Best Gun Shops for classic "Golden Age" SxS

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Historically, I have bought guns off the EE, in private sales and in foreign markets (USA & Europe). But the declining value of the dollar has me looking around Canada a little more intently than I have in the past.

Just wondering who you think are the best gunshops for assortment of classic SxS. Not looking for post war/communist/budget guns but more like graded American, British and Continental guns from the golden age....pre WWII.

Epps is the obvious one...who else?
 
Don't forget gun shows! I don't know about where you live but I always see a decent selection of high end guns, including shotguns at the bigger shows in BC, and of course the biggest gun show in Canada the Easter show in Calgary. In the last couple of years I have seen modern high end shotguns like a Beretta 687EELL, AYA #1 & #2, numerous Browning Superposed, Peazzi, Kreighoff and others. English double rifles by I Hollis, P Webley, J Purdy, S Grant and A Henry. English shotguns by J Manton, J Dickson, C Hellis, Westley Richards, C Boswell, S Grant, E J Churchill, W J Jeffery, G Gibbs, C Lancaster, WW Greener, Webley & Scott, and literally dozens of other makers, some well known, some obscure. Prices on these English guns, while not inexpensive compared to an American pump gun are usually priced about 1/2 or less than the prices I see listed for similar guns in the US, except for Calgary where the selection is greatest and the prices highest.
 
Ashcroft, thanks. As I noted in the OP, the EE is my "go-to" source. But you make a good point about gun shows, which I never go to. I live in Ontario so need to get those on the calendar and start attending. Won't be able to hit the shows out west bu there are a few around here. May be the year to check them out.
 
James, here is a start. New calendar dates for 2018 released for local show circuit. I’ve been to pretty much all of the shows and thought the Orangeville and Markham shows were the better ones. While I have found projects at the Pickering show, I wouldnt go out of my way to attend it.
http://www.ontariogunshows.com
 
Another note, if you ever go to Ellwood Epps, be sure to stop into the store next to the Epps parking lot called Ad Hominen. There is a massive collection of arms in there that is probably 10 times bigger then what epps has. No website, no electronic list....just a plain jane manual list of inventory. So you will be forced to go into the store and flip through a dated binder containing inventory. I recall Patrick spending some time in there taking photos of the registry. He may still have the files that you can run your eyes through
 
Ashcroft nailed it. I had a beautiful L.C. Smith Ideal grade, unfired from around 1946ish that I took to a gun show in Maple Creek. A gentleman that I am acquainted with made me an offer that was mighty close to the asking price. He went home with it. Between gun shows and EE, there is a great big window of possibilities, both for selling and buying, as well as trading!
 
i agree with the above. You will see lots of people bringing in guns to either sell or trade with the vendors. Then what usually happens is the vendors throw out a low ball offer that somehow leads to discussions with other visitors. Many side deals take place between visitors at vacant booths. I sold a gun a couple years back at the Markham show to a dealer from the Niagara region who was just a visitor at the Markham show. He saw me walking around with a hard case not knowing if it was a gun I came with or one I just purchased. Then he saw me enter negotiations with a vendor and approached me right after he saw me walk away from the negotiations. I would say I have walked away from a show with empty hands 8 out of 10 times. But those times I managed to find something turned into big wins for me
 
1963beretta said:
Another note, if you ever go to Ellwood Epps, be sure to stop into the store next to the Epps parking lot called Ad Hominen. There is a massive collection of arms in there that is probably 10 times bigger then what epps has. No website, no electronic list....just a plain jane manual list of inventory. So you will be forced to go into the store and flip through a dated binder containing inventory. I recall Patrick spending some time in there taking photos of the registry. He may still have the files that you can run your eyes through
Click to expand...

I drive by there several times a year and never knew what that business was - so there's a binder but too many guns to display them all?
Re: Gobles, maybe Bryan has better luck than me but in there probably once a month and yet to see something James would be interested in. Google them and can see their used inventory online.
There's an Orangeville show I see early Feb. I may take in. 07:30 start, Jeebus! Certainly you did not miss any Dickson 16 gauge round body ejectors at the recent Woodstock show - the closest would be J. Manton (Belgium, not London.)
I get the sense that nice sleeper British guns are more likely to be found in western Canada, more so than in Ontario.
 
Londonshooter said:
I drive by there several times a year and never knew what that business was - so there's a binder but too many guns to display them all?
Re: Gobles, maybe Bryan has better luck than me but in there probably once a month and yet to see something James would be interested in. Google them and can see their used inventory online.
There's an Orangeville show I see early Feb. I may take in. 07:30 start, Jeebus! Certainly you did not miss any Dickson 16 gauge round body ejectors at the recent Woodstock show - the closest would be J. Manton (Belgium, not London.)
I get the sense that nice sleeper British guns are more likely to be found in western Canada, more so than in Ontario.
Click to expand...

Yes, they have all kinds of military and antique artifacts. They do have what may be about a thousand or so guns on display upstairs, and the rest are stored under the building. Based on the size of the binder and the number of guns listed, I wouldnt be surprised if there is another 10,000 guns hiding down there. If you want to snoop through the listing, pack a lunch because you’ll be there a while
 
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Londonshooter said:
I drive by there several times a year and never knew what that business was - so there's a binder but too many guns to display them all?
Re: Gobles, maybe Bryan has better luck than me but in there probably once a month and yet to see something James would be interested in. Google them and can see their used inventory online.
There's an Orangeville show I see early Feb. I may take in. 07:30 start, Jeebus! Certainly you did not miss any Dickson 16 gauge round body ejectors at the recent Woodstock show - the closest would be J. Manton (Belgium, not London.)
I get the sense that nice sleeper British guns are more likely to be found in western Canada, more so than in Ontario.
Click to expand...

I've got a friend who runs a nice horse farm in north Caledon so the 7:30 start shouldn't be a problem for me.;)

John I have the same feeling about the differences between East and West shows. But that's just based on comments I've heard and read...not personal experience.
 
1963beretta said:
Yes, they have all kinds of military and antique artifacts. They do have what may be about a thousand or so guns on display upstairs, and the rest are stored under the building. Based on the size of the binder and the number of guns listed, I wouldnt be surprised if there is another 10,000 guns hiding down there. If you want to snoop through the listing, pack a lunch because you’ll be there a while
Click to expand...

My son has a ski race at Horseshoe Valley in a couple weekends. Leaves me with 4-5 hours to kill. May head up to Epps and check out this other place.
 
1963beretta said:
Another note, if you ever go to Ellwood Epps, be sure to stop into the store next to the Epps parking lot called Ad Hominen. There is a massive collection of arms in there that is probably 10 times bigger then what epps has. No website, no electronic list....just a plain jane manual list of inventory. So you will be forced to go into the store and flip through a dated binder containing inventory. I recall Patrick spending some time in there taking photos of the registry. He may still have the files that you can run your eyes through
Click to expand...

That place is awesome. I stopped in the first time one day after visiting Epps and was blown away. A ton of old miliaria, but a bit of a pain in the arse to wade through. Prices vary wildly. I've seen some sweet deals on stuff that I wasn't looking for, but they were quickly offset by not so sweet deals on things I was looking for. $100 bucks for an SMLE mag and $200 for a bayo? No thanks. You definitely need some time in there though. First time I stopped it was ten to five. They let me hang around and browse a bit after close, but I could have used a couple of hours. It has been a couple years since I was in there, usually it is closed when I am passing by, but I seem to recall they had oddball hours/days. Thurs thru Sat only or something.
 
I haven't been to Ad Hominen is several years. Very cool place to poke around in. Loved it when I was really into black powder. Tons of stuff but hard to find those gems.
Glad to hear it's still alive.
 
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