\nA portion of the showroom of the Green Beret Guns and Ammo shop in St. James City. PHOTO PROVIDED<\/p>\n
Former military officer and Special Forces,Green Beret Jim Thompson opened the Green Beret Guns and Ammo store in fall of 2025. He said he had thought it would be a much bigger deal, saying the dream was always if he were to win the lottery, he\u2019d open the greatest gun shop with an indoor range next to a fantastic scuba shop. <\/p>\n
Being from Philadelphia, he said the gun shop was not a typical childhood dream, as he is not from a big gun community. The different weapons he fired while in the military gave him somewhat of a fascination for the shop. <\/p>\n
Thompson said his son, who is recently retired from the Air Force, said they should open a gun shop. After gathering all information they would need as well as acquiring necessary licenses, they were able to make it happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was looking for a way to connect to the community,\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n
The idea of helping folks learn to practice safety in the use of weapons was high up on his list of priorities. In his experience, there have often been situations such as someone who\u2019s had their husband die and found they wanted a gun for their own protection. He said he always tries to encourage them to choose a non-lethal mode of protection that won\u2019t kill someone in the process of safeguarding themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s exchanging sensibility in how to properly handle a firearm. That was my goal really,\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n
Thompson sees the entirety of the store as a combination of different opportunities for folks who work at the shop as well as the community, including sales, gun safety, training and protection, with a long-term goal of acquiring land on Bokeelia and building it into a range, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things I wanted to do is have a \u2018shoot-house.\u2019 You don\u2019t use real ammunition \u2014 you\u2019d use your gun, but it\u2019s got a laser beam on the front of it, so you don\u2019t have to worry about shooting someone if you make a mistake. I\u2019ve got some ideas for things I\u2019d like to do in the next 3 to 5 years,\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n
The guns at the shop, he said, are not all new, but he sees himself as somewhat of a collector, admitting he may see the need to buy a gun from World War II or something someone might just want to look at and not fire, he said, confessing he has a personal collection cabinet with much more expensive items. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe buy guns, we sell guns, new and used, and we\u2019ll buy anybody\u2019s weapons or we\u2019ll trade them, as we do layaway on the guns,\u201d Thompson said. <\/p>\n
If a prospective customer comes into the shop, not quite sure of what they want or what they\u2019re looking for, he said, there is a 6-foot-high computer screen on the showroom floor, which allows an online search for whatever they might need. First responders, he said, are given a substantial discount on purchases. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe can look up whatever they want-make sure it\u2019s in stock or tell them when it might be available,\u201d Thompson said. <\/p>\n
Green Beret Guns and Ammo is at 10480 Stringfellow Road,\u00a0 Unit 1, St. James City, FL, 33956. Hours at the shop are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.<\/p>\n