Another one…

Posted on by February 4, 2026

Bites the dust…

First it was Ellett Brothers, down in SC, due to ‘bad’ investment(s) and bad advice. Bankrupted in 2019, now it’s Big Rock Sports.

Big Rock Sports, the Graham, NC-based distributor of fishing, hunting and outdoor sporting goods, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, listing just over $100 million in liabilities. Unsecured claims totaling about $83 million and including many vendors in litigation with Big Rock are not expected to be paid.

Many past senior executives and investors in the business, who appear to be tied to a management-led buyout, also held sizeable unsecured claims.

The filings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina so far have not detailed the reasons for the move to liquidate, but show the company was facing a wide range of lawsuits from suppliers, property owners and other business partners.

Full article, HERE from SGB News.

Apparently the Canadian subsidiary had already been liquidated/sold prior to the bankruptcy. There seems to be a lot more to this story than is making the news, with the mention of ‘vendors in litigation’…

I don’t have a clue, but something stinks on this one. And this bankruptcy will just add pressure on the gun dealers and others, as there will be less options to get deals from the remaining distributors.

I know that back in the day, Ellett Bros was the ‘favorite’ of the military exchanges that sold guns, as they gave the exchanges a good break on pricing.

I can’t help but wonder what the banks might have had to do with this, as there has been a push to ‘debank’ anything to do with guns…

The distributors that remain are-

Top Wholesale Firearms Distributors-
    • Lipsey’s: Based in Louisiana, one of the largest independent distributors, known for exclusive firearms.
    • Sports South: A major national shooting sports distributor.
    • RSR Group: Known for a broad, diverse inventory.
    • Chattanooga Shooting Supplies:  Offers a wide range of firearms and gear.
    • Davidson’s: A major wholesaler. 
    • Iron Valley Supply: Focuses on outdoor gear and firearms.
    • Bill Hicks & Co.: A prominent national distributor.

Specialized Firearms Distributors-

  • GT Distributors: Supplies both law enforcement/military and the civilian market.
  • Craig’s Firearm Supply: A major distributor for Glock handguns.
  • Pacific Sporting Arms: Specializes in high-grade competition and field shotguns.

Sigh…

Comments

Another one… — 9 Comments

  1. I’m in the business and I’ve never heard of Big Rock. I’m familiar with the ones you mention and more.

    Everybody in the business is facing higher costs and declining income, and we’re seeing the effects of that. It doesn’t help that during CBD there was a big expansion, some of which depended on higher prices – it was very similar to oil companies in 2005 to 2008.

    The industry has been slow for a couple years now and several companies have shut down or been sold – those with financing are buying up deals now; one example is the parent company of Palmetto State Armory and they’re expanding collection of brands.

    Another example is Anderson, though I’ve heard that was a case of the kids not wanting to take over the family business.
    It’s also a time of transition as the last of the Vietnam vets retire or die off – it remains to be seen if the next generation can do the hard work beneath the flash.

  3. Like some others here, I suspect, I get daily emails from Brownell’s, Midway, Natchez, et al, Sale! Free shipping! No Hazmat fee!. The few local gun stores (Arlington, TX) I’ve been in have been packed with inventory. The exception being Academy Sports whose gun inventory was rather thin, I suspect because they aren’t re-stocking what isn’t selling. The gun industry can’t hardly give the stuff away these days.

    Back in my FFL days, I had assigned account reps with Ellett Brothers, RSR, and Davidson’s. Good folks, good times.

  5. My local fun store had a full rack of all sorts of ammo. Lots of plastic fantastics (and less-than-fantastic) in the sales cases. I suspect if the anti-ICE stuff starts to spread, sales of both will tick upwards once more.