Firearm Shop Opens In East Templeton

Firearm Shop Opens In East Templeton
Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

News staff photo by ERYN DION Owner Morgan Jeleniewski plans to turn Minuteman Armory into a full-service firearms shop, where he will be able to buy, sell and repair equipment.

 

  TEMPLETON  The afternoon before his grand opening, the owner of Minuteman Armory was hard at work stacking boxes of ammunition and putting the finishing touches on a display of semiautomatic rifles behind a long, glass counter.

“I’ve gotten to the point where there’s nothing more I can do,” said Morgan Jeleniewski when asked about his nerves ahead of Saturday’s opening. “Everything is set up and the chips are going to fall.”

Invoking the image of a Revolutionary War militia, Mr. Jeleniewski said Minuteman Armory aims to be a full-service shop where customers can purchase new and used equipment and have their firearms repaired.

“We actually have a gunsmith,” said Mr. Jeleniewski. “One of the things that’s hard to find, especially around here, is an actual gunsmith.”

With the nearest gun shops and smiths located more than an hour away, Mr. Jeleniewski sensed a niche he could fill, and Minuteman Armory was born at 25 North Main St.

Growing up around guns, he said he’s always considered them a hobby. When he saw an opportunity to trade his hour-long commute for something just down the road, Mr. Jeleniewski jumped at the chance.

“All the people I know that like what they do were able to convert their hobbies into a job,” he said. “We figured we would give this a shot and see if we can do something with it.”

Mr. Jeleniewski said he plans to offer a wide range of inventory to best gauge what people are looking for in their firearms.

“I went down the list of things we’re allowed to sell and took one of everything to see what sells,” he explained. “I go to ranges and I see what people are using and I hear what people are saying. This is what I think people want.”

Keeping his ear to the ground, Mr. Jeleniewski said there has been a great interest in having more firearms classes easily available in the area to help keep people up to date and bring new owners up to speed.

“We’re going to offer safety classes and we’re going to offer the state hunting classes,” he said. “We’re going to try to offer as many free classes as we can.”

Mr. Jeleniewski said he anticipates doing well in Templeton, especially considering the hunting and sporting culture that has taken root in the area.

“Hopefully people come in and like what they see,” he said.