An article for all to enjoy, about a shop all can enjoy.
by Brynna Williamson
California to Gun Shop Owners
Before Point Blank Gun Works and Outfitters was opened, it was empty land outside of Whitehouse, Texas. Literally empty land.
And before Sterlin and Lisa Smith moved to Texas, Sterlin was a California Highway Patrolman, which he did for 25 years before retiring, and Lisa was, and still is, a surgical pathologist. But when Lisa’s job ended up taking her to East Texas, both moved to the area gladly.
However, everything really started to come together when the Smiths’ friend, Aaron Skinner, started building a restaurant on the property in 2022. When he was building the restaurant, Skinner thought of Sterlin, who already had his Federal Firearms License, albeit, at the time, “just to support (his) own habit”.
“(Skinner) was at my house one day and we were just having a whiskey drink, just sitting there… and he’s like, ‘Oh, man, you need to open up a gun shop. You could do so good here,’” said Sterlin. “And I said, ‘Oh, man, I don’t know, I don’t need the aggravation…’ (But Skinner said), ‘I’m going to build you a building. You think about it.’”
So, says Sterlin, his friend “built this shell of a building,” just in case he decided to open a gun shop there.
“And I said, ‘Oh, all right, let’s do it,’” Sterlin said.
Sterlin, his wife, and his friends then custom finished the building to be exactly the vision he had for it. And so, Point Blank Gun Works and Outfitters opened their doors on June 24, 2023.
“And it’s done (well since then)!” said Sterlin. “It treads its own water; you know, I’m not getting rich, but I love doing this, and I love meeting the people, and it’s great to offer a good gunsmith service, because there’s not a lot of it around here.”
It’s also nice to note that, when you walk into Point Blank, you can be sure of a welcoming, Christian atmosphere from the owners. Both Sterlin and Lisa are serious about their faith.
Yeah, but Texas has tons of gun shops – doesn’t it?
Not quite like this one, it doesn’t. Yes, Point Blank has new and used guns for sale, gun repair services, outfitter gear, and even custom-made t-shirts and apparel. Side note, their stuff is pretty neat.
But, if you all will allow me to break the fourth wall here, this article is written by a woman – a woman who doesn’t know much about firearms, who tags along when her gun-loving boyfriend goes to a gun shop but who just sort of hangs around while all of the talking, negotiating, and comparing is done at the counter. In other words – I finally understand how men must feel while we shop around a shoe store.
Does that sound relatable to any of you?
So, that being noted, let me say this: wives, girlfriends, daughters and all who “just sort of tag along” will be glad to know one thing that sets Point Blank gun shop apart – or at least, sets it apart to me.
Get this: it’s got a wife’s lounge. And, it was specifically designed that way, for us.
Picture this. You walk in. It’s charming indeed – corrugated tin halfway up the walls, the other half made of cozy wooden slats; an indefinable, masculine odor; one or two employees smiling at you from behind the counter as they clean guns; a relaxed, sleepy atmosphere. But nonetheless, you’ve seen it before and we all know you’ll see it again. You prepare yourself to stand and wait out the ensuing back-and-forth about firearms, and then – lo and behold – directly to your left, as soon as you walk in, there are recliners. The television is on. There are other women sitting quietly and resting, so you won’t be alone.
And they’ve got chocolate.
The “wife lounge,” as Sterlin calls it, even has books of funny things spotted around the USA – things like terribly botched taxidermy jobs (they’re somehow both disturbing and funny), real children’s hilarious answers to tests, and even some silly (but funny) Dad Jokes.
And yes, in case you start to wonder: the wife lounge was suggested and even partially designed by women, for those of us who would set foot in the store later.
“I was going to have more rows of retail shelving and stuff, and then Aaron Skinner’s wife Leeann said, ‘No, you need to have, like, some lounge chairs.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I’m giving up retail space!’” said Sterlin. “She says, ‘Trust me. Trust me. When women come in here with their husbands, they’re gonna go right over there.’ And she’s right, man!”
But, to be fair, Sterlin himself had a hand in designing the “wife lounge,” too: according to him, part of his vision for a wife lounge came from an upscale grocery store in his hometown that is now closed. The store, said Sterlin, had “a barbershop, they had a place to get your shoes, they had a cigar place, a bourbon place… they had a big, huge area with lounge chairs and big screen TVs with sports going… you can go and smoke and drink bourbon while your wife’s shopping.”
“It was all set up for the men,” said Sterlin. “I thought, ‘That’s clever. That would work great in a gun shop.’”
Standing apart on its own terms
Now, it should be mentioned – the “wife lounge,” and the very welcoming employees, are what sets Point Blank apart to me, and what will probably set it apart to many other “tag-alongers.” But to those who love the art of using and owning firearms, and the culture that surrounds it, there is so much more to Point Blank. The website names a few things that Point Blank customers seem to find unique about the shop:
“Our outfitters store is unlike any other. That’s because we offer free estimates on gun repairs; establish relationships with our customers; are licensed to handle suppressors; (and) help clients track down items that are difficult to find,” they write.
Actual customers do agree.
“Coolest gun shop I’ve ever been to!” writes customer Erik Janke. “Owner knows his stuff and will make sure you have the right firearm for any application. Honest, personable, and my new go-to for guns, knives, and ammo!”
Look; this magazine will have tons of articles about firearms, fishing, hunting, and the like. But this piece is for those of us who, maybe, are the second ones in the door – walking behind someone we love, prepared to suffer in silence so that we can, finally, do some shopping that they will enjoy. This is for those of us who will be excited not only that I’ve discovered a really neat shop, but that the shop is something we can all enjoy.
So. In case you’re wondering, my wonderful man will be going back to Point Blank Gun Works and Outfitters again; but the difference is, now that I know the owners personally and I know what the shop has for me inside, I’m looking forward to going with him, too. Maybe I’ll see you there!
