LEHIGH TWP., Pa. \u2013 A mom-and-pop business offering pistols, rifles, shotguns and more has joined a shopping center in Northampton County.\u00a0<\/p>\n
NJT Arms, where individuals can buy, sell and trade new and used firearms, opened on Wednesday at its new location at 4330 Lehigh Drive, Unit 5, in Lehigh Township.<\/p>\n
The store is operating in an updated space that previously housed a dry cleaner in the Lehigh Town Center.<\/p>\n
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NJT Arms operates at 4330 Lehigh Drive, Unit 5, in Lehigh Township.<\/p>\n
Ryan Kneller<\/p>\n
Husband and wife Nelson and Julia Tassie of Northampton established NJT Arms roughly 13 years ago.<\/p>\n
Originally, the couple ran the business out of their home for about a year before expanding operations with a retail location in the 2100 block of Main Street in Northampton and then later a larger store a few blocks south in the 1800 block of Main Street.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The business\u2019 most recent former location, which operated for around 10 years, closed on Nov. 26 in preparation for the transition to Lehigh Township.<\/p>\n
In the Lehigh Towne Center, the Tassies also operate a two-year-old pool hall, Blue Mountain Billiards, and the decision to move NJT Arms to the same shopping center mostly stemmed from a desire to increase convenience, Julia said.<\/p>\n
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Blue Mountain Billiards operates on Lehigh Drive in the Lehigh Town Centre in Lehigh Township.<\/p>\n
Ryan Kneller<\/p>\n
NJT Arms’ new location also features ample free parking in a lot, a contrast to the metered parking on Main Street in Northampton, Julia said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a team effort at both businesses, and we saw it as more convenient to operate them on the same property,\u201d Julia said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, if I need him or if he needs me for whatever reason, we can just walk over to the other business instead of driving back and forth.\u201d<\/p>\n
NJT, denoting the first initials of Nelson\u2019s first, middle and last names, is a licensed federal firearms dealer carrying a wide array rifles, shotguns and pistols, along with ammunition and accessories.<\/p>\n
Individuals can shop guns from top brands such as Glock, Sig Sauer, Ruger and Smith & Wesson.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe make sure to carry a wide array of guns because everybody has different preferences,\u201d Julia said.<\/p>\n