Photo Courtesy of Shooter's World
Shooter’s World in Tampa, Fla., is a 62,000-sq.-ft. facility, making it one of the biggest gun stores in America. Its impressive size, however, hasn’t diminished its gun-shop charm. Owners Dr. Greg Henderson and Bing Kearney wanted to create a gun store with a deep inventory, a state-of-the-art shooting range and professional instruction, but they also wanted it to be family-friendly, unlike the cold big-box feel some stores have. By working with gun manufacturers on displays and more, they pulled it off. Shooter’s World jars loose memories of duck blinds and grandfather’s gun cabinet, but it is also open and inviting with aisles of inventory, an onsite range with 27 pistol lanes and seven 100-yd. indoor rifle lanes that can handle up to a .50 BMG.
Shooters World has a training facility with experienced instructors. The superstore has two retail departments for every type of shooter in addition to an extensive selection of firearms. Shooters World offers the region’s only lifetime warranty program for all new and certified pre-owned firearms. Its range provides an assortment of gun rentals, and it offers more than 30 NRA-certified courses, including a Florida concealed-carry class, basic-to-advanced classes and youth classes, as well as couples and ladies-only instruction. The classes, designed to accommodate a wide variety of shooters, are taught by trained, certified instructors with an emphasis on creating an enjoyable learning environment.
In addition, it has implemented a comprehensive museum where visitors can gain an understanding of the important role firearms have played in securing the freedoms we enjoy. Henderson says, “In today’s world of political correctness we have seen many Americans lose sight of the fact that our liberty was purchased at a dear price. We built this museum because we believe that Americans need a refresher course on the fact that the fundamental freedoms we enjoy were fought for and won by our Founding Fathers with the understanding that government is for the benefit of the individual, not the other way around. We also believe that as the Second Amendment goes, so goes the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. You cannot selectively delete portions of our Constitution for political expediency. We are staunch supporters of the NRA’s efforts to preserve the inalienable rights enumerated within the Constitution.” Shooter’s World is located at 116 E. Fletcher Ave., Tampa, FL 33612; (813) 381-1111; shootersworld.com.
