Made Here
Vermont Businesses: Parro's Gun Shop
Special | 8m 3sVideo has Closed Captions
Visit with the founder and owner of Parro’s Gun Shop & Police Supplies, a firearm emporium.
Since its founding in 1983, Parro’s has grown from a modest one-man shop to a 10,800-square-foot tate-of-the-art facility for retail, recreation, training, and safety education, drawing first time gun owners and lifelong firearm enthusiasts from near and far. Additionally, Rocket visits the Barre Fish & Game Club to observe the Just For Fun Association, a benchrest shooting club.
Made Here is a local public television program presented by Vermont Public
Sponsored in part by the John M. Bissell Foundation, Inc. | Learn about the Made Here Fund
Made Here
Vermont Businesses: Parro's Gun Shop
Special | 8m 3sVideo has Closed Captions
Since its founding in 1983, Parro’s has grown from a modest one-man shop to a 10,800-square-foot tate-of-the-art facility for retail, recreation, training, and safety education, drawing first time gun owners and lifelong firearm enthusiasts from near and far. Additionally, Rocket visits the Barre Fish & Game Club to observe the Just For Fun Association, a benchrest shooting club.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship-All right.
-This will be relay -two of batch three.
-You have eight minutes -to complete your firing.
-Three shots at the -center target.
-Five shots at the edge.
-Ready on the left.
-Ready on the right.
-We're ready -on the firing line.
-You may insert your bolts -and commence fire.
-My name is Henry Parro.
-I'm the owner -president of Parros -gun shop and police supplies -located in Waterbury.
-And I decided -to build the first indoor -shooting range in Vermont.
-Our mission is to promote -safe gun handling -and responsible ownership -throughout the state.
-We're not just a gun shop -that's going to push guns -out the door.
-We want people -to be responsible.
-I grew up -hunting with my dad back -probably in the mid 60s, -and it was almost like -a state holiday, -the first day of deer -hunting.
-It was just incredible.
-We'd get up at 3:00.
-We'd be the first ones in -the woods.
-We'd be at the top of the -mountain, waiting and waiting -for that deer to show up.
-All right.
-Now, I wanted -to show you a real world -example of guns being used -in a responsible way.
-So today, we're at the Barry -Fish and Game Club -for the 15th annual -Egg Shoot, -which is a sharpshooting -competition of high powered, -high caliber, -extremely loud rifles.
-All the shooters -are down over here, -and they're aiming 200 yards -away at these targets.
-Come up close.
-This is where they scope.
-So they'll shoot -three down here -to try and scope out -how accurate their gun is.
-And then they've got to shoot -these eggs.
-Bing bang bong.
-We have indoor classes.
-We have the indoor -shooting range.
-we have instructors on board.
-We're more than a gun shop -and an indoor range.
-Somebody comes to us to say, -I've never touched a gun -before, right?
-Or I have a child -in the house.
Okay.
-You know, I want instruction -before I purchase.
-So then what we'll do -is we'll set up a training, -either one on one, a family, -couples, whatever.
-Right here.
-And we'll start off -with the very basics -of handling laser activated.
-You know, these are.
-Oh, wow.
Cool.
Yeah.
-So.
And they.
-(laser noises) -Oh, nice.
-You got the bull's eye -every time.
-I shot a couple times.
-And, you know some -of them... -are reactive.
-They'll give you feedback.
-Oh, yeah.
And it's quick -and it's quick.
-So it actually has.
-Let me see.
-Not bad.
-I'm a better shot.
-Okay.
-So this is actually, -the sliders back.
-And you always point -the muzzle downrange.
-What I love about -the egg shoot -And this event here today -is that guns are being used -in a very, -very responsible manner -for people to come together -and have community.
-So you'll see, -as we go in there -that everyone -has hearing protection -and that there are -very strict processes -so that everyone can be safe -and have a wonderful time.
-So each -time they shoot five eggs -and it's either hit or miss.
-Yeah.
-So I've shot in two rounds.
-Missed that one.
Yep.
-Okay.
-Do you know -what the history is?
-Like why do you -shoot the egg?
-I mean, obviously it's fun.
-I don't know.
-This is our this is our 15th -year doing it here.
-We do the eggs -just because they're tiny -and they look really -cool when they blow up.
-And how are you doing today?
-Awesome.
-This dont lie.
-That is incredible.
-I'll be shooting -as my boyfriends -son.
Yeah.
-In the shoot-off.
-Because it's not just a -man's sport it's competition.
-It makes me feel good.
-And not to mention, -you get to blow up stuff.
-Allen, are you going -to be in the video?
-Sure.
Why not?
-Let's include Allen in this.
-I was just like, come on now.
-I dont know.
-I like when -someone brings in a firearm -with a wooden stock -and a peep sight.
-And they tell me -the story and -and I can tell them -about the gun.
-And that's what I like.
-I like talking to people, -and I like the historical- -I like the older stuff.
-My relationship -with Waterbury started -when I was born.
-My parents lived -just down the road -across from the old gun shop, -which is now my studio.
-My grandmother, -according to the 1940 -census, had a thrift shop -at that location.
-So we've been in business, -family -owned business for 83 years.
-So we have a strong tie -to Waterbury.
-I had a chance to move this -business into another town, -and I decided not to move.
-Because of the heritage -and the ties I had to market.
-Not in my wildest dreams -did I ever think -I would employ 30 people.
-But we have become -a destination.
-I just had a family drive -over from Kittery, Maine -and they found out -I had certain ammo -they were looking for, and -they drove over from Maine -to pick up that ammo.
-So the legacy is that -we're always going to have -a good inventory, -We're going to have, fair -prices.
-It's going to be family owned -as long as I'm alive.
-And I think that's it.
-We're going to try to do -the right thing responsibly -and go from there.
-Nothing like a little focus.
-Top right -corner, quadrant right.
-One.
Two.
Three.
-Four.
Five.
-Six out of my nine.
-So, you know, look, I'm not, -Butch Cassidy.
-I'm not Annie Oakley.
-I'm just -rocket in Vermont.
-Here at the Parros -indoor shooting range.
Made Here is a local public television program presented by Vermont Public
Sponsored in part by the John M. Bissell Foundation, Inc. | Learn about the Made Here Fund