"The Sportsman - the last standing business in California where patrons can simultaneously buy a beer and a firearm - is encased in a historic brick building between the town's main drag and its police station. The store-and-bar is as much a tourist destination as it's a living room for some in the gateway town. On a weekday afternoon, two locals nursed Michelob Ultras beneath a television showing a Giants game while another man put down the next installment on a deposit for a rifle."
"Storekeeper Steve Kane toggled between the two sides of the slim room. One half of the tawny-walled store is a pub with numerous framed photos of past and current customers. The other side is reserved for firearms - pistols and rifles - contained behind glass casings. A six-shooter goes for $250 while a .22-caliber rifle costs more than $600. Kane has worked at the Sportsman for 20 years, managing the store"
The Sportsman in Sonora operates as a combined gun store and bar, uniquely allowing patrons to purchase alcohol and firearms in one place. The shop occupies a historic brick building between the town’s main drag and the police station and functions as both a tourist destination and a local hangout. Customers include travelers en route to Yosemite and locals nursing beers while completing firearm transactions. Firearms sit behind glass cases with prices ranging from about $250 to over $600 for a .22-caliber rifle. Steve Kane has worked at the Sportsman for 20 years and manages the store with seriousness and respect. The shop opened in 1947 near highways leading to Yosemite, Gold Country and the High Sierra.
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