Favorite gun shop in Berks co.?

[learn2shoot]

Hi Art,
Tried to call you, now I know why I couldn't reach you. While I am so sorry to hear that you are closing the shop, I can certainly understand why. You put forth a galant effort to overcome some heavy obsticles and you did well. You are on the right track - family comes first. They love you and need you and its is not worth risking your life for. You know where to find us if you ever need anything we may be able to help with. We'll miss you.
Merry Christmas, Art. Although it's one less cookie stop on my Christmas travels, I wish nothing but the best in life for you and yours. God bless.
M.

[Hornet]

Sorry to hear about the business situation Art but I am happy to hear you landed back on your feet. I want to thank you for your help in the early stages of my new hobby and appreciate the patience you had with me. Have a great Christmas.
-Joe

[JMIS]

It's been an uphill battle from day one, given the previous history there. NOBODY has ANY idea what I've had to deal with on that corner since opening.
I've dealt with enough scumbags and criminals to last me a lifetime. I've simply "Had enough"
The shop is closing strictly because of this reason. The shop made money and supported itself, even in this crappy economy, the previous history and with a huge overhead...
My ultimate decision came down to my lack of tolerance for the degenerates and scumbags that so often frequented the store. Many of my regular customers never got to see the ugly side of the business... but trust me, it's there and in abundance at the edge of the city.
Also note...
No shop is immune from criticism.
The majority of the criticism I receive, comes from people who get tossed from the store or from people who have never been in the store or met me.
In the online criticism of my shop, they always conveniently omit the minor details... like the fact they came in with a straw-buyer... or had MS13 gang tat's all over them... or told me they were a convicted felon... have PFA's... were drunk... smelled like weed... etc...
You cannot begin to imagine the kind of folks that walk into a gun shop.
Back in October I had a very nice, pleasant elderly man come in to buy a gun. He was a textbook customer and even reminded me of my Dad a little. I spent 45 minutes with the guy going over different guns, features, etc...
He bought a S&W J-frame and a box of ammo... He asked about using the range to test fire it. Since (as some here would say) I am such a prick... I told him he'd need to join the range first. He declined the membership offer and went home instead.
Later that afternoon he put the gun in his mouth and killed himself with it.

Obviously I was pretty upset about it... as I felt like I should have been able to pick up on his intentions. I played the transaction over and over again in my head, looking for something I may have missed... and there was NOTHING. He was as normal and textbook as any other regular walk-in customer. There was nothing I could have done to prevent it... yet after hearing about it, I actually offered to buy the gun back from the family at full price.
Two weeks later I got the gun back from the PD, in an evidence bag, complete with blood and goo all over it. I had to clean that gun myself.
If you missed the part about him asking to use the range... I will spell it out for you. He WOULD have killed himself right there in my range, right in front of me, on camera. I would have had to live with that the rest of my life. THANK GOD I didn't let him in the range.
If he had done that in the range, I would have locked the doors for good, right then and there.

When I got my FFL... I never imagined any of this kind of crap could happen.

It's unfortunate for the good folks that I've had the pleasure of meeting and dealing with since I opened. Unfortunately, there are not enough of them around.
Just a few weeks ago... (I kid you not) I had to toss 7 people out of the shop in just one day. By 4:30... I had enough stress and adrenaline... so I locked the door and went home. The week before that, it was one person each day of the week.
Last week... I had a jackass walk up to the counter with a loaded and unholstered Desert Eagle .50 while I had a showroom full of customers.
I was nice to the guy and actually asked him nicely NOT to handle an unholstered gun in the store and especially not if it's loaded. Even then... I didn't toss him out for being so rude or stupid. I only asked him to leave after he had the nerve to get mouthy with me about it.
That's not the only loaded, unholstered gun I've had pointed at me by a dummy. There have been plenty others.

I have a wife and kids at home.
I will not take a bullet for that shop.
I am done with it.

I will be starting a new fulltime job on Monday morning.
I will be at the shop this week a few hours each day getting stuff packed and consignment guns back to the owners. All the inventory guns have been sold to another dealer. After this week the doors will remain locked.

You know I have this funny feeling dad and I were in the shop the day the old timer bought the J-Frame. I remember you talking with him while dad and I were in the range... if it was the same guy.

Any how, I will miss the shop and everthing you did for me. I will still keep in touch. Plus I still owe you for 3 boxes of shells

Your top notch in my book.

[readingbill]

Art,

You had a great shop and a clean range, things this area needs. I'm glad to hear you're at peace with your decision to close the shop and that you'll be starting a new job.

I hope you have a great Christmas,
Bill

[GunGirl610]

Favorite gun shop in Berks Co.? anyyy more....

[jsmithxd]

Rob Horst down in Gibraltar has reasonable prices. He does mostly gunsmithing but has a few firearms instock

[xotech]

Rob Horst down in Gibraltar has reasonable prices. He does mostly gunsmithing but has a few firearms instock

Robert L. Horst
Firearm Solutions
1339 Old River RD
Birdsboro, PA 19508-8341
610-582-2699

rhorst13 AT ptd DOT net

+1 for Rob.

He can order almost anything, or you can buy it online and have it transferred to you. I think he is charging around $23 for a transfer. Give him a call.

[PD25]

ART, Sorry the range/shop didn't work out for you. I sure will miss shooting indoors this winter but thats life. I wish you the best in your new job and hope you and your family have a merry christmas & happy New Year., jack

[johnfritz]

Robert L. Horst
Firearm Solutions
1339 Old River RD
Birdsboro, PA 19508-8341
610-582-2699

+1 for Rob.

He can order almost anything, or you can buy it online and have it transferred to you. I think he is charging around $23 for a transfer. Give him a call.

Had never heard of this guy. Gonna ping him in the next week or two and introduce myself. Be nice to have a FFL here in Reading that doesn't charge $800.00 to transfer a Bud's purchase.

[GUNGUY45]

Encks Gun Barn, and Richland Shooters, They aren't in Berks, but are close enough, in Lebanon Co.
If you reload, and like well stocked shelves, and good prices they are worth the little extra drive. About the same distance from Reading as Cabellas, just West, not North.

http://encksgunbarn.com/

http://www.richlandshooters.com/