About us
Our Story
Wazzup, I'm Patrick Hanks, a First Aid, Firearms, and Amateur Radio Instructor from Plant City, Florida. I built Hanks Armory not from a place of comfort, but from years of fighting for respect, survival, and purpose.
I was raised under the boot of a battle-hardened Army sergeant — a man who believed discipline was best delivered with a clenched fist. At home, love came second to order, and mistakes were punished brutally. There were no second chances. No softness. No safety.
School was no escape. It was a second battlefield. I was ridiculed, cornered, and beaten down there, too. Teachers looked past me. Peers tore into me. I learned early that pain doesn’t discriminate.
JROTC at Durant High was my attempt to bridge the gap. I earned ribbons, held leadership roles, stood out in all the right ways. But the disapproval at home never changed. No medal ever turned his head.
So I stopped trying to win him over.
Every insult from a classmate, every doubt from a coworker, every time they said I’d never make it — only added fuel to the flames growing within me
Hanks Armory was born from that disdain— forged in rejection, sharpened for redemption. It’s named for the man who taught me hardness, but it stands for those who refuse to break; a place where Tampa’s youth, its underdogs, its doubted and overlooked, could sharpen themselves into something unstoppable.
Tragedies That Shaped Our Mission
Some names and dates carved themselves into my soul:
Pulse Nightclub, 2016: Where failure to prepare cost futures.
Parkland, 2018: Where the illusion of "safe spaces" shattered.
Cieha Taylor, 2020: Where a young woman vanished without answers.
Hurricane Helene, 2024: Where nature showed no mercy.
Breon Allen Jr., 2025: Where innocent blood stained a city already at war with itself.
Each of these moments hardened my belief: you can't afford to be helpless.
Why We Exist
At Hanks Armory, we don't just teach skills — we teach survival.
We mold leaders from the wreckage of doubt and the ashes of defeat.
We turn the sneered-at, second-guessed, and overlooked into walking proof that excellence is earned — not given.
Our Philosophy
Our training is built around five brutal, unbreakable truths:
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Skill fades fast if it isn't sharpened. Stay sharp, stay dangerous.
Cultivating Leadership and Resilience
We build people who don't fold under pressure — they thrive in it.
Embracing Modernization and Adaptability
Gear changes. Tech evolves. We evolve faster.
Fostering a Culture of Preparedness
Hope is not a plan. We teach readiness that bleeds into every aspect of your life.
Building a Strong Community
No lone wolves here. We rise together — strong, ready, and unshakable.
Conclusion
I started Hanks Armory to prove something:
Not just to a father, or a classroom, or a doubting world — but to every soul who’s ever been told they weren't enough.
Today, we forge the strongest shooters, the fastest responders, and the most resilient citizens in Tampa Bay.
Come train with us — and let the world doubt you.
We'll make sure you know how to prove them wrong.