Missouri Dealers Gunning for Business

Lynch Hummer has opened what’s billed as the world’s first combined Hummer and firearms dealership.

Jim Lynch has turned his $7.5 million Hummer facility in Chesterfield, MO, an upscale suburb of St. Louis, into what he calls a shooting enthusiast's must-visit attraction.

“It is a natural fit,” Lynch says. “Our customers enjoy outdoor sports and the firearms have been a big hit with our Hummer owners.”

With the auto industry suffering sharp sales declines, Lynch says he found himself with a beautiful, but vastly under-utilized facility. The dealership describes itself as one of the world’s top-volume Hummer stores.

“We have been very fortunate with our newest venture,” he says. “Firearm manufacturers have embraced our vision and have provided us with a huge inventory of items that are in demand and hard to find elsewhere.”

Products by several gun makers – including Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Kimber, Colt, Benelli, Beretta, Browning, FNH, H&K, Springfield Armory, Glock and Ruger – are displayed in the large showroom once filled exclusively with Hummers.

Lynch Hummer has a reputation of offering something different for customers, including a rugged 60-acre off-road course along the Missouri River that has often been featured in media stories, including a Travel Channel special.

“We take our mission of providing a pleasant shopping environment for our customers very seriously,” Lynch says.

Meanwhile, in Butler, another Missouri city, car dealer Walter Moore sparks attention by offering anyone who buys a car the choice of a free semi-automatic weapon or $250 in gasoline.

It is a gun lover’s equivalent to having floor mats thrown in to sweeten the deal. Moore sees a practical side to the offer at his store, Max Motors.

“It’s a choice – protection or gas,” he tells the local media.

Although most of his customers already own guns, many of them still opt for the semi-automatic. To get one from the dealership, which provides a purchase certificate, not the actual firearm, customers must first pass a background check.

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