Whittaker Guns

Darrel and Becky Whittaker, in a small two-car garage in West Louisville just outside of Owensboro, founded Whittaker Guns in 1988. They found a niche in the firearms industry by selling through low margins and investing profits back into the business to inhibit growth. The word of their pricing and inventory spread through the region. They eventually were forced to build a larger shop, and then add on again, due to high customer traffic. Whittaker Guns has grown to become the largest firearms retailer in the state of Kentucky and one of the largest volume single shop locations in the country.

Since inception, Darrel and Becky believed Whittaker Guns could be the best business of its kind. They realized early that fair pricing and a dedication to customer service were essential for success. To keep it simple, Darrel and Becky believe if you take care of the customer, the customer will take care of you. Those are the words we live by.

Darrel passed away in July of 2014. After Darrel’s passing, Becky decided to continue the business. This is testament of her commitment to employees and her loyal customers. To go a step further, Becky values her community and each individual in it.

As we’ve grown in size, we’ve been able to offer our customers a unique shopping experience. Manufacturers and distributors have been willing to offer exclusive runs of firearms to Whittaker Guns. These guns can’t be purchased anywhere else in the country. That, along with our huge inventory, is a draw for customers in many states. On a daily basis, it’s not uncommon to have shoppers from 10 different states in the store!

The retail firearms business has become very competitive through the years. We’ve long been known as a destination in the industry, but Becky realized we were entering a new era in competition. The website creates a national market for those who can’t travel to us on a regular basis. The website wasn’t designed to keep customers out of the store. It was designed to enlarge our footprint while minimizing overhead. By keeping costs in line, we can maintain our brick and mortar presence…and still offer superb products at a very, very low margin.

Each customers’ visit is important to us. We strive to maintain the lowest prices and largest inventory in the region. Through our exclusives and great customer service, we hope to offer something you can’t find anywhere else. Our goal is to make your trip to Whittaker Guns, whether walking in or visiting our website, well worth your time!