BY TED M. NATT JR.

Business Writer

The professional careers of Joey and Martha Boswell have come full circle in a most unlikely manner.

They met two decades ago while working for the now-defunct Collins & Aikman Corp. upholstery fabric manufacturing plant in Siler City, where he was a computer analyst, and she was a sample analyst.

Today, the owners of War Sport Industries in Robbins have a patent pending for a "sock" that enables military and law enforcement personnel to remove the suppressor from a recently fired pistol or rifle without burning their hands. The sock also reduces the "mirage effect" while firing the weapon.

"There's a little bit of irony in the fact that our first patent gets us right back into textiles," Joey Boswell says. "I guess we've essentially come full circle."

But inventions are nothing new to Boswell, who developed a patented stainless steel housing for biometric security systems as part of his job as a systems architect for Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management based in France.

In fact, the Boswells use the system to access the War Sport workshop adjacent to their house.

"The biometrics read your fingerprint, and we each use different fingers," Joey Boswell says.

The Boswells founded War Sport in September 2008 when they became the U.S. sales representatives for CornerShot, a revolutionary weapon system that enables military or law enforcement personnel to observe and engage a target from around a corner without exposing any body parts.

The system attaches to most top-tier semi-automatic and select-fire pistols and then swivels left or right, depending on the direction of the corner. It is manufactured by Golan Group Global Security Solutions, which is based in Boca Raton, Fla.

The weapon, which retails for about $6,500, was recently featured in the movie "RED," and the actual gun that was shipped to Hollywood is now back in the Boswells' shop.

"CornerShot is not our money-maker, but it got us started in the industry," Joey Boswell says. "We became licensed last year to build and sell guns of any kind."

As a result, they plan to purchase machinery next year that will enable them to develop their own suppressor and ROWS, or remotely operated weapons systems, among other things.

"We focus on close quarters combat, so we're going to develop very special tools for very special situations," Joey Boswell says. "I'm an inventor by nature and it's a very niche market."

For the past two years, he has focused on marketing, sales, training and service, while Martha Boswell has handled all of the back-office tasks.

"We've actually always worked well together," Joey Boswell says.

Martha Boswell agrees, saying, "We do whatever it takes. Everything we've made, we've put back into the company."

The Boswells have taken their time to develop their niche so that they can move forward without being in debt.

"It's such a tough, competitive market and we're always playing against the big boys," Joey Boswell says.

Ray Ogden, executive director of Moore County Partners in Progress, says the Boswells exemplify "the entrepreneurial spirit and environment" that exists in the county.

"They have invested themselves and their money to find a way to bring new products to market," Ogden says. "As they grow, we hope they will be able to add jobs. If anyone is going to make it work, it will be Joey and Martha."

Ogden also lauds Joey Boswell for becoming a Robbins town commissioner two years ago.

"I think Joey has shown an incredible commitment to Robbins by keeping his shop there and serving on the town commission," Ogden says.

Joey Boswell, who moved to Robbins at the age of 4, says he was "born with a gun in my hand," so founding War Sport was a natural fit.

"I've always been involved with the military through my engineering background," he says. "We can customize any weapon for the military or law enforcement."

Martha Boswell, whose father was in the Army and stepfather was a Navy SEAL, is certified like her husband to train and service the CornerShot system as well as the KRISS machine gun.

"Joey can be on the road for Schneider Electric for up to two weeks at a time, so hopefully I am able to answer questions when customers call in," she says.

Whether by telephone or e-mail, the Boswells scrutinize every inquiry because they come from around the world - from friend and foe.

"I forward all the e-mails from foes to the FBI immediately," Joey Boswell says. "I make no bones about it. I'm a home boy. I support the home team."

Contact Ted Natt Jr. at ted.natt@gmail.com.