Easy to join/public range or club?

[Carcharodon]

Sorry for all the newb questions, but I need to join a range for my LTC. I've picked out Braintree, trained there and loved it, but can't join until their safety meeting on Sept. 13th. I'll be traveling extensivly for work over the next two months and wanted to get through the process so I can work while I wait.

Anyway, I was looking for a second club to join, preferably in either the Boston area, or out towards Littleton. I know of Dorchester, but I can't get through their website...does anyone know their process? I'd really like a place where I can just sign up and become a member...am I being unrealistic?

 

[M1911]

Anyway, I was looking for a second club to join, preferably in either the Boston area, or out towards Littleton. I know of Dorchester, but I can't get through their website...does anyone know their process? I'd really like a place where I can just sign up and become a member...am I being unrealistic?

Most gun clubs are private, non-profit clubs. They are not businesses. They have no employees. All work is done by volunteers. I don't know of any private clubs where you can just sign up. But for many, the process is relatively painless and cost is far, far less than for-profit, public ranges.

At the Wayland Rod & Gun Club, you have to attend a monthly meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, be voted in, and then take the club range rules class. While your dues money is certainly important to a club, what is perhaps even more important is volunteer labor.

 

[Carcharodon]

Yup...sorry...not trying to avoid paying dues! I meant more on the initiation side; I was hoping to get through the application process sooner rather than later as I'll be out of town a lot during the waiting/approval process anyway. I have no problem paying to be a member of a range as I plan to use their facilities.

Edit: also don't mind helping out with labor...

 

[M1911]

Yup...sorry...not trying to avoid paying dues!

That was certainly not my implication.

I meant more on the initiation side; I was hoping to get through the application process sooner rather than later as I'll be out of town a lot during the waiting/approval process anyway. I have no problem paying to be a member of a range as I plan to use their facilities.

At our club, the initiation process is codified in the bylaws. There is no work-around or special cases. As an officer, I can't decide to ignore the bylaws to give Mr. John Doe special consideration.

Non-profit, private clubs cost far less than public ranges. They are very, very affordable. Why are they so affordable? Because all the labor is volunteer. That comes at a cost, of course.

1) Volunteer labor means no employees, which means less customer service. If you want to shoot at S&W's range in Springfield, you just drive up, pay your money to the full-time, paid employee, and shoot. If you want to join a private gun club, you typically have to show up at a monthly meeting. There isn't anyone hanging around all day at the club to accept your application.

2) Since it is a true club, and you will thus have voting privileges, you can't just show up and pay your money. You will have a say in how the club is run. To get that say you have to be voted in by the membership. At S&W's range, you have no say in how they run the range. You can't show up to the S&W range monthly meeting and propose a change in the range rules.

This isn't a business. It is a club. Consequently it operates differently, both for the better and for the worse.

I'm not trying to be a pain. I'm just trying to explain to you why clubs are they way they are.

 

[Flyer007]

North Attleboro has the closest "public" commercial range if you want to shoot.

 

[Carcharodon]

Didn't take it as being a pain by any stretch; I appreciate your guidance here. Having selected my first choice, Braintree, I was mainly looking for a solution to the LTC issue (having a choice of ranges wouldn't be bad either). I understand that these clubs are run they way they are for a reason; I look forward to being a member of one (or more) either way.

Thanks as always all for the advice.

 

[SMagee]

I think I see you need to just "join a club" for the LTC. I don;t know if Attleboro does this (as they're the closest). But Manchester Firing Lanes in Manchester NH let's you become a "member" and receive discounted shooting. I don't know how they word it, but this may fill the loophole you're looking for to speed things up on your LTC app.

Downside you gotta drive up to Manchester. Upside you can rent a full auto and drop tons of cash on an adrenaline rush. But just watch your sides and back at ANY public range especially.

 

[Bugs100]

Send Braintree a E-mail explaining your problem and see if they have a way to help you.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Send Braintree a E-mail explaining your problem and see if they have a way to help you.

Someone already did that at my suggestion and the answer was no as there is no new member class in August.

AFS (No. Attleboro) is a business that sells memberships. Not cheap, but should be able to do that, ASSUMING that they sell memberships to someone w/o a LTC. I have no idea, you'd have to ask.

I "think" that Boston (BGRA) may be a similar operation. Haven't been near there in years, but what I remember led me to believe it not to be a place I'd want to go w/o an AR slung over my shoulder in a tactical sling.

MFL (Manchester NH) might work but be certain that Boston PD would accept an out-of-state range membership first. Again, no idea, but before dropping coin it pays to ask.

 

[wolf223]

Boston Area:

Mass Rifle in Woburn - i used to be a member

Woburn Sportsmen Association in Bedford - i took my pistol classs there

Harvard Sportsmens Club in Harvard - current member there

others:

Westwood - shot there w / a member, not to far down I-95 from the Hyde Park / Dedham area (not sure if your in Boston and where)

there is also Billerica, Lowell, Andover, Westwood... all within a stones throw.

I mention all of these as I was meat-gazing for a club for almost two months before I joined Harvard this year in Feb.

good luck.

*there are a couple of us who shoot in small groups "playing hookie" during the week. if you ever want to check it out, let me know

 

[Carcharodon]

As always, thanks for all the help!

Firing Line is an awesome place to shoot; I actually got hooked on the shooting thing up in New Hampshire and firing line is a great place to go...my buddy has a Mac 11 and keeps it there. Great way to chew through 200 9mm rounds in less than half an hour. I will probably join but sadly I called the BPD and they will only accept in state memberships.

I'm having a lot of trouble with the boston gun glub...they don't answer the phone and my understanding is that they are tough to find in a crappy neighborhood. As Len said, I don't think I want to go there until after I get my LTC.

My company is moving us out to Westford/Littleton, so I'll start looking at ranges out in that direction...I'd be more that happy to 'play hookie' and go shooting!

 

[M1911]

My company is moving us out to Westford/Littleton, so I'll start looking at ranges out in that direction...I'd be more that happy to 'play hookie' and go shooting!

1) Join Westford Sportmen's Club: http://www.westfordsportsmensclub.org/ KMaurer here on NES is an officer of the club.

2) Move out of Boston to Westford and get an unneutered LTC.

 

[Kid Presentable]

try Ashland I heard they are pretty easy to join...I don't think they have a website

 

[Flyer007]

http://www.americanfirearmsschool.com/Pricing.html

The North Attleboro place has membership for discounts. That might work for you.

 

[RobC]

I'm in the same boat in terms of needing to find a club -- I'm moving to Boston from out of state (with a firearm), so I have 60 days to go through the process of obtaining an LTC-A.

I'm moving in this weekend and saw that Lawrence Rod & Gun has meetings on the first and third Monday of the month (next meeting is this Monday, Aug 17th). Time-wise, this works out, plus I'm lookng at moving north/NW of Boston by next summer, so the location works for me as well..

Check out the link below and scroll all the way down for new member info:

http://www.lawrencerodandgunclub.org/info.htm

I need to call them this week. Let me know if you end up going this route also -- I'm planning on being there on Monday.

 

[wmccurdy53]

As always, thanks for all the help!

Firing Line is an awesome place to shoot; I actually got hooked on the shooting thing up in New Hampshire and firing line is a great place to go...my buddy has a Mac 11 and keeps it there. Great way to chew through 200 9mm rounds in less than half an hour. I will probably join but sadly I called the BPD and they will only accept in state memberships.

I'm having a lot of trouble with the boston gun glub...they don't answer the phone and my understanding is that they are tough to find in a crappy neighborhood. As Len said, I don't think I want to go there until after I get my LTC.

My company is moving us out to Westford/Littleton, so I'll start looking at ranges out in that direction...I'd be more that happy to 'play hookie' and go shooting!

Ping Kimmie1911 here, she can supply info for BGRC.
The club is very easy to find, it is right in front of the Field's Corner T station. The address is Dorchester Ave but the entrance is on Faulkner St.
The neighborhood isn't all that bad for the inner city.

BTW, there is a great group of folks at BGRC. I shoot USPSA there during the winter months. They will be starting up again in November.

Regarding the move to Westford/Littleton, you don't happen to work for IBM?

 

[BIG GUN]

Harvard Sportsmans Has everything but formal trap. Meetings are the first Thurs. of every month. Bring $300.00 and you are in. It is the most active club in the area.

 

[wolf223]

Harvard Sportsmans Has everything but formal trap. Meetings are the first Thurs. of every month. Bring $300.00 and you are in. It is the most active club in the area.

yup

the hospitality at HSC is phenominal! the sole obstacle is to hit paper @ 100yards before you can shoot at the 200 / 300 yard alley.

other than that, it's a great club.

 

[upStomp]

It's a bit further out of your way, but Leominster Sportsmen's Association is very easy to join. You can crash the monthly meeting (Aug 26th, 7:30pm is the next one), write them a check for $85 ($50 annual dues + $35 initiation) and you'll receive your membership card within 2-3 days. If you're in a rush, it might be a good and relatively cheap option for you.

http://lsa-ma.org

 

[oldyankee]

Littleton Sportsman Club. website: littletonsportsmanclub.com. No initiation fee, no work requirement, no affiliations required. Dues are $100/year. No frills, no hassles. You can either come to the meeting next week (second Thursdays at 7 pm) or contact our membership director via the website for a FTF.
Jim