Gun World Australia open for business

Hundreds of shooters from across South East Queensland were on hand to enjoy the grand opening of the region’s new gunshop, Gun World Australia. Located in the Logan City suburb of Hillcrest, the 400sq m-plus shop officially opened on December 5 after a year of work and has been a labour of love for co-owners Andrew Peat and Ryan Rosenlund.

Mr Peat, who has been working in the firearms industry for more than 12 years, said they had identified a need for a full-service gunshop on the south side of the greater Brisbane area which catered for all shooting disciplines. He said providing top-notch customer service and having high stock levels were a priority for the business, which employs nine full-time and nine casual staff and also features 230 car parking spaces. “With all our staff being shooters, they’ve been on the other side of the counter and seen the challenges,” he said.

Mr Peat said the store had enjoyed a ‘soft opening’ about six weeks previously and he believed its arrival had scared some of the established players in the industry. “In my opinion, it needed to be shaken up,” he said. “We’ve thrown $35 million to get to where we are today and we’re prepared to throw more at it.”

Gun World Australia caters to all shooting disciplines, notably IPSC, Single Action and centrefire disciplines, with some of the brands stocked including Beretta, Browning, CZ, Remington, Smith & Wesson, Steyr and Winchester. Alongside an extensive selection of firearms and ammunition, the business also sells accessories and a range of 5.11 Tactical clothing. Mr Peat said the store would offer 15 per cent off 5.11 clothing for members of the Emergency Services, Australian Defence Force and SES as a way of taking care of the people who are taking care of everyone.

Mr Peat said the existing shop was currently ‘stage one’ and the plan was to keep expanding, with a European-style premium gunroom on the cards, as well as a greatly enhanced ammunition selection and increased range of firearms. The variety of secondhand firearms is also expected to increase as customers trade existing guns in on new purchases.

Mr Peat added that once everything was set up, the shop’s inventory and online store would be linked in real time, so visitors to the website could see exactly what was in stock. “The website will be 100 per cent linked with items being sold in the store,” he said.

He said the store’s location in a shooting complex with an 18-lane shooting range and a security training centre was another tick in the box for the business, further enhancing the facilities available in the area.

South East Queensland SSAA member Rodney Cain was one of the many shooters who made the journey to Gun World Australia’s opening and said he was glad he had done so, as it had been a worthwhile trip. “The shop’s great; they’ve got a large selection of stock and good prices on shotgun ammo,” he said. “It’s conveniently situated and I’m grateful there’s some competition in the area. The staff had a really high level of expertise and knew what they were talking about.”

Gun World Australia is located at 2/18 Elliot Court, Hillcrest, Qld 4118. For more information, phone 1300 600 936 or visit www.gunworld.com.au

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