By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Independence Day is a celebration of all things freedom. The timing was just right for a new gun store in Russell. On July 1, Alpha 7 Outdoors Pro Shop held its grand opening. Owner Chuck Martin operates a plumbing business in the Kansas City area and wanted to start something new in an area he knows well.
"I was in the oilfield out here off and on since 2016," he said. "I hunted out here every year. The building I used to lease a portion of came up for sale. I decided to take a chance, and I turned it into lodging and a training facility."
The gun shop is attached to a 2,400-square-foot simunition shoot house located at 24 S. Lincoln St. in Russell. The business also includes a live-fire shooting range six miles north of Russell. The ex-military police officer Martin and other trained individuals want to teach everything from how to properly store firearms in the home to full-on tactical training.
The gun shop currently has about 120 guns for sale, ranging from $150 small-caliber pistols to high-end rifles. With 12 gun sales at the grand opening alone, Martin plans to grow the inventory.
"In a perfect world, in a larger city, I'd probably want to ramp it up about 300 percent, but we're going to 20 percent for now," he said. "Keep learning the community, let the foot traffic find us."
Alpha 7 Outdoors Pro Shop is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments can be made outside of those hours by emailing sales@alpha7outdoors.com.