A Woman in a Man’s World: Continuing a Gunsmithing Business in Eatonton

At Colonial Armament in Eatonton, patrons don’t just browse. They stay and learn from Amanda Taylor, who considers many of them family. After three years of working in the Eatonton gun shop, she is firmly rooted in the community she now calls home.

Amanda Taylor moved to Eatonton, Georgia, and helped her dad start his business, Colonial Armament, the storefront for his gunsmithing business. She moved to Eatonton with her parents, Myrna and Karl Taylor, from Miami, Florida, three years ago in search of a small-town, Hallmark-style life.

“[Eatonton] has so much potential,” Taylor said. “It was going to be something really special, and it is something really special.”

The gun shop helped Taylor regain the confidence that she lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. When she started working at the gun shop, she received support from patrons who helped her learn more about firearms. As she gained knowledge, her confidence grew.

Taylor has been at Colonial Armament since opening day. When she started working at the gun shop, she knew virtually nothing about guns. With help from her father and regular patrons, she learned more about them. She is now knowledgeable and teaches patrons about the various models Colonial Armament supplies.

“It’s a man’s world, but I think anyone could be in it,” Taylor said.

Taylor works alongside her father, Karl, and she plans to take over the business and carry on her family’s legacy. She considers it an honor.

Taylor graduated with a degree in business management and applies that knowledge to helping her dad run the business.

Sydney Jarrard is a journalism student at the University of Georgia who participated in the Woodall Weekend Workshop in Putnam County in March.