BUSINESS NEWS
Jones County’s newest firearm’s store can be found in the heart of downtown Gray and is a one-stop shop for handguns, rifles, ammo and accessories.
Gray Station Firearms and Pawn is housed inside the historic Gray Station Depot building and has the address of 108 Railroad Street. The hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. The store is closed Sunday and Monday.
The store is owned by Adam Lowe and Chris Williams, who have owned Gray Feed and Seed across the road from the gun shop since 2017. Lowe has been the chief of police for the City of Gray since 2006, and Williams is a major in the department, in charge of investigations.
Williams has been in law enforcement for 35 years and has no plans to retire; he said he still has a son in college.
Lowe has more than 28 years in law enforcement. He said when the Gray Station Depot was moved, he and Williams kicked around the idea of a gun store.
“Once the inside was done, we thought it looked like a great place to do it,” the owner said.
Lowe said they put feelers out in the community and felt there was a lot of support.
“It took a while to get going, but we’ve had a lot of interest. I feel like we are providing a good, safe place to purchase firearms in Gray,” he said.
Williams said the store opened Oct. 26, but it really started back in March of 2020 when their Federal Firearms License was received. The interior of the store harkens back to the history of the building with the original wooden walls that were stripped of paint and refinished.
Dividing walls in the entrance were removed to open up the lobby, but much of the original interior remains.
He said the building was ready in 2021, but they could not open because of problems with inventory due to COVID and supply chain issues. Another hold up was necessary for security. Williams said it took six months to receive the security cage that protects the firearms when the shop is closed. Additional delays were due to getting insurance in place and establishing vendors and distributors.
Williams said he is pleased with the way business has gone since opening the store.
“It’s been going well, especially with the limited supply of ammunition and guns,” he said.
The owner said they were lucky because they started buying ammo early.
“We had a lot no one else had when we opened the doors,” he said.
Williams said the shop sells all types of guns, rifles, shotguns and ammo. He said they have also been approved for a class three license. He said when reloading equipment and supplies become available again, the plan is for the store to carry that, too.
The owner said it is not unusual for law enforcement officers to be in the business.
“I know others in the business, and I’ve always had an interest. My father had a gun shop,” he said.
Williams said they have the knowledge of the weapons, and because of past experiences with break-ins, know what is needed to keep the shop secure.
“We have the security cage, and the entire building is alarmed. We have security cameras everywhere, inside and outside the building,” he said.
