Born in Texas, raised in New Jersey, and now firmly planted in New Port Richey, Florida, Joe Bitz is the President and Director of Training at All American Gunslingers, a business built with the same determination, discipline, and grit that defined his career as a United States Marine.
Joe showed early leadership through his involvement in church and youth groups. At 15, he took his first job washing dishes, but he already knew he wanted something more challenging. When he eventually walked into a military recruiting office, his question was simple: Which branch would be the hardest?
The answer was the United States Marine Corps.
Joe embraced the challenge. In fact, he admits he enjoyed boot camp, so much that his drill instructors were incredulous when they caught him practicing drill during his time off.
In 1996, Joe entered infantry school and deployed with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, serving in Bosnia, Haiti, and Okinawa. One of those deployments began just three days after his baby girl was born.
His Marine Corps career was defined by constant learning and a relentless drive to improve. He became a marksmanship instructor and embraced a philosophy that would follow him throughout his life: Put 10,000 hours into a skill, and you can become an expert at it. He expanded his expertise into mortars and urban combat and deployed with a Quick Reaction Force to Fallujah, Iraq. During his service, he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for exemplary service.
Ten years into his military career, Joe was still embracing every mission, adventure, and lesson the Marine Corps offered. Then, during a routine mission in Fallujah, an IED changed the trajectory of his life.
Joe was the only Marine in his unit injured in the blast. As his fellow Marines rushed to his aid, his first concern wasn’t himself; it was whether his men were okay. He was airlifted to safety and recovered, but unfortunately couldn’t return to service.
Leaving the military presented a different kind of challenge.
Like many veterans transitioning from service, Joe worked a variety of jobs while searching for the next mission that could give him the same sense of purpose he found in the Marines.
In 2018, that mission began taking shape when Joe and his cousin, Ray, developed the initial concept for All American Gunslingers.
They didn’t start with deep pockets or a pristine facility. They leased a deteriorated gun range, rolled up their sleeves, and rebuilt it. When they were ready to launch, they had just $64 in the bank.
On May 2, 2024, they opened the doors.
Today, All American Gunslingers has grown into a premier firearms destination offering comprehensive services under one roof. The business combines decades of experience with an emphasis on safety, quality, education, and customer service.
For Joe, however, the story is about more than firearms.
It’s about finding a new mission.
From a teenager searching for the toughest challenge he could find, to a Marine serving around the world, to surviving an IED in Fallujah, and ultimately building a business from nearly nothing, Joe Bitz has spent his life doing what Marines are trained to do:
Adapt. Overcome. Keep moving forward. Semper Fi.
Visit Joe at All American Gunslingers
4321 US Highway 19
New Port Richey, FL
