It was Joe Mangelos’ passion for guns — sharpened during his days as a Ripon Police officer — that prompted him and his brother John to open Barnwood Arms on June 1, 1981.

And it has been their service and knowledge of firearms that turned the sons and grandsons of clientele into loyal generational customers that is allowing Barnwood Arms to celebrate their 45th anniversary.

They are doing so by hosting a Ripon Chamber of Commerce mixer on Friday, Oct. 2, from 8 to 9 a.m. at the 120 E. Main St. Barnwood Arms location in downtown Ripon.

“It’s been wonderful,” John said of the family business that incudes his nephew Paul, who is an accomplished gunsmith. “We have fathers that bring their sons in and then their sons become customers.”

It is why now that they reached their 45th year milestone, Barnwood Arms is using the opportunity to recognize the many people who have been part of the Barnwood Arms story:

*The family members who have worked to keep the business going.

*The employees who have served customers through the years.

*And especially the customers whose continued support has made the milestone possible.

The loyal support includes dairymen, farmers, police, firefighters and hunters from all walks of life.

They are local residents, those in Ripon’s backyard such as Manteca, and Modesto, as well from as far away as the Bay Area and Fresno.

The Barnwood staff feels fortunate to be an integral part of helping customers they get to know on a first-name basis bond with their children and grandchildren through hunting.

The brothers originally opened the Barnwood Restaurant on July 3, 1980 where the Starbucks at the Main Streets exit of Highway 99 now stands.

A year later, they opened Barnwood Arms in the upstairs of the restaurant. They eventually moved into the current location in 1993.

Why the moniker “Barnwood”?

“My brother Paul and I are frugal,” Mangelos said. “We got the wood (to build the restaurant) from old barns that had been wind damaged.”

Farmers in the Ripon area allowed the brothers to dismantle the barns and take the wood for free.

Today, Barnwood Arms is a full-service retail firearms business and indoor shooting range.

The store offers a variety of firearms for shooting and hunting, along with shooting supplies, reloading equipment, optics, safes and safe accessories.

Customers can also use the indoor shooting range, where a selection of firearms is available for rental.

Another longstanding part of the business is its gunsmithing service. Barnwood Arms has a certified gunsmith with more than 20 years of experience providing firearm service and repair.

Over those 45 years, generations of customers have walked through the doors. Some who first visited Barnwood Arms decades ago now return with their children and grandchildren.

Those relationships — and the personal service that comes with being a locally owned business — have helped Barnwood Arms remain a familiar presence in Ripon.

Over those 45 years, generations of customers have walked through the doors.

Some who first visited Barnwood Arms decades ago now return with their children and grandchildren. Those relationships—and the personal service that comes with being a locally owned business — have helped Barnwood Arms remain a familiar presence in Ripon.

The brothers have been Ripon Chamber of Commerce members going back 46 years when they opened the Barnwood Restaurant that enjoyed a 39-year run.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@manrtecabulletin.com