Gunshop honesty

[Pedro]

Holland & Holland are still like that today. They love chatting about their guns and treat everyone like royalty, even when there is no chance of a sale.

Hopefully they will have, whether at the time or later, got some sales because of their hospitality. Costs nothing and makes the world a better place.

 

[John Gryphon]

Kate is great, but mostly for fishing stuff...haven't been in the other one for years....'nuff said.

So you have been in Kate`s for years?

 

[gerarddwatts]

I guess I'm missing something, but yes, I go in Kate's fairly regularly.....

 

[Pine Marten]

The only London gun shop I've ever been to is William Evans at St James'. Had a look around when down there whilst my son was getting his Duke of Edinburgh Gold Certificate at the palace. I bought a very nice stag horn whistle. Probably the only thing I could afford in the shop. Peep peep.

I have always found William Evans both in London and Bisley to be really friendly and helpful. I only ever buy small things in there, or use them for RFD transfers, or the odd bit of repair work, but they always make an effort to seem interested, ask me about my shooting season, and never give the impression that I'm wasting their time. Now, the time I went to H&H's for ONE box of cartridges as a Christmas present, that was quite different... That said, I've had rubbish experiences in gunshops that were quite a lot downmarket from the above two.

 

[Mossypaw]

Gray & Co. Inverness (Telescopes) This shop,now a pub named 'gunsmiths',was run by a gentleman,Mr. Milne. He treated everyone the same,with patience, whether you were buying a box of .22 slugs or an over and under. Nostalgia maybe, but not many around now to serve.
Dan and the folk at Grahams,Inverness, Gregor and all at Winkies (McLeods of Tain) still maintain a high standard. jc

Going into Grays was like stepping back in time, I always thought Mr Milne must of shared some genes with a sloth, very similar pace. As a youngster I was treated and advised just the same as a major landowner.

 

[Highlandsjohn]

Going into Grays was like stepping back in time, I always thought Mr Milne must of shared some genes with a sloth, very similar pace. As a youngster I was treated and advised just the same as a major landowner.

Quite a few years later (he had moved to the Longman by then, developing optics) he came into my shop to have a Mauser BBL threaded to fit the receiver for a friend.
He was getting on by then. When I said no charge for his past kindness,he returned the next day with a bottle of Old Inverness and thanked me, class. jc

 

[Dalua]

Similarly, Gows in Union Street, Dundee was always a great place to visit.

Interesting. My posh (i.e. ejector) game gun is a Gow.

 

[Harry mac]

A couple of people on here seem to like Greenfields in Salisbury. My memory of the Greenfields shopping experience isn't very good, but admittedly, it was a looong time ago, probs about 1987/8.
I went in there, purely because I passed the shop on a day in town, and I didn't know the shop was there. Inside, I saw a second hand Webley Premier air pistol, so asked to have a look at it. The gentleman gave me a look like he'd got dog s**t on his top lip as soon as I mentioned the words "air pistol". Anyway, I had a look and told him I'd be back as soon as I'd been to the cash-point. He only just managed to stop himself tutting as he put it back. True to my word, I went back and bought the pistol and his demeanour only slightly improved when he saw the colour of my cash. I really did want that pistol, so they got my money, but I never went in again after that.