Colonel Lou's Guns

Colonel Lou's Guns opened in El Paso in January 2020 under J. Rod Albano, a retired Army veteran who completed formal gunsmithing training at the Colorado School of Trades, graduating with honors in November 2019. Rather than operating as a typical gun store, Rod concentrates on what he does best: gunsmithing repairs, modifications, custom builds, and restorations.

Rod has completed repairs on over 1,500 firearms since opening. The shop handles:

• •General gunsmith repairs and modifications
• •AR platform customization and builds
• •Stock refinishing and woodwork
• •Sights and trigger installations
• •Metal refinishing
• •Armorer services for manufacturer-specific repairs

To support custom builds, Colonel Lou's is a certified dealer for:

Rod has conducted formal manufacturer's training with Beretta, Glock, Sig Sauer, and Smith & Wesson, earning armorer certifications for repair of their specific products.

Colonel Lou's doesn't focus on retail sales. They maintain a small inventory of firearms they've personally purchased, repaired, and restored—giving you a gunsmith's perspective on what you're buying.

Rod's a shooter himself—competing in Cowboy Action Shooting and other disciplines. That means he understands what working guns need to do. Whether it's a hunting rifle restoration, AR-15 build, or manufacturer-specific repair, you're working with someone who shoots what he fixes.