1911 Academy gunsmith Bryant Barnes fits a safety for a 1911 pistol.[/caption]

The 1911 Academy’s owner and manager Kirk Anderson said he and his staff pride themselves on offering more than just guns for sale.

Open for business since April 30, 2016, 1911 Academy is a Federal Firearms License dealer and also cleans, repairs, restores and customizes firearms. In addition, trained staffers offer classes for patrons to build their own AR-style semi-automatic rifles or 1911-style pistols. The business also facilitates firearms transfers of ownership and appraisals for insurance.

Anderson said the needs of the modern firearms enthusiast have changed throughout the years.

“When you used to think of a firearms enthusiast, they were all about the same and pretty hardcore when it came to guns,” Anderson said. “Today there’s a whole new group of firearms enthusiasts, but they may not all know as much [as gun enthusiasts used to] because they haven’t grown up around guns.”

Derek Peterson, who handles marketing and paperwork for transactions requiring Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives approval, reiterated the approach at 1911 Academy.

“We aren’t going to shoo [customers] out of the shop,” Peterson said. “They need to see what we are doing to their gun. This is a very different mindset. We don’t have a closed-door policy. You can see in our shop and watch as our gunsmiths do their work. We even took the shop door off the hinges to send the message to come on back.”

The two gunsmiths on-site, Bryant Barnes and Chuck Girard, who combined have more than 25 years of experience, are both certified armorers with numerous manufacturers.

Staff members at 1911 Academy want customers who love shooting, and they also seek the clientele who enjoy learning and understanding how their gun functions.

The 1911 Academy staff offers firearm labor and restoration, or they can assist their customers with the job.

“We can do the work, but when you want to learn how to do it yourself, we are here, too,” Anderson said. “The advantage is, if you get stuck, gunsmiths are there for you to ask questions.”