By Morgan Bryce
Editor
Opelika’s Heritage Farms Firearms has relocated and is now open in its new location inside Gateway Tire and Automotive on Pepperell Parkway.
Originally located at the Sunoco gas station off Exit 64, the nearly six-year-old business was purchased by Gateway Owner Wayne Rogers in April.
Citing its low prices and overall low overhead costs, Rogers said purchasing Heritage and housing it under the same roof as his automotive shop and storm shelter business was a “no-brainer” and a great way “to serve a broader range of people.”
“A lot of folks who are buying firearms are looking for protection for their families and loved ones so we’re trying to mix up our pot a bit and offer another service to our existing clientele by growing and expanding out,” Rogers said.
Jonathan Smith, nephew of Heritage’s founder, remains as manager of the business. Through his deep insight and knowledge of the market for handguns and long guns, he said he is able to match customer’s wants at an affordable, competitive price.
“Our unofficial motto is that we are the ‘working man’s gun store.’ My ultimate goal is to try to save the customer money,” Smith said. “If two guns are similar but are different in cost, I’ll do research and read through testing to find out if there is any significant advantage in purchasing the more expensive gun. People that want a gun to protect their family or themselves when they’re out and about don’t have to spend a fortune to do it.”
“Our markup on our guns is very low because we move a higher quantity at bigger volumes. What we’ll do is find specials on guns we can purchase from a distributor, and if we purchase certain quantities, we can get a discount that can be factored into our overall cost of inventory,” Rogers added. “Therefore, we can extend that sale price to the customer and that’s how we probably sell every seven out of the 10 guns that we sell.”
In addition to handguns and long guns, Heritage also offers customers ammunition and other accessories. Smith said their best sellers are the Taurus G2C handgun and ABC Company AR-15s.
Currently, Heritage’s hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Depending on demand, Smith said Saturday’s hours may expand.
For more information, call 334-610-1736, like and follow “Heritage Farms Firearms” on it social media pages or visit the store, which is located at 2023 Pepperell Parkway.