Bought my first handgun at the los ranchos gun shop at 21. Went in insistent on a USP compact .40. The big frizzy-haired blonde girl (you know her) convinced me to buy an XD 40 instead. She showed me the rail lugs on the USP & glock and how tiny they were. Then showed me the full length beefy frame rails on the XD. That gun was fuggin horrible. Ditched it for an old P225 within the year, which I loved.
Anyway the los ranchos gun shop was pretty fun as a kid. I’d go get pellets, they would talk about guns with me even though I was a kid without adults with me. Good folks. There’s a massive apartment complex there now. The area is dogshit and that low income housing HAS had effects. The servers at Sadie’s on 4th have their pants low enough to see their underwear, talk rudely and the food is unrecognizable versus just a year ago.
I grew up in LR and I want to be far away from there now.
ETA: My folks are still there so I am around occasionally.
Also my recollection of the place was on the southeast corner of 4th & O, never went to the new joint next to the bank.