Happy EntrepreNewYear: Bunker Arms

Should you happen to find yourself anywhere in the vicinity of Ellenton, Florida, you would be well advised to swing by and visit a little place called Bunker Arms (@bunkerarms). They describe themselves as a “…federally licensed manufacturer of fine, hand-crafted custom 1911s.”

That's a fairly anemic description if their picture gallery of his work. His guns are built in house from start to finish, see video below.

We’re starting 2016 out right — I'm showcasing worthy small American businesses all through the month of January. Capitalism is part of the foundation upon which our great republic stands, and small business is a vital part of that. Join us in recognizing and acknowledging that truth and supporting craftsmen and small businesses. Happy EntrepreNewYear!

Note that Bunker custom grips (themselves works of art) are typically built to order from unique woods like redwood burl (sometimes there will be a few in stock on the Bunker Arms website though, so it's worth checking). The grip blanks are stabilized in a vacuum, removing air and moisture, then treated with acrylic, cut and polished. He advises they us no varnish on any of Bunker Arms grips.

They also do more than build gorgeous new guns too; they restore old ones to a gorgeous as new state.

Bunker Arms HMFIC Brandan Bunker posted this comment recently on social media. I think it speaks well of the man's ethos.

“[The]…best thing to do is buy a real custom, or even find someone who owns one and do a compare and contrast. There will always be 4 markets in this business, the buyer just has to choose which suits their need. We cannot change that dynamic… or even really want to, we can just build the best guns we can and enjoy that 1% market who bets their hard earned money on our ability and passion for our results.”

Learn more about Bunker Arms online here. They're also on Facebook here.

You can find my complete roundup of Happy EntrepreNewYear posts right here.

Read more about Bunker Arms in this article by Lee Williams.