Opening a gun range

[Theoldhag88]

Are there any special licenses/permits you need to open up a gun range literally just a bare bones range people can rent a lane in?


Jason

 

[Tommy Gun]

Are you serious?

 

[JCV]

 

[Stryker]

I imagine that varies heavily from town to town and what state you are in.

The liability insurance alone has to make it a no-go.

 

[MisterHappy]

First: Indoor or outdoor?
Second: Location, location, location
Third: What would you charge for "just renting a lane"?

One of the practicalities is that due to the non-existence (mostly) of shooting any place that's not a Club in Mass (Yes, I know that there are a couple other places where you can pay by the hour), most people in mass that are licensed already belong to clubs; therefore, what would be your "draw" to get customers?

If you provide more details about what you have planned, you'll get better replies

 

[Theoldhag88]

Indoor rated for pistol and rifle
Framingham
No idea yet

I'm coming off AD in march and thinking about trying to start something up small business wise, this idea itself just popped into my head, I think I can qualify for a good amount of veterans business loans/assistance from the govt. again haven't looked into it really besides this query.

For those who have a meaningful response thanks.

 

[whacko]

Keep in mind most gun owners can and do belong to a club that charges about 60 - 150 bucks a year and they can go shoot almost any time they want. If you go to places like Bob's in Salisbury I would venture a guess that the majority of people in there shooting are renting because they don't own their own guns or are newer gun owners that have not joined a range. I was in that boat for about 3 months after purchasing my first guns years ago and realized quickly that at $20 an hour I would quickly go broke shooting once or twice a week.....for $65 a year at my club I shoot all I want.

Bottom line is unless you are renting fire arms and selling ammo to feed them I don't think you will have much business.

 

[whatluck]

If you had an FFL and especially a (Class 2?) SOT for MGs and had a storefront that could be your draw.

The amount of liability insurance you would need to retain would be crippling, and you would need a lot of members to make it work.

I seriously doubt MA would allow any new gun clubs to open anyways.

Wouldn't you want to move out of state and generate tax revenue for another state that actually isn't such a socialist shithole?

 

[MisterHappy]

Framingham is not currently the most business-friendly Town at this time; they're busting business' b@lls about the size of signs in Route 9, for dog's sake!


You'd need to find industrial land, so you'd be looking at the South side.

Your local competition: Southborough Rod & Gun, Woodville, Hopkinton Sportsman's, Ashland, Holliston, Riverside, and Mass Firearms, that currently is up and running with your business model.

Not to be a wet blanket, but this area of Mass is actually pretty well stocked with shooting facilities.

Whacko and Whatluck are making good points.

Now...to reality - I've yet to visit Mass Firearms, just because I can go to SRGC anytime and shoot; also, most of my shooting is Trap, so an indoor range is not going to work. You'd have to fight very hard to get people out of their current habits.


that being said, any more shooting-related stuff is welcome.

 

[rep308]

Stolen from Rob B.

It's easy to own a million dollar gun business.



Just invest 3 million and wait a year.....

 

[M1911]

It's easy to own a million dollar gun business.

Just invest 3 million and wait a year.....

This.

Opening a shooting range is not a "small" business. You'll need at least $1M in capital to start.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Since you'd be competing with MFS and AFS, I doubt that they would talk to you about what you need to do. However, Jim McLoud (Manchester Firing Line) maybe willing to talk with you about what it took to get the new range open (and he already owned the building for years) or what it is taking to renovate the old building.

Personally I think Boudrie is right. MA is NOT the place to try this and Jim even found NH to be unfriendly while building his new range.

 

[jar]

also, most of my shooting is Trap, so an indoor range is not going to work.

It can be done, but the cost would be immense. There's one in Germany, we had a thread on it a few years ago.

 

[whacko]

Framingham is not currently the most business-friendly Town at this time; they're busting business' b@lls about the size of signs in Route 9, for dog's sake!


You'd need to find industrial land, so you'd be looking at the South side.

Your local competition: Southborough Rod & Gun, Woodville, Hopkinton Sportsman's, Ashland, Holliston, Riverside, and Mass Firearms, that currently is up and running with your business model.

Not to be a wet blanket, but this area of Mass is actually pretty well stocked with shooting facilities.

Whacko and Whatluck are making good points.

Now...to reality - I've yet to visit Mass Firearms, just because I can go to SRGC anytime and shoot; also, most of my shooting is Trap, so an indoor range is not going to work. You'd have to fight very hard to get people out of their current habits.


that being said, any more shooting-related stuff is welcome.

I can confirm my statement about the average shooter at a rental range......pouring rain today so I got the itch to pound the hell out of my revolvers because I actually have ammo to burn......went to bobs and paid the 20 bucks to get a lane.......6pm on Friday and every lnlane was full of 20 some things with their dates and all were renting guns to show off to their ladies......I put 150 rounds through my 2 carry revolvers to stay current with my muscle memory and screwed......unless u r renting guns I think a new range would be a bust

 

[MisterHappy]

I knew about the German range - I was just thinking that there are few buildings in Framingham that would work for indoor Trap - the old GM plant would have been an option, but it's an auto auction, now....

Though, there are a few days on the Trap filed that would have been nicer indoors.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

If you had an FFL and especially a (Class 2?) SOT for MGs and had a storefront that could be your draw.

My understanding is that the EOPS has taken the position that there is no exemption in MGL that allows a person without a MA MG license to handle or fire such weapons (yes, I used the "W" word).

Another key question - will you rent lanes out to unlicensed persons? If so, some towns take the position that the MGL that allows shooting under the supervision of a license holder does not extend to a licensed person at the sales counter supervising someone on a range - hence the possible need for range staff. If the town does not initially take that position, it may after the first suicide by unlicensed rental.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Stolen from Rob B.

It's easy to own a million dollar gun business.



Just invest 3 million and wait a year.....

Actually I said "it's easy to make a small fortune with a gun range ... just start with a large fortune."

The niche that MFS carved out is a licensing school that expanded into a range a gun shop. Steve didn't start by opening a big facility, but built up a business on a smaller scale first.

Steve's place is excellent - great shop (who else even carries 50BMG?), modern non-grungy classrooms, professional caliber instructors, and very nice ranges. Given all that, it has not been in business long enough that it would be safe to conclude, at this time, that it is a profitable business that will survive for the long term - though I certainly hope that will turn out to be the case. This is not a slam on MFS - any new business is a risk venture for the first few years.

 

[Len-2A Training]

My understanding is that the EOPS has taken the position that there is no exemption in MGL that allows a person without a MA MG license to handle or fire such weapons (yes, I used the "W" word).

Rob the original source for this post-Westfield was the AG. EOPS is carrying the water for Marcia!

 

[rudiewhitebwoy]

Wasn't there a seminar offered by the NRA a few years back on how to open a firing range. It was pretty pricey if I remember correctly, I think they held it in RI. My wife and I started to look into it, the time frame sucked for me, but she was willing to go. In the end we bagged the idea. Start up costs would be insane and the liability insurance, OMG. You gotta have some deep pockets to even think about it.

If someone with the means did open one in Mass, I'm sure it would become profitable, eventually. North of Boston you're choices are Bob's in Salisbury and MFL. A range & Gun Shop as one business makes sense. Didn't MFL have a place up in Belmont NH too?

 

[mac1911]

I would think if you could pull off a indoor range in a heavily populated area that included trap and rifle ranges of some distance say 100 yd. Min you just might pull off some return after several successful years that is.
I think if you could possibly have a decent and safe indoor idpa type course and also draw on the competitive shooters.
Nra and cmp amount others it could possibly work. You might be better off buying a club if one comes up for sale. I know our small club has enough problems with just maintaining membership and cash flow to pay insurance/taxes/over head. If our club relied on members and non members turning out for the "shoots" that bring in small income we would die in months.

 

[mac1911]

It can be done, but the cost would be immense. There's one in Germany, we had a thread on it a few years ago.

That's just crazy.....I don't even want to know the cost of shooting there. Nice though. See something like that would be awesome in the heart of the populated area. I wouldn't waste a 1 hr drive to go to axplace like this.
I prefer to shoot out doors but more times than not when I can go shooting the weather isxnot on my side.
24 hr access would have to needed also.