AGC Guest Changes

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  • Moorvogi

    Firearm Advocate
    Dec 28, 2014
    855
    Snippets taken from the email sent by AGC.

    --------------------------------
    ... removed bit for brevity...
    You might be surprised to learn that over 13,000 guest visits have occurred in that time! (2019)

    In the past year, we've been collecting guest data electronically. The AGC saw over 3,800 unique guests visit the range and some of those guests returned several more times which lead to over 5,000 total guest visits! This is a phenomenal number when you consider that there were only slightly more than 2,700 badges sold in 2019.

    Guess what, of those 3,800 guests only 10 chose to become club members!!
    ----------------------------------


    I understand their desire to increase range memberships, but at what cost? AGC is already the most expensive range in the area and now they are removing a member benefit of bringing guests w/o an additional charge.

    I use the range, from July - October only on Saturdays. I'm not sure it's worth the range fee, club membership fee, guest fees and being indexed/muzzle swept at the range about once a month.

    The range is about 37 minutes away from where I live but i can go to another place for free if i want to drive about 20 minutes further. I just can't do it easily in July - October because of crops.

    What are your plans/thoughts on the ACG rule changes? I'm thinking of giving it a couple weeks and evaluating again.
     

    dist1646

    Ultimate Member
    May 1, 2012
    8,758
    Eldersburg
    The guest fee doesn't mean a thing to me. If I took a friend to lunch it would cost more than that. I do not like the continuing increases in badge fees. They simply are not justifiable. I am more inclined to leave due to the safety issues! There will be more on this at a later date.
     

    Art3

    Eqinsu Ocha
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2015
    13,267
    Harford County
    welcome-to-the-party-pal-19282323.png


    ;)
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    Haven't been a member of an AGC club for over 20 years.

    But, why not require guest registration, and after one or two guests visits in a year, start charging.

    That way you can get new people to see and use the range and possibly join. But limit the repeat guests who are abusing the privilege.
     

    Moorvogi

    Firearm Advocate
    Dec 28, 2014
    855
    Haven't been a member of an AGC club for over 20 years.

    But, why not require guest registration, and after one or two guests visits in a year, start charging.

    That way you can get new people to see and use the range and possibly join. But limit the repeat guests who are abusing the privilege.

    Nope.. can't do that.. THIS would make sense. We'll have none of that here.
     

    Virgil Co.C

    Active Member
    Aug 10, 2018
    615
    I’m a member and from what I read and how it was addressed to me I don’t have an issue , kinda feel like people been stealing shooting time . Join AGC . Seems reasonable to me .JMO
     

    Stoveman

    TV Personality
    Patriot Picket
    Sep 2, 2013
    27,985
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    How about they are shooting and someone else is paying for it!


    How is that stealing time? Guests don't have their own lanes. Same amount of wear and tear on the range whether it's a guest or a member slinging lead. Try again.

    And I would still like to hear the answer from the person to whom it was directed.
     

    rseymorejr

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 28, 2011
    26,002
    Harford County
    Stealing? Now I feel bad. Maybe I'll calculate all the times I stole range time from the AGC for my adult children and send the AGC a check
     

    rob-cubed

    In need of moderation
    Sep 24, 2009
    5,387
    Holding the line in Baltimore
    I go to the AGC maybe 2-3x per year max and I almost always bring one guest: either my daughter or best friend. This is a disincentive to continue shooting there. If my guest got to shoot in their own lane, fine. This just means I spend more money and still shoot half as much.

    Whatever behavior the AGC is trying address here, the charter clubs should think long and hard about what this does to impact its future. Sure, I've seen people show up with 5 guests almost every time I'm there. But is that actually lost revenue? Is it even a bad thing? People that have 5 guests almost always also have women in the mix. They might be introducing people who may become future members. At the very least, they are exposing residents to shooting guns in MD—which is the AGC's legislative future.

    We threaten the future of gun culture in central MD the more exclusive and expensive we make the AGC. If it wants to become a "guntry club" OK but I'm interested in keeping access to firearms and ranges affordable and accessible to everyone.

    As someone earlier suggested, at least allow the first handful of visitors to be free before the fees start. Give me 5 tokens when I renew my badge to redeem. That will address the worst abusers while not punishing the rest.
     

    danb

    dont be a dumbass
    Feb 24, 2013
    22,704
    google is your friend, I am not.
    I am pretty sure I know the 2 badge holders bringing very frequent guests. I am positive that they are not "stealing" anything. I am also positive btw that they are good people overall doing us a favor.

    When three people are there for an hour, they shoot less than when I am there by myself (because chatting). Guests do not add incremental use. Shit, half the time I am there on a weekday evening I have the place to myself or one other person and its self regulating. Even when there is no one there, guests have to share a lane, lol.

    Let we forget: some clubs were signing in guests for events, they thought that was the policy, and badges are rarely if ever checked. The guest log is ******** and the shooter visit estimate is ********. No one knows how often members use the range, unless they sign in for a club event. The idea that guests add incremental cost is based on ********.
     

    rbird7282

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 6, 2012
    18,530
    Columbia
    I go to the AGC maybe 2-3x per year max and I almost always bring one guest: either my daughter or best friend. This is a disincentive to continue shooting there. If my guest got to shoot in their own lane, fine. This just means I spend more money and still shoot half as much.

    Whatever behavior the AGC is trying address here, the charter clubs should think long and hard about what this does to impact its future. Sure, I've seen people show up with 5 guests almost every time I'm there. But is that actually lost revenue? Is it even a bad thing? People that have 5 guests almost always also have women in the mix. They might be introducing people who may become future members. At the very least, they are exposing residents to shooting guns in MD—which is the AGC's legislative future.

    We threaten the future of gun culture in central MD the more exclusive and expensive we make the AGC. If it wants to become a "guntry club" OK but I'm interested in keeping access to firearms and ranges affordable and accessible to everyone.

    As someone earlier suggested, at least allow the first handful of visitors to be free before the fees start. Give me 5 tokens when I renew my badge to redeem. That will address the worst abusers while not punishing the rest.



    The AGC isn’t trying to change any behavior or correct any safety issues with this new guest policy, it’s a money grab pure and simple. It was never about the other stuff, that was just used as an excuse.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    ericoak

    don't drop Aboma on me
    Feb 20, 2010
    6,806
    Howard County
    The AGC isn’t trying to change any behavior or correct any safety issues with this new guest policy, it’s a money grab pure and simple. It was never about the other stuff, that was just used as an excuse.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Money grab for who?
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    I don't think anyone is not for bringing new people and introducing them to shooting or the range.

    But look at the numbers posted, 2x the number of members, as guests.
     

    dist1646

    Ultimate Member
    May 1, 2012
    8,758
    Eldersburg
    How is that stealing time? Guests don't have their own lanes. Same amount of wear and tear on the range whether it's a guest or a member slinging lead. Try again.

    And I would still like to hear the answer from the person to whom it was directed.

    If person A comes to the range and shoots one box of ammo, then person B (guest) shoots a box of ammo, That is double the wear on the facilities. It ain't rocket science.

    How many others have brought a piece of heavy equipment to the range and reworked the impact berms for free? I have.
     

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