A long time buddy and I are retiring from the rat race are considering starting a small gun shop. With all the issues involved, we are looking for a source of accurate information on the rules, regulations, and lessons learned from those who have plowed the field before us.  Any tips, URLs, etc., would be appreciated.

OLDSALT

As long as you don't expect this to support you financially it would be a fun retirement job. Buy a nice Self Contained RV travel to remote gun shows in far off lands and write the whole retirement off as a business expense on your taxes.

check out [URL]http://www.titleii.com[/URL] there is a lot of good information there.

Edited to hotwire the link only.

You are right about that David.  We are not expecting this venture to support us financially.  We are expecting to make a modest profit, or to put it another way; operating in the red is not acceptable.

The RV idea is interesting, we had not thought anout that.  We are primarily interested in bring such a service to a small community of 10,000 that does not have such services available.

OLDSALT

I don't know anything about gun shops, but if I were doing it I would pick 2 areas to specialize in to start with.  Maybe AR's and defensive (offensive)pistols.  Something people shoot a lot and break parts on.  Become experts at those and all the accesories.  I would also make sure I was not trying to compete with Walmart or Kmart.

Then I woudl try to get all the free advice I could from the web like you are doing.

Then I would pay the SOT tax (specialty occupation tax)so I could make cool guns for myself and to sell to people on this site!!!  The shop would be perfect if out back was a lake to fish on.  Sorry, I got caught up in your vision there for a moment.

Good Luck

The specialization idea is interesting and one we shall consider.  Our intent was to work with trap shooters who also like to deer/elk hunt.  Being on an island, we are not interested in competing with the big guys.  We are more interested in providing closer shooting stock access to our limited population (10,000).

Your inputs are interesting.  We are particularly interested in the dos & don'ts regarding federal, BATF, etc. and the pitfalls to avoid.

OLDSALT

I started out as a kid working in trap clubs.  My boss owned everthing there was.  I became a Trap shooter and hunter.  In addition to using my Dad's guns, my first gun purchase was an 870.  Then I bought a Ruger MKII, then I bought a Model 700, then my brother was robbed so I bought a Glock 21.  You know the term slippery slope; from there I decided I had to have everything,and multiples of each.

On the south end of your gun rack I would put rifles of the .308 persuasions.  Can you kill a moose with a .308?  Anyone who has a wife that understands why he needs to own Trap guns will also understand why he needs AR's too.  Mine does.  

All these Trap shooters are naturals for owning tactical shotguns.  I would buy some land and set up a 3 gun shoot.  Only your shoot would be Trap, Tactical shotguns, and rifle.  Bring pistols in later.  Hit them where they live, make a competition out of it, and trap shooters will show up.  I could just see all these guys trying to out do each other with their tricked out .308's.

If you are going to go into business, your goal has to be to take over the island on any gun purchase $600 and up.  Also, all parts and gunsmithng.  You need to start letting everyone on the island know you are experts.

Any sporting clays on your island?

Ar you talking about Whidbey Island? As far as I am concerned it is wide open here. The only big guys you have to worry about here is Wally-World and Kesselrings (not eve on the island).
Greens Guns and True Value both suck.