THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, April 10, 1996              TAG: 9604090168
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN    PAGE: 08   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Business 
SOURCE: By ALLISON T. WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD                         LENGTH: Short :   50 lines

FIREARMS HOBBY HAS GROWN INTO 2 BUSINESSES

WHEN NORMAN FANNEY SR. retired from AT&T five years ago, the avid firearms buff turned his hobby into a second career when he opened Red Dot Ventures of VA, a Newport News company which sells guns customized to buyer specifications.

Meanwhile, his son, Norman Jr., lived in Washington state for the last decade, where he ran a lucrative military surplus store. When he moved back to his native Hampton Roads last year, the Fanney family decided to go into business together.

The father-and-son team opened their two businesses - W.W. Military Surplus and Red Dot Ventures of VA - at 14524 Benns Church Blvd. in December 1995.

Customers are greeted at the doors by racks of military surplus clothing - urban or tropical camouflage pants, Marine Corps tunics and jackets, even a former East German exercise suit. The stores also stock a wide assortment of military and hunting supplies, including coats, sleeping bags, work pants and combat boots.

Red Dot conducts business in the rear of the room, underneath the rack of guns hanging from the back wall. In addition to guns, the store sells a variety of related products, such as ammunition and practice targets.

The store also will sell weapons on consignment.

``Although things were a little slow at first, business has been real good the past few weeks,'' Norman Jr. said. ``Business is picking up and people are starting to find us.''

And those people aren't just the hunters and gun buffs one might expect to frequent such stores.

The businesses also attract attention from local law enforcement officials, campers and even kids trying to make a fashion statement.

``For men who like sports and camping, coming here is like walking into a candy store,'' Fanney Jr. said. ``But some weekends, we'll get a carload of teenagers - girls and boys - in here shopping for their own clothes.''

W.W. Military Surplus also outfitted the juveniles and employees from the juvenile boot camp in Walters. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by ALLISON T. WILLIAMS

Norman Fanney and his son, Norman Jr., have gone into business

together.

by CNB