1776 Armory expands from Sanbornton to Cupples Corner in Belmont

BELMONT — Three longtime pals are bringing firearms to Cupples Corner with a new store they hope to open by mid-February.

Christopher Biancardi, owner of 1776 Armory LLC, along with partners Carl Burr, and Nick Brough from Climaxe Throwing, will open their second location at 126 Daniel Webster Hwy after months of permitting, licensing and preparations.

As a Title II dealer with a Special Occupational Tax registration, with Class 8, 10 and 11 federal firearm licenses, and Classes 6 and 7 on the way, Biancardi is licensed to deal regulated firearms like machine guns, silencers, short-barreled rifles, and destructive devices.

“We're going to carry suppressors, shotguns ... a lot of the Title II dealers up here don't carry those in stock,” Biancardi said. “I'm going to carry a lot of cowboy guns, 'cause there are a lot of cowboy shooters in New Hampshire.”

For readers who don’t know, a “cowboy gun” includes the likes of a six-shooter, revolver or shotgun. Additional inventory will include sawed-off shotguns and older World War II-style machine guns that have been reactivated as semi-automatic weapons.

“I'm going to try to carry a lot of stuff that a lot of other dealers don't carry,” Biancardi said.

Throwback to gunsmithing

After being disabled for a short time following a brief struggle with an autoimmune disease, Biancardi worked hard to become a business owner.

1776 Armory LLC is his brain child, and he opened the Sanbornton location in 2024. The concept sort of fell into his lap, after a life of being familiar with guns.

“I've been around guns since I was a kid doing gunsmithing, and loading ammunition and stuff like that,” Biancardi said. "So, I decided now is the time to do it.”

Now, he’s expanding his offerings and gunsmithing services, as well as manufacturing firearms for individuals, all while furthering his love for the sport.

“Everything’s getting more expensive to live. Rent's getting more expensive. The cost of eating is getting more expensive. Everything's getting more expensive,” said Biancardi on Wednesday afternoon in the new shop. “So, what I wanted to do was build a business where people didn't have to decide, 'Do I want to pay my mortgage this week? Do I want to eat this week? Do I want to buy my medications this week? Or do I want to shoot? 'Cause I enjoy shooting.'”

He has no plans to upcharge on the purchase of a gun he said, and wants his armory to be an accessible resource for the community.

“What I tried to do with the business was keep the cost of ammunition down as low as I could, but keep the business running. And the same with guns: keep the cost of the firearms down as low as I could, but be able to keep the business open,” Biancardi said. “And that's what I've been doing since the business was opened.”

When the new retail shop opens, most of his gunsmithing and private appointments will stay in Sanbornton, with sales and classes in Belmont.

Renovations are underway

Biancardi had originally hoped to open by Dec. 1, but the late-2025 government shutdown severely hindered how quickly the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives processed applications for licenses, he said.

While they wait, Biancardi, Burr and Brough have been hard at work renovating the well-known building to accommodate their needs. According to Burr, the interior, which was formerly a garage, has drywall hung, and been sanded and primed. The ceiling will be painted black, and grey, red and blue hues will pop throughout. Black rubber flooring will be added later, adorned with custom mats featuring the 1776 Armory logo.

Regarding the exterior, the ATF requires more secure protection near a garage door the management team decided to keep. Biancardi and Burr decided to source locally — and “kick it up a notch” beyond the ATF request — by hiring someone to weld a steel gate.

It’s an impressive wall, built by a 21-year-old Sanbornton resident, reinforcing both the armory’s focus on safety and security.

A sign for 1776 Armory can be seen on Route 3, helping build the anticipation for their grand opening.

Safety first, always

Events and courses are something that management at 1776 Armory is excited to host.

Courses are for everyone, and those with a particular focus on veterans, women and children, will be offered.

“1776 Armory exists to help people access knowledge and resources that promote safe and responsible firearm ownership. We’ve always believed that safety isn’t just about handling a gun correctly in a class; it’s about building a culture of care, discipline, and respect in the places where people live, work, and learn,” wrote Biancardi in a Facebook post. “At the heart of our work is the SAFE program. SAFE stands for Safety, Awareness, Firearms, Education. Each letter represents a pillar of the program and a pathway to practical, age-appropriate learning.”

It’s Biancardi’s hope to one day open a range, simultaneously serving as a classroom. For now, those safety courses will take place in Belmont.

“We want to expand further. We want to open a range,” he said. “We would love to do an indoor and outdoor range in Belmont, but we got to find the property first."

Leagues and advanced training scenarios will be coming down the pike, as will Simunition, a non-lethal training paint ammunition system used by military and law enforcement for realistic force-on-force drills.

There will be lots of fun on site, too.

Brough said he still has Climaxe Throwing’s trailer, and 1776 Armory hopes to host a parking lot social event where folks can familiarize themselves with the firearms and merchandise, as well as throw some axes, have some fun and enjoy some local grub.

“We're just trying to make it so that people can still throw axes,” Brough said. “We're going to try to have summer leagues still,” he said. “We want to have a parking lot party with fire pits and just throw axes on the trailer and have corn hole and barbecue — all that."

Brough's axe-throwing business venture is set to close by the end of the month.

For more information, visit 1776-guns.com.

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Katlyn Proctor can be reached at katlyn@laconiadailysun.com or by calling 603-524-0150.