Merced gun shop closing after decades of business. Here’s what the owners will do next
Gerry Mitchell has been working with guns for over 40 years. He started fixing guns in the garage of his parents’ house in Merced when he was in high school
Later he started a business where he was working out of the back of a bait and tackle shop in Winton where he repaired firearms.
Mitchell, 59, has owned the Gunrunner gun shop and shooting range, located on Yosemite Parkway in Merced, since 1996. After close to 25 years at their current location, Mitchell and his wife, Sandy, 73, are closing up the shop for good.
Gerry says it’s a combination of health issues he and his wife are experiencing and they are ready to make a move to Missouri where they’ve purchased 150 acres of land.
“I’ve been battling (Multiple sclerosis) for years,” said Gerry, whose interest with guns began as a hunter. “My wife has had her own health issues. It’s just time for us to retire.”
The Mitchells aren’t sure what is going to happen to the gun shop and shooting range. They’ve been unable to find a buyer. They hope somebody will step up and buy it and operate the shooting range.
“There’s not a lot of recreational activities you can do in Merced,” Gerry said. “I hope the range will still be here.”
Gerry said the coronavirus pandemic didn’t play a part in their decision. If anything, the pandemic has led to an increase in sales the past few months.
“Since the onslaught of the pandemic people have been buying protective firearms,” Gerry said.
“We saw a spike like we’ve never seen before. It was crazy. It slowed down again and then after the riots happened we saw the same thing. Gun shops are kind of bullet proof with stuff like this. When there is a panic, gun sales do well.”
Gerry met Sandy in the gun shop when the store was located on Main Street. He operated the shop at two different locations on Main Street for 11 years, before moving to Yosemite Parkway.
Sandy moved to Atwater in 1975 with her two kids and already had an interest in guns before meeting Gerry. They married in 2002 and she has helped run the shop.
She says the toughest part of leaving will be not seeing the customers.
“It’s surprising how close you get to people,” Sandy said. “I’ve had some send me get well cards when I’ve been sick. It’s heart-breaking, that’s a word they’ve used. We have so many return customers. We have some customers who came to us as kids and now they are bringing their kids. That makes me sad, but I’m a crybaby anyways.”
The Mitchells have seen plenty of changes to firearms and gun regulations over the years.
Gerry says the biggest change to guns is the material firearms are made from. When he first started guns were made from stainless steel and blue steel. Since then guns have been made out of aluminum, polymer and now titanium.
“The fun part is taking somebody that has no experience with guns,” Gerry said. “At first they are a little scared and then you see the metamorphosis to, ‘Yeehaw, this is fun.’”
The Mitchells both say they won’t miss the paperwork and dealing with all the gun regulations handed down by the government. “That’s where all the stress is,” says Sandy.
While owning the shop all these years has been an overwhelmingly pleasant experience, it wasn’t without tragedy. There have been four suicides that have taken place in the gun range. One was a personal friend of Gerry’s.
“We were chatting an hour before it happened,” Gerry said. “You never know who is going to do it. After the second one, I called around to other gun ranges and I found out some implemented a buddy policy. If you’re by yourself, we won’t rent you a gun.
“It’s heartbreaking to no end. Words cannot express it. You relive it when you have to tell people about it. It stays with you.”
Gerry and Sandy are ready for their next chapter. Sandy was born in Missouri and Gerry has a brother who lives there. They are going to build a house in Thornfield, which has a population of about 264 people.
“I’m excited for the change,” Sandy said. “I want to be able to sit out on our deck and watch deer graze in the front yard.”
Part of the 150 acres of the Mitchell’s land includes a pond and part of the Ozark forest.
“I fell in love with the place,” Gerry said. “It’s a slower life. People wave at you when you drive down the road. There’s hardly any trash. You don’t see any graffiti. Our neighbors are going to be deer.”
According to the Mitchells, there is no set date for the shop to close. They want to fulfill all their customers’ purchase orders and sell the inventory they have left in the store. They feel it could be two or three weeks before they officially close the shop.
“A lot of our customers feel like ‘what are we going to do now?’” Gerry said.
“We feel the same way. We’re sad we’re leaving our customers because they are more like friends.”
