Whittaker Guns closed

[WestKentucky]

This place has been a regional staple for decades. I bought several guns there before moving away a few years ago. I was contemplating a weekend run just for a relaxing drive and a fun destination but I guess those days are gone.

Whittaker Guns closed; OT source says it's for good

Whittaker Guns is closed. A confidential Owensboro Times source says it's permanent.

www.owensborotimes.com

 

[aaaaa]

Sad news any time a gun shop closes. My favorite gun shop closed about a year ago, or I should say they moved about 150 miles away to where I am not sure I will ever get by the place again.

 

[CDW4ME]

I visited Whittaker guns when I lived in KY, got some Moonlight BBQ too.

 

[S.Crockett]

Those off-the-road ‘Mom & Pop’ gun shops with a long history behind them were always places where you might find something really unique on the consignment shelves.

 

[pharmer]

“a complaint from an adjoining landowner” and “a zoning issued from a Conditional Use Permit issued by the Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission in 1994.”

Almost the exact reason I lost my 01 FFL almost 30 years ago (1995). I did not get the "conditional use permit" even though I thought I paid enough. Joe

 

[Jim Watson]

"Complaint from an adjoining landowner." I know of two outdoor ranges closed on such complaints. Strange thing, there were real estate developers involved in both.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Yep....buy a house next to a dairy farm and have them closed for the smell.

 

[PapaG]

I just visited my two local shops today, one where I worked from 08 to ‘19. Both were extremely low on stock and/or variety. Sad to see. Our local place to go for components for years closed last month. Four big shooting clubs within a 25 mile radius and not much to buy. Sad.
Bad enough I could stock their shelves and racks and improve their selection.

 

[Bazoo]

Man, I hate to hear this. I haven't been up there in a couple of years, and was planning to make a trip this coming spring/summer. It's a bit of a drive for us, but always worth it. They advertised 6,000 guns in stock, and they had just about that the last time I was there.

I've bought several guns from them over the years. They used to get a lot of police trade-ins and I bought a few of those too.

 

[flatsticks]

Sad story to see .

Noise complaints and they had been there a long time ?

 

[jmr40]

I ordered one gun from them. It was a positive experience. Never been in the store but will be in Owensboro next month. I'd planned to correct that then.

I don't think noise complaints was the reason for the closing. The owner died a while back and his family was never able to run the business the same way. Based on what I've been reading they have been slowly declining for a few years. The guy who started the business was a regular poster over at 24 hour campfire. He was extremely helpful with advice and seemed like a great guy.

 

[I6turbo]

I ordered one gun from them. It was a positive experience. Never been in the store but will be in Owensboro next month. I'd planned to correct that then.

I don't think noise complaints was the reason for the closing. The owner died a while back and his family was never able to run the business the same way. Based on what I've been reading they have been slowly declining for a few years. The guy who started the business was a regular poster over at 24 hour campfire. He was extremely helpful with advice and seemed like a great guy.

Yes, I forget the first name of Mr. Whittaker who was the owner of the family business back in the day, but IIRC, he died perhaps in the 2016-ish timeframe, +/-. They used to have the best prices on CZs, especially the rimfires. Mr. Whittaker would buy special order batches of some of the "discontinued" rifles (he was still buying batches of 452s 3 or 4 years after they were "discontinued" by CZ, and sell them at a good bit under the going market. I bought several guns from them, as many as 3 at a time because I just couldn't pass up the opportunity (and excuse) to "save money" with a good deal from Whittaker's. Even if I nearly went broke saving money.

Sad to see the old LGS type outlets continuing to die off. I notice in the article that the family sold the business some years ago.

 

[MarshallDodge]

No surprise. The online business is eating into the local operations.

 

[Ignition Override]

Maybe the Huge present oversupply of centerfire semi-auto rifles was a factor also.

My brother lived in Evansville and ten years ago Whittaker’s was entertaining to visit.
They also had some non-autopsied milsurp rifles and reloading supplies.

 

[hemiram]

Sad to see it gone. I bought several guns from them over the last decade.

 

[357 Terms]

Apparently one of the Whitaker's, who is no longer involved with the closed store, and it's owner, is opening a new one.

New gun store coming to county's west side

A new gun store is coming to the west side of Daviess County, under the ownership of Luke Kuegel and Chris Whittaker. The duo promises a unique shop that will offer upwards of 2,000 guns.

www.owensborotimes.com

 

[Mark_Mark]

DJ Pawn & Guns was a classic gun shop dream come true. Bothell WA right outside of Seattle. Will be missed!!!

 

[toivo]

No surprise. The online business is eating into the local operations.

That statement is true, but OTOH, I bought a CZ rifle from Whittaker's without ever setting foot in the state of Kentucky. Most local operations are also selling online these days. Whether they can keep up with the big boys (Bud's, etc.) is another question.

 

[Justin]

Man. This brings back some memories. When I was in high school, I remember going to this shop, and at the time it was by far the biggest gun shop I'd ever been in. Over the years, I went there multiple times, and they always had something unique there. At one point, they even had one of those Medusa revolvers for sale. I should have bought it.

 

[lightman]

Its sad to hear about any store closing. I imagine its a pretty tough challenge for them to survive.

 

[czhen]

That's sad, very sad. Very straight, honest people always with very competitive prices (have them on speed dial on my phone LOL). I used to buy from them many moons ago when CZ was an unknown brand.
Hope my best for the family and employees.

 

[PzGren]

I have been over to Whittaker's many times in the 1990s, driving from Southwestern Indiana was always worth the trip. While my wife and the kids were feeding the carps in the lake opposite of the store, I had time to look at the large inventory. Mr. Whittaker was a very nice person to deal with. I had bought a few guns there and also traded some in. A friend traded a Walther PPk in and received a good trade value. Mr. Whittaker then priced the gun up by $10 and put it in the display case. When my friend asked him how he could survive on such a small margin, he smiled and said that he just loves dealing guns and wants turnover - and the gun sold while we were in the store. I remember all the $69 SKS'es ...

At that time he had shot two armed robbers.

 

[luv2safari]

I'm clear out here in the far west and was a customer of theirs. It was a great organization once, and most of us will miss the old store way of doing business, and their varied stock.

 

[Elkins45]

I visited their shop a couple of years after Darrel's death and it was still going strong. I think what put them under was building the fancy new building. I guess they spent so much on it that they couldn't afford stock because every time I went they had fewer and fewer guns. The last time was about a year ago and mostly it was hunting clothes and coolers. They even had an aisle of fishing stuff where used guns had been before.

In truth it was pretty much closed already in my mind. The first time I went there were at least a dozen new LH bolt rifles in inventory. The last time there was one, an overpriced Savage, and there were fewer guns in the building than at the typical Cabela's. At its peak Whittaker's probably had more guns under one roof than many small gunshows did. It was certainly the largest gun inventory I had ever seen.

 

[luv2safari]

I visited their shop a couple of years after Darrel's death and it was still going strong. I think what put them under was building the fancy new building. I guess they spent so much on it that they couldn't afford stock because every time I went they had fewer and fewer guns. The last time was about a year ago and mostly it was hunting clothes and coolers. They even had an aisle of fishing stuff where used guns had been before.

In truth it was pretty much closed already in my mind. The first time I went there were at least a dozen new LH bolt rifles in inventory. The last time there was one, an overpriced Savage, and there were fewer guns in the building than at the typical Cabela's. At its peak Whittaker's probably had more guns under one roof than many small gunshows did. It was certainly the largest gun inventory I had ever seen.

New guns don't make a store much profit, just like new cars don't make a dealer much profit. Trade ins and properly bought used guns/cars are much higher profit. The real profit lies in the "tires, batteries, and accessories", i.e gun cases, cleaning kits, optics, clothing and footwear; ammo is low profit, but reloading equipment is decent profit. Fishing equipment is like clothing, often "keyed" or more. Buying and moving inventory fast are the keys to successful retailing, especially with marginally low profit margins...guns.