Well over the weekend I went to a gun show that was cancelled by the promoter with no notice anywhere as usual from her. I swear I am not going to even
consider any of her shows any more as her track record is very poor and her shows are getting worse and worse. Anyway to the subject at hand. Where I was in
West Virginia is not far from where the horrid reputation Hunter's Lodge is supposed to be moving Richwood, WV. I decided to take a ride down there to see
what I found. With a phone call to WVChuck and his usual computer work to find the address and a local stop to get the lay of the land I headed for beautiful
downtown Richwood. Now you have to understand Richwood is about as close to a ghost town as the really poor WV state gets. There are few to none of the store
fronts filled with anything but for sale or for rent signs in the whole town. I had been directed to the old G.C. Murphy 3 story building which I found at
number 8 Main Street. It was completely empty and dilapidated like the whole town was next to an open lot and across from the Post Office if I am remembering
right. I nosed around and found no signs of any activity at all in the building and decided to head for Craigsville and check out a few Pawn Shops I knew of
there.
On the way I had a trip back in time and will share this with you. I was crossing the Gauley River on a new bridge admiring the old steel structure of the old on next to it when I saw a small painted sign that said Riverside Trade Day June 6th. Did a loop and headed down this old one lane muddy road. About 1/4 mile down this mud pile they call a lane down here I found myself breaking out into a holler filled with every kind of vehicle one could get to move. Even an old Golfcart with mudbog tires on it! Here around me were chickens, ducks, horses, a couple of teathered cows, rototillers, block and tackle equipment, every kind of crossbred curr dog that ever existed on earth, and yeah even some rifles. You name it and it was there! People maybe about 100+ were all back country to say the least. They even had a snack bar with a wood stove making really black looking coffee and other neat stuff which I couldn't identify. I made up my mind when I got out of the truck that if I heard anything close to the music from Deliverence I was out of there! I got out and sure enough I heard Bango music drifting through the cool air on the banks of the Gauley River. The dang hair on the back of my neck stood up but I decided against my better judgement I would stick it out and look around. People were just so nice after a bit of looking around I grabbed a bite of something to eat! I have no idea what it was but it was really good and when I asked the lady talked with so much twang I just ate it and said thanks how much? No cost she said the committee paid for it. I found some of the most bubba'd up rifles I have ever seen for next to nothing in price but no Mosins or anything I wanted to save. Even saw a Veterelli converted to single shot and center fire with a hand whittled wood plug closing off the mag area to make it single shot. Spent about a half hour there and beat feet out the single lane mud bog when I found myself becoming quite attached to a lovable little puppy of God knows what lineage which I need like a hole in the head.
Oh yeah Hunter's Lodge, plumb forgot there! I went to a couple of shops in other towns and found the following information out. The guy who owns Hunter's Lodge out of Tennessee is actually from Brooklyn, NY which might explain his well known customer dissatisfaction program. He likes Anchovy Pizza's and had some trouble with getting his permits for guns in town to start out. Next he couldn't get his cases through the front door of the place and could find no one local to do the block work to widen the door to allow them in there. My first question would be after seeing the place why on earth would he even want to work or set up there but then maybe it is the only place left where he is not known well and is allowed to enter? So I would say maybe one of the plagues of yesteryear in Milsurp sales is finally gone away? Heaven knows but these kind of people seem to have rebirths in the strangest places from time to time so keep your eyes open he may be heading for your neighborhood next! Old Wandering zeebill
On the way I had a trip back in time and will share this with you. I was crossing the Gauley River on a new bridge admiring the old steel structure of the old on next to it when I saw a small painted sign that said Riverside Trade Day June 6th. Did a loop and headed down this old one lane muddy road. About 1/4 mile down this mud pile they call a lane down here I found myself breaking out into a holler filled with every kind of vehicle one could get to move. Even an old Golfcart with mudbog tires on it! Here around me were chickens, ducks, horses, a couple of teathered cows, rototillers, block and tackle equipment, every kind of crossbred curr dog that ever existed on earth, and yeah even some rifles. You name it and it was there! People maybe about 100+ were all back country to say the least. They even had a snack bar with a wood stove making really black looking coffee and other neat stuff which I couldn't identify. I made up my mind when I got out of the truck that if I heard anything close to the music from Deliverence I was out of there! I got out and sure enough I heard Bango music drifting through the cool air on the banks of the Gauley River. The dang hair on the back of my neck stood up but I decided against my better judgement I would stick it out and look around. People were just so nice after a bit of looking around I grabbed a bite of something to eat! I have no idea what it was but it was really good and when I asked the lady talked with so much twang I just ate it and said thanks how much? No cost she said the committee paid for it. I found some of the most bubba'd up rifles I have ever seen for next to nothing in price but no Mosins or anything I wanted to save. Even saw a Veterelli converted to single shot and center fire with a hand whittled wood plug closing off the mag area to make it single shot. Spent about a half hour there and beat feet out the single lane mud bog when I found myself becoming quite attached to a lovable little puppy of God knows what lineage which I need like a hole in the head.
Oh yeah Hunter's Lodge, plumb forgot there! I went to a couple of shops in other towns and found the following information out. The guy who owns Hunter's Lodge out of Tennessee is actually from Brooklyn, NY which might explain his well known customer dissatisfaction program. He likes Anchovy Pizza's and had some trouble with getting his permits for guns in town to start out. Next he couldn't get his cases through the front door of the place and could find no one local to do the block work to widen the door to allow them in there. My first question would be after seeing the place why on earth would he even want to work or set up there but then maybe it is the only place left where he is not known well and is allowed to enter? So I would say maybe one of the plagues of yesteryear in Milsurp sales is finally gone away? Heaven knows but these kind of people seem to have rebirths in the strangest places from time to time so keep your eyes open he may be heading for your neighborhood next! Old Wandering zeebill
