The building that housed a local institution, Jensen's Arizona Sportsman, will be opening again Tuesday under a new owner and a new name: Second Amendment Sports.
While a sign in the window says the store would open in December, clearing out "40 years worth of junk" and stocking the shelves took extra time, said Matt Janes, who owns Second Amendment Sports with wife, Dana.
The company is based in Bakersfield, Calif.
Janes moved here in November and has been painting, making minor repairs and throwing out junk ever since at 5146 E. Pima St., Jensen's original store. Once known as the largest firearms store in Arizona, Jensen's closed the Pima Street store in November and closed its North Side shop and indoor shooting range, 1280 W. Prince Road, in July.
Janes bought the building and surrounding property from Bob Jensen in November for $1.8 million. He said he's considering dedicating the building to Jensen to appeal to the "old-timers" that remember the store as a local icon.
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"It was the premier gun store in Southern Arizona, for sure. They had a wholesale division. They distributed all over. It was the store, especially back in the '60s, '70s, and early '80s," said Ellis Franklin, a salesman at the nearby West of the Pecos Guns, 5118 E. Pima St.
Franklin, who also worked at Jensen's for five years, said customers would regularly visit both stores to compare prices and selection. His current store picked up a lot of business as Jensen's closed. Franklin wasn't sure how Second Amendment's new business would affect his.
"It's hard to say. We're pretty competitive," Franklin said.
Janes said Jensen's store originally sold some fishing and camping equipment but recently focused only on shooting sports. The new business, with about 13,000 square feet of space, will offer a wider array of clothing and goods for hunting, camping and fishing.
"We're still going to open up a little light on the inventory."
The business is still trying to recruit a gunsmith.
Janes said his company was first attracted to Tucson because he said the weather and the people who live here aren't all that different from Bakersfield and California's Central Valley.
"It's good, salt-of-the-earth people, and that's essentially what you have going on in Tucson," Janes said.
He also said that Arizona, politically, is friendlier.
"California has not been the most business-friendly (state), especially to our industry. We're excited to be in a state where state government believes in our personal and business values," Janes said.
New owner revives gun shop