I'm done with Freestate

[Bertfish]

Prepare yourself, this will be lengthy.

For those of you who somehow find a way to blame me for "not doing something" at the end of this discussion just go ahead and keep scrolling. I'm not really interested in hearing how this could have somehow been affected by myself.

I wrote off Freestate after their refusal to release firearms on the 8th day leading up to the ban in 2013. I had a lower receiver that sat there for 104 days awaiting pick up only for them to suddenly have a change of heart when they ran out of space to buy more safes to store peoples firearms in. Our freedom was at their convenience apparently. When I finally picked it up I told the counter guy I would never buy a gun in there again and I meant it.

Since then I've been in that door a total of 3 times to use the range with friends. After tonight I swear I will never cross that threshold again.

Wife and I met a couple there who we know for some range time. Said couple is very new to firearms and wanted to spend some time shooting something different than the two handguns they own. Great, sign me up for an hour at the range! They bought ammo and the range time, I brought guns to shoot.

I'll list my grievances and observations by number just to break up my rant a little bit.

1. Freestate makes anyone new to their facility or to shooting listen to a short discussion on firearms safety. I get it, basic CYA move. What's not useful is giving said discussion at the same counter where the mob has gathered to get checked in to the range. I use the word "discussion" very loosely too, shouting over a group of people (several of which are holding cell phones not paying attention) doesn't mean shit if you actually are trying to give a basic safety primer not just checking a liability box. This is especially true when you have a classroom which you could use to quietly and calmly give the same talk. The concern was on speed and getting people shooting, not on safety.

2. The place has been overrun by urban yoots with cell phones. Before anyone accuses me of racial insensitivity bite me, there was every color and creed of ignorant in there tonight. Facetiming in the range, taking pictures, video while shooting, jamming up the lines because they are paying attention to their phone and not the world around them. The people shooting there tonight were treating that place like an amusement park, not a place where you can be injured or worse if the objects within are used improperly. The worst part is...

3. My wife and I did not see an RSO on duty. Appears as though the counter staff (who were overrun by hordes of people) are monitoring the range via camera. Maybe this is workable when they aren't busy but Friday night is busy as hell in there. This is damned unacceptable for a facility with every lane full of shooters on a busy night to short change safety in this manner.

4. Counter staff there still act like mall ninjas and want to finger bang all of your guns on the way in. If you open my case and see the gun locked open with no magazine in it there is no reason to proceed further. I got agitated with the one guy who started fiddling with my Kimber and (politely) told him to put it back in the case. My guns are not yours to fondle, make your safety check and move on.

5. A pet peeve of mine is guys going in there mag dumping ARs next lane over when I'm trying to instruct my wife. This happens everywhere and it is what it is, maybe I'm a bit of a fudd in this regard and I accept that. If they do have a rate of fire rule it sure wasn't being enforced or respected. Friday nights are always going to be peak hours but this time it was the only time we had available to go.

6. One of the mall ninja counter guys came in to let everyone know that it was getting near 9 and they'd be closing up shop soon. Guy in the lane next to me was clearly experienced, had a 300BLK rifle with a suppressor on it and was minding his own business shooting. Mall ninja stops and asks him if he "wants pointers" which the guy declines with a "no"- that didn't stop the pointers from coming anyways. Now I wouldn't have a particular issue with someone who is perhaps a little overzealous trying to help (in their own way) but I do have an issue when the damned range all around you looks like the wild west. Address the real issues mall ninja!!!!!!!!

My wife is a relative novice but I have really instilled in her a deep respect for safety and the danger of the misuse of firearms. When we got out she told me she did not want to return as she had never felt so unsafe shooting before and dreaded the idea that there was nothing we could do to address the situation except to remove ourselves from it. Someone will be along to tell me that anyone can call a ceasefire - not with the crowd of slack-jawed cell phone users who were in there tonight. This was a balloon shooting gallery at a carnival, not a live firearms range.

If Mark and Randy ever come around these parts anymore then hear what I'm saying guys - get a hold of this situation before something bad happens. That range won't be kept afloat by people treating it like a stop off for fun before they hit the club, you need larger community support. It's a damned gun range not a go-kart park.

I am disappointed to see what has happened to the place since it was founded. It used to be a hell of a business.

Flame me if you want, damn it pissed me off.

[Mark392001]

Clear and concise and you could replace the name of that range with many others out there in the retail indoor range business and be somewhat accurate. Indoor ranges with a confined nature and higher risk make me always pay a lot more attention to surroundings and behaviors of others.

[Name Taken]

So you went in with a negative attitude and had a negative experience. I surely didn't see that coming. A lot of your complaints, come across as nothing really. The "mall ninja" advice is what it is and wasn't even directed at you. Who cares? Pretty much sums up your complaints.

You went to a gun shop, near questionable areas, on a high traffic night. I'm not sure what you expected? Would you be happy if there were 3 other Fudds there leaving the rest of the lanes empty? I'm sure the owners wouldn't rather have that.

[craftsman_69]

I wasn't happy with what I saw there 4 years ago. Had to go there to meet John Cardrunner when it was slow and decided to come back and try the range. Similar issues as what you stated when shooting there. Stuck with Horst & McCann until I retired.

[Virgil Co.C]

Sorry to hear about your experience there. I personally never been , only heard stories about the place which never sparked my interest to go . It is far for me when I have 2 places closer to me but I do like trying out new places . On Target and Cindys I shoot at. I have noticed as I am sure others have that the influx of new shooters and especially renters has made going to range not so fun . Seems it’s nature of the beast anymore. I try and hit off times , crowded I leave and have left due to behavior you described which happens when it gets crowded . It is aggravating. Just hope AGC doesn’t get swamped with said shooters this summer at least there the RO can / will correct it. I just think all the new shooters don’t really know how or what to do in a responsible manner. The shooting community has definitely change with a lot of inexperienced people being trained or not around a lot of inexperienced people. I can relate to your being upset. A new thing I don’t like with the ranges I shoot , I’m a member but they still put a 1/2 hr time limit . Guess I kinda get when there busy but go at least an hour would be nice . Went from once or twice a week to maybe twice a month. Come on warmer weather.

[joppaj]

When people ask me why I hate Maryland, my answer never fails to mention that it's just too damn crowded. This post reminds me why I stopped going to indoor ranges.

[Dsnyder]

This has been my experience at freestate also. Now I only go at opening time. No evenings or weekends.

[Reloader]

The handling of your firearms upon checking in reminds me of select fire in the burnie before it changed owners. Very annoying!

[MDShooter20850]

I am a member at a different range, where I routinely observe everything you experienced. Kids come in using a Groupon and make it a date night. They are not serious about the sport of shooting. The guys are trying to impress their dates. The girls are memorializing everything on Instagram in real time. On at least a half dozen occasions, I have had to remind them to please keep their firearms pointing down range. Now, I just don’t go during those time periods.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Gcs7th]

Originally Posted by Virgil Co.C

. It is aggravating. Just hope AGC doesn’t get swamped with said shooters this summer at least there the RO can / will correct it. I just think all the new shooters don’t really know how or what to do in a responsible manner. The shooting community has definitely change with a lot of inexperienced people being trained or not around a lot of inexperienced people. I can relate to your being upset. A new thing I don’t like with the ranges I shoot , I’m a member but they still put a 1/2 hr time limit . Guess I kinda get when there busy but go at least an hour would be nice . Went from once or twice a week to maybe twice a month. Come on warmer weather.

It doesn’t need to be warm to shoot at the AGC I was there from 0830-1700 today. I’ve been to a few indoor ranges and I’ll take outdoors any day.