Detoured to Champlin's last week while driving to our annual south Dakota pheasant hunt. Wish I had done that years ago!

George was a gracious and entertaining host and keeps a good pot of coffee to share. After some stories and showing us around his main gun room, George left us to examine, handle and look to heart's content. I was kind of interested in small bore sxs's, but got fixated on the DR selection and spent the hour we had to spare just getting through part of the DR's. No way I could justify another of those, but still the wheels are turning after looking at smaller ones like a 7x65R... Can't even remember what that one was, let alone the price, but it sure felt good. And the iron sights looked so good that I think I could use it without having claw mounts added - no way that should happen to a fine old rifle. Wish I had got into a conversation about brass availability, etc...

Bottom line is I think we'll make a special purpose trip just to spend several hours looking around. The education alone would be worth the couple of days.

Good hunting,

I've been there two times...got to love it when they leave the room and let you handle all the guns. Been a couple years, need to go again...3 to 4 hour drive for me.

a wonderful experience!

I used to visit the other Champlins all the time - the personal courage wing at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. Not many know Doug Champlin had an amazing collection of fighter aircraft.