Photo courtesy of HDC HuntStore Facebook page.
HDC HuntStore will move into the former Bernie’s location on Chesser Road in Chelsea later this month.
Leigh Hunt grew up hunting with her dad and later married a hunting enthusiast.
Her husband Nathan was a special operations soldier in the Army from 2001 to 2007 and served as a Blackhawk crew chief. After his time in the military, he worked at a local outdoor store before he began working with gun optics.
The couple started their business in 2008 as a U.S. distribution partner of Hensoldt rifle scopes for Carl Zeiss Optronics, and they were the sole U.S. importer for Heinzel scopes before they decided to open HDC HuntStore in 2015.
The Hunts opened their first store in Calera in August 2015, where they stayed until December 2018. Leigh said the interstate traffic and construction in the area hurt their business, so they decided to choose another location and opened on Alabama 119.
When the opportunity came to buy the former Bernie’s Grill location on Chesser Drive in Chelsea, the Hunts had a discussion with Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer, who agreed to sell it. They closed on the property on Jan. 27 and immediately began the renovation process.
The largest part of the project was replacing the roof. Leigh Hunt said that other renovations would be done, both structurally and cosmetically. The 3,000-square-foot building will feature several offices and the rest of the interior will be the showroom, along with a small gunsmithing area.
HDC HuntStore’s main focus is on firearm sales. The store has a Class 3 license, which allows them to sell items including silencers, short barrel rifles and shotguns, National Firearms Act (NFA) devices, pre-May 1986 machine guns and full auto weapons to qualified government buyers.
“We do new and used guns, so we have a little bit of something for everyone — whether they are just starting out and looking for something inexpensive to a collector who may be shopping for something special,” Hunt said.
The store sells used guns, as well as guns not found in large retail stores. They can also do special orders. The gunsmiths can also bring new life to guns customers already have.
“We don’t sell anything we wouldn’t use ourselves. We try to always make sure it’s good quality, something we would carry personally,” Hunt said.
Besides guns, their other main emphasis is ammunition. Hunt said they try to keep hard-to-find ammo in stock, and that’s one of the things that sets their store apart from others.
It’s not just men who are customers at HDC HuntStore. Hunt said they also have a good amount of female customers come into the store looking for hunting gear or personal protection.
For those new to guns, Hunt said the store has things for all skill levels and experience.
We want people to feel comfortable here. It’s okay to say, ‘I’m not an expert at this’ or ‘How do I load ammo?’ We are very happy to take the time to do that..
Leigh Hunt
“If you come in and you’re not familiar with firearms, we don’t just give you something and send you out the door,” she said. “We take the time to show you how to operate it and find a gun that works for you. We want people to feel comfortable here. It’s okay to say, ‘I’m not an expert at this’ or ‘How do I load ammo?’ We are very happy to take the time to do that.”
Hunt said with the move to Chelsea, they are shifting a bit to get more guns and ammo, and other items like bows will be stocked seasonally.
Hunt said between herself and Nathan, they make up one full-time employee. She takes care of the bookkeeping and payroll. They also employ several gunsmiths and a store manager. Both Nathan and Leigh Hunt work at the store, but both have other jobs.
Hunt said their plans were to open in mid to late March, since that’s their slow time of year — after deer season and before turkey season.
The couple lives on a farm in Wilsonville and has five children. They are both working and in school full time. Nathan is majoring in physics at Alabama State University and Leigh is taking online courses from the University of Alabama for family financial planning.
