that I have a slot on my FAC for it. Actually, how does this work? Would I have to send the SGC my FAC and they fill it in and send it back, or would that be done by the RFD I pick it up from?

I suspect it means if the rifle is already entered on your licence rather than having a slot for it, if they have to enter it I imagine there will be a nominal charge.

I think you can't have an FAC filled in your physical absence, you have to be there.

 

[User00003]

PM, start reloading, it's great and very satisfying - but only if you have time to burn and space for a reloading desk or a very tolerant wife.