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First-Timers And Firearm Aficionados All Welcome At Shooters
Newtowner Dick Giannettino says his love for guns was spurred, like so many other youngsters, by the classic Westerns featuring Roy Rodgers and Gene Autry. But the self-proclaimed "lifelong sportsman" recently brought his passion for firearms full circle by acquiring his own pistol range and gun shop near New Milford center, which he dubbed Shooters.
Owned by Mr Giannettino, managed by his older son, John, and staffed by son Andrew, who also studied full-time at WestConn, the modest, but meticulously clean and well-stocked business is quickly becoming a destination for many men, women, and teens who come from all over Litchfield, Fairfield, Westchester, and Putnam Counties to hone their skills down on the range.
Adding to the draw is former police officer Herbert Furhman, who leads Shooters pistol permit, personal protection, and private instruction classes, many of which are state mandated for those either looking to purchase a handgun, or to apply for a carry permit.
While some people never forget their first girlfriend, or their first car, Dick Giannettino quickly rattles off the specifics of the first pistol, rifle, and shotgun he ever owned.
"I still own my first handgun — a Smith & Wesson Model 19 .357 Combat Magnum," he said with a smile, as he took a break from his shift behind the counter. "But my first gun was a Marlin 336 .35 caliber [rifle], and my first shotgun I got at Sears, a JC Higgins 12-guage pump."
He can talk guns with the best of them, but it seems like both Dick and his sons enjoy indoctrinating people into the world of firearms for the first time.
The Giannettinos typically start newbies with a quick firearms orientation, explaining the mechanics, safety features, stance, and technique to appropriately handle a small caliber weapon, typically a .22 caliber pistol.
"We get them comfortable with a light gun so they get over any fear they might have. If they get that far, we may recommend they enter the pistol permit course in the event they might want to eventually acquire a handgun of their own," Dick Giannettino said. "In the meantime, we'll start stepping them up in caliber so they can get used to the increasing recoil of a larger weapon."
Lock & Load
Once the client is guided through the permit course, the Giannettinos stand ready to walk the individual through the various options to purchase a firearm.
"Women and youngsters, I find, have a reputation for being more afraid of guns at first," Dick said. "But once they get in the door and get used to them, they often become our most avid shooters. On par, women actually tend to be better than men, don't ask me why."
That may explain the growing popularity of Shooters specialty activities, which include the mixed Monday Night Pistol League and Thursday Boy Scout Night. Mr Giannettino explained that his pistol league is part of the national Winchester Bulls-Eye Pistol Program, which mixes men and women against each other in slow, timed, and rapid-fire sets, with everyone out to capture the elusive perfect score of 300.
When they are not on the range, many of Shooters' patrons socialize in the retail area of the shop, which includes firearms, shooting fashions, targets, gear, and a variety of paintball products.
"We are one of the only places around where you can get paintball CO2 or nitrogen tank refills," John Giannettino said.
The Giannettinos pride themselves on keeping their Shooters range so clean, even many of their female clients go out of the way to compliment the owners. And the high-powered exhaust system keeps the air clear of smoke, even when every range is occupied.
Faye and Chris Bouchard travel down from Kent regularly to practice with pistols and small caliber rifles on the range. Chris, a landscaper and former Marine Corps reservist, and his wife, a registered nurse, said they have a lot of fun, while keeping their skills sharp so they are prepared in the unlikely event they ever have to take gun in hand for personal protection.
Lovin' The Classics
About 30 percent of Shooters clientele are hunters, according to John Giannettino. The rest enjoy the recreational aspect of target shooting. And while a number of their customers are collectors, all three Giannettinos get fired up when someone comes in with a rare firearm.
"A lot of our clients like the old Colts and military arms," John Giannettino said. "And once in awhile we'll draw a crowd around someone with a unique World War II or World War I vintage firearm. Once in awhile we see one come through here that is even Civil War vintage."
The shop stocks a fair amount of contemporary handguns, hunting rifles, and shotguns, but Dick Giannettino assures that "we can get just about anything in terms of equipment or ammo, usually within just a day or two."
John Giannettino has plans to carry on the new family business, and he learned the ins and outs of the shop's operation as an employee of the store's original owners, who sold his family the operation last summer.
For clients without a valid firearms or hunting permit, there is a two-week mandated "cooling off period" before they can acquire any rifles or shotguns, Dick Giannettino explained. "And you can't buy a handgun in Connecticut without taking the minimum eight-hour class, and passing the written and range tests to get your pistol permit," he added.
Shooters range accommodates up to and including .44 magnum firearms, and rifles are welcome as long as they are pistol caliber — no full automatic, black powder, or shotguns are permitted.
The store has variable hours, six days a week, and is closed on Tuesdays. Range rates are $20 for one hour, $14 for a half-hour, and $8 per extra person, per station. Firearm rentals start at $5 per half-hour for select pistols.
Yearly memberships begin at $325, and Shooters also offers family and business memberships. Discounts are available for military and law enforcement personnel and groups. All ammo used at the range must be purchased at Shooters.
Women boost Conn. gun sales
By Jim Moore, Republican-American / September 6, 2009
WATERBURY, Conn.- Connecticut residents are arming themselves at quite a clip, with women, in particular, packing heat in growing numbers.
The state issued 7,741 pistol permits from January through May, a 90 percent increase over the same time period in 2008. Nearly 12,000 new permits have been issued so far this year in a state that recently posted one of the lowest gun ownership rates in the country, according a study of 2006 data by the Violence Policy Center, a national gun control advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.
Connecticut gun retailers and educators who run the safety classes required for pistol permit applicants report a surge in first-time gun purchases, particularly by women, who account for up to half of the students taught in Torrington.
"I think that the percentage that you'd see of women coming for the first time has quadrupled," said John Petricone, a staffer at Tactical Arms in Torrington. Pistol safety classes that once drew about nine men for every woman are now evenly split, Petricone said.
Herb Furhman, a retired police officer who has trained correction officers and operates HF LeanSafety LLC in New Milford, said his private classes are running at capacity, and about a third of his students are female.
"There's more single women now," Furhman said. "They want to be protected in their home."
Furhman said high-profile crimes, including the Aug. 6 home invasion and rape of a New Milford woman and the notorious 2007 home invasion rape and murder of Dr. William Petit's wife and two daughters in Cheshire, fuel much of the interest in firearms. He recently secured certification to teach an advanced course on personal protection in the home, with a first class coming in October.
Ray Sausanavitch, owner of Wolf's Indoor Range and Shooting Center in Bristol, said his began to jump during the 2008 presidential campaign.
"It's all due to Mr. Obama, our biggest salesman," Susanavitch said, noting that Obama as a senator and a presidential candidate supported tighter gun control. President Obama has not made any movements so far toward stricter gun control laws.
Still, Susanavitch has no doubt that the administration will make a push to tighten gun laws eventually.
"Whenever you get a threat that something might be taken away, it doesn't matter what it is ... sales of that particular item are going to go up," Susanavitch said. "It's just that simple."
Gun control advocates, who failed to secure legislation this year that would require gun makers to imprint serial numbers on the firing pins of pistols sold in Connecticut, worry the surge in gun ownership will eventually bring tragic consequences.
"We're always concerned that more guns lead to more gun deaths," said Ron Pinciaro, co-director of Connecticut Against Gun Violence, an advocacy group based on Southport.
"From our perspective, if people want to have guns for self-defense or hunting, we're not opposed to that," Pinciaro said. "But we do advise people that a gun in a household is 47 times more likely to be used against another member of the household than it is against an intruder."
That statistic, drawn from an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, is one Furhman views with skepticism.
"I teach safe, responsible gun ownership, safety being the operative word," Furhman said. The three basic rules: "Aim in safe direction, never put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot, and always keep firearms unloaded."
Ammunition is also flying off the shelves. Susanavitch and other gun retailers said supplies of everything but shotgun ammunition remain short, and pistol ammunition is in particularly short supply.
"We don't get every caliber every week," Susanavitch said. "Everything's back-ordered."
John Napierski, co-owner Jojo's Gun Works, a Southington shop that specializes in high-end custom guns, said strong sales have been fueled by a new customer base.
"It's a lot of women," Napierski said. "Not the usual gun guys."
Tactical Arms staffer Samantha Cavallo, 21, said the store's policy that staff should be armed while on duty is not the only reason she secured her own pistol permit.
"I just want it for my own protection," Cavallo said, citing concern sparked by recent burglaries in Torrington, her hometown. "A lot of my girlfriends and family members they definitely think it's a good thing to have. You've got to be ready, and be prepared."