NJ FFL KULAK ARMS SPONSORS SHOOTING TEAM! GUN SHOP OWNER FORMS ACTION SHOOTING SQUAD!
by Black Wire Media Thur. Aug. 13, 2020 www.cnjfo.com/join-us
Richie Kulak is a full time LEO that loves the gun culture. He loves it so much so that when he leaves his "day job", he comes home to his Lawrence Twp., NJ basement "bunker" and literally surrounds himself with firearms spanning a 200 year history. Flintlocks to Glocks, he's got it all. Kulak established Kulak Arms in 1996, and up until 2017 his FFL business mostly catered to fellow LEO's and first responders. He "went public" in 2017 and the business "exploded". Kulak is a strong 2A proponent and relies solely on "word-of-mouth" advertising. At least he did until the end of July when he asked customer Bob Hess if Kulak Arms could somehow sponsor Hess's fondness for action shooting. Hess told Kulak he has friends that shoot with him. Team Kulak was born!
Kulak is a member of Central Jersey Rifle & Pistol Club, and our NJ state NRA Association, ANJRPC. Kulak is a full-service FFL with more on his shelves these days than Cabela's store in Hamburg, PA. Richie spends a lot of time educating the masses on what's needed permit-wise to purchase firearms in NJ. He has folks walking in without a clue, after reading their newspapers and watching the TV news, thinking they can merely traipse-in and walk out with a firearm. Because the news media makes it all seem so simple. Items such as background checks, mental health check, references, and the entire permitting process & timeline get conveniently left-out by the media as they bang the drum for more & more gun control.
Hess describes his favorite FFL as "A Gun Shop with a Heart!" and Kulak supports all sorts of local causes. He's by no means an easy mark, but he does have a heart of gold. There's almost always a cause or charity event he's supporting, so when you visit, be sure to ask how YOU can help! Because Gun People are the best people!
"I spend more time educating complete Newbies -- first time gun permit applicants -- than selling guns! I believe in establishing relationships. If you show up during my dinner, I'll offer you some. It's my Italian heritage, nobody leaves unsatisfied" --- Richie Kulak, Kulak Arms owner
Hess, a shooter since age 9, has six decades of shooting and gun collecting experience, and is the Team Kulak Captain. Hess's teammates are CNJFO member & supporter extraordinaire Ed Jackowski, and Zack Becker. The trio have been shooting local NJ action matches for years. Zack is the youngest and fastest at 29, Ed comes next at 51, and Bob, a young 69, competes with his Smith & Wesson revolver collection ("Wheelies" to those in the culture) and usually places lower in the finish order. This diverse team spans 40 years in age and represents 110 years of shooting experience!
"Zack is a "natural". He shot an ICORE match with a brand new S&W revolver he never sighted-in and Ed & I watched him engage 4 targets getting 8 X's. If Ed forgets to engage a couple of targets or has a brain fart, I can beat him! We're a team of what the shooting sports represents, the everyday shooter." ---Bob Hess, Team Kulak Captain
The "Action" disciplines involve practical shooting scenarios that require speed, accuracy and most of all, consistency. Drawing a loaded sidearm from its holster and engaging cardboard in various shapes & sizes containing scoring rings, and AR-500 rated steel plates that bullet impacts knock down are popular shooting targets in these action disciplines. Movement (sometimes known as "Running & Gunning") is often mandatory. "Action" means you're NOT standing in a port shooting S L O W L Y. Each discipline has its own set of rules as to size of target, order of engagement, number of shots allowed per stage, etc., and all three promote safe gun handling. Jackowski enjoys the local club competitions and is always challenging himself to improve his performance.
Team Kulak is currently setting their match schedule and awaiting delivery of their team uniform shirts, to our knowledge a first for any New Jersey gun store! Kulak Arms sponsorship of the team includes all match fees for the trio, as well as customized team uniform shirts and hats. FFL Richie Kulak became a newsworthy trendsetter without ever realizing it. We learned about the team through reading Hess's announcement on the New Jersey Gun Forums ( www.njgunforums.com ), an interactive site where NJ gun owners and those that wish to be ask a ton of questions and get knowledgeable answers, especially from "Pizza Bob" Hess.
Team Kulak shoots the following three action disciplines on a rotating basis three to four weekends a month: I.D.P.A. (International Defensive Pistol Association), U.S.P.S.A. (United States Practical Shooting Association), and I.C.O.R.E. (International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts). Tentative schedule for the bi-state based team includes USPSA at Shongum Sportsmen's Association the 1st weekend, ICORE at Lower Providence's range in PA on the 2nd weekend, 3rd weekend is currently open, and the 4th weekend is IDPA back at lower Providence in PA.
Kulak Arms handles both retail AND Police Dept. sales, gunsmithing, hydro-dipping, machining parts (machinist on staff), NJ compliance work (mag & muzzle pinning), consignments, estate sales, transfers, and hunting & fishing licenses as an official Agent of NJF&W. Kulak Arms is the official FFL doing all transfers for the local Ducks Unlimited chapter, donating his time. CNJFO's newest sponsor, Kulak Arms conducts basic to advanced firearms training. For more info & shop hours, go to: www.kulakarms.com . To view CNJFO's sponsor links, go to: www.cnjfo.com/Links .
