Lost gun stores of San Diego

[m1carbine]

Saw a thread on Calguns about gun stores in California that have closed over the years. There's been quite a few gun stores in San Diego that have closed down, what are the ones you remember (or miss) the most?

For me:

Discount Gun Mart when it was Dunn's Discount Guns (still their FFL name). at one point, they were in pacific beach before they moved to Morena.

Magnolia Shooting Range (now Discount Gun Mart Santee)

American Shooting Center

Parallax Tactical

DAS in Solana

Joe's Guns on Black Mountain Road in Miramar. I remember going in there in 1991 and they had inert grenades for sale as paperweights.

Krasne's in City Heights. Closed around 1970 when Collwood Blvd was built.

Montgomery Ward at Mission Valley Center had a huge sporting goods department in the 60s and 70s. Barrels full of milsurps. You could handpick an M1 Garand for $25.

So Cal Gun before they changed owners in the early 2000s.

Hiram's Guns and Spirits in El Cajon. You could buy ammo, then walk into the liquor store and get beer without having to walk outside. Gone for a few years but came back as Hiram's (dba Firearms Unknown), no more door between the liquor and gun store though.

[Time Off]

Weisser's in National City.

[c good]

Not San Diego City but San Diego North County. Ruth Johnson's shop in Oceanside. Johnson's Sporting Goods. Kit's Guns then it was Encinitas guns in on Coast Highway 101 just South of Encinitas Blvd.

[L84CABO]

Ooooh...I miss DAS. They were excellent. I think they moved to Poway for a bit but then closed. Very sad.

Then there was Gunfighter Tactical. They were awesome too. *Sniff*

[MG34]

Originally Posted by m1carbine

Saw a thread on Calguns about gun stores in California that have closed over the years. There's been quite a few gun stores in San Diego that have closed down, what are the ones you remember (or miss) the most?

For me:

Discount Gun Mart when it was Dunn's Discount Guns (still their FFL name). at one point, they were in pacific beach before they moved to Morena.

Magnolia Shooting Range (now Discount Gun Mart Santee)

American Shooting Center

Parallax Tactical

DAS in Solana

Joe's Guns on Black Mountain Road in Miramar. I remember going in there in 1991 and they had inert grenades for sale as paperweights.

Krasne's in City Heights. Closed around 1970 when Collwood Blvd was built.

Montgomery Ward at Mission Valley Center had a huge sporting goods department in the 60s and 70s. Barrels full of milsurps. You could handpick an M1 Garand for $25.

So Cal Gun before they changed owners in the early 2000s.

Hiram's Guns and Spirits in El Cajon. You could buy ammo, then walk into the liquor store and get beer without having to walk outside. Gone for a few years but came back as Hiram's (dba Firearms Unknown), no more door between the liquor and gun store though.

In 1970 I went down with a friend to Montgomery Wards to buy a 6 inch Colt Python. Cost back then $151. He still has the python.

[Helmut]

DAS, Wiser Owl aka Gunfighter Tactical.

Not SD but OC Armory was great for SSE.

[MG34]

Originally Posted by m1carbine

Saw a thread on Calguns about gun stores in California that have closed over the years. There's been quite a few gun stores in San Diego that have closed down, what are the ones you remember (or miss) the most?

For me:

Discount Gun Mart when it was Dunn's Discount Guns (still their FFL name). at one point, they were in pacific beach before they moved to Morena.

Magnolia Shooting Range (now Discount Gun Mart Santee)

American Shooting Center

Parallax Tactical

DAS in Solana

Joe's Guns on Black Mountain Road in Miramar. I remember going in there in 1991 and they had inert grenades for sale as paperweights.

Krasne's in City Heights. Closed around 1970 when Collwood Blvd was built.

Montgomery Ward at Mission Valley Center had a huge sporting goods department in the 60s and 70s. Barrels full of milsurps. You could handpick an M1 Garand for $25.

So Cal Gun before they changed owners in the early 2000s.

Hiram's Guns and Spirits in El Cajon. You could buy ammo, then walk into the liquor store and get beer without having to walk outside. Gone for a few years but came back as Hiram's (dba Firearms Unknown), no more door between the liquor and gun store though.

There was a Stanley Andrews Sporting Goods store in the Clairemont Quad, Accuracy Gun Shop on University Ave Fed Marts use to sell guns

[NoNOS67]

Been gone for a long time, but Lakeside Armory was a cool little shop.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

[BadKitty]

GlockStore

[MFortie]

Originally Posted by m1carbine

…

Krasne's in City Heights. Closed around 1970 when Collwood Blvd was built.

…

Hiram's Guns and Spirits in El Cajon. You could buy ammo, then walk into the liquor store and get beer without having to walk outside. Gone for a few years but came back as Hiram's (dba Firearms Unknown), no more door between the liquor and gun store though.

I remember Krasne’s being downtown.

I also remember a small store on EC Blvd just west of 54th St. - this was in the mid-60’s.

I bought my 1st shotgun (870) from Hiram’s when they were at Main & EC Blvd back in the 70’s.

[rice_man]

Wow - a lot of memories here. Been to most of these.

Originally Posted by L84CABO

Ooooh...I miss DAS. They were excellent. I think they moved to Poway for a bit but then closed. Very sad.

Then there was Gunfighter Tactical. They were awesome too. *Sniff*

DAS was great with SSE. Got a couple done there while the getting was good. They didn't go without a fight as their last stop was a gun range in Poway that had the misfortune of opening up two blocks away from PWG. Amd that was the end of that.

Gunfighter (and before that Wiser Owl) was my go to for PPTs. Have done a few with them and also a couple new purchases. Ryan and crew had the absolute top notch customer service.


The GlockStore - not always the best in customer service but the new location in KM had their own range and I did my CCW quals with Bill Desy there.

Finally I will add JD Machine to this list. Good folks there - I had my first AR built there right before Sandy Hook happened and that was the time I joined here. Got it just before the craziness started.

[SDDAVE56]

Originally Posted by MFortie

I remember Krasne’s being downtown.

I also remember a small store on EC Blvd just west of 54th St. - this was in the mid-60’s.

I bought my 1st shotgun (870) from Hiram’s when they were at Main & EC Blvd back in the 70’s.

I bought my Walther PPK/S there in 1981 right after graduating the Academy. 6th & Market???

Frontier Gun Shop, I believe was the name. On University Ave just East of 805. My Dad bought an Interterms Luger there. Which I still have.

[Kurgan]

Woolworth in the Carlbad mall used to sell AR 15 rifles. Used to be a tiny store in the Carlsbad Village. Hagens guns in Vista. Wilderness Sport in Vista.

Wilderness Sport got robbed and they locked the dude in his vault.

Hagens closed when the owner died.

[m1carbine]

Originally Posted by MFortie

I remember Krasne’s being downtown.

I also remember a small store on EC Blvd just west of 54th St. - this was in the mid-60’s.

That's the one I was thinking was Krasne's but I had the name wrong apparently. I can't remember what they were called. They closed around 1966-1967 when Collwood opened, could have been as late as 1970 but I honestly don't remember. it was an interesting little shop. they built a mcdonald's (that's still there as something else now) after they tore down the block.

[JYD123]

Weisser Sporting Goods - National City.

[MFortie]

Originally Posted by m1carbine

That's the one I was thinking was Krasne's but I had the name wrong apparently. I can't remember what they were called. They closed around 1966-1967 when Collwood opened, could have been as late as 1970 but I honestly don't remember. it was an interesting little shop. they built a mcdonald's (that's still there as something else now) after they tore down the block.

Yup. We were living on 54th in the middle of that gnarly hill (that I left a couple teeth on after crashing my bike). I recall a couple of huge eucalyptus trees by the shop as well. This was ‘66/‘67…

[sd joe]

Accuracy Gun Shop on University around 36th.

Dan Dwyer Gunsmith on Washington and Goldfinch.

Woolworth and Wards both in Mission Valley.

Honorable mention for Gemco and Kmart.

[Oldboyjun]

El Cajon Gun Exchange

[baranski]

Empowered Firearms (Vista)
Quantico Tactical (Oceanside)

[swift]

California Police Equipment on El Cajon blvd

[waawaaweenie]

is the backorder king, Lenny still operating there or did he flee completely to Tennessee?

[aeromech]

Ben Gun on swift and university
Accuracy
Sears Roebuck in Hillcrest
Woolworth mission valley center (bought my first gun there when I was 16)
Frontier Gun Shop near Ben Gun

[aeromech]

Stanley Andrews downtown. Very high end

[SDDAVE56]

Originally Posted by Oldboyjun

El Cajon Gun Exchange

Sears UTC.

[SDDAVE56]

Originally Posted by swift

California Police Equipment on El Cajon blvd

I bought my first 1911 there. SA Mil Spec., and my Ruger PC9.

[BucDan]

I remember parallax tactical. They were GFT before GFT. I remember the owner wanted to go big, they released their own handguards and muzzle brakes back then. They fell into obscurity after they moved their shop from Miramar.

I still don't have a primary store after GFT closed. At best, ammobros in Miramar I used for ffl to ffl transfer. No issues so far.

[Daylight_Stranger]

The gun shop at the MCRD MCX!

[MG34]

I bought my first Ruger 10-22 at Woolworths in Fashion Valley for $39.95 in 1970.

[us3]

Originally Posted by MG34

I bought my first Ruger 10-22 at Woolworths in Fashion Valley for $39.95 in 1970.

I bought my first 10-22 at Kmart for I think $79.99. (still have it, rebarreled and still shoots as good as new)

Those were the days

[eaglemike]

Even JC Penny used to sell guns in Mission Valley. Almost ordered a Savage 99 from them in the 1970's. Should have done it.

[SanDiego619]

Wiser Owl
Glock Store
GFT (yes was wiser owl so we lost it twice)
AB Prototype (he moved to freedom land)
ASC

[Bladewurk]

Not really Gun Shops but when talking San Diego Gunguys the legendary Tim Lafrance of LaFrance Specialties (movie gun designer, Suppressor designer, Gunsmith and overall design genius)..
And another incredible 1911 Gunsmith legend Armand Swenson of Fallbrook.
These 2 deserve mention!

[Corbin Dallas]

Parallax Tactical was never associated with GFT.

Anyone remember Accuracy Group across from the VFW on Convoy??

Joes guns in Miramar was one of my first purchases ever.

Oh, and what about Escondido Indoor shooting range?

[us3]

Originally Posted by Corbin Dallas

Parallax Tactical was never associated with GFT.

Anyone remember Accuracy Group across from the VFW on Convoy??

Joes guns in Miramar was one of my first purchases ever.

Oh, and what about Escondido Indoor shooting range?

I got shot at that range...

Not really shot buy a bullet but a piece of copper jacket did pernitrate my arm and I had to remove it like a week later when the small hole healed up and I could feel something still inside.

Still don't know what happened but it did. I assume someone had a ND and hit some steel by the firing line. I haven't like indoor ranges ever since.

Matt

[Flintlock Tom]

"Cap 'n Ball Gun Shop" on University Ave.

Black powder supplies.

[SDDAVE56]

Originally Posted by Bladewurk

Not really Gun Shops but when talking San Diego Gunguys the legendary Tim Lafrance of LaFrance Specialties (movie gun designer, Suppressor designer, Gunsmith and overall design genius)..
And another incredible 1911 Gunsmith legend Armand Swenson of Fallbrook.
These 2 deserve mention!

I remember that place. His alarm would go off a few times a month. Down off Morena Blvd.

[Bornonthe4thofJuly]

Ralph's Fine Firearms in Spring Valley

[Tallship]

Originally Posted by Corbin Dallas

Parallax Tactical was never associated with GFT.

Anyone remember Accuracy Group across from the VFW on Convoy??

Joes guns in Miramar was one of my first purchases ever.

Oh, and what about Escondido Indoor shooting range?

The guys who owned that range went BK, and the manger of the range, Marc Halcon, bought out the equipment and moved the range to Ruffin Road where it became American Shooting Center. The only range in SD to go under twice.

[brassburnz]

Originally Posted by Time Off

Weisser's in National City.

Weisser's Sporting Goods was a regular stop. I picked up many great deals there. The boss and the guys were great to deal with. I really miss that place.

There was another small gun store in National City that was owned by a SDPD officer. Can't remember the name of the store. Something like Police Guns and Gear, but I maybe confused with another store.

[Rivers]

Originally Posted by brassburnz

There was another small gun store in National City that was owned by a SDPD officer. Can't remember the name of the store. Something like Police Guns and Gear, but I maybe confused with another store.

El Cajon Police Gear, owned by the dad (Chuck). His son was a Lt. with SDPD if I remember correctly. Wonderful neighborhood (not) on El Cajon Blvd.