With tenacious purpose, hard work, and perserverance; what started as one man’s passion has now evolved into one of the largest firearm retailers throughout the Midwest with ranges and training facilities focused on safety, education, and responsible gun ownership.

GAT GUNS was founded in 1979 by Gregory A. Tropino.  Greg had a passion for guns, hunting, shooting, and had been a competitor in BullsEye Pistol for many years. Greg turned his passion into a business when he first purchased a small store called Hazels’ Gun Shop in Hanover Park, Illinois. As a small shop, Greg worked tirelessly to procure the latest firearms and ammunition to offer his customers the widest selection of products.

In 1989, Greg moved the store to its current location in Dundee, Illinois when he purchased a building that was once a restaurant called Aunt Kate Fischer’s.  Greg added three eight bay pistol ranges and an archery department with an indoor archery range on the 2^nd floor.

2012 ushered in a new era of expansion as construction began on the new additions to the facility which would more than double the size of the building. The new additions housed five state-of-the-art ranges: two 50-yard and two 75-yard indoor high power rifle ranges along with seven shooting points in each range and an additional eleven position dedicated indoor training range.  The total number of shooting bays in the facility now include 63 lanes, which makes GAT Guns the largest privately owned indoor shooting facility in the country.

As the business evolved over the years, the meaning of “GAT” has evolved with it. Previous acronyms included Guns Archery & Training, Guns Archery & Tackle, as well as Guns Ammo & Training which is the current brand acronym. With tenacious purpose, hard work, and diligence; what started as one man’s passion has now evolved into one of the largest firearm retailers throughout the Midwest.