Where can non-liscensed and non-members shoot?

[dlouismartin]

Hello,

I have an LTC in MA. I live in the Fall River area. Is there a place that I can go shoot pistol and bring a guest that doesn't have an LTC? I am willing to drive 30 minutes or so.

I am not currently a member anywhere.

Thanks!

 

[Mass Firearms]

As long as one of you is licensed you can shoot at MFS.

 

[dlouismartin]

Ha! I know. You guys are on the list, but MAN it's a hike from Fall River. Thanks for the reply though..

 

[Mass Firearms]

Come up and we will give you a free gun rental…

 

[OneShallSuffer]

Without being a member, I think MFS is one of your only few options. Plus he just offered a free gun rental, better take him up on that, or I will

 

[Len-2A Training]

AFS in N. Attleboro is the only other place South of Boston.

 

[whacko]

If you have an LTC and you own guns......why are you NOT a member at a club somewhere? Most clubs are between $65 and $150 A YEAR for membership. My advice is join a club as soon as possible.

 

[Skylineracer329]

Original Bobs in Salisbury. Don't even need an ID lol. Or boston firearms in Everett.

 

[hv55maxx]

i think after that last little debacle at original bobs, they arent taking anymore single shooters, must be two people together minimum...

 

[eo1bart]

American Firearms School in Attleboro is only about 1/2 hr from Fall River

 

[whacko]

Original Bobs in Salisbury. Don't even need an ID lol. Or boston firearms in Everett.

1. OP said willing to drive 30 minutes......Fall River to Salisbury is a bit more

2. Bob's in Salisbury is creepy! Been there to shoot a couple of times and in the afternoon is full of twenty somethings renting "9 mils" with their girlfriends showing off how fast they can "dump a mag". I got flagged by those idiots too many times in one visit and will NEVER go back. The staff there does not watch the folks that walk in and rent at all. My opinion and my opinion only.......it is only a matter of time before there is an accident at that place. Supervision of renters is not good at all

 

[mke0039]

The New Bedford range on Woodcock rd. I come from the Cape (after they shut down the Barnstable range) and I probably have a longer ride than you would have.
Great range, nice people. Just be careful when the cops are at their range next door. I got hit by a fragment when I walked out to the 200 yrd targets.

 

[Len-2A Training]

2. Bob's in Salisbury is creepy! Been there to shoot a couple of times and in the afternoon is full of twenty somethings renting "9 mils" with their girlfriends showing off how fast they can "dump a mag". I got flagged by those idiots too many times in one visit and will NEVER go back. The staff there does not watch the folks that walk in and rent at all. My opinion and my opinion only.......it is only a matter of time before there is an accident at that place. Supervision of renters is not good at all and they were constantly turning around with a hand gun to walk to the table behind the lanes to load mags........and with the gun in battery not even with the slide locked rearward! Never will I go there again.

This the reason why I don't like and don't shoot at "public" ranges. Too many range safety violations and the risk of getting shot/killed just isn't worth it.

There was a good reason why S&W Shooting Center armed their ROs with ballistic vests on the range and stationed one RO every so-many bays. I did shoot there a few times with NES tours but that was it and their ROs would be all over you if they saw what we see on other public ranges.

Private clubs are also a hell of a lot cheaper if you go more than a handful of times/year. Most join and never attend any meetings and thus can avoid any politics if they like. As long as a club doesn't go all FUDD with rules, almost everyone can enjoy shooting in peace and save a ton of money for more guns/ammo. YMMV

 

[whacko]

This the reason why I don't like and don't shoot at "public" ranges. Too many range safety violations and the risk of getting shot/killed just isn't worth it.

There was a good reason why S&W Shooting Center armed their ROs with ballistic vests on the range and stationed one RO every so-many bays. I did shoot there a few times with NES tours but that was it and their ROs would be all over you if they saw what we see on other public ranges.

Private clubs are also a hell of a lot cheaper if you go more than a handful of times/year. Most join and never attend any meetings and thus can avoid any politics if they like. As long as a club doesn't go all FUDD with rules, almost everyone can enjoy shooting in peace and save a ton of money for more guns/ammo. YMMV

All excellent points LENS........I went to a public range with a relative down in Virginia last summer that was similar to what you describe.....minus the ballistic vests.......if you came in to rent a fire arm they gave a 5 minute class before you went in the range and there was a safety at every other station to observe......and they were making corrections when they saw problems. I was there on vacation and did not have any fire arms with me so was renting.......went through the mandatory class and had no problem with it......as I knew every other renter there went through it as well so I felt better about it. But......the disadvantage was price.....paying that amount of staff is expensive and the cost was $50 an hour for the lane plus $20 for the gun rental.

I'll say that of course not all private gun clubs are perfectly safe either....there are idiots everywhere......but I will say that at a private club it is easier for me to say something to the guy next to me about safety concerns as he/she is a fellow member......not a paying customer at someone else's place of business......so I'll leave the public ranges alone and suggest to any fire arms owner to get a membership at a local club.

 

[Len-2A Training]

I have co-instructed a BFS class at AFS and used their range as an instructor but didn't shoot there. I've also attended a couple of open house events there in their early years where range time was free and still didn't shoot there! Safety concerns in all cases.

I have shot (M1 Garand) at a very nice public shooting range run by the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Department in Florida, as a guest of another C&R collector from that area. Very well run range with 2 Deputy Sheriffs RO'g the use of the range (there was only 3 of us there and Wife was sitting with the Deputies behind us observing). Of course it would have been more fun if they let the public use the school bus or chopper they had there for shooting drills but alas that is strictly for police training.
http://www.pbcgov.com/fdo/admin/shootingrange/
[I realize many here are uncomfortable around LE, but I spent my first 7 years on this Earth in a neighborhood full of cops and firefighters as neighbors so I'm used to it. My experiences on a range qualifying with other LEOs in MA did make me nervous however!]

For public ranges in this area (outside OP's 30 minute desire however), Manchester Firing Line's new range is absolutely awesome! I have visited it, but never shot there. At one time Jim and I talked about doing an NES shoot there, but the renovations of the old range turned into such a nightmare that he's more than flat-out with the new range and blocking time for an NES shoot has become an impossibility!

 

[whacko]

I have co-instructed a BFS class at AFS and used their range as an instructor but didn't shoot there. I've also attended a couple of open house events there in their early years where range time was free and still didn't shoot there! Safety concerns in all cases.

I have shot (M1 Garand) at a very nice public shooting range run by the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Department in Florida, as a guest of another C&R collector from that area. Very well run range with 2 Deputy Sheriffs RO'g the use of the range (there was only 3 of us there and Wife was sitting with the Deputies behind us observing). Of course it would have been more fun if they let the public use the school bus or chopper they had there for shooting drills but alas that is strictly for police training.
http://www.pbcgov.com/fdo/admin/shootingrange/
[I realize many here are uncomfortable around LE, but I spent my first 7 years on this Earth in a neighborhood full of cops and firefighters as neighbors so I'm used to it. My experiences on a range qualifying with other LEOs in MA did make me nervous however!]

For public ranges in this area (outside OP's 30 minute desire however), Manchester Firing Line's new range is absolutely awesome! I have visited it, but never shot there. At one time Jim and I talked about doing an NES shoot there, but the renovations of the old range turned into such a nightmare that he's more than flat-out with the new range and blocking time for an NES shoot has become an impossibility!

I'm not uncomfortable around LEOs at all........they put their panties on one leg at a time just like me.......and as long as they understand that and respect my rights I'll respect them........

 

[Len-2A Training]

I'm not uncomfortable around LEOs at all........they put their panties on one leg at a time just like me.......and as long as they understand that and respect my rights I'll respect them........

I had a pleasant short chat with the Deputies RO'g when they asked about some shooting gear that I was using. Just regular folks there to make sure everyone went home with no more holes in them than they came with (a line that Rep. Naughton used last night about his experience in the Sandbox)!