Sports South LLC

What Sports South LLC does

Sports South LLC, doing business as The Shooting Warehouse, is a wholesale distributor of firearms, ammunition, optics, shooting accessories, and related gear and supplies to licensed firearms dealers and sporting goods retailers across the United States. The company was formally incorporated in July 1974 as a spin-off from the Shreveport, Louisiana–based Morris & Dickson Co., tracing its operational lineage back to J.W. Morris & Co, founded in January 1841. It is a privately held, family-owned business currently in its fifth generation of Dickson family leadership under President Markham A. Dickson III (since April 2015).

The company's product surface spans five merchandising categories — Firearms (air guns, black powder, handguns, rifles, shotguns, uppers & lowers, gun parts), Ammunition (centerfire, rimfire, shotshell, reloading supplies), Optics (night vision, thermal, scopes, red dot, range finders), Accessories (magazines, suppressors, holsters, cleaning), and Gear & Supplies (safes, targets, cases, personal protection) — backed by a portfolio of more than 1,000 brand relationships with manufacturers such as Leupold, Trijicon, Federal, CMMG, Browning, Savage Arms, Weatherby, Burris, Walker's, Caldwell, Retay, and Cold Steel. The underlying distribution technology is a custom, first-of-its-kind automated storage and retrieval system for firearms (installed January 2008) extended into a company-wide robotics platform integrated across all product lines in September 2014, housed in a four-phase automated distribution campus ("Port") built out between July 2007 and July 2017.

Commercially, Sports South operates a transaction-based B2B wholesale model: licensed dealers enter through a gated login portal on theshootingwarehouse.com to purchase at wholesale pricing, with a separate retail mode available to non-dealer consumers at standard retail pricing plus shipping tiers ($10.95 ground, $27.95 second day, $42.95 next day). The company actively recruits new dealers via a dedicated application flow, supports dealer transactions through EDI and web services, and reaches its market through e-commerce, direct field sales, and email communications. Its historical trade territory covers Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas, with broad distribution reach to U.S. dealers beyond that core region.

Name

Sports South LLC

Legal name

Sports South, LLC

Website

https://theshootingwarehouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Sports South LLC (The Shooting Warehouse) is a wholesale distributor of firearms, ammunition, optics, and shooting accessories serving licensed firearms dealers and sporting goods retailers across the United States, headquartered in Shreveport, Louisiana and family-owned across five generations since 1841.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Firearms Distribution

NAICS

Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423910), Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42391), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Hunt, Fish & Shooting Sports Distribution (CRAOAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Firearms & Ammunition Retail (CRAMAKAA), Shooting Sports Equipment Retail (Targets, Clay, Range Gear, Hearing/Eye Protection) (CRAMAKAG)

Keywords

• Wholesale firearms distribution
• Ammunition wholesale
• Sporting goods distribution
• Firearms dealer supply
• Shooting sports equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Shreveport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Distribution: Sports South operates as a wholesale distributor generating revenue through the sale of firearms, ammunition, and accessories to dealers and sporting goods retailers. Revenue is generated through product sales at wholesale pricing to business customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sports South LLC is a wholesale distributor of firearms, ammunition, optics, and shooting accessories operating under The Shooting Warehouse brand. The company supplies licensed firearms dealers and sporting goods retailers with products from hundreds of manufacturers through a B2B e-commerce platform, supported by a highly automated distribution center featuring a custom firearm automation system and robotic storage and retrieval technology.

Product overview

Sports South LLC operates The Shooting Warehouse as its primary B2B e-commerce platform for wholesale distribution of firearms, ammunition, optics, shooting accessories, and gear & supplies. The company distributes products across multiple categories: Firearms (air guns, black powder, handguns, rifles, shotguns, uppers & lowers, gun parts), Ammunition (centerfire, rimfire, shotshell, reloading supplies), Optics (night vision, thermal, scopes, red dot, range finders), Accessories (shooting gear, suppressors, holsters, cleaning supplies), and Gear & Supplies (safes, targets, cases, personal protection). The platform offers a multi-brand portfolio of over 1,000 brands including Leupold, Trijicon, Federal, CMMG, Browning, Savage Arms, Weatherby, Burris, and others. The company operates automated distribution facilities with robotic technology for inventory management and order fulfillment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Shooting Warehouse B2B E-commerce Platform B2B e-commerce platform with dealer login portal and retail mode for non-dealers; serves as the primary online ordering system for licensed firearms dealers and sporting goods retailers to purchase wholesale products.
• Firearms Wholesale Distribution Wholesale distribution of firearms including air guns, black powder, handguns, rifles, shotguns, combos, uppers & lowers, and gun parts to licensed firearms dealers.
• Ammunition Wholesale Distribution Wholesale distribution of ammunition including air gun ammo, arrows & tips, black powder ammo, centerfire ammo, dummy/blanks, reloading bullets, reloading supplies, rimfire ammo, shotshell, and slingshot ammo.
• Optics Wholesale Distribution Wholesale distribution of optics including adaptors, binoculars, night vision, range finders, red dot sights, scopes, scope mounts, sighting systems, spotting scopes, thermal imaging, and optic accessories.
• Shooting Accessories Wholesale Distribution Wholesale distribution of shooting accessories including apparel, blades & tools, camping gear, gun lights, magazines, slingshots, suppressors, survival gear, and used & refurbished items.
• Gear & Supplies Wholesale Distribution Wholesale distribution of gear and supplies including cases, backpacks, bags, cleaning & maintenance, holsters, knives, nutrition, personal protection, police gear, safes & vaults, and targets.
• Multi-Brand Manufacturer Portfolio Distribution Wholesale distribution of products from over 1,000 brands including Leupold, Trijicon, Federal, CMMG, Browning, Walker's, Caldwell, Savage Arms, Weatherby, Burris, Retay USA, and Cold Steel.

Quantifiable outcome

• First-of-its-kind custom automation system for firearms

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hundreds of Firearms and Sporting Goods ManufacturerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSports South distributes products from hundreds of manufacturers including major brands such as Leupold, CMMG, Trijicon, Federal, Browning, Walker's, Caldwell, Savage Arms, Weatherby, Burris, Retay USA, and Cold Steel. These manufacturers supply the inventory that Sports South distributes to retailers as the nation's largest firearms distributor.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RSR Group: One of the largest U.S. wholesale distributors of firearms, ammunition, and shooting sports accessories to licensed dealers. Directly comparable to Sports South in product mix, B2B dealer customer base, and national distribution model.
• Lipsey's: Wholesale firearms distributor serving licensed dealers across the United States with a multi-brand portfolio including exclusive models. Comparable to Sports South as a B2B distributor targeting FFL dealers.
• Davidson's: Wholesale distributor of firearms and shooting sports products supplying dealers nationwide. Operates in the same wholesale distribution channel as Sports South with overlapping manufacturer and dealer relationships.
• Zanders Sporting Goods: Independent wholesale distributor of firearms, ammunition, and shooting accessories to dealers. Directly comparable in product assortment, B2B dealer model, and geographic scope to Sports South.
• Bill Hicks & Co. Wholesale distributor serving shooting sports retailers with firearms, ammunition, and accessories. Comparable to Sports South as a multi-category shooting sports distributor targeting dealer accounts.
• Camfour: Wholesale firearms and shooting accessories distributor supplying dealers and retailers across the U.S. Operates a similar B2B distribution model to Sports South with multi-brand inventory.
• Ellett Brothers: Wholesale distributor of firearms, ammunition, and shooting sports accessories to licensed dealers (now part of RSR Group). Directly comparable to Sports South in product mix and dealer customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Midway USA: Large retailer and wholesaler of firearms, ammunition, reloading, and shooting sports supplies, with both consumer and dealer channels. Comparable to Sports South in product breadth and target customer overlap, though more retail-weighted.
• Bass Pro Shops / Cabela's: Largest U.S. specialty retailer of outdoor recreation products including firearms, hunting, fishing, and camping. Overlaps with Sports South on firearms and shooting accessories but operates a much broader retail and experiential model.
• Sportsman's Warehouse: National sporting goods retailer offering firearms, ammunition, hunting, and outdoor recreation products. Comparable to Sports South on firearms and ammunition assortment, but competes downstream as a retail customer rather than a peer distributor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sports-south-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sports South LLC