Jim Quinlan is relieved he’s no longer in the business of selling assault weapons.
Quinlan is the CEO of Fort Collins-based JAX Mercantile, which sells outdoor gear. The store stocks rifles, shotguns and handguns in its hunting section.
But JAX did away with assault rifles in 2012, after the shooting at Sandy Hook elementary. Quinlan said assault rifles didn’t seem to fit the store’s business plan.
"We sell products to get kids and adults outdoors enjoying nature and having selling assault weapons doesn't really fit with the type of business we want to be,” Quinlan said.
He said the move hasn’t seemed to impact business in the last five years. Some people embraced the move. Others sharply criticized it.
"I'm happy that we're not in that business,” Quinlan said. “I see no real reason for those firearms to be sold to the general public. And certainly not 18-year-old kids. It's crazy to me that a kid can go buy an AR-15 but he can't buy a beer."
