Gun store in the Tyrone Sq Mall?

[SteyrAUG]

Planet SWAT magazine....

circa 1987

That fits. Great picture of Charlie even with the finger on the trigger. Really nice guy even after decades of running a Pawn Shop / Firearm business and that is no easy trick. One of the few "always pleasant" folks at the gun shows and really knowledgeable when it came to NFA stuff. Would actually take the time to explain stuff to people rather than feed them the same old gun show nonsense even when it was obvious they weren't gonna buy a damn thing.

Never saw him try and scam anyone, never saw him try and take advantage of somebody who didn't know better and from time to time he'd have something on display that was really rare or really stunning. I think he had the first "in person" PSG1 I ever had in my hands. I think he was one of the first guys to also have a Barrett M82A1 on the table.

Spot on assessment of Charlie...... has always been "one of the good guys"... now if he'd just give me an "old timer" discount on that Retro-reissue XM-177 he has in his shop

Better off finding a vintage SP1 carbine. The retro issue rifles are pretty much hobby rifles with cool rollmarks and twice the cost of what they should be. I was so looking forward to a legit Colt "retro" rifle but they outsourced most of it and it is not to standard Colt specs...sadly.

[SteyrAUG]

Over the years, I have bought from Charlie a beautiful Hungarian AK, a Norinco UZI, [worked great] and a Daewoo [223/556] Rifle. I still have the Daewoo. Charlie was very pleasant to deal with. Funny, working with Ira whose now 81, he tells me about all the FFL’s in SE Florida. Many interesting stories from the good old days. GARY

Man...Suncoast gun shows at War Memorial. Started doing them in the late 70s when I was a kid and continued to around 2005 as a FFL. Charlie, Ira, "CIA" Lee and the brothers (forgot their name but big guys who were always selling land in Idaho I think). Lots of good times, lots of stories.

Somehow I survived a daily lunch of two cheesedogs and an order of nachos. Good stuff but man...not exactly a fitness diet. I do sorta miss those nachos.

[Miami_JBT]

Over the years, I have bought from Charlie a beautiful Hungarian AK, a Norinco UZI, [worked great] and a Daewoo [223/556] Rifle. I still have the Daewoo. Charlie was very pleasant to deal with. Funny, working with Ira whose now 81, he tells me about all the FFL’s in SE Florida. Many interesting stories from the good old days. GARY

How's Ira doing these days? He's now 81! Amazing how time flies. I recall working the show circuit with him. Fun times. Is his wonderful wife still with him?

[N4KVE]

IRA is fine, but the years, & evenings at Scarlett’s are catching up with him. He’s diabetic, but it’s under control. He can’t walk too far, & has to rest between his car in the parking lot, & his booth at the show. His attitude hasn’t changed a bit, & it’s quite funny hearing his reply when someone asks if the price on the tag is the “out the door” price. His wife Joanne is fine, & my wife now helps her with the paperwork at the busy shows. She wants him to give up his FFL, & that was the plan, but now that sales are brisk, he wants to go another year. He prices his inventory right, & at the last show while he sold 77 guns, the FFL at the next table sold 8, & another sold 9. So I’m still helping him, but honestly, loading, & unloading in the summer heat is getting to be too much for me. It’s still OK now when it’s 75 outside, but I won’t be doing this during the summer. Someone once said to me I need to hire a helper, but I told him I was the helper. OTOH, when I do a show with Khaled I’m only selling in the venue. No loading, or unloading. But both are GREAT GUYS, & I enjoy doing shows with both of them. GARY

[stpetejoe57]

I bought a Mini 14 from him and left the mall with most of the barrel sticking out of a brown paper bag,can't imagine doing that today.And I do always remember him being a good guy!!

[REDinFL]

I thought "progress" meant something better, not going backwards to some dark age.