A look at how ammo used to be packed cool.

Your "treasure trove" sounds like the old Johnsons hardware in Nanaimo. It shut down just a couple years ago and although I didn't get to check it out when the pickings were good, (they were cleaned out when I first went there or I wasn't part of the in crowd:confused:) the stories you tell were echoed by many others.
 
Win Shooter, I think you're correct! It was a very narrow downtown store on the Island Highway, West side of the street. I think I must have been the first one dig around down there. It was a tremendous pile of old stuff. Some was stuck in the rafters above your head, some was down on the shelves, and this was in different locations down there. Not all in one location.

I recently heard from one of the gun club guys who still lives down in Victoria. The collector club was VIACA, Vancouver Island Arms Collectors Association.

VIACASHOULDERPATCH.jpg


That was our shoulder patch.

Here's a pic of a bunch of us down in front of the Empress Hotel in Rendezvous costume.

12VERYOLDFAMILYPHOTOS-12.jpg


Best regards ~ ~ ~ mauser
 
That picture of the Empress hotel reminded me of the guns shows that used to be held there, pick up a hand gun then order high tea:p
In the seventys i was pretty much following my father around so he would probably know the guys in that picture (he's long gone now). I do remember "international knives" and "specialty guns" before they morphed into one. Robinsons was different and even more so after one guy spread his brain matter all over the ceiling.
 
The guy in the coonskin hat is Barry Beazley. He still lives around that area. I'm third from right. Those were shows VIACA put on. The big cannon that sat outside the show belonged to Barry. He had a shop outside of town he called The Lock Stock & Barrel. Obviously he specialized in frontstuffers.

Our BP group of VIACA was called The Malahat Marauders. The Empress pic was during a Pioneers Day or Founders Day celebration the city was putting on at the Inner Harbor. We were expected to fire a salute over the Harbor after each speaker was introduced. The Hudson Bay's replica sailing ship Nonsuch was berthed in the harbor that day.

We had one speaker not show so our guns were loaded but nothing to shoot 'em for. So we attacked the Nonsuch!!! Then we trooped into the Empress Pub for some cool ones. We had a ball.

Best regards ~ ~ ~ mauser
 
I remember Lock stock and Barrel but can't remember ever personally being in there.
My fathers first stop was always Gordons sporting goods, Dale Hayton (Spelling?) took it over from Gordon and was one of my fathers grooms men. I still have a pile of the old "Dominion" and "Canuck" wooden shotgun boxes and also from the store 2 or 3 of those Dominion oversized promotional boxes that you see earlier on in this thread, but I can't find them now.
We probably crossed pathed many times but I am 45 now so you do the math on how old I was back then. Do you remember a guy named Bob Trottman from Duncan? Another one of my fathers partners in crime;)
 
Yep! I remember Bob Trottman's name coming up back in those days. I simply cannot remember the guy's name who I dealt with most of the time down at Gordons. He was a short, dark-haired guy. I don't remember his name being Dale, but it might have been. (I think that last name was Hinton.)

If you're 45 I got you by 30 years! Two of our older kids (about your age and older) still live on the Island. Daughter is up in Zeballos, our son is down around Campbell River I believe.

It's almost 2:30am here so shutting down for a while. Hope to talk with you again sometime.

Best regards ~ ~ ~ mauser
 
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