My range is closing.

[Trooper224]

After so many years of dealing with the stereotypical public ranges, I finally found a good one about three years ago. It's an excellent facility with an excellent staff. I went down today for my usual Saturday session, only to find they're shutting the doors. They've been in operation for the aforementioned three years and the owner has racked up around 6.5 mil in interest and fees alone, so the bank has foreclosed and Monday is their last day of operation. I really feel for the employees as they had this dumped on them Thursday and they're all class acts. I'm out half a years membership fee, but that's small change compared to looking for a new job. They opened up during the boom and it's probably a case of too much too fast and getting overextended. Another new range opened up about the same time and I'm going to give them a try. If they go under, I guess it's back to the old concrete bunker without AC I used to patron. They just seem to hang on like grim death. :)

[SecondsCount]

After so many years of dealing with the stereotypical public ranges, I finally found a good one about three years ago. It's an excellent facility with an excellent staff. I went down today for my usual Saturday session, only to find they're shutting the doors. They've been in operation for the aforementioned three years and the owner has racked up around 6.5 mil in interest and fees alone, so the bank has foreclosed and Monday is their last day of operation. I really feel for the employees as they had this dumped on them Thursday and they're all class acts. I'm out half a years membership fee, but that's small change compared to looking for a new job. They opened up during the boom and it's probably a case of too much too fast and getting overextended. Another new range opened up about the same time and I'm going to give them a try. If they go under, I guess it's back to the old concrete bunker without AC I used to patron. They just seem to hang on like grim death. :)

It would seem that the gun industry is having a hard time staying innovative. I feel for the employees as well.

[Robinson]

There are three ranges local to me that opened up a few years back. I frequent two of them, and one is only a few minutes from my house. Good shooting facility, good retail store, and good staff. I really hope they manage to stay open for a long time because it's just really nice having a good place like that to go on a regular basis.

Sorry your range is closing, that stinks.

[Trooper224]

It would seem that the gun industry is having a hard time staying innovative. I feel for the employees as well.

I think it's a matter of bad management, not a lack of innovation. They were integrated with a couple of well known schools and had become a licensed training satellite. They offered a good variety of training classes that catered to everyone from the tactical wannabe to your blue haired grandma. It just seems to be a matter of the ownership overextending themselves.

[Tom Duffy]

I know of a gun store that opened in Virginia to great fanfare four years ago. New building, state of the art ranges, classrooms and good selection of guns for sale, lots of professional, i.e., ex military, staff. That also means big mortgage, lots of labor overhead, overpriced guns, expensive range time and unfriendly range officers who seem hostile to new shooters. I suspect that for all the outward glitter, that they're not doing well financially.

Locally, I've had the best experience with gun clubs. Lots of experienced members, a good social atmosphere and low cost if you shoot regularly.

[ranger]

I am so blessed with the opportunity to be a member of an outdoor private club. Another reason I chose to suffer the long commute to work.

[hufnagel]

I know of a gun store that opened in Virginia to great fanfare four years ago. New building, state of the art ranges, classrooms and good selection of guns for sale, lots of professional, i.e., ex military, staff. That also means big mortgage, lots of labor overhead, overpriced guns, expensive range time and unfriendly range officers who seem hostile to new shooters. I suspect that for all the outward glitter, that they're not doing well financially.

Locally, I've had the best experience with gun clubs. Lots of experienced members, a good social atmosphere and low cost if you shoot regularly.

I'm beginning to have concerns about my club, as in the 9 years I've been a member we've NEVER had membership spots open for this long.

[Chance]

I've also seen a number of ranges closing down around this area. Big, nice ranges being built a stone's throw from one another can't be good for business.

[Stephanie B]

After so many years of dealing with the stereotypical public ranges, I finally found a good one about three years ago. It's an excellent facility with an excellent staff. I went down today for my usual Saturday session, only to find they're shutting the doors. They've been in operation for the aforementioned three years and the owner has racked up around 6.5 mil in interest and fees alone, so the bank has foreclosed and Monday is their last day of operation. I really feel for the employees as they had this dumped on them Thursday and they're all class acts. I'm out half a years membership fee, but that's small change compared to looking for a new job. They opened up during the boom and it's probably a case of too much too fast and getting overextended. Another new range opened up about the same time and I'm going to give them a try. If they go under, I guess it's back to the old concrete bunker without AC I used to patron. They just seem to hang on like grim death. :)

I would not be overly pessimistic. The bank may find out that its best option is to sell the property at a loss to someone who will buy i for more than the vacant land value. An indoor shooting range is kind of specialized building that's probably not easily convertible.

If the building was on a ground lease and they've defaulted on that, it'll be even more likely.

[zero67]

unfriendly range officers who seem hostile to new shooters

Just curious ... why do you say that?

[hufnagel]

I'm just guessing, but he's from my neck of the woods and we definitely have a Battered Gun Owners Syndrome problem in this state. Plus we get a LOT of riff raff from the NY metro area that come here on weekends to "shoot guns"... and they're quite frankly a pain in the ass. You NEVER go to a public gun range in NJ on a weekend, unless you want to see the dumbest shit imaginable. There's a reason most RSO's in this state wear body armor.

[GardoneVT]

It would seem that the gun industry is having a hard time staying innovative. I feel for the employees as well.

From the business perspective,gun ranges are risky investments. High capital costs ,high regulatory oversight compared to similar businesses, high overhead (even with volunteer staff), and inconsistent profits. One year politics drives up business,the next year the pendulum swings and no one wants to shoot. There’s a reason older hole in the wall ranges last so long; they’ve been around long enough that their capital expenses are paid for ,and the owners won’t recoup the cost to upgrade the facilities.

Further if a customer had an ND you can expect a giant ,profit killing legal bill.

[Tom Duffy]

Just curious ... why do you say that?

In this case, I'm actually talking about the range in gun-friendly Virginia. My impression is that the ROs are a bunch of operator wantabes who seem very unhelpful and unfriendly to the people who need assistance - the mother and grandmotherly types, the small family groups who are shooting together for the first time, etc. It would take 20 seconds to correct someone's grip, explain sight alignment and offer an encouraging smile. It would offer the opportunity to suggest a class at the facility, helping the bottom line. Based on the hostile vibes, I'm guessing most of these novices won't be back.
Hufnagel's right about the gun ranges in New Jersey on weekends. At a famous range in Belleville, you look at half the shooters on the line and wonder which side of the law they might be on. :)

[RevolverRob]

We aren't making any more land (at an appreciable rate, at least) - Everyone should be getting their own slice of Americana and building their own range.

FYI - If you're thinking seriously about this practice, a perusal of the EPA's best management practices for lead and pollution control on gun ranges might be worthwhile - https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/epa_bmp.pdf - A lot of good information in this volume, about not only pollution control, but also range style considerations.

[Stephanie B]

I'm just guessing, but he's from my neck of the woods and we definitely have a Battered Gun Owners Syndrome problem in this state. Plus we get a LOT of riff raff from the NY metro area that come here on weekends to "shoot guns"... and they're quite frankly a pain in the ass. You NEVER go to a public gun range in NJ on a weekend, unless you want to see the dumbest shit imaginable. There's a reason most RSO's in this state wear body armor.

When I lived in Putnam Cty., I occasionally would stop by High Rock in Naugatuck. The RSOs did a good job controlling things.

[Trooper224]

I've also seen a number of ranges closing down around this area. Big, nice ranges being built a stone's throw from one another can't be good for business.

This was my concern when my now defunct range opened three years ago. For decades, there were two ranges in the metro area. They're both holes in the wall in less than desirable areas of town. If I stop by one of them I won't let anyone who's with me stay in the car. They both subsisted for years because of a lack of competition. Then, three years ago two brand new ranges opened. The one that's closing its doors in two hours and the one I just signed up with. I wondered if the area would be able to support that many ranges. The now defunct range had the perfect location: at a major highway interchange, next to Cabela's, Academy Sports, etc. I really thought they would make it, but I think the owner went too big too soon.


I don't shoot at the hole in the wall anymore, since there's no working from the holster, no speed drills allowed etc., as well as no AC on the range. It meets every negative criteria you can think of for a gun range. However, I still do most of my business there in terms of buying and selling. I've known the owner and management for years and they've been more than fair to me many times over the years, so I send money their way however I can. Since I now live in the city just driving a few minutes out of town to shoot by myself isn't really an option anymore, so it's public ranges for me. One of the very few things I miss about working in a rural area is things like having a key to the county sand pit.