When you step onto any shooting range, the first words you’ll hear from the Range Safety Officer (RSO) are, “Put on your eyes and ears.” This rule is universal, and for good reason—having reliable eye and ear protection is critical for every shooter, from the casual range-goer to the seasoned competitor.

As an 8-year Marine Corps veteran and regular range shooter, I know the importance of safeguarding what hearing I have left. Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to test out the Shell Shock Electronic Hearing and Eye Protection Combo, and I’m excited to share my thoughts.

First Impressions: Familiarity Meets Comfort

At first glance, the Shell Shock ear protection setup felt familiar. This wasn’t a drawback—in fact, it was an advantage. As someone who thrives on consistency with gear, I appreciated how intuitive the design was. Adjusting them was

Leave a Legacy of Pride

We’ve covered a lot in these articles, and now you have a wide range of options to help increase the visibility of your gun store, bring in more customers and ultimately make more money. Here’s a recap of some of the most important tips:

• Develop a community in & around your business
• Offer unique products and services
• Bundle!
• Integrate digital and traditional marketing
• Build something you can be proud of for a lifetime

Take the time to build the best gun store or range that you can, something that leaves a lasting impression and is a place where people want to spend time. Facing the challenges of

Increasing Profits with In-Store Rentals

If you operate a range, then you already know how beneficial it is to have a captive audience there to purchase ammunitions, targets, ear & eye protection and all sorts of other accessories and gear from you. However, if you’re not currently renting firearms at your range, then you’re missing out on a lot of potential profit.

First & foremost, you should have a membership program at your range, with several different tiers, and this will bring in recurring revenue throughout the year. Setting up this membership system requires you to determine a monthly cost that you want to charge for these different levels. 

The basic membership could include the following:

• Unlimited range use
• Access

7 Reasons Why Most Gun Stores Fail

It’s an unfortunate truth that most small businesses fail within five years of opening, and that statistic applies just as much to businesses within the firearms community as well.

Whether you’re an armorer, custom gun manufacturer, gun store owner, or fall into a different category of the firearms industry altogether, there are some principles that will help sustain and grow your business and keep you out of the majority. 

For the purposes of this article, we’re simply going to refer to gun store owners, but if you’re a custom Cerakote applicator or firearms instructor, these tips will apply to you as well.

Reason 1: Failure to Reach a Core Audience

Having a loyal customer base that not only comes to you for their initial purchase, but