Fondled an X Model today

[Hatchdog]

Dropped into my LGS who is a Gold Henry dealer just in case an X Model in 357 magically showed up. No luck, but they do have both a 44 mag and a 45 Colt X Model on hand. They also have a Marlin 1894 CST .357 on hand which is a model I WAS considering if I am unable to find an X model. I was able to shoulder the X Model and the Marlin and there is no comparison whatsoever. The Marlin has a very short stock and lousy sights. Not comfortable at all compared to the Henry.

About a year ago I decided to get rid of my 44 mags including all my ammo, bullets and brass. I did keep my dies however. So if I get impatient I guess I can buy the 44 and start all over.

I emailed Henry hoping they can fix me up with an X 357. We’ll see. (Insert thumbs up here)

[John E Davies]

Was that the Double Eagle Deer Park store? You might check to see if the N Francis store has a .357 X in stock, that is where I found my .44 X just after they came out. That Marlin 1894 has a painted hardwood stock, not polymer. I do not care for it one bit. However, I am a big fan of theIr stainless, grey laminate/ XS Scout Rail version, the CSBL. I LOVE the look, I used to have a limited edition 1895 STP (16”) that ended up looking just like that. Unfortunately I won’t buy a Remlin, and it looks like Remington is going bankrupt again. I did handle a CSBL a while back and I did not see anything wrong with it. Which means little, really. My X looked fine but would not feed rounds and had to go straight back to Henry. So I think Customer Service trumps style any day.

John Davies
Spokane WA

[Hatchdog]

Hey John,

Yes, DE in DP. They have the CSBL you mentioned in stock at the Deer Park store and I agree with you it’s a nice rifle. North of 1K but a beauty for sure. I will be driving past the Francis store tomorrow and will stop in to see if I can get lucky. I have to say that after handling the X I don’t think I would be happy with the Marlin. And I really like Marlins.

Was that the Double Eagle Deer Park store? You might check to see if the N Francis store has a .357 X in stock, that is where I found my .44 X just after they came out. That Marlin 1894 has a painted hardwood stock, not polymer. I do not care for it one bit. However, I am a big fan of theIr stainless, grey laminate/ XS Scout Rail version, the CSBL. I LOVE the look, I used to have a limited edition 1895 STP (16”) that ended up looking just like that. Unfortunately I won’t buy a Remlin, and it looks like Remington is going bankrupt again. I did handle a CSBL a while back and I did not see anything wrong with it. Which means little, really. My X looked fine but would not feed rounds and had to go straight back to Henry. So I think Customer Service trumps style any day.

John Davies
Spokane WA

[Sir Henry]

I thought Francis ran east and west

[Hatchdog]

I thought Francis ran east and west

Indeed, Francis does run east and west. You’re pretty savvy for a westsider.

Fingers crossed that I might stumble on the X 357. Gonna stop in on my way home from a golf outing with some buddies.

Got a response from Henry that I would be contacted in the next day or two. Probably a standard email reply to acknowledge receipt of my request but I liked that Henry stated they want me to get the Henry I want. I like that!

[Hatchdog]

Well I struck out at the Francis store, several Henrys but the only X Model on hand is a .410. I’m thinking I may just buy a BBS to scratch the current itch and get an X down the road when they are plentiful and a reasonable price. Or, buy the X 44 mag and then compliment it with a 357 later.....

Decisions, decisions, decisions.........

[JEBar]

we have Henry rifles in both 44 and 357 .... they are both fun to fire and are very accurate .... it sure can't hurt to buy both ..

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

Nothing at either white elephant - division or Sprague?

-Ed-

[John E Davies]

Nothing at either white elephant - division or Sprague?

White Elephant closed its doors after nearly 75 years of operation. ..... https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020 ... cy-in-spo/
They had a liquidation sale but firearms were only discounted 10% from their only-average price. I really liked them as a source for cheap reloading components but never bought any big ticket items from them. The last time I visited, their gun inventory seemed pretty minimal.... And their special order prices were close to MSRP.

John Davies
Spokane WA

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

I had heard they were closing just didn't know the timing. Always sad to see an iconic store like white elephant close. I feel the loss like I did when sunset par 3 basically across i90 from Indian canyon closed. I have gone to white elephant on Sprague countless times over the last 50 years - shooting supplies camping supplies. Usually stopped there to get a few items when we used to take our jolly Roger jet boat out to liberty lake decades ago. I was young an thought it fun to crank a 396 Chevy jet boat 7 in the morning you know make sure everybody in the cabins were awake I'm sure they appreciated the roar of that engine much as I did The memories. I know several people who would make the trip from Canada to white elephant for reloading supplies from as far away as Edmonton.

Aren't there a couple small stores in Spokane as well 3 aces is one I recall. Should be some stores in cour d'alene too.

-Ed-

PS an seeing the article in the spokesman review - I used to do paper routes for the spokesman review and the daily chronicle.

[Hatchdog]

Sunset Par 3

Jolly Roger boats

Spokane Daily Chronicle

Dang Ed, you must be as old as me!

Still a few smaller shops which Three Aces is one. I’ve never been to their shop as it’s downtown but I did trade him a Beretta 92 for an AR at a gunshow. Nice guy. The go to shops for north Spokane (I live about 15 miles north of town) are the two Double Eagle Pawn shops. Huge firearms inventory and most of the long guns are out in the aisles on stand up racks where you can pick them up. In the valley there is a quality shop called Northwest Collector Pawn that like the Double Eagles the long guns are assessable for inspection. We have a few speciality shops like Haynes and Sons, Axle’s And the afore mentioned Three Aces but that is just about it anymore. In the last half of the 70’s and all the 80’s I worked for a local gun/fishing/camping wholesale company and at that time there were probably about a dozen independently owned gun shops in Spokane who were great customers. Slowly but surely the box box stores have pushed them out. You may remember some:

The Trap House
Sportsmans Surplus
General Store (still here but lost their FFL due to record keeping issues)
The Sports Cove (in Two Swabbies in the valley)
Brocks Gunshmithing
Ed Karrars Gunatoruim
Another one that the name escapes me on Division and Mission

There’s more but that’s all I recall right now.

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

LOL Yeah I am pretty old. I graduated from LC in 73 an went to SCC for a bit. - Tiger to a Sasquatch. I played a lot of golf so that is how I relate to sunset par 3 and of course played a lot at Indian Canyon LCs home course. My step father built all the molds for Jolly Roger and I worked there for a summer - that's the connection there - in addition to the gold diamond dust jet we also had tri hull for a little while. I do remember the general store a bit and there was a shop at 2 Swabbies. Usually the best prices were at white elephant though. I'm not as familiar with the north side as we lived on the south hill near 12th and perry. And some of the friends I had hung out up toward 29th. There is or was a par 3 well out north division lots of trees but i don't recall the name. And I still wonder if Esmeralda ever became a decent golf course

I always like Spokane as the city I wouldn't mind living in as I did for 5 years long ago.

-Ed-

[Hatchdog]

That’s just too funny, we attended LC at the same time. Class of 75 here so I am waaaaay younger than you. I spent from 6 years old to 18 living on Tacoma St, one block off 17th and Grand, right across from the north boundary of Manito Park. The Par 3 on the north side is called Pine Acres and is still going strong. When my family moved from the south hill my folks bought a place with acreage just a few hundred yards as the crow flies from Pine Acres. My youngest brother worked there while in High School. (Mead High for him and my other brother, LC for me and my older sister)

Esmeralda has matured into a really nice course which I used to play often when I lived in town. In fact my grandfather was an assistant pro there back in maybe the 50’s and he told me that at that time all the trees were newly planted and of course very small. Now they are huge and offer lots of welcomed shade this time of the year.

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

Wow that is wild - same high school two years apart. Was your sister one two or three years ahead of you. I've no doubt you are in one of my two yearbooks probably both. No doubt we had many of the same teachers (Black, Milton, Wertz, Cline, Martin, Arger, Skinner, etc). Now tell the truth you never "accidently" bumped a milkshake off the bannister of the third floor? And I suspect we went to some of the same places skating at Tiffany's maybe bowling at silver lanes certainly joe albi...

Esmeralda and I had adventures during high school golf matches - Is the third hole the par 5 with a housing tract on the left? One time I hit a tee shot then my second and a dog came running out of the housing tract and took multiple scoops at my bouncing ball finally caught it an ran back into the housing tract. Well we got to arguing rules an the owner of the dog comes out with my ball and yells sorry and throws it at the green and it landed on the edge and I said I'm playing it there lying 2 and more rules discussion ensues and I played it from there for birdie an a won hole - and then there was the incident where it snowed...

Small world isn't it. I sure hope it returns to some sense of normalcy so I can travel through Spokane to family in Montana - sometime soon.

-Ed-