A three-month intra-store remodeling project at the Big R in Springfield came to fruition with the “Great Reveal” to Big R’s owners, special guests and their families on a Monday evening in September.
Guns Save Life had a golden ticket to attend and frankly, we came away impressed. In a time when gun shops across Illinois have closed following passage of the Gun Dealer Licensing Act, Big R CEO Milt Wetherell went all in with the new MTW Outpost gun store within a farm store. While Wetherell didn’t design the facility, those he delegated with remodeling a 1200-square foot corner of an existing Big R store did a tremendous job.
The shop’s decorations pay homage to our nation’s veterans and first responders. Both affordable and high-end guns line shelves and displays. What’s more, even in a world of newly created expensive regulatory burdens, the prices remain very competitive.
And also unlike your average “farm store,” Big R’s MTW Outpost is aggressively buying used guns and estate collections to add to their inventory. So yes, trades are welcome. And they’ll buy your gun even if you don’t but theirs.
Big R brought on James Poppenhouse to run MTW Outpost and gave him a big voice in hiring good people to staff it. Poppenhouse proudly points to a new saleswoman knowledgeable in guns and self-defense he hired to assist female customers who might feel intimidated talking to a male staff member.
While the official grand opening will not happen until some point in October, MTW Outpost will be open for visitors and customers as part of the soft opening which began the next day.
Poppenhouse is promising a big grand opening event, including gun giveaways and a good time for the entire family.
Great news! Wishing them much good luck.
Stopped by there today still working out a couple bugs with registers and card machines, but it looks great. James was happy to see us, I was a pretty good customer of his at Scheel’s, and as usual he took good care of me. By Grand Opening next month it should be a very good Gun Shop with product and knowledge.