On March 13, 1978, Gary’s Pawn & Gun opened it’s doors for the first time in the small historic town of West Point, Mississippi. Gary Dedeaux was only twenty-one years old when he and his father, Howard, set out to become the best pawn shop in the Golden Triangle. The plan of action was simple: to provide top notch customer service and always “go the extra mile”, a principle that Gary’s mother, Ruth, firmly believed in.

On October 1, 1980, Gary opened a second store in Columbus, Mississippi. Gary’s love of the outdoors and his enthusiasm for working with his hands led to the beginning of both stores specializing in firearms, sporting goods, and jewelry. With the help and support of his family, Gary created an environment built on the virtues of love, kindness, and servanthood.

As both stores grew, he continued to hire and train employees, treating each one as if they were family. His team responded by working hard to carry out his visions and sometimes those visions were huge! Some say even impossible. The retail aspect of the business began to shift when Gary became one of the first gun dealers to ever host an in-store Smith & Wesson gun sale promotion. With overwhelming repeated success, other dealers, as well as manufacturers, began to replicate what Gary Dedeaux was doing in Mississippi. Those same Smith & Wesson gun promotions are still being held today as well as promotions for Ruger, Glock, and other brands of merchandise.

In 2021, the Gary’s Pawn & Gun torch was passed to his daughter Gina Reed. She and her family have endeavored to carry on his legacy with the same business values of love, kindness, and servanthood. Just As Gary did, they too, always put the customer first and strive to always “go the extra mile”.