BY Kayla Hayes
Family Firearms is a local business owned and operated by Marco and Jessica Caporale in Valrico, offering firearm inventory and courses, gun range membership, and a friendly atmosphere for customers to buy, sell and learn. It has been operating since March 2009 and are located on St. Cloud Ave.
“What we teach here is that your gun is the last tool of resort; however, there may be a time when you have to defend your family,” said Marco. Marco and Jessica are Christian business owners and operate their business by Biblical standards, by for example, never taking on debt.
Marco referenced Proverbs 22:7 where it says “…the borrower is slave to the lender.” Family Firearms also donates to local charities like Everyday Blessings in Plant City and Marco’s favorite opportunities come when he is able to fill specific needs in the community through his business. One of these opportunities came when a local family lost their home in a fire. Family Firearms helped fill an entire storage room of household supplies for the parents and kids. “We provide service and we provide retail, but we are also a part of a community,” said Marco.
Although Marco had little experience with guns growing up, he was called to open a gun shop in June 2008 while he was working as a legal assistant. Marco had a vivid dream in which his deceased father threw a rifle into his hands and told Marco to ‘Just go do it.’ After speaking with his wife, Marco and Jessica decided pursuing the gun shop was God’s will, and by December 2008, all of the paperwork was filed.
“We’ve never shied away when people ask about our business. We always tell them about the dream,” said Marco. He believes that his shop is a venue for people to experience community and feel comfortable enough to ask questions about faith if they so choose.
“Everybody evangelizes differently,” said Marco, who ministers by the way he lives his life and runs his business. The couple prays about every decision they make.
Marco recently started a Bible study at his shop on Thursday mornings at 9 a.m. “Denomination doesn’t matter; just bring your Bible,” he said.
Family Firearms is located at 106 S. St. Cloud Ave. in Valrico. Follow Family Firearms on Facebook (facebook.com/familyfirearms) and Twitter (twitter.com/familyfirearms) and visit their website familyfirearms.net for more details.
