WICHITA — Ryan and Jennifer Pennock are opening a tactical firearms supply shop in Delano, which Ryan Pennock says “is kind of a fancy way to say a gun store.”
Thunderbird Tactical will open in mid-September at the northeast corner of Second and Seneca.
“We were trying to come up with a unique name . . . that was kind of a strong name but also one that wouldn’t turn off the female customers,” Ryan Pennock says.
Thunderbird Tactical will be a specialty gun store focusing on the kind of guns used in home defense and ones that are permissible with a concealed-carry permit.
“We’re not going to have hunting-type rifles,” Pennock says.
He says they’ll offer all kinds of accessories and NRA and concealed-carry classes.
Pennock says they’ll also have a selection of modern sporting rifles.
“The industry is pushing pretty hard to get away from the assault rifle terminology,” he says. “It’s just really kind of a nomenclature change.”
Several years ago, the Pennocks had Communication Systems in Hutchinson, where they sold two-way radios and paging systems.
“We worked with a lot of the law enforcement agencies around the state,” Ryan Pennock says. “We were looking for something to work with them again.”
A gun shop made sense, he says.
“Both the wife and I are pretty passionate shooters. It was a good fit for us.”