Madison Armory owners pull trigger on new retail store and shooting range
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REXBURG – For Curtis Eves, there’s a lot of peace in firing a gun.
He’s loved recreational shooting since he was a kid and he and his wife, Laura, are part-owners of the newly expanded Madison Armory and indoor shooting range at 870 North 2nd East in Rexburg, which opened two weeks ago.
In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, Curtis describes shooting as an “art that you can master” and he enjoys that process in his personal life.
“There’s a fun aspect but I think there’s some good skills that can be learned as well,” Curtis says. “I find a lot of peace shooting, too. Good therapy. I live for it! I love it. It’s one of my favorite things to do.”
He got his start working at The Gun Shop in Idaho Falls before opening Madison Armory retail store across the street from its current location four years ago.
They quickly outgrew the space, which prompted the move to a much larger building.
“We also felt there was a need for a range in Rexburg,” Curtis explains.
The store sells all the popular brands, including custom-built guns from Lewiston-based Seekins Precision.
The Armory’s selection of handguns are a big draw for law enforcement. Curtis says officers with the Rexburg Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office and Fremont County Sheriff’s Office are frequent customers and they often utilize the shooting range to hone their skills.
It’s also open to members of the community with paid admission. EastIdahoNews.com gave the gun range a shot (pun intended), which you can watch in the video above.
After many years of pursuing his favorite hobby, Curtis says it was a dream come true to open his own gun shop and he couldn’t be happier with the response to the new building.
“I’m appreciative of the support that we get. We have very good customers,” he says. “It took a long time to take that leap of faith from working at The Gun Shop to leaving and starting a brand new business, but it’s been joyful. It’s been a good time.”
Curtis sees the business continuing to grow and evolve and eventually carrying more inventory to provide a “one-stop-shop” for customers on the north end of the valley, as well as Montana, Wyoming and Utah.
He and his team hope the range will become a place where people all over eastern Idaho go to hone their shooting skills.
“We don’t want to just be that store where you come in, you buy a gun and it’s a transactional relationship. We want a sense of community with it. That’s one thing we’re really looking forward to with the shooting range,” business partner Rob Woodall explains. “(We want it to be a place) where you’re not only learning how to shoot better but you’re learning in an environment with others who have the same passion.”
Madison Armory is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The range will soon be open until 10 p.m.