In Their Lifetime

A few months ago, one of my mentors, Rex Shell called and asked Dennis if I could stop by. Denny said I was there, and put me on the phone. Rex had a topic he wanted me to address, so always in search of good material off I went. This was not too long after Neal Knox passed away. Rex had a good one page article he wanted me to read on Neal Knox & what he meant to the gun rights movement. He felt a lot of younger folks might not realize what a force Neal had been. I knew some, because of a conversation the Capn’ and I had. But after I read the article from Shotgun News, I knew a lot more! The NRA once upon a time, was spectacularly unconcerned with gun rights. In fact, they would liked to have avoided the whole mess. When Neal & his crew pretty much took over the NRA at the Cincinnati 1977 members meeting it was foreshadowing of changes to come. Harlon Carter established the ILA (Institute for Legislative Action) and set Neal to run it. Neal’s approach was not to mitigate new gun laws, but to roll back existing gun laws. WOW, what a concept! During that time Neal made his mark on the political landscape. When he ran afoul of Bob Dole it lead to Neal leaving the ILA. From there he founded the Firearms Coalition and began writing for Shotgun News. Neal then ran from NRA Board & was elected. Never one to do as he was told, the NRA did everything possible to keep Neal from gaining power again. Neal viewed the gun issue as a religion, that needed to be ministered to. It is that kind of fire & commitment that helped birth and grow the gun rights movement. During a time when the NRA was perfectly willing to overlook & ignore gun rights, Neal Knox lit a torch & carried it.

Now, I found it very interesting that Rex wanted me to make sure Neal Knox got his due. Neal was one man, who made a huge difference in the countless lives of Second Amendment supporters. Well, hmm, lets take a look at Rex.

When I took a NRA class for Women & Firearms, I enjoyed it so much, that I took the offered Advanced course a month or so later. I enjoyed that so much, I felt I deserved another revolver. So, Denny took me off to Rex’s. I’d been in there a time or two. But that day I found Jake, a .22 Harrington & Richardson 9 shot revolver. When I went back in to get Jake, Rex mentioned Denny & I should join the WMSA. We took one of the membership forms Rex always had on the counter & read it over. I told Rex we belonged to the NRA. Rex said didn’t matter, WMSA was local and did more for us than NRA did. WOW! Den joined, and later so did I. When I later was working on my shooting stance and have a problem with consistency, I called Rex (my original coach & friend lives in Iowa, long way to go). Rex said sure, come on up. He watched, and gave me some pointer that I always use now. When Jim Talent was running against the well known Duck Hunter Jean Carnahan, Rex provided a place for Jim to come and talk to folks. It was a great meeting! Rex has also been a sponsor for the WMSA for ages. He has donated guns, a place for petitions and raffle tickets to be sold.

I was curious, Rex has been in the firearms game for years, his shop is a fixture in Harrisonville. HOW did he get that way? So, I asked.

Rex was born loving guns I think. By spending a lot of time with his Grandpa from the time he was 6 he listened to the stories his Grandpa told, and went hunting with him. When he started reading at around 6 or 7, he read everything he could about guns. He has had a variety of jobs in his lifetime (once he even worked at Disneyland) and has a degree in Business. But in October of 1981 he began to live his dream, he opened the Gunshop in Harrisonville.  When the WMSA started, someone came in and talked to Rex. Told him for $20 he would get 5 newsletters he could give out, and help with CCW. Then Rex started going to Rallies. He would close the shop & take 10-15 people, he collected money & gave out yard signs.

Rex had a couple of great mentors when he was younger, Jack Tuttle that had The Sports Spot in Raytown and Jim Hughes, a Gunsmith in Raytown. Both were willing to educate & advise. Both encouraged reading history. Rex, like Neal Knox, believed in lighting a torch & passing it on. When folks came in the shop that were open to guns & politics, he began to mentor. He truly cares about the future, of guns, America & mankind. If you really want to learn, he will help.

I asked Rex, if you have one nugget of wisdom to pass on, what would it be? He said to read. He is convinced that history repeats itself, the see the future, you have to read the past. It has served me well. It leads to an understanding of economics, which leads to an understanding of Christianity which leads to living a good life. He feels if he can at least get the folks to thinking, then he can sow the seeds.  Rex is a voracious reader!

I know even after Shell’s is no longer in Harrisonville, it will be in Princeton. A town he fell in love with when he bought land up there for deer hunting. Before long the locals were urging him to open a gun shop up there. After listening to him talk about the people and the town I was half ready to move! But Princeton is a far drive, and I will very much miss Shell’s Gunshop in Harrisonville, it is an institution, a fixture, a great place to have a cup of coffee & learn. Thank you Rex, for all you do. I hope folks said the same to Neal.

People like Rex, Neal, Kevin, Derek, Bob Hanson, Gary Davis, Capn’ Jacq, anyone who works a gunshow table help to carry the torch, without which it would be a very dark world, in more ways than one. I want them to know, in their lifetime, that it is recognized & appreciated.

I know that I want to do my part to help keep the torch burning & carry it.

Sheila Stokes-Begley