As a native of South Florida who moved to RI a dozen years or so ago, it has been a challenge navigating the various requirements in order to purchase a firearm in Lil Rhody. Additionally, not many citizens (or even LEOs) seem to know the actual laws. The result is plenty of misinformation and apprehension. I found myself visiting various gun shops and leaving w/o a blue card or anything else. There is a huge intimidation factor in a gun shop already, and this is magnified 1000x in RI. I often got the feeling that I was wasting their time or that I was a newbie, because I didn't have my card, and nobody wanted to help a brother out.
Anyway, a friend pointed me to Kane's which I believed to be an auto repair shop. The gun shop is right in front, but strategically hidden by surrounding vegetation. I went in and felt like I was transported back in time, to my grandfather's study. It's dark, musty, and stinks of pipe tobacco, but cool as hell as there are antique guns and military paraphernalia aplenty. The owner seems a bit crotchety at first, but once a rapport was established, I found myself sitting in a little desk chair (like high school) taking the test. Afterward I perused a number of high quality, lightly used hand guns of reasonable price. There was what I would call "normal" intimidation factor initially, but the atmosphere seemed to lessen this significantly. In the end, there was more of an old time barber shop flavor to the place, as a couple of older gents came in and did not seem to be shopping. They were shooting the breeze about guns, politics, and current events, not at all minding input from myself. The entire visit was a positive experience and I will most definitely be a regular of Kane's.
As for the shopping, there is nowhere near the selection you would have in a true gun shop. However, there were generally 2-3 pistols of each caliber, usually at the higher end of the spectrum. It was a Saturday afternoon, yet there wasn't a crowd, there was no rush, and prices seem to be negotiable. Well worth a visit for any enthusiast. read more