All-female ownership team finding success towards end of 2nd year
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – A steady increase in the past two years, mostly from women to take gun classes, is something that the all-female ownership team at FITS Indoor Range and gun shop has handled very nicely since purchasing the business in July 2021.
Owners Jennifer Gebhardt and Candy Straughan Snider turned a few heads last year after purchasing the longtime Slidell shop and shooting range, acknowledging that an all-female ownership team is not the norm.
However, the women had been managing the shop for quite a while and were already known by the clientele there, meaning the changes in the past year-and-a-half have all been positive in adding more classes, bringing in a huge increase in inventory, and providing an added comfort level for the increased number of women who are asking for gun training.
FITS is also the perfect place to do Christmas shopping, whether it is from their gun, ammo or accessory inventory that has quadrupled since the women purchased the store, or if you want to surprise your special someone with gun classes or shooting range gift cards.
“Even though it is unusual to have two female owners of a place like this, it wasn’t a big deal for us to keep running it. For that matter, we have seen an increased comfort level for women coming in here when they find out we are the owners,” Jennifer said.
And speaking of women showing an interest in guns, the owners agreed that things seem to be changing in terms of the reasons the women want guns and to take classes.
“Seems like since COVID there has been a substantial increase of interest from women,” Candy said. “A lot of them come in here and say, ‘I never thought I would be buying a gun,’ but here they are and most of them want it for protection.”
“It used to be that most women wanted the gun to shoot since it seemed like fun or a good hobby, but now things are happening to people, or someone they know, and it scares them. They are looking for protection, and especially to know how to handle the gun if needed,” she added.
FITS offers a huge array of “pretty much any kind of gun you want,” said Jennifer, noting they are also certified as a NFA (National Firearms Act) gun store that can sell all kinds of Class 3 weapons, silencers, short barrel rifles and machine guns.
Add that to the extensive inventory of shotguns, other rifles, AK-47s, AR-15s, 9 mm, Glocks, Rugers, revolvers and more, plus every kind of accessory you need. They also sell other self-protection measures such as stun guns and pepper spray.
“Our pricing is very competitive with the big box stores, and we add range passes and other services with many of our gun purchases, which helps us compete with their pricing,” Jennifer said.
“I also think the reason we sell a lot of guns is because you get great customer service here. We spend a lot of time with someone who is considering a gun purchase, plus we have a shooting range and we let you try the gun before you buy it,” she added. “Most stores do not have shooting ranges like we do.”
The owners have added more classes than FITS ever had before, including special attention to women’s classes, a new shooter class, one-on-one training, and the increasingly popular concealed carry course.
“We are a full-service gun shop when you consider we have the only indoor shooting range in the region, plus we have a gunsmith, and what we think is the most experienced group of instructors you can find. And we have a diversified staff with lots of different backgrounds and experience in the field of guns and training,” Candy said.
Candy didn’t grow up as someone who was familiar with guns, but after an incident at home with her three small children when someone tried to break in, she got a gun and was trained. She found guns and shooting to her liking and became a certified firearms instructor nearly 10 years ago.
Jennifer had a different upbringing. Both her parents were New Orleans police officers, so she learned to shoot at a young age. Now she and Candy are both certified NRA instructors and USCCA instructors.
The store has a bulk ammo deal going on during the month of December and has special rates for the range for veterans and kids 12-and-under. They also offer 12-month or monthly rates for their range and are open on Tuesday through Thursday from 10 to 6, Friday and Saturday from 10 to 8, and on Sunday from 11 to 5.
FITS is located at 3191 Terrace Avenue (off Old Spanish Trail). You can call them for more information at 985-639-3487 or go online to: fitsindoorrange.com