Finding a good shop can be hard to do.  One of the shops that really influenced our business was Bill’s Guns in Gretna, VA.  As it happened his shop was recommended by a friend who had dealt with him for years.  When you go into Bill’s you are greeted by some of the nicest people you will ever hope to meet.  They understand customer service, have competitive prices, and will work tirelessly to find any gun you need.  As a matter of fact, Bill is the only person who ever took me out to dinner after I bought a gun from him.

In a world where the company has become more than the customer it is nice to know that there are still places out there that care about you.  I often think about Bill’s when I am making a decision in our shop.  Hopefully you have had a similar experience.  For more on this subject, check out Your Local Shop in the articles section.

In many places deer season has already ended, or will end soon. There are several things that you can do to make sure that you have a great and successful hunting season next year. First, if you hunted with a muzzle loader be sure that you unload it at your range by firing it one last time. Although many people will, don’t leave it loaded over the off season. It is too easy to forget and double charge it. Before you put it up for the season, make sure you clean it well. We gunsmiths love to see you coming in with a stuck plug. It’s our gain and your preventable loss.

Take the same precautions with your rifle and make sure that you put a light coat of oil on it before it makes it back to your safe. If you can help it, don’t store it in a cloth case. It will rust because the cloth will attract and keep moisture.

Finally, take a day to organize your gear. Go over your tree stand very carefully to make sure it is in good shape. If it looks damaged replace it. It also won’t hurt to inventory your camo gear to make sure you won’t need to replace any of it. If you do find yourself needing to replace some, now is the time to buy as many stores will have large closeout sales.

Happy off season!!