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There was a reference to Gibson's in a recent post that piqued my curiosity. Like many others I had assumed all the Gibson's closed many years ago. Doing a little Google-ing I found the Weatherford store and another one in Kerrville.

My wife and I drove up yesterday to visit our daughter/S-I-L/grandchildren in Mansfield, so I decided to take a little road trip today while she was at a movie with the kids. It was like a trip back to the 60's and 70's when I entered the store. There was merchandise of all varieties - hardlines - softlines - drygoods - drugstore stuff; you name it they got it, almost to the ceiling in some places. Even grocery items. Just as I remembered. They even put prices on every piece of merchandise with price sticker guns.

I headed to the back of the store (being an old retail guy I know sporting goods is always in the back.) and as I walked down the aisle to the rear I saw an elderly gentleman pricing some boxes of Sierra Bullets. I knew I was going to enjoy my knuckle-dragging session here!

Got to the gun counter and was very pleased to see an "L" shaped gun rack stacked as lined closely as can be (some double stacked) with long arms. Mossberg to Beretta shotguns and everything in between. Rifles- Crickets, Henrys, Marlin, Remingtons, DPMS, Rock River, Windham, S&W, Savage, a little Browning auto . Pistols Colt-Ruger-Sig-Taurus-Kimber-Remington & more. There was a 1911 I'd never seen before. I can't recall the brand name now, but it was made in the Philippines. It wasn't Armscor or RIA, but looked to be of decent quality. Maybe "American Arms"???
RCBS and MEC Loading presses, scales, dies and supplies. Lots and Lots of powder; bullets as I mentioned and primers.

There was an end tip of Mag-Pul items, even a couple of SG stocks. Had some Hogue items and a wall of holsters. Most of the priced were average. I saw 1000 rnd cases of Wolf 123grn FMJ 7.62x39 for $299.00 - I don't buy that caliber but it seems like a pretty good price. The guy laughed when I asked about .22 rimfire ammo, so they don't have everything Good trip and a good time.
I bought a Galco Tuck-N-Go, A jar of Sno-Seal and a couple of Carhartt watch caps. The only problem was not enough money to buy the Colt Commander or the Sig .45.

Edited: I think it may be a Metro Arms/American Classic Commander

Definitely sounds like a trip down memory lane.

I have a supervisor/fellow gun afficianado who lives out there and he talks about buying gun stuff at Gibson's. Makes me want to take a drive on out there to check it out.

But did they have any .22LR ammo?

Oldgringo wrote:But did they have any .22LR ammo?

puma guy wrote: The guy laughed when I asked about .22 rimfire ammo, so they don't have everything

Nope! But he has two boxes of .218 Bee

When I tell friends we have a Gibson's, they too are surprised and usually respond the same as Puma Guy with the standby, "I had no idea any of those still existed...".

We shop there frequently and appreciate the fact that we have one!

Wehn I was a kid they had just passed the 16yr law to go to work for a public job. I was mowing yds, cleaning up alleys, around construction sites....
Gibson's Discount Center in Lubbock was my 1st public job.
Thanks for the "Memory Lane" for me too.

Next thing someone will tell us about a Western Auto that's still open. I gotta take make a trip to Weatherford and check that out. Is that Cajun restaurant still open in Weatherford. I had lunch there last time I was passing through. Great food.

There is a Western Auto store in Snyder, TX!!!

shooter76blue wrote:There is a Western Auto store in Snyder, TX!!!

TxRVer wrote:Next thing someone will tell us about a Western Auto that's still open. I gotta take make a trip to Weatherford and check that out. Is that Cajun restaurant still open in Weatherford. I had lunch there last time I was passing through. Great food.

Not sure which Cajun restaurant you're talking about, but if you're looking for another trip back in time head to Weatherford Downtown Cafe a couple blocks north of Gibson's on the square. Good honest home cooking served by a staff that appreciates you as a customer, my wife highly recommends the banana pancakes.

Pump Guy, glad you were able to make it by there. As you noted, they typically have about average prices, though if you are in there at the right time you can get a good deal. I managed to pick up a 22/45 TB this time last year for $319; the clerk told me they'd gotten three in and his boss had told him to price them to move as they didn't have any .22 ammo to go with them. I bought the second one (clerk said he'd bought the first), and while I was filling out the paperwork I watched the third one sell. Just got lucky that day. Every time I was in they were also helpful and ready to talk guns, especially if it was slow. I appreciated how they didn't try to sell you something with a bunch of bull (unlike the usual gun shop counter jockey), which was even more surprising as everyone I dealt with seemed to be in the 20-30 age range.

TxRVer wrote:

shooter76blue wrote:There is a Western Auto store in Snyder, TX!!!

Closer to home I know there was one as of a year or two ago still open in Mineral Wells.

I was off a bit. I was thinking of Boo Ray's in Hudson Oaks. I'll have to try the Downtown Cafe when I get out there.
it seems Western Auto is not as rare as I thought. There's one closer to me in Whitney.

Years ago my wife purchased my Marlin Golden 39A at that store for my Christmas present- the only 39A in a 300 mile radius she tells me. It is my favorite gun, now if I can find some ammo to feed it...