Going from Odessa to Abilene, then south to north Austin. If the price is right i would like to pick up two or three 1911 frames somewhere. I'm looking for across the counter, in the $100 range per frame. ( Shipping to an FFL would cost me an additional $50 to $90. )
I have no clue as to what stores are available, and which ones might be a nice wonderland. (We don't get to the city much.)
A place that sells low recoil tactical stocks, maybe parts, spring kits..
appreciate any advice...
Larry
Road Trip (shopping Options)
Moderator: carlson1
Road Trip (shopping Options)
Ø resist
Take away the second first, and the first is gone in a second.
NRA Life Member, TSRA, chl instructor
Take away the second first, and the first is gone in a second.
NRA Life Member, TSRA, chl instructor
- sparx
- Senior Member
- Posts: 249
- Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:50 am
- Location: North Richland Hills, TX
- Contact:
Although I have yet to make it there, you might consider dropping in CDNN's place (http://www.cdnninvestments.com/). They carry a lot of stuff from what I hear, and plan to check it out myself on one of our trips to Midland someday. Now that my wife is interested in guns, too, I think I could spend more than 5 minutes looking around! 

NRA, TSRA, TXGR, SAF, GOA & FPC
"I'm not terrified of guns, I'm terrified of gun-free zones!"
"I'm not terrified of guns, I'm terrified of gun-free zones!"
- flintknapper
- Banned
- Posts: 4962
- Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2005 8:40 pm
- Location: Deep East Texas
In Austin, McBrides is good. I have traded with them since I was 15 yrs. old...... (37 yrs. ago).
McBRIDE'S GUNS
Forty-five years in the gun business. Thousands of firearms in stock. The largest gun store in Central Texas, and one of the largest gun stores in the country. That's McBride's Guns. Family-owned and operated for two generations, we've dedicated ourselves to providing customers with the absolute best in firearms and accessories. Along the way, we've also recruited the most professional, courteous and knowledgeable sales people we can find. It was a winning combination way back when, and it's a winning combination today.
No matter what your gun accessory needs, you'll find it at McBride's. Our optics selection alone will blow you away. We carry only the best in scopes from Zeiss, Bushnell, Leupold, Burris, Kahles, and Swarovski. For spotting scopes, rangefinders and binoculars, we stock models from Bushnell, Discover, Leica, Swarovski, and Zeiss. We also have a tremendous selection of red dot sights from Aimpoint, Tasco, Bushnell, and Redfield. For low-light shooting conditions, we offer you laser sights from Crimson Trace, LaserMax, and TacStar. Or check out the hand-held lights we stock from names such as Browning, Maglite, Streamlight, and SureFire.
Our ammunition inventory is unequalled, with calibers for every type of game or shooting sport. We're also one of the area's favorite shops for muzzleloader fans, with one of the best selections of black powder supplies and accessories. For handloaders, we carry a huge stock of reloading supplies and accessories, as well as presses, dies and other equipment from MEC, RCBS, Lee, and Lyman. McBride's also hosts an impressive selection of holsters from Galco, Uncle Mikes, Bianchi, and Coronado Leather. If you're into knives, you'll really appreciate the models we stock from Benchmade, Spyderco, Buck, Case, Katz, and CRT. We also carry a variety of finely-crafted custom knives.
We offer hunters one of the best selections of calls, scents, scent hiders, boots, dog training equipment and videos, and other hunting accessories. We have a full department of clothing from quality makers such as Beretta, Filson, Browning, and 5.11. Transport your guns in the quality cases we have from AMS, Beretta, Bob Allen, Boyt, and Browning. When the hunt is over, secure your guns in the safes we stock from American Security and Granite. From cleaning supplies to grips to magazines to airguns, and more, we cover all of your shooting needs.
When it comes to guns, it's hard to beat McBride's. We carry just about every brand available, new or used. We have handguns, shotguns, and rifles from Alexander Arms, Browning, Colt , CZ, Glock, Freedom Arms, Heckler and Koch, Kahr, Kel-Tec, Kimber, Magnum Research, Marlin, Remington, Ruger, Sako, Sigarms, Smith and Wesson, Springfield Armory, Taurus, Tikka, Walther, Weatherby, Winchester, and other fine names. We're one of the largest Beretta dealers in the country. We also carry high-end pistols from makers like Wilson Combat, Les Baer, and STI. Our firearms inventory includes many desireable antique and collectible pieces, including fine double guns. We're always on the lookout for quality used firearms, so see us first for the best deal in cash or trade.
McBride's Gunsmiths are on duty all day, 6 days a week to take care of you no matter what your gunsmithing needs. Services provided include routine cleaning, muzzle break and recoil pad installation, test firing and reassembly. Our gunsmiths can thread your single barrel shotgun for screw-in choke tubes, drill and tap receivers to install scope bases, and in some cases, even manufacture replacement parts for older firearms. Turn around time on major repairs is typically 10-14 days.
Visit our website at http://www.mcbridesguns.com
Or visit us in person anytime from 9 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday, or from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturdays.
McBride's Guns is located at the corner of 30th and North Lamar, approximately 8 blocks south of Seton Hospital. No visit to Central Texas is complete without a stop at McBride's!
McBRIDE'S GUNS
2915 San Gabriel
Austin, Texas
512-472-3532
Or Contact Us At: sales@mcbridesguns.com
When you stop in at McBRIDE'S GUNS, please tell them

McBRIDE'S GUNS
Forty-five years in the gun business. Thousands of firearms in stock. The largest gun store in Central Texas, and one of the largest gun stores in the country. That's McBride's Guns. Family-owned and operated for two generations, we've dedicated ourselves to providing customers with the absolute best in firearms and accessories. Along the way, we've also recruited the most professional, courteous and knowledgeable sales people we can find. It was a winning combination way back when, and it's a winning combination today.
No matter what your gun accessory needs, you'll find it at McBride's. Our optics selection alone will blow you away. We carry only the best in scopes from Zeiss, Bushnell, Leupold, Burris, Kahles, and Swarovski. For spotting scopes, rangefinders and binoculars, we stock models from Bushnell, Discover, Leica, Swarovski, and Zeiss. We also have a tremendous selection of red dot sights from Aimpoint, Tasco, Bushnell, and Redfield. For low-light shooting conditions, we offer you laser sights from Crimson Trace, LaserMax, and TacStar. Or check out the hand-held lights we stock from names such as Browning, Maglite, Streamlight, and SureFire.
Our ammunition inventory is unequalled, with calibers for every type of game or shooting sport. We're also one of the area's favorite shops for muzzleloader fans, with one of the best selections of black powder supplies and accessories. For handloaders, we carry a huge stock of reloading supplies and accessories, as well as presses, dies and other equipment from MEC, RCBS, Lee, and Lyman. McBride's also hosts an impressive selection of holsters from Galco, Uncle Mikes, Bianchi, and Coronado Leather. If you're into knives, you'll really appreciate the models we stock from Benchmade, Spyderco, Buck, Case, Katz, and CRT. We also carry a variety of finely-crafted custom knives.
We offer hunters one of the best selections of calls, scents, scent hiders, boots, dog training equipment and videos, and other hunting accessories. We have a full department of clothing from quality makers such as Beretta, Filson, Browning, and 5.11. Transport your guns in the quality cases we have from AMS, Beretta, Bob Allen, Boyt, and Browning. When the hunt is over, secure your guns in the safes we stock from American Security and Granite. From cleaning supplies to grips to magazines to airguns, and more, we cover all of your shooting needs.
When it comes to guns, it's hard to beat McBride's. We carry just about every brand available, new or used. We have handguns, shotguns, and rifles from Alexander Arms, Browning, Colt , CZ, Glock, Freedom Arms, Heckler and Koch, Kahr, Kel-Tec, Kimber, Magnum Research, Marlin, Remington, Ruger, Sako, Sigarms, Smith and Wesson, Springfield Armory, Taurus, Tikka, Walther, Weatherby, Winchester, and other fine names. We're one of the largest Beretta dealers in the country. We also carry high-end pistols from makers like Wilson Combat, Les Baer, and STI. Our firearms inventory includes many desireable antique and collectible pieces, including fine double guns. We're always on the lookout for quality used firearms, so see us first for the best deal in cash or trade.
McBride's Gunsmiths are on duty all day, 6 days a week to take care of you no matter what your gunsmithing needs. Services provided include routine cleaning, muzzle break and recoil pad installation, test firing and reassembly. Our gunsmiths can thread your single barrel shotgun for screw-in choke tubes, drill and tap receivers to install scope bases, and in some cases, even manufacture replacement parts for older firearms. Turn around time on major repairs is typically 10-14 days.
Visit our website at http://www.mcbridesguns.com
Or visit us in person anytime from 9 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday, or from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturdays.
McBride's Guns is located at the corner of 30th and North Lamar, approximately 8 blocks south of Seton Hospital. No visit to Central Texas is complete without a stop at McBride's!
McBRIDE'S GUNS
2915 San Gabriel
Austin, Texas
512-472-3532
Or Contact Us At: sales@mcbridesguns.com
When you stop in at McBRIDE'S GUNS, please tell them
Spartans ask not how many, but where!
Unfortuately,CDNN doesn't have a retail showroom, only internet and ffl sales, unless things have changed recently and someone forgot to tell me............sparx wrote:Although I have yet to make it there, you might consider dropping in CDNN's place (http://www.cdnninvestments.com/). They carry a lot of stuff from what I hear, and plan to check it out myself on one of our trips to Midland someday. Now that my wife is interested in guns, too, I think I could spend more than 5 minutes looking around!
That looks like the place to be :-) Thank you, i probably would have missed it.flintknapper wrote:In Austin, McBrides is good. I have traded with them since I was 15 yrs. old...... (37 yrs. ago).![]()
I saw Stephen Camp mentioned STI is in Georgetown. But i can buy whole guns for what they are asking for frames.
Ø resist
Take away the second first, and the first is gone in a second.
NRA Life Member, TSRA, chl instructor
Take away the second first, and the first is gone in a second.
NRA Life Member, TSRA, chl instructor
Sorry I cannot help with the where, but I do have a couple of suggestions on the how.
If you are building for personal use or family use I would become friendly with a local smith or gunshop that will order frames in for you or do a transfer for $10-$15. This will allow you to order the frames you want, not just what someone has in stock when you happen to be there (I do agree with hitting the shops in different areas since they may have a deal collecting dust). Then if you think you're going to be spending several dollars on parts and slides you might contact someone like Brownells and see what it takes to buy at a discount from them for buying in bulk (they may require a tax ID).
OR, If you are building for re-sale I would look into what it takes to become legit (someone else may know the proper term used by BATF for a custom mfg). It may be a pain in the you know what, but it will look much better to distributors when you can give them a FFL and tax id number when you are asking for a discount.
Hope this helps.
If you are building for personal use or family use I would become friendly with a local smith or gunshop that will order frames in for you or do a transfer for $10-$15. This will allow you to order the frames you want, not just what someone has in stock when you happen to be there (I do agree with hitting the shops in different areas since they may have a deal collecting dust). Then if you think you're going to be spending several dollars on parts and slides you might contact someone like Brownells and see what it takes to buy at a discount from them for buying in bulk (they may require a tax ID).
OR, If you are building for re-sale I would look into what it takes to become legit (someone else may know the proper term used by BATF for a custom mfg). It may be a pain in the you know what, but it will look much better to distributors when you can give them a FFL and tax id number when you are asking for a discount.
Hope this helps.
On the discount, having a Curio and Relic FFL (simple and about $30) will get the discounts. (Midway, Brownell's) I've had the paperwok a long time, and just have not mailed it in..DiverDn wrote:Sorry I cannot help with the where, but I do have a couple of suggestions on the how.
Then if you think you're going to be spending several dollars on parts and slides you might contact someone like Brownells and see what it takes to buy at a discount from them for buying in bulk (they may require a tax ID).
I know a fellow locally that got his FFL, without the customary storefont, barred windows, etc. He said it took about a year and a half to get it approved. His work keeps him out of town 11 months out of the year.
The folks that i have dealt wth here, want full retail, then a higher fee. The least i have heard is 25, and one place wants 50 just for a transfer.
I am going to visit with a gunsmith tomorrow morning. I'll see what kind of arrangement i can make with him.
Ø resist
Take away the second first, and the first is gone in a second.
NRA Life Member, TSRA, chl instructor
Take away the second first, and the first is gone in a second.
NRA Life Member, TSRA, chl instructor
- sparx
- Senior Member
- Posts: 249
- Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:50 am
- Location: North Richland Hills, TX
- Contact:
Ah.wrt45 wrote:Unfortuately,CDNN doesn't have a retail showroom, only internet and ffl sales, unless things have changed recently and someone forgot to tell me............

Hmmm, now it looks like I've gotta' figure out a reason to make a trip to Austin someday!

NRA, TSRA, TXGR, SAF, GOA & FPC
"I'm not terrified of guns, I'm terrified of gun-free zones!"
"I'm not terrified of guns, I'm terrified of gun-free zones!"