If you pull up to the former location of Grey Wolf Armory in Wesley Chapel, you might get the impression that the area’s only gun shop has gone out of business, but you’d be dead wrong. In fact, what’s happened is that the store has expanded into the adjacent space in the shopping plaza just north of S.R. 54 and west of Eiland Blvd. (next to Wendy’s in the shopping center in front of Home Depot).
Grey Wolf Armory celebrated one year in business back in July and owner Jeffrey Webb says he is excited and even somewhat relieved. “It feels great to celebrate one year,” Webb says. “It gets us over the hump. I feel like if (your business) can make it through the first year, everything is going to be O.K.”
Although he says it was a little confusing for customers at first, the store’s expansion has allowed Webb to continue to provide the area with the same firearms, firearm repair services and accessories it has come to expect, plus even more. Webb notes that a new, huge sign on the side of the building facing Eiland Blvd. (Morris Bridge Rd. north of S.R. 54) should enhance the store’s visibility.
“We have three times as much retail floor space as we had before, which has allowed us to expand our product lines by more than 50 percent, and we still have room to grow,” Webb says. “The old space is still part of the facility. We now occupy half of the strip mall and 750 sq. ft. of the old space is being used as gunsmith space. We’ve got more room for doing advanced gunsmith work.”
Webb says that a lathe and mill have been added to Grey Wolf’s gunsmith services. The lathe allows Webb to cut out metal components (barrels, cylindrical objects), while the mill can cut metal into any other shape. Webb also has added wood-finishing services to work on firearm stocks, a common feature on hunting rifles.
Webb says that he plans to add hydrographic services next year, which will allow for the transfer of detailed ink designs onto objects. It won’t just be for guns, either, he explains, but also for things like cell phone cases and motorcycle helmets.
The expansion has allowed Webb to add even more Glock, Springfield and Ruger products, and he also has added brands CZ (Ceska zbrojovka) and Sarsilmaz. He says he’s also added more survival foods, MREs (Meals Ready-To-Eat) and even freeze-dried foods, such as Wise Products.
“I’ve been involved with firearms since I was a kid,” he says. “My dad was in the U.S. Secret Service and a deputy sheriff, so I’ve been trained in firearms and firearm safety all of my life.” Webb adds that he was a member of the Civil Air Patrol in high school, which is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. In fact, he says he was only 14 when he did his first “trigger job,” which means that was his first time repairing a firearm to make its trigger operate better.
Webb, who spent 23 years of his professional life working in information technology, has lived in Wesley Chapel with his wife Nicole and eight-year-old daughter Rachael since 2008. He says that he always wanted to work for himself.
Since opening Grey Wolf Armory, Webb has become a certified professional gunsmith, as he completed a master gunsmithing course from the online American Gunsmithing Institute in 2014, earning certifications in the repair and maintenance of many different types of firearms.
In fact, he says, it’s not just the firearms he repairs that he will test for safety.
“If anyone has any questions about whether or not their firearm is safe, I will safety check it for free,” Webb says.
And, he says he always takes time with each customer who wants to purchase a gun to figure out which firearm is best for them.
“I want my customers to be repeat customers,” Webb explains. “I want to make sure that they always get the right firearm for their needs so they’ll come back.”
Webb emphasizes that to purchase any firearm from Grey Wolf Armory, you have to pass a background check. Pasco County has no waiting period for rifles or shotguns. For handguns, there is no waiting period if you have a Florida concealed carry permit. However, if you do not have that permit, you may still purchase a firearm, but have to wait three business days before you can receive it from the store. Without the concealed carry permit, you can still use a handgun for home defense, but he encourages all gun owners to obtain the permit.
Although concealed weapons classes are not available at the store itself, Grey Wolf Armory sells the classes at a discount, and they can be taken at the Indoor Shooting Company on E. Fowler Ave. in Thonotosassa (just east of Temple Terrace).
Webb says that all new guns from Grey Wolf Armory come with a lifetime, transferable warranty. He says that if something goes wrong with any firearm purchased at Grey Wolf Armory, the customer pays a $10 shipping charge and the distributor replaces the firearm within a few days.
“You don’t have to mess with the manufacturer, which is a huge advantage,” he says. “If you have to ship (a weapon) directly to a manufacturer (yourself), it can take 12 weeks before they will repair or replace it for you.”
Joe Mora lives in Land O’Lakes and is the commander of the Civil Air Patrol unit at MacDill Air Force Base in South Tampa. He says he’d rather deal with Webb than any big box store.
“Jeff is honest and straightforward,” Mora says. “He offers a wide range of firearms, and he doesn’t try to sell you the most expensive one. He’s always interested in what’s best for you.”
Tony Griffin, a Lutz resident who frequents Grey Wolf Armory, agrees. “I’m a firearms collector,” Griffin says. “I like to customize firearms and make them my own, and I was very pleased to find a gunsmith who can help me with these things. (Jeffrey) seems to have a broad knowledge about a wide variety of firearms.”
Community Involvement
Grey Wolf Armory is involved in the community, too. Webb gives discounts to all active first responders, including police, fire and emergency medical service personnel. He also recently worked in partnership with a nearby business, Vapor Unlimited, to sell raffle tickets to benefit the Wesley Chapel Noon Rotary Club, which in turn supports many nonprofit organizations. The raffled firearms were valued at more than $1,500, which raised several thousand dollars to help pay for the club’s fourth humanitarian trip to Trojes, Honduras, earlier this year. For the end of the year, Webb says that he is planning another raffle to benefit Sunrise of Pasco County, Inc., a shelter for victims of domestic violence.
“I’m still working out all of the details, but I want to be able to give (Sunrise) a big check for Christmas,” Webb says.
See the ad on page 52 of this issue for a valuable coupon that gives Grey Wolf customers a free box of ammo with any handgun purchase.
“I feel like buying a new gun that doesn’t come with some ammo is like buying a car without any gas,” Webb says.
Webb also is running a special this month called “Glocktober,” during which he’ll be running extra special discounts on popular Glock handguns, but you’ll have to come in to see the prices.
“Our regular prices are considered low already and will be considerably lower for the month of October,” Webb says.
Grey Wolf Armory is located at 32733 Eiland Blvd., #104, near Wendy’s. It is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m., and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. It is closed on Mondays. For additional information, visit GreyWolfArmory.com or call the store at 782-4624.
No comment yet, add your voice below!