Iconic Center Grove Resident, Don Davis, straight talks about his gun business. The right to bear arms and giving back.

DSC_0274If we were to hop in the “wayback machine” and take a trip deep into the archives of local television, what shows, personalities, or commercials would stand out in your mind? Sammy Terry, the longtime host of late night scary movies is memorable. How about Cowboy Bob? There’s the Dave Mason car guy who leaned heavily on his “noooooobody” sell line. The Watsons’ girl got some people’s attention. But certainly at the top of the heap would be Don Davis, the owner of Don’s Guns and his famous claim of “I don’t want to make any money, folks, I just love to sell guns” followed by a sustained hearty laugh. It’s about as iconic as it gets in local television. What you may not be aware of is that Don is a long-time Center Grove resident having lived in the area for more than 50 years. He’s also quite a character.

His work career began on the loading docks at the age of 16, and then he worked his way into a Teamsters position as Jimmy Hoffa’s aide in the Midwest. Yes, that Jimmy Hoffa. When asked what he thinks happened to the Teamsters President who disappeared in 1975 and whose ultimate whereabouts is the stuff of legend and speculation, Don says, “I don’t care what happened to him, he’s a big boy. I Dons Gunsthink he ran off with somebody, I think he ran off with some girl. But, who in the hell cares?”

Don says he actually likes to fish more than shoot, but somebody told him that there was money to be made selling guns, and so he decided to open a gun, ammo, and fishing shop. That was 39 years ago. He made a $15,000 investment in a store on County Line Road in Greenwood. At first, he had so little business during the day that to keep from being bored, he set up a big log in a doorway and would shoot at it. That’s when a light bulb went off over his head and the idea of an indoor shooting range or gun range was born. He figured that, somewhat like a bowling alley, people might pay money to come, rent equipment, and shoot guns. Don says his was the very first indoor shooting range in the whole country, and it was an immediate success with people standing in line to get in. He decided to put it on the north side at 96th and Keystone where he says all the money was even back then. Later, he opened a third store and shooting range on Lafayette Road, which is the only one that is still in operation.

DSC_0008Of course, if it weren’t for the TV commercials Don would be just another successful businessman that no one knows or recognizes. It was putting himself in his commercials that made him famous locally, something that no one else was doing up to that time, he says. He claims to have done it before the car dealers were all doing it and about that, he says, “I’m glad I can show them the way.”

His early association with truckers helped his business succeed because many of his customers were truckers who bought guns from him and, he says, everybody, of course, wanted a discount, so he would tell them “I don’t want to make any money” and thus his catch phrase was born.

His business hasn’t been without its problems. Years ago, one of Don’s employees at the Greenwood store was shot and killed. Don offered a $10,000 reward for the killer who was turned in to police by associates and then convicted. Don says he hopes “the crazy bastard” spends the rest of his life behind bars. Recently, a would-be thief shot and wounded one of his employees who returned fire, killing the robber. Prosecutors called it “justifiable homicide,” and no charges were filed against the employee. “We don’t do anything wrong. You come in here looking for trouble; you’re going to find it. It’s what we do. Nobody comes in the door of Don’s Guns that hasn’t had someone try to rape them, break into their home or something. This is a business where people are scared and come to buy protection,” he says.

Nobody comes in the door of Don’s Guns that hasn’t had someone try to rape them, break into their home, or something. This is a business where people are scared and come to buy protection. – Don Davis

Gun sales and gun ownership are controversial topics but Don doesn’t see it that way. “If you took a vote today of the American public, you’d find that 87 to 92 percent of the American public want to keep guns. There’s nobody wanting to take guns away. That’s been the biggest fallacy that I’ve experienced in 39 years. No one has ever proposed a bill not to have guns. Guns are here to stay and that’s why there’s a monument in my front yard of the Second Amendment. We’ve discussed the Second Amendment repeatedly, there will always be guns in America, and no one’s ever going to take the guns. If you are a gun fan too, you might want to see here the latest post at allaboutshooting.com. Here’s a Rifle Buyers Guide to help you get started.

Now, who gets the guns? A person just freshly out of prison for murder shouldn’t be able to get a gun. That is something that should be addressed. But I’m past all that.” He goes on to say that, they have never sold a gun to anyone that didn’t have the proper paperwork and had been checked out by the FBI.

Machine gun guitar used in famous commercial
Machine gun guitar used in famous commercial.

The Second Amendment is so monumental to Don Davis that he literally does have a monument to it. When he built his home eight years ago he bought a huge stone at a quarry in Bloomington, had the Second Amendment engraved on it and then had it hauled and mounted in his front yard, much to the consternation of a few people in the Homeowner’s Association. A couple of people threw a bit of a fit over it saying it didn’t meet the association’s covenants. Don held firm to his First Amendment right to display the Second Amendment comparing it with neighbors who fly the American flag, and he told them he was ready to fight for it. Soon the flap blew over. He quotes a newspaper article about the stone in which a neighbor calls Don “flamboyant but nice,” and says he hasn’t heard anything about it in years.

The best thing that ever happened to Indianapolis in this area was Don’s Guns. The one problem that Indianapolis has is that I got old and retired and closed them. – Don Davis

When asked if he ever worried over the years that he might have sold a gun to someone who would use it to hurt someone, Don replies, “I’d like to think that 99% of them are sitting at home tonight saying ‘thank God for Don Davis.’” You have to remember that you can buy a gun from your neighbor; you can buy a gun at the gun show without any paperwork. Here you have to get paperwork. The best thing that ever happened to Indianapolis in this area was Don’s Guns. The one problem that Indianapolis had is that I got old and retired and closed them.”

Northside office filled with press clippings and memorabilia.

These days Don spends his time still going to his store on Lafayette Road and giving back to the community. He says he tries to put more back into the community than he took out of it, and he has a long list of things he has done including recently donating thousands of dollars worth of defibrillators to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department. He donated his Greenwood shooting range to the city, and he is involved in Lights Out for Child Abuse, Girls Inc., and Wounded Warriors, among other charities.

Don’s Guns commercials may not have won any awards and may not belong in the Indianapolis television Hall of Fame, but they certainly are memorable and in that regard, they were successful. “It’s been a barrel of fun doing the commercials and telling the jokes and, based on your age, I don’t think there’s anyone who hasn’t seen a Don’s Guns commercial,” Don says. But does he really “just love to sell guns?” I think it’s apparent that he really does.

Take a look at some of his famous commercials

“I just Love to Rent Guns”

Don’s Band

Ann Craig-Cinnamon is a 30 year Radio & TV Broadcast veteran. You may recall her as the host of popular radio morning shows in Indianapolis for many years. She and her husband, John are also business owners. Her lifelong love of world travel led them to start a travel franchise, CruiseOne, in Center Grove. Ann is a writer, travel speaker and author of an upcoming book about her time spent living in Iran.

Photos by John Cinnamon.

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