Home Shooting Range

Hi All,

I'm from Florida, but started working here in Maryland. I'm considering purchasing a house, and was wondering what the law says about having a private gun range. I've looked through the Maryland statues and codes, and can't find anything that prohibits such a thing. Am I not looking in the right places ?

Thanks,

Bob K

have to check the county regs/laws

Funny, I've been thinking about the same thing. I have a huge basement and have been wondering about putting a little .22 range down there.

You have to consider local regs. If you are within any specific zone and if the neighbors will be ok with the noise no matter how safe you are. I was fortunate that when I met my neighbors they informed me that I was going to hear a lot of gunfire here too but unless I was a deer it was friendly fire. You also have to consider ricochet potential. Every round is your personal responsability no matter who fires it and all targets need to take that into consideration. What and how good is your backstop? Almost all rounds at my house impact in a ravine with a hill behind it with the downhill angle it gives about 50' of verticle. My primary concern is my neighbors to the sides. Ricochets have disasterous potential so most of my steel is top hung swingers that deposit all bullets in the ground directly underneath. Recently I added a dueling tree but untill I can build a proper bunker for it it is down in the ravine angled foreward so all bullets will stay in the ravine. Clays are much easier #7 and up shot will not go more than a few hundred yards and with woods in the background not much of a safety issue at all. Neighbors make the difference. We had to run one off who felt the need to call the police about everything dirt bikes,four wheelers,field parties with music and bonfires,and shooting. We are on a private road and the riding was on private property. The police kept telling her it was all legal and asked her "Why would you want to live back here?" The last straw was volunteering the area across from their driveway for outhouse storage and designating the field across from their house a muffler free zone.
It is really cool but a huge responsability. You will become the Range Nazi from Hell but that is the price of Liberty.

Different counties have different regulations.

For example in Harford county you can shoot on your own property so long as you are 150 yards from the nearest house, or have written permission from all houses within 150 yards.

In Baltimore county you can't discharge a firearm in a densely populated area (forget the exact term they use), but can elsewhere. Basically restricts it to northern parts of the county.

Prince Georges or Montgomery? Forget it. Not even an air pistol. Anywhere. Ever.

My recollection may be flawed, so google for the particular county you are considering buying in. (And then seriously consider buying in Virginia, West Virginia, or Pennsylvania instead...)

Thanks. Sounds like county level laws. I'll be sure to look for a good, rural county !

TapRackBang said:

.......Prince Georges or Montgomery? Forget it. Not even an air pistol. Anywhere. Ever........

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I grew up in PG county shooting bb guns, and even shotguns and rifles in my backyard, my friend's backyard, all around my neighborhood, and in various woods and I'm damn proud if it! PG county can KISS MY BUTT I even set off FIREWORKS and FIRE CRACKERS too! Oh the humanity!
Never had a problem either, guess my friends and I were lucky kids and safety was always a priority.
I am not a lawyer but I'd say the most important thing is to ask your neighbors, especially anyone who might be hearing gun shots.
They are the ones who would be calling the authorities, so find out first if the neighbors may or may not have problems with you shooting.
Wish I could set up a range in the basement, but ventilation and a proper backstop are major issues and would be too expensive for me.

TapRackBang said:

Different counties have different regulations.

For example in Harford county you can shoot on your own property so long as you are 150 yards from the nearest house, or have written permission from all houses within 150 yards.

In Baltimore county you can't discharge a firearm in a densely populated area (forget the exact term they use), but can elsewhere. Basically restricts it to northern parts of the county.

Prince Georges or Montgomery? Forget it. Not even an air pistol. Anywhere. Ever.

My recollection may be flawed, so google for the particular county you are considering buying in. (And then seriously consider buying in Virginia, West Virginia, or Pennsylvania instead...)

Click to expand...

Actually, in Montgomery County, as I understand it, you can target practice in your basement as log as it is below ground and you don't violate any noise ordnances. I got this info from of the old timers at Atlantic guns in Rockville when we discussing a suppressor and threaded barrel for a Buckmark. It seems that a suppressed 22 pistol would be fun, convenient, and legal in your basement in MoCo.

Bob K said:

Hi All,

I'm from Florida, but started working here in Maryland. I'm considering purchasing a house, and was wondering what the law says about having a private gun range. I've looked through the Maryland statues and codes, and can't find anything that prohibits such a thing. Am I not looking in the right places ?

Thanks,

Bob K

Click to expand...

Inside or outside? Outside I think it has everything to do with zoning. Years ago a friend of mine lived on a farm and in his area you could shoot on his side of the road and not on the other.

Merlin said:

Inside or outside? Outside I think it has everything to do with zoning. Years ago a friend of mine lived on a farm and in his area you could shoot on his side of the road and not on the other.

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Outside pistol range. I'm not holding out much hope for a 200 yard rifle range :-)

CPT Ethanolic said:

Funny, I've been thinking about the same thing. I have a huge basement and have been wondering about putting a little .22 range down there.

Click to expand...

Years ago reading in a gun mag about how to build a range in a below grade basement. They did it by digging a trench under the backyard and installing 36" concrete piping starting at one of the basement walls. They cut a 36" hole in the wall where the pipeline connected. They also installed a cable and pully system to move the targets in and out of the pipe.

Bob K said:

Outside pistol range. I'm not holding out much hope for a 200 yard rifle range :-)

Click to expand...

Now that the woods are filling back in I will be back to 25yds and skeet.

WeaponsCollector said:

I grew up in PG county shooting bb guns, and even shotguns and rifles in my backyard, my friend's backyard, all around my neighborhood, and in various woods and I'm damn proud if it! PG county can KISS MY BUTT I even set off FIREWORKS and FIRE CRACKERS too! Oh the humanity!
Never had a problem either, guess my friends and I were lucky kids and safety was always a priority.

Click to expand...

Random gunfire is pretty much still ignored in parts of PG County.

Bob K said:

Outside pistol range. I'm not holding out much hope for a 200 yard rifle range :-)

Click to expand...

Do you have hills around your property? Maybe somewhere that you can shoot into a hill/bank?

K31 said:

Random gunfire is pretty much still ignored in parts of PG County.

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OMG, In our area of northern Carroll County gun fire is a way of life and you would think that Maryland is the most gun friendly state ever. First off, sounds REALLY travail out our way. Often I hear Auto fire. When we are not shooting on my property my neighbor is shooting ground hogs out of his bedroom window.

My neighbor behind me often has 4-6 friends over to do target shooting on his property that connects to ours. Often I hear gun fire very lat at night into the next morning.

Doesn't bother us in the least and never has.

Bob K said:

Hi All,

I'm from Florida, but started working here in Maryland. I'm considering purchasing a house, and was wondering what the law says about having a private gun range. I've looked through the Maryland statues and codes, and can't find anything that prohibits such a thing. Am I not looking in the right places ?

Thanks,

Bob K

Click to expand...

unless you live down south of annapolis...you're probably not going to get away with it in AACo, i think it's 1300' away from any county/state road....then there is dealing with neighbors and the noise/gunfire complaints


on edit: i have found something that states 150yds from an occupied structure...trying to tie it to an actual Co. Reg.

we just go in the back yard

Copied from the archives.....
http://www.mdshooters.com/archive/index.php/t-51740.html
and
http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=77701

§ 9-1-601. Possession or discharge of firearms.

(a) Definition. In this section, "firearm" includes a rifle, handgun, or shotgun as those terms are defined in the Criminal Law Article, § 4-201, of the State Code.

(b) Scope. This section does not apply to a police officer acting in the line of duty.

(c) Prohibition. A person may not discharge a firearm within 100 yards of a structure or camp occupied by human beings or commonly used by human beings without the written permission of the owner, occupant, or lessee of the structure or camp.

(d) Prohibition; exceptions.

(1) A person may not discharge a firearm on any property owned by the County, except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection.

(2) This subsection does not apply to:

(i) an individual who sells property to the County and subsequently occupies or has a right to use the property under a lease or license agreement with the County that permits the discharge of firearms by that individual on the property; or

(ii) a person acting with permission granted pursuant to a wildlife management agreement, and in accordance with Article 14 of this Code.

(e) Prohibition. A person may not possess or discharge a firearm on the property of another unless, at the time of the possession or discharge of the firearm, the person has the express written permission of the owner, occupant, or lessee of the property on which the firearm is possessed or discharged. The written permission shall be signed by the owner, occupant, or lessee; shall include the dates on which the possession or discharge is authorized; and shall specify the parcel or property for which permission is granted. The written permission shall identify the persons for whom permission is granted, and the permission may not be transferred to another person or inferred or implied to include companions of authorized persons. When properly executed, a writing substantially in the following form is sufficient to constitute the written permission required by this subsection:

"I, ________ (owner, occupant, or lessee) hereby authorize ________ to possess or discharge any weapon or firearm on my property known as ________ and such permission is granted for the following time(s): __________________________________________________ ______.

__________________________

(owner, occupant, or lessee)"

Merlin said:

My neighbor behind me often has 4-6 friends over to do target shooting on his property that connects to ours. Often I hear gun fire very lat at night into the next morning.

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In PG neighbor and target shooting are the same thing.

Well legality aside. Focusing on practicality. Shooting silenced 22 is pretty easy to do in a basement/garage into a bullet trap. Or from a window in your house to some sort of backstop outside. Not that I have any experience with this.