Do you remember Harkley and Haywood (milsurp dealer in Vancouver)

john@

john@

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I'm trying to identify the H&H stamp on the aftermarket barrel of my Luger. In a side discussion in the January purchases thread, it was mentioned that this might be from Harkley and Haywood in Vancouver. If you have any info on this, it would be appreciated.

Excerts from the discussion:

bearhunter said:
About 35 years ago, many of these fine pistols languished in drawers or on the wall, whatever, because the bores in these fine pistols were worn, rusted from poor cleaning or pitted to the point of makeing the pistols useless for anything other than display.

Golden State Arms offered a barrel replacement, that was pre chambered, for the M96 pistols.

Rebarreling the pistols meant cutting off the original barrel just in front of the chamber, then drilling out and cutting threads in the old chamber area. They were distinctive by the small step on the barrel just in front of the chamber area. It was a very slick and effective cure to bring some life back into the old warriors lives.

I bought one of the sleeved pistols from Harkley and Haywood, along with a P38 and a P08 in 1972. I knew virtually nothing about these pistols, other than they looked great and from previous experience knew they were very reliable performers.

I was told about the resleeve by the store manager and that it had been done instore.
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Light Infantry said:
Bearhunter
Do you have any pics of the Harkley and Haywood barrel or the symbol? I sold a Luger to another board member here that had a 6" barrel stamped H&H. Originally we thought it could possibly be Holland and Holland, but by contacting them found out it wasnt them. You may have solved a mystery for us. Where were they located?
Thanks
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bearhunter said:
Harkley and Haywood were located in downtown Vancouver many years ago.
Sadly, I haven't any pics of an example. In those days I just bought them to shoot. Live and learn I guess.

There was an article in a mid sixties dated "Guns" magazine on the GSA barrel kit. The neat thing about the barrels was that you could also buy varying lengths.

H&H also did a bunch of shot out P08s for Robinson Arms in Victoria and Lever Arms. I was under the impression that they were done with lookalike replacement barrels.
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And here is the Luger:

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H&H on the underside of the barrel:

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THanks
 
Harkley and Haywood were a top of the line sporting store, both wholesale and retail.
I don't know when they started, probably in the 1920s. In the 1930s, and until well after the war, any true sportsman had to get his top of the line fishing equipment from them. No really true hunter, could go on a major trip without first outfitting at Harkley and Haywood.
In all the early years there was great prestige in saying you bought your fly/line/rod/shotgun/rifle/whatever, from Harkley and Haywood.
Then in the late 1950s it completely changed. Army and Navy came along with huge stores loaded with sporting equipment, which they sold at the lowest prices in the country. It now became fashionable to get your equipment at the lowest possible price, and brag about it! You just were not in the circle if you did not get your rifles/ammunition/fly rods/etc/etc/ from Army and Navy.
There were not enough true blue sportsmen left to keep Harkley and Haywood going.

Edited to say that they were never milsurp.
 
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Harkley & Haywood

Harkley & Haywood was top of the line in Vancouver. They were located on Cordova St. directly behind the old Eatons store on Hastings. In the late 60s I worked there. They had two gunsmiths, one was Nobby Uno who is now on the island, he would be the person to contact about the handgun, I have his number.
Take care,
Bill
 
b72471 said:
Harkley & Haywood was top of the line in Vancouver. They were located on Cordova St. directly behind the old Eatons store on Hastings....
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Actually, behind the old Woodward's store. (I worked in the Hardware Dept. there in the mid-late 70's.) They were a grand old place. Didn't they have a testing box in the back where they could test-fire guns? Can't imagine that today!

My dad bought me my first .22 there - a CIL/Anschütz 310 for my 14th birthday in 1966. I still have it. As I recall there was also a lesser sporting goods store "kitty-corner" to H&H, on the SE side of Hastings.

They had two gunsmiths, one was Nobby Uno who is now on the island..
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Nice to know that there is still someone around from H&H. He might have been the one who mounted the aperture sights on my Anschütz.

I remember the original Lever Arms on Dunsmuir St., too- when Alan ran it. (I can still see the dewatted BAR's up on the wall- unfortunately dow with cutting torch!) And the rifles and shotguns in the sporting goods depts. of Eaton's and The Bay.

And while we're on old Vancouver, does anyone remember James Inglis Reid's butchers on Granville (about where Holt Renfrew is today)? Sawdust on the floors, 1" thick marble shelves on black iron supports... To this day I still think they had the best double-smoked side bacon- smoked on the premises, too!

:) Stuart
 
I'm too young for H&H, but I do remember going to the local K-mart in North Delta, where I grew up, to buy .22 ammo when they still existed and had a sporting goods department.
 
Harkleys

I started working there in 1975,after Nobby Uno had left Harkley's,but I worked with him at Hunter's Sporting Goods on Kingsway.After working for Gerry Harkley I ended staying in the hunting & fishing business for another 25 years.It was nice to see Nobby at the Kamloops show last year,he is still a first class gunsmith and riflebuilder. Mur
 
Woodwards not Eatons

Well it was a long time ago; yes it was behind Woodwards.
The address was 101 Cordova and they also had a wholesale store there.
They had a test tube (actually a piece of pipe) mounted in the basement where firearms could be test fired, bottom end had about 2FT of fine sand in it, that had to be changed every so often.
They carried very high quality equipment in both the hunting side and the fishing side of the store.
Great memories,
Bill
 
I always remember H&H and Allan's store on Dunsmuir when ever I drive by.

I know Allan retired, and at some point, both Allan and his son was involved or owned "Innotec Aviation". Allan would travel the world to buy old stuff and guns, and I know that he would sell for about $ 1.2 million a year of guns and old stuff he picked up around the world. Was always interesting to go to his store and meet him and John, who left Lever Arms to open a store of his own, selling rare live bird, among other things, in Vancouver. Also meet interesting gunnutz at Allan's store, like stockbroker/gun collector Joe Merrin, etc. Once, John opened up some of the old drawers in the store, and the contens were amazing, like opening up pandoras box :)

Anyone knows what happened to Allan Lever ?

At one point, there was also an interesting gun store in Victoria, at that one is gone to.
 
This brings back a lot of memories for me as well, ---- was in there several times, a real good " Old Time " gun shop, as well as a lot of other things, --- got a butt stock for a old Winchester 94 there, still got the box they sent it in, with their name and lapels, etc; on it ---- and still got the Winchester as well, ---- shame they are no longer there, those days are Long Gone !! ------- things were so much simplier back then, the Good Old Days !!!
 
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