It was a sight 50 years ago that hardly drew a second look, but today would have prompted a flurry of 911 calls. “I DEAL in rifles, mostly bolt-action, and shotguns,” Cason said Friday, between conversations with customers. CASON’S CAREER as full-time gun dealer began about 10 years ago in the back two rooms of his and wife Donna’s home.
Clark Cason pedaled his bicycle through downtown Iola with the butt of a 7.7-millimeter Japanese military rifle in the basket of his bicycle and the barrel nestled against his shoulder.
“I saved up money from delivering the Register and spent about $15 for the rifle,” said Cason, 60, who today sells guns and ammunition from a shop north of LaHarpe. “I bought it from Richard Lucas at his radiator shop,” then across Walnut Street from the post office and which doubled as a gun shop.
When young Clark got home with his first rifle, his parents approved and set up a time for some target shooting.
“Dad had a number of guns,” Cason recalled, and understood his son’s fascination.
Shooting the high-powered rifle wasn’t as much fun as Cason anticipated — the kick hurt his young shoulder. He soon traded it for one of smaller caliber.
And a lifetime of collecting, trading and eventually dealing in firearms began.
“I don’t have any assault-type rifles, no ARs, although I have had calls asking about their availability,” he said. “I also don’t stock high-capacity clips or magazines and really haven’t had anyone call about them.”
The AR-15 is the civilian version of the military’s M-16.
Cason caters to sportsmen, including an increasing number of females, who like to target shoot and hunt.
“The rifles I sell mostly are 22s (.22 caliber),” and other small rifles, he said. “The 22s are for targets, others are for coyotes and deer.
“I’m an old-time dealer,” he said. “I sell what I like to shoot, older bolt-action rifles and shotguns.”
Cason shies from talking much about gun-control proposals that have dominated commentaries following the horrific event in Newton, Conn., but did say he saw little value in oversized magazines for sport shooting.
“For one thing, having 100 rounds in a magazine makes the rifle awfully heavy, and it’s expensive to shoot up that much ammunition in a short time,” he said.
Carson allowed that putting stricter requirements on gun shows would be to his and other legitimate full-time dealers’ advantage.
“A lot of dealers at shows aren’t licensed,” he said, and he prefers to fully vet a potential buyer before making a sale. “I’ve had a couple of people come in who didn’t pass the background check. I don’t want to sell to those people.”
Two years ago he bought a modular unit that had been used as a classroom in Iola and LaHarpe and refitted it for a shop. He had obtained a dealer’s license from the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, a federal regulatory department, when he first started selling, so the transition to full time was easy.
“I do everything by the book,” he added.
Cason doesn’t keep a large stock, but has access to most guns and accessories that customers want through two Kansas City warehouses.
High-end handguns and assault-type weapons are in short supply, he said, including ARs, which cost anywhere from $700 to $800 for common models to more than $2,000 for Colts — considered the best — or those with enhanced accessories.
A full page of orders, for a wide variety of merchandise, may yield only 10 or 15 purchases through the warehouses, he said.
That isn’t a recent occurrence, Cason observed.
“This has been a record-breaking year for the industry,” he said. “The manufacturers got behind in the spring and haven’t gotten caught up.”
Local dealer keeps guns simple
