Our Staff
Dan Arnzen
Owner
Dan spent most of his adult life in the corporate engineering world of semiconductor process development and manufacturing. His background in shooting is as an enthusiast and he enjoys shooting handguns, rifles, and shotguns of all calibers. He's lived in Eden Prairie since 1997 and thought the neighborhood needed a new gun store; Arnzen Arms is the result.
Kate Arnzen
Owner
Kate originally worked in the semiconductor industry as an electrical engineer with Dan, but decided that buying and selling guns was way more fun and quit her day job to work full-time at the shop. Kate is in charge of purchasing and receiving inventory, and can often be found in the back of the shop, plowing through new shipments. She's the person to talk to for special orders and getting hard-to-find items. Kate's favorite firearms activity is pistol shooting, particularly action-oriented sports like USPSA/IDPA, and she also enjoys beating Dan at an occasional round of sporting clays.
Jerry Hershey
Sales (Part Time)
Jerry is the shop's shotgun expert and knows things that the Perazzi family likely forgot generations ago. He has worked professionally in the firearms industry for over 13 years but has been enjoying shooting sports since he was very young going out hunting with his family and friends. If it has two barrels Jerry will shoot it. If it has feathers Jerry will hunt it.
Everyday Carry: Glock 43X and Benchmade Anthem.
Shooting Interest: Recreation, Hunting, Collecting, Gunsmithing
Pro Tip / Advice: Buy all the gun you can afford (“Buy once cry once”).
Jerry is the shop's shotgun expert and knows things that the Perazzi family likely forgot generations ago. He has worked professionally in the firearms industry for over 13 years but has been enjoying shooting sports since he was very young going out hunting with his family and friends. If it has two barrels Jerry will shoot it. If it has feathers Jerry will hunt it.
Everyday Carry: Glock 43X and Benchmade Anthem.
Shooting Interest: Recreation, Hunting, Collecting, Gunsmithing
Pro Tip / Advice: Buy all the gun you can afford (“Buy once cry once”).
James "JT" Canakes
Sales
JT grew up in a hunting family and has been walking upland fields and sitting in deer stands since he was old enough to carry a BB gun. He still loves upland hunting the most but has tried pretty much every other type of hunting as-well. In addition to hunting, JT grew up shooting pistols with his dad as a hobby and that hobby turned into competitive shooting where he primarily focuses on pistol shooting. JT loves working at Arnzen Arms because he has a passion for discussing firearms and helping customers find the perfect equipment for any situation. When JT is not at Arnen Arms he is likely out doing something related to baseball, whether that is coaching, training, or playing.
Everyday Carry: HK P30
Shooting Interest: Recreation, Hunting, Collecting, Gunsmithing
Pro Tip / Advice: Enjoy what you shoot
JT grew up in a hunting family and has been walking upland fields and sitting in deer stands since he was old enough to carry a BB gun. He still loves upland hunting the most but has tried pretty much every other type of hunting as-well. In addition to hunting, JT grew up shooting pistols with his dad as a hobby and that hobby turned into competitive shooting where he primarily focuses on pistol shooting. JT loves working at Arnzen Arms because he has a passion for discussing firearms and helping customers find the perfect equipment for any situation. When JT is not at Arnen Arms he is likely out doing something related to baseball, whether that is coaching, training, or playing.
Everyday Carry: HK P30
Shooting Interest: Recreation, Hunting, Collecting, Gunsmithing
Pro Tip / Advice: Enjoy what you shoot
Charlie Betz
Sales
Charlie recently retired from a career in finance / wealth management. As a past loyal customer of Arnzen Arms he learned of an opportunity to work there part time and jumped on it. He enjoys golf, hunting (deer, pheasant and grouse) and self-defense. He has a black belt in Karate and is currently an active member of his church's Safety/Security Team.
Everyday Carry: Staccato CS w/th Trijicon SRO
Shooting Interest: Self-Defense, Competition
Pro Tip / Advice: Choosing quality over quantity, when possible, will help ensure your shooting experience is more enjoyable.
Charlie recently retired from a career in finance / wealth management. As a past loyal customer of Arnzen Arms he learned of an opportunity to work there part time and jumped on it. He enjoys golf, hunting (deer, pheasant and grouse) and self-defense. He has a black belt in Karate and is currently an active member of his church's Safety/Security Team.
Everyday Carry: Staccato CS w/th Trijicon SRO
Shooting Interest: Self-Defense, Competition
Pro Tip / Advice: Choosing quality over quantity, when possible, will help ensure your shooting experience is more enjoyable.
Rye
Shop dog, hunting companion
Rye was adopted by the Arnzen family in the summer of 2017 and spends a lot of time at our shop. He is a gentle, affectionate, wire-haired pointing griffon with eyes that look almost human. He is an excellent hunting companion and a champion "burr magnet" which will sometimes give him a mangy appearance. The only thing that gets Rye riled up is younger dogs with too much energy or someone entering the backroom that he doesn’t know.
Everday carry: Collar and dog tags
Shooting interest: Upland Hunting
Pro Tip / Advice: Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Rye was adopted by the Arnzen family in the summer of 2017 and spends a lot of time at our shop. He is a gentle, affectionate, wire-haired pointing griffon with eyes that look almost human. He is an excellent hunting companion and a champion "burr magnet" which will sometimes give him a mangy appearance. The only thing that gets Rye riled up is younger dogs with too much energy or someone entering the backroom that he doesn’t know.
Everday carry: Collar and dog tags
Shooting interest: Upland Hunting
Pro Tip / Advice: Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Alyssa Heher
Shipping / Receiving (Full Time)
Alyssa has been in the firearms industry in different capacities for more than 10 years. Though she wasn’t involved in firearms until she was about 19 years old, she was instantly hooked the first time she pulled the trigger when her dad took her to the range to satisfy her curiosity. Now her husband buys her guns instead of jewelry which means that her gun collection is better than his.
Everyday Carry: Custom Wilson Combat CQB Elite
Shooting Interest: Recreational, Self-Defense, Collecting.
Pro Tip / Advice: Having a good belt is essential whether for everyday carry or competition.
Alyssa has been in the firearms industry in different capacities for more than 10 years. Though she wasn’t involved in firearms until she was about 19 years old, she was instantly hooked the first time she pulled the trigger when her dad took her to the range to satisfy her curiosity. Now her husband buys her guns instead of jewelry which means that her gun collection is better than his.
Everyday Carry: Custom Wilson Combat CQB Elite
Shooting Interest: Recreational, Self-Defense, Collecting.
Pro Tip / Advice: Having a good belt is essential whether for everyday carry or competition.
Brian Fabian
Store Manager
Brian spent most of his career as an engineer but has enjoyed firearms and shooting sports since he was six years old. His passion for firearms started with his dad when they would go out hunting when he was a kid but has grown even stronger throughout the years and most recently as he started learning more about the competition side of shooting from watching individuals like Jerry Miculek.
Everyday Carry: P365 Micro, Benchmade Bugout Knife and/or MicroStream Flashlight
Shooting Interest: Competition, Self-Defense, Hunting
Pro Tip / Advice: Don’t be afraid to ask questions!
Brian spent most of his career as an engineer but has enjoyed firearms and shooting sports since he was six years old. His passion for firearms started with his dad when they would go out hunting when he was a kid but has grown even stronger throughout the years and most recently as he started learning more about the competition side of shooting from watching individuals like Jerry Miculek.
Everyday Carry: P365 Micro, Benchmade Bugout Knife and/or MicroStream Flashlight
Shooting Interest: Competition, Self-Defense, Hunting
Pro Tip / Advice: Don’t be afraid to ask questions!
Brandon Myers
Sales (Full Time)
Prior to joining the Arnzen Arms team Brandon spent the majority of his career as a machinist of which three of those years included making firearm parts and components. In addition to this, in 2022 Brandon set a goal for himself to help people become better all around shooters so he became a firearms instructor and continues this passion to this day. Brandon loves the never ending progression and innovation associated with the firearms industry because there is always something new to learn and to try. Though he enjoys all shooting disciplines, long range precision shooting is Brandon’s favorite genre. Brandon is known as the shop's “strongest man” having beaten all opponents in arm wrestling; however, he is scared of turtles so there is that.
Everyday Carry: Shadow Systems XR920 w/ Radian Ramjet - Afterburner.
Shooting Interest: Competition, Tactical, Gunsmithing, Long Range / Precision.
Pro Tip / Advice:Training with an experienced instructor is key but most of all just have fun.
Prior to joining the Arnzen Arms team Brandon spent the majority of his career as a machinist of which three of those years included making firearm parts and components. In addition to this, in 2022 Brandon set a goal for himself to help people become better all around shooters so he became a firearms instructor and continues this passion to this day. Brandon loves the never ending progression and innovation associated with the firearms industry because there is always something new to learn and to try. Though he enjoys all shooting disciplines, long range precision shooting is Brandon’s favorite genre. Brandon is known as the shop's “strongest man” having beaten all opponents in arm wrestling; however, he is scared of turtles so there is that.
Everyday Carry: Shadow Systems XR920 w/ Radian Ramjet - Afterburner.
Shooting Interest: Competition, Tactical, Gunsmithing, Long Range / Precision.
Pro Tip / Advice:Training with an experienced instructor is key but most of all just have fun.