Upon returning from serving in the Army, two Pennsylvania buddies struggled to figure out what to do next. They decided to leverage their military training and experience to open a business – a gun store!

On Main Street in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, the two opened Modern Tactical. Major Joe Junguzza says that despite a few angry emails, the people of the town have been supportive.

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That doesn’t mean it’s all been smooth-sailing. Just as the two were planning their new store, the Colorado movie theater massacre occurred, and the very weapons they were planning to sell faced potential bans. “We were committed. We had an idea and we weren’t going to accept defeat. We pushed forward.”

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After months of planning and paperwork, the two submitted their federal firearms license application. Two days later, Adam Lanza killed 26 people in Sandy Hook Elementary School, leaving everything up in the air once again.

Modern Tactical eventually opened for business and now looks to hire other veterans.

“Living the dream’s a lot more work than I think anyone ever anticipated,” Junguzza said.