Does anyone here own their own retail gun shop? I am asking about a retail store not a gun shop in your basement (not that theres anything wrong with that ).

one of my buddys does and i basically grew up there....not sure if that counts for anything lol

I used to run one, with a friend, and I'm not gonna cut you a deal, mossy.

ok, heres the deal. The town I live in is void of a gunshop. The closest one that is 8 miles away is horrible. The guy uses the shop as a hobby and might if you are lucky order stuff if he remembers for you, coupled with a horrible inventory. So, I got to thinking about opening up my own shop. I have no idea where to start. I had some questions pertaining to start-up. Do you need to get your FFL 01 first? Or do you try to get a small business loan first? Should i try and line up a store location then get the loan then get the FFL? I was considering talking to a shop that is about 50 miles away (since I wouldnt be a competitor) and see if they would be a resource.

Mossy: I worked as a distributor rep. for the largest distributor of hunting and fishing equipment that there is. Customer service is what it is all about. You will need to find a location first. Your creditor will want a business plan-and location is part of that plan.

One word of advice. Get as close to Walmart as you can. Next door is not too close. Believe me-guys hate Walmart. What better place to go. Let Walmart bring them in, and you sell them. Second: Do not carry anything that they carry. You can not compete with them, so go around them. Third: Find lines that they do not carry-for example you should carry Hornady ammo. Talk to Steve at the SHOT show, tell him what you are doing-and ask him what he can do to help(Steve Hornady). The SHOT show is in Orlando this year. This show is a must. You will learn more there in twodays than youcan imagine.

Do not worry about an FFL. They are easy to get, as long as you do not have any background problems. Tom.

You have to have a store front (that meets security standards)before you get your 01 FFL.

Check local and state laws about zoning as well.

Plan on it costing a small fortune to get up and running. Whatever figure you come up with, tak on at least 10% for things you did not think of.

I seriously considered starting a shop. And my ballpark startup cost was right around $100,000. Yours may vary, the shop needed all kinds of expensive security upgrades. Walk in safe, window bars, cameras, security doors, and a security system.

If you have any specific questions, drop me a PM and I will answer to the best of my ability. I also have the 01 FFL "book" here if you need me to look something up for you. They send them out with the 03 FFL, I'm not sure why, but they do.LOL

thanks guys, I dont think the loan will be the problem, the problem I see is getting the store, then getting it ready and stocked. I guess that it is written somewhere what standards you must meet for your shop to be considered "ready"???