A.J. Shappell

sales manager

Before A.J. Shappell was managing the day-to-day ops at Black Iron Armory, he was commanding an empire of high-speed RC cars, nitro-fueled boats, and battery-powered mayhem at his own hobby shop. He went from fixing tiny shocks and tuning micro-motors to wrangling grown men arguing over trigger pull and barrel twist.

While some say he just wanted a hobby with fewer AA batteries, AJ swears it was the natural next step—after all, both involve things that go fast, make noise, and require precision tools and questionable financial decisions.

Nowadays, he’s swapped his soldering iron for a torque wrench and spends his time managing orders, keeping the shop running smoothly, and occasionally trying to convince customers that no, their AR does not need a spoiler and neon underglow.

If you hear 90s rock blaring and someone laughing in the back of the shop, it’s probably AJ… or a raccoon—we’re still not totally sure.