Father and son open Green Beret Guns and Ammo
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’d open the greatest gun shop with an indoor range next to a fantastic scuba shop.
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.
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.
“I was looking for a way to connect to the community,” Thompson said.
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’s 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’t kill someone in the process of safeguarding themselves.
“It’s exchanging sensibility in how to properly handle a firearm. That was my goal really,” Thompson said.
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.
“One of the things I wanted to do is have a ‘shoot-house.’ You don’t use real ammunition — you’d use your gun, but it’s got a laser beam on the front of it, so you don’t have to worry about shooting someone if you make a mistake. I’ve got some ideas for things I’d like to do in the next 3 to 5 years,” Thompson said.
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.
“We buy guns, we sell guns, new and used, and we’ll buy anybody’s weapons or we’ll trade them, as we do layaway on the guns,” Thompson said.
If a prospective customer comes into the shop, not quite sure of what they want or what they’re 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.
“We can look up whatever they want-make sure it’s in stock or tell them when it might be available,” Thompson said.
Green Beret Guns and Ammo is at 10480 Stringfellow Road, 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.
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