Cullum & Boren Co.

reg55 · Nov 3, 2008

Just got a letter dated 10/24 from Roy for my 3rd model .44 HE shipped to Cullum & Boren Co., Dallas Tx 4/26/38. My gun #56214 a 4 in. nickel with checkered walnut grips was one of a shipment of 2 units one blue and one nickel. Does anyone have any info on Cullum & Boren Co. to share?
"sent for this letter on 6/01"

Thanks
Randy

reg55 · Nov 3, 2008

Just got a letter dated 10/24 from Roy for my 3rd model .44 HE shipped to Cullum & Boren Co., Dallas Tx 4/26/38. My gun #56214 a 4 in. nickel with checkered walnut grips was one of a shipment of 2 units one blue and one nickel. Does anyone have any info on Cullum & Boren Co. to share?
"sent for this letter on 6/01"

Thanks
Randy

handejector · Nov 3, 2008

Does anyone have any info on Cullum & Boren Co. to share?

No, but I have had a gun or guns letter to them....

opoefc · Nov 3, 2008

Cullum & Boren was an old time, long time, Texas sporting goods & gun company. They were in business up until about 2000 and were bought out by Oshman's Sporting Goods, I believe. Cullum & Boren had stores in Dallas, San Antonio and other Texas locations. C&B were also in the cattle and oil business. The Dallas store was at 1509 Elm St. I believe they were mentioned in the Warren Commission investigation of Lee Harvey Oswald.

bettis1 · Nov 3, 2008

Ed is basically correct. But I believe that Oshman's bought them out well before 2000.

When the huge, modern North Park Shopping Center opened at Northwest Highway and Central Expressway in Dallas, C&B moved from downtown out to the Center. It was a superb store and I bought a lot of guns from them over the years. I hated to see them bought out by Oshmans.

Bob

scattershot · Nov 3, 2008

When I was a kid in dallas, Cullum & Boren was like a candy store. All kinds of guns, from plain jane to superfancy. They closed some time ago, I'm guessing well before 2000, but I could be mistaken.

handejector · Nov 3, 2008

It was a superb store and I bought a lot of guns from them over the years. I hated to see them bought out by Oshmans.

Bob

Mr Bob,
Is that where you and the other Rangers got those first Patterson's?

I couldn't resist..... You comin' to Tulsa?

Bell Charter Oak Holsters · Nov 4, 2008

Bob, Ed and others;

I believe I recall visiting that store, during the late 70's or so. Not sure if it was C&B though, but it may have been. They had quite a large selection of goodies. Unless I'm mistaken, it was located near a corner intersection just a short ride from my hotel, (I think it was The Plaza Of The Americas, or something like that, which was relatively a new hotel at the time and where I was introduced to Ross Perot who had his rather lavish, even by Tejas standards, company offices there) and quite close to a rather excellent watering hole (Mimi's ?) that had some of the absolutely finest looking gals in Dallas as patrons. That part of my recollection at least, remains vivid! But that's another story.

One of the sales clerks was showing me a Winchester 21 and while we were chatting, he said, "Ya'll must be from New Yawk". I was astonished by how perceptive the gentleman from Texas was and I still can't imagine how he could have ever guessed that?

I thought my attire would blend right in with the local folks, must have been my New York brim that gave it away?

All hat and no cattle!

.45 Colt and a 12 bore street Howitzer, for that quick second shot at hostile jackrabbits.

Taken c.1975

bettis1 · Nov 4, 2008

Hi Lee,

I was actually the agent for Old Sam'l and I sold the first ones to C&B. (But actually we called them "Patersons". (I think the "Pattersons" were the ones with the "Partridge" sights.

)

Sorry to say that I'll miss you guys again this show. Have fun and I'll be thinking about you.

Bob

bettis1 · Nov 4, 2008

Lefty,

That rig would be right at home out in El Paso with QC...a little too rural for the metroplex though.

Bob

Texas Star · Nov 4, 2008

I,too, miss that company. It was much classier than Oshman's. That, also, has since gone out of business. So did Abercrombie & Fitch, as a gun store.

Actually, we have about no really classy gun stores left here. Sign of the times, I guess.

And I sure miss Hunter-Bradlee, as long as we're being nostalgic.

T-Star

Bell Charter Oak Holsters · Nov 4, 2008

Originally posted by bettis1:
Lefty,

That rig would be right at home out in El Paso with QC...a little too rural for the metroplex though.

Bob

Hell Bob, I expected to see cattle in the streets!

I was hoping from my geographical description you could speculate where I was? It really was a fantastic shop, and yes, "classy" or upscale would be a very accurate description of the store, as T-Star remarks.

reg55 · Nov 4, 2008

Thanks guys for the great information and entertainment!

Randy

opoefc · Nov 5, 2008

You guys are talking about what you miss, so I've got to throw in my 2 cents - I miss Bannerman's Island and the unbelievable goodies there - like the unopened case of S&W Schofield's still in their original grease. The trade of a bottle of Scotch for the case was made and Roy Jinks now uses the box for a foot rest when he sit's at D.B.Wesson's original desk and does his research. We did pry up a board on the lid to be sure there were 12 Schofields in there. The box was a reboxing done by Springfield Armory when they were sold off as surplus to dealers.

opoefc · Nov 6, 2008

Just a little interesting trivia here, the Cullum family is an old southern family and WW One hero & medal of Honor winner, Sgt. Alvin York's middle name was Cullum. Alvin Cullum York, just watched the rerun on TV last night of the movie "Sgt. York" starring Gary Cooper, which reminded me that York was a Cullum descendent.

Wayne Dobbs · Nov 6, 2008

I worked for C&B at Town East Mall in Mesquite from 76-78 before going into my LE career. I sold guns and archery there and spent much of my check every week there! The Boren part was part of the prominent Oklahoma Boren family. The chain was owned by the Zale Corp. and was later sold to Oshman's in the early 1980's.

Bell Charter Oak Holsters · Nov 7, 2008

I am alway's astonished by the amount of information exchanged here on the forum. I never knew that about C&B or for that matter, York's pedigree connection to Cullum. Fascinating!

cxm · Nov 8, 2008

I believe C&B was bought by Oshman's in 1980.

Chuck

Texas Star · Nov 8, 2008

Originally posted by cxm:
I believe C&B was bought by Oshman's in 1980.

Chuck

Chuck-

Yes, that's been mentioned in the thread. And it became a less classy operation after that purchase.

If any of you remember old Chris from C&B, I heard that he had a fatal heart attack about 20 years ago. He was sure better to deal with than the pimply faced kids from Oshman's. I think his last name was Bell. (?)

T-Star

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