Mark Stuart opened Irish Hills Firearm Outfitters in April. Daniel Johnson | Collegian

A new gun and ammunition shop in Jonesville offers a wide selection of firearms and plans to make its own ammo by December.

Irish Hills Firearm Outfitters sells guns and ammunition of various kinds to local customers, who previously had to buy firearms in Jackson or Adrian, according to owner Mark Stuart. The shop opened in April, and is located on Olds Street next to Subway.

Stuart, a hunter and target shooter himself, said he opened Irish Hills to fill a gap he saw in the area.

“We’re a strong hunting community,” Stuart said. “We have the Halter Center. And I was like, ‘Why isn’t there one here? I think I could do that.’”

A major emphasis of the shop is working with customers on an individual basis, Stuart said.

“You have the ability to sit down, and talk, and take your time,” Stuart said. “It’s a very one-on-one interaction.”

Talking to knowledgeable gun owners in the community has been a big boost to the business, according to Stuart.

“I always like it when someone comes into the shop and they know more than me on a subject,” Stuart said. “I never have been a duck hunter. I love it when duck hunters come in, though, because I get to talk to them about duck hunting and learn about it.”

He said one conversation led to the upcoming ammunition-manufacturing business.

“I was just talking to him in the shop one day, and he was like: ‘Hey, you do reloading?’” said customer-turned-business partner Steve Koppel.

Reloading, the process of making new cartridges out of spent shells, would allow Irish Hills to make customized ammo affordably.

“Ammo is not cheap,” Koppel said. “This allows us to set our own prices.”

Stuart and Koppel are hoping to start the ammunition business by late fall, but its opening is contingent on government approval.

“We are currently waiting for the in-person interview from the ATF,” Stuart said. 

Irish Hills is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, according to its website. It is closed on Sunday and Monday. 

Potential future expansions for the business include classes on concealed carry, hunter safety, and more advanced training, according to Stuart.

“He offered his time to a first time gun owner, to show him how to shoot,” said customer Greg Draper. “He tears guns down and puts them back together to explain to a customer its functionality.”

Stuart said one of his priorities is versatility.

“I mostly just wanted to make it seem very clean and very professional and very un-intimidating to a first time gun buyer,” Stuart said. “But also make it seem like it was a place where a professional shooter could come in and sit down and have a conversation as well.”

Stuart encouraged first-time gun buyers to stop by.

“Just come in and talk,” he said. “No question is a stupid question.”

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