The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

What has turned into "The event" in Big Sandy in January, the Gun and Ammo Show is going to be held at the Jerry Martin Memorial Hall in downtown Big Sandy on January 29, 30 and 31.

If you don't go to any other gun show, you need to go to this one when Big Sandy turns into the gun capital of Montana for three days in January.

The show is organized by Vance and Jean Butler and Kirkley and Stephanie Butler and will feature seventeen tables of guns, ammo, antiques, Indian artifacts and many items both old and new but sure to interest.

Show organizer Vance Butler opined that there should be plenty of ammo at the show.

One major dealer is bringing two tables just of Weatherbys and Indian Artifacts just to look at and admire.

As usual, Don Sorenson from the Virgelle Merc will be set up with a huge display of antiques that certainly are for sale.

Vance Butler said that one of the days the show was open last year a man and wife came in. the man bought a ticket but the wife hesitated but finally bought a ticket and wandered around the hall. She came back and sat down by the door. Vance asked her if she had found anything interesting. She said that she had seen a half of a church pew with the Virgelle Antiques and wondered how they got it cut in half and did such a wonderful job. Vance took her back to Don Sorenson and introduced her and they were deep in conversation when he left. Later she came back to Vance and thanked him because she had gotten all the information she needed about rebuilding church pews.

People come from all over to attend this show. Some stay in the Motel in Big Sandy. Most stay in Havre and most all eat their meals around town at the Bear Paw Deli, Peps or on Saturday night you can bet your bottom dollar that the Mint will be packed with people wanting to have some of Tammy's wonderful prime rib!

The admission to the show is a five dollar bill and that five dollar bill is good for all three days.

This year a part of the proceeds of the revenue of the gun show will go to the Big Sandy Food Bank.

Vance Butler reminds people that if you want to bring a gun in to have it appraised and find out it's worth, there are a lot of dealers who will help you with that.

Gun show hours are on Friday from 12pm to 6pm. Saturday hours are from 9am to 6pm and Sunday hours are from 9am to 3pm.

"The Mountaineer" has covered this gun show since the first one some years ago. We asked Vance Butler to include in this story a little history of the event that has grown to important to Big Sandy. Here is what he had to say...

Gun Show History

By Vance Butler

During the 1990's, the Kidd Brothers of Big Sandy organized a Gun Show every January in Havre at the MSU-N SUB. Jean Butler being a Watkins Products dealer asked them if she could set up a booth there and they allowed her to do so in the hallway.

It was at this time that her young son, Kirkley would go along to help, but mostly to go and admire all of the guns. Kirkley developed a friendship with an avid hunter and prairie dog shooter by the name of Brian Harwood of Thompson Falls, who was a dealer at the gun show.

At that time, Brian did most of his hunting in the Jordan area. Kirkley told him to check out the hunting around Big Sandy as it wouldn't be as far to go. It took a few years for Brian to finally come to Big Sandy to hunt with Kirkley and I at the farm. He enjoyed it so much that he kept coming back.

In October of 2012, Brian was returning from the Lewistown Gun Show when he stopped by our place to do some prairie dog hunting. During the hunt we got to reminiscing about the great gun shows the Kidd Brothers put on in Havre. Brian always enjoyed being there, even if it was in January. That is when we got the idea to have a gun show in Big Sandy. With Brian's connections to other dealers and I was able to rent the Jerry Martin Memorial Hall in Big Sandy, a plan was put in place and date was set for January 25, 26, & 27 , 2013.

With the participation of several area dealers and collectors as well as those from Butte, Helena, Lincoln and Thompson Falls, the gun show turned out to be quite successful.

Now here it is 2016 and we are doing the 4th annual Guns and Ammo Show. I never considered being this far down the road when we hosted the First gun show, but with the support and encouragement of the dealers it has been a fun, social event that keeps returning.

There will be new, used and collectable guns as well as accessories, holsters, handguns grips, knives, ammunition and brass, some hunting accessories and a display of Indian Artifacts. The dealers will also appraise and buy guns. As always Virgelle Merchantile will be here with a display of fine antiques and collectables.

Addmission is $5.00, good for all three days.