Our Humble Beginning.

Voodoo Firearms has a unique and memorable origin story.

It all started when Joe decided he wanted to buy an AR-15. Like many first-time buyers, he had no idea what made one model better than another and didn’t want to waste money on a low-quality option. To learn more, he visited a local gun shop and spoke to the owner, hoping to gain some insight into the “how” and “why” of AR-15s.

Instead of leaving with clarity, Joe walked out with a $3,500 custom AR-15 he didn’t fully understand. Feeling taken advantage of, he canceled the order and turned to the internet to research and source parts himself. Though still unsure about the finer details, he was determined to “figure it out.”

After assembling his first AR-15, Joe built a second, slightly better one, and then a third. At this point, Laura, his wife, asked, “Why do we need three ARs?” (She has since come to understand, by the way.)

During a car ride back from Georgia, Laura once again raised the question of why they had three AR-15s. It was early in the COVID-19 pandemic, and with stimulus checks hitting Americans' accounts, Joe had $1,000 set aside in cash. In that moment, he made a decision: “I’m starting a gun shop.”

The Name
The next challenge was naming the business. In 1999, when Joe and Laura first met, they had a German Shepherd named Sasha. Knowing Sasha was getting older, they decided to get another dog so the puppy could learn from her. After an exhaustive search, they visited a pet shop in Bolingbrook (despite vowing never to buy from one) and found a puppy. She was missing a chunk of her ear, had a broken tooth, and was far too large to be kept in a kennel all the time. They couldn’t leave her behind and brought her home.

That night, while watching the classic version of Top Gun, they heard pilots calling out their call signs during a dogfight—one of them was “Voodoo.” In a eureka moment, they decided to name the new puppy Voodoo.

Years later, when trying to name the gun shop, Joe cycled through countless ideas before landing on the same name. Just like with the dog, it felt right. Voodoo Firearms was born.

The Journey
In the beginning, things were slow. Joe and Laura started the business from their basement, working tirelessly to build it up. They eventually began working the gun show circuit, which brought quick bursts of growth and allowed them to expand.

By November 2022, the basement was bursting at the seams, and it was time for a bigger space. Voodoo Firearms relocated to 408 W Mondamin in Minooka, where they still operate today.

In June 2024, the shop expanded again, opening a training center and broadening its offerings to include survival gear and more.

This is the story of Voodoo Firearms—a business born from passion, determination, and a commitment to doing things the right way.