First and probably last visit to Gilbert Indoor Range

[FN509Fan]

My wife and I typically shoot at MSAR but as a member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program in Montgomery County, she was offered free range time at Gilbert's this past Sunday (which seemed a little contradictory to me but what the heck.) The parking lot was overflowing so she went in first while I gathered toys from the trunk. After 10 min or so, she hadn't come back out so I went in figuring she was registering. When I got in, she was still waiting to be served. Being Mr. Clueless I'll skip over what happened next and fill y'all in on that later. I was a little taken aback by the detailed examination of my ammo, but I had been warned by this forum to take boxed factory ammo w/brass as they won't let you shoot anything else. I had some expensive Norma 9's purchased for a ridiculous amount near the end of COVID before I had unboxed my reloading gear. I was willing to shoot it up since the primers have an extra crimp that broke more than one decapping pin so I figured I'd just leave the brass. I also had two partial boxes of 45 ACP with price tags in the single digits which they questioned. They were both hotter than I like to shoot in my S&W 625, so I've had them a loooonng time. The head stamps matched the boxes and the tarnish was aged enough that they let me shoot them.

The range is so much nicer than MSAR there is no comparison. The lanes seemed a bit unfinished, like there is a big window between the lanes that seems like it should hold a thick piece of plexiglass instead of being open. The kind of plex you see at banks to protect tellers. And the lane dividers seem to be missing noise reduction or appearance panels over the steel plate that is visible. My wife and I were sharing a lane, I was standing back and the dude to the right of us had a misfire. He started point the important end of his mini Glock in a direction that wasn't down range and I was happy to know that steel plate was there. I was about to shout something at him when I swear,... he looked down the business end of his Glock. It was only a quick look mind you and then he came to his senses, pointed back down range and cleared the dud. After that both my wife watched him while the other was shooting and didn't have any more awkward moments. I was going to mention the event to the staff on the way out but they were pretty busy and my wife was making a bee line toward the exit.

I thought we had a fairly pleasant time till we got back to the car and I asked her what she thought of the range and she started swearing like a sailor. She's well adept at her use of the F bomb and she was highly agitated. Apparently she was waiting to be served for about 10 min and "we" didn't get served until I walked in and we got served immediately, and the clerk was very chatty with me. She was one of only two women in the facility with about three dozen men including shooters and staff and she felt discriminated against. Who was I to argue? I'm fat, dumb and happy she enjoys going shooting. We probably won't go back, mostly because 99% of our ammo is hand loaded by yours truly.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Yeah, F em for evil eyeing your older ( Good ol days priced) ammo. That's enough to put me off too.

Sorry she felt slighted as a woman.

 

[Cal68]

The only time I have been to Gilbert's was when I took my 16 hour CCW class last year in September. At that time the range was undergoing renovations and it was one big open area without any specific lanes. I too was not impressed with their customer service and it seemed like they wanted to nickel and dime me to death. I've not gone back since and do not see that changing.

Cal68

 

[Afrikeber]

Went to Gilbert’s one time and will never go back.

The staff treat you like crap and act like they are Gods gift to indoor ranges. That pistol strapped to their hip screws with their minds with a sense of superiority. Their ammo you have to use sucks and is too costly.

I don’t see how they stay in business.

 

[whistlersmother]

Went to Gilbert’s one time and will never go back.

The staff treat you like crap and act like they are Gods gift to indoor ranges. That pistol strapped to their hip screws with their minds with a sense of superiority. Their ammo you have to use sucks and is too costly.

I don’t see how they stay in business.

So, they're the Montgomery County of shooting ranges?

 

[pbharvey]

as a member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program in Montgomery County, she was offered free range time at Gilbert's this past Sunday

This is interesting.
What is the CERT & firearm relationship? I thought civilian CERT members did medical stuff if they were qualified but otherwise civilians did mundane things like direct traffic and put up tents.

 

[trickg]

I could never go there - almost everything I shoot is a reload, and I'm not about to pay a bunch of money for ammo that suits their particular tastes when I can happily go somewhere else and shoot whatever I bring.

 

[Gilbert Indoor Range]

My wife and I typically shoot at MSAR but as a member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program in Montgomery County, she was offered free range time at Gilbert's this past Sunday (which seemed a little contradictory to me but what the heck.) The parking lot was overflowing so she went in first while I gathered toys from the trunk. After 10 min or so, she hadn't come back out so I went in figuring she was registering. When I got in, she was still waiting to be served. Being Mr. Clueless I'll skip over what happened next and fill y'all in on that later. I was a little taken aback by the detailed examination of my ammo, but I had been warned by this forum to take boxed factory ammo w/brass as they won't let you shoot anything else. I had some expensive Norma 9's purchased for a ridiculous amount near the end of COVID before I had unboxed my reloading gear. I was willing to shoot it up since the primers have an extra crimp that broke more than one decapping pin so I figured I'd just leave the brass. I also had two partial boxes of 45 ACP with price tags in the single digits which they questioned. They were both hotter than I like to shoot in my S&W 625, so I've had them a loooonng time. The head stamps matched the boxes and the tarnish was aged enough that they let me shoot them.

The range is so much nicer than MSAR there is no comparison. The lanes seemed a bit unfinished, like there is a big window between the lanes that seems like it should hold a thick piece of plexiglass instead of being open. The kind of plex you see at banks to protect tellers. And the lane dividers seem to be missing noise reduction or appearance panels over the steel plate that is visible. My wife and I were sharing a lane, I was standing back and the dude to the right of us had a misfire. He started point the important end of his mini Glock in a direction that wasn't down range and I was happy to know that steel plate was there. I was about to shout something at him when I swear,... he looked down the business end of his Glock. It was only a quick look mind you and then he came to his senses, pointed back down range and cleared the dud. After that both my wife watched him while the other was shooting and didn't have any more awkward moments. I was going to mention the event to the staff on the way out but they were pretty busy and my wife was making a bee line toward the exit.

I thought we had a fairly pleasant time till we got back to the car and I asked her what she thought of the range and she started swearing like a sailor. She's well adept at her use of the F bomb and she was highly agitated. Apparently she was waiting to be served for about 10 min and "we" didn't get served until I walked in and we got served immediately, and the clerk was very chatty with me. She was one of only two women in the facility with about three dozen men including shooters and staff and she felt discriminated against. Who was I to argue? I'm fat, dumb and happy she enjoys going shooting. We probably won't go back, mostly because 99% of our ammo is hand loaded by yours truly.

We are a little taken back on your critical post on Maryland Shooters forum from your visit for the free-range time on our First Responder & Volunteer Appreciation Day. Instead of a thank you for opening our range free of charge, showing our appreciation to you guys, we got criticized.

This event was a non-commercial activity to show our appreciation to our first responders and community volunteers that dedicate their time to our fellow citizens. This was a free social gathering of first responders and volunteers, and for other volunteer organizations to get to know each other.

How would you feel if you invited me to your house for a barbeque, and I later complained to my friends that the hamburgers were overcooked, and I had to wait 10 minutes for my free meal? I am sorry that you had to wait 10 minutes to check the integrity of the ammo and that the parking lot was full.

The session was exclusively open to first responders and volunteers and not open to our general membership, it was just for people like you that have a common interest in firearms and volunteering. We had limited staff on hand that we had to pay out of our own pocket, plus the expense of running the lights and ventilation system. Plus, we had no clue how many people would come in for the free session. However, it is not all about money.

There were more 2 women, we had over 8 women participating in the event, and they were most appreciative of our service and our assistance while they were on the range. (Free of charge), some of who were first time shooters.

I do not know of any range in the area including MSAR that will open their range and services to you free of charge. Again, it is not all about the money.

The side that we put you on is still under construction waiting for the glass panels and skins for the booths.

Also, I hope you were able to enjoy the free donuts, bagels and coffee that we provided.

Best regards,
G

 

[trickg]

We are a little taken back on your critical post on Maryland Shooters forum from your visit for the free-range time on our First Responder & Volunteer Appreciation Day. Instead of a thank you for opening our range free of charge, showing our appreciation to you guys, we got criticized.

This event was a non-commercial activity to show our appreciation to our first responders and community volunteers that dedicate their time to our fellow citizens. This was a free social gathering of first responders and volunteers, and for other volunteer organizations to get to know each other.

How would you feel if you invited me to your house for a barbeque, and I later complained to my friends that the hamburgers were overcooked, and I had to wait 10 minutes for my free meal? I am sorry that you had to wait 10 minutes to check the integrity of the ammo and that the parking lot was full.

The session was exclusively open to first responders and volunteers and not open to our general membership, it was just for people like you that have a common interest in firearms and volunteering. We had limited staff on hand that we had to pay out of our own pocket, plus the expense of running the lights and ventilation system. Plus, we had no clue how many people would come in for the free session. However, it is not all about money.

There were more 2 women, we had over 8 women participating in the event, and they were most appreciative of our service and our assistance while they were on the range. (Free of charge), some of who were first time shooters.

I do not know of any range in the area including MSAR that will open their range and services to you free of charge. Again, it is not all about the money.

The side that we put you on is still under construction waiting for the glass panels and skins for the booths.

Also, I hope you were able to enjoy the free donuts, bagels and coffee that we provided.

Best regards,
G

Gilbert, the fact that you responded the way you did actually lends support and credence to FN509fan's criticism.

Your comparison to a backyard barbeque is a pretty poor comparison - yes, it was free, but you're a business, and the idea of offering a free event was self-serving because the idea of the open house and free range time to first responders is in an effort to generate paying business in the future - don't try to act like you're doing it out of the goodness of your heart because you aren't. A better comparison would be an open house of a new burger joint, and in that case, YES - poor service and poorly cooked burgers would definitely be something to complain about because it's a BUSINESS.

And it IS all about the money - why else would you host the event? Why else does any BUSINESS host an open house? Because it's a business - it's about offering something for free now so that it pays off in the end.

Whining about the idea that you were short staffed because you had to pay out of pocket for everything isn't much of an excuse - if you can't afford to do this kind of event and do it right with the right number of staff, then don't - seems pretty simple to me.

Ultimately it's your business, so you can run it any way you see fit, but if you don't learn the rule that it's the customers who butter your bread....well, rest seems pretty obvious to me.

 

[RFBfromDE]

My wife and I were sharing a lane, I was standing back and the dude to the right of us had a misfire. He started point the important end of his mini Glock in a direction that wasn't down range and I was happy to know that steel plate was there. I was about to shout something at him when I swear,... he looked down the business end of his Glock. It was only a quick look mind you and then he came to his senses, pointed back down range and cleared the dud.

I think this is your most valid point.

It was up to the RO to say something. But they may have been standing behind the glass instead of in the room with you. (That was my experience)

Furthermore, if the event was limited to your colleagues, who should know better, it's likely worse when the general public show up.

 

[RFBfromDE]

How would you feel if you invited me to your house for a barbeque, and I later complained to my friends that the hamburgers were overcooked, and I had to wait 10 minutes for my free meal? I am sorry that you had to wait 10 minutes to check the integrity of the ammo and that the parking lot was full.

Also, I hope you were able to enjoy the free donuts, bagels and coffee that we provided.

It's good to hear the other side of the range in nearing completion.

I think that if rifles and handguns are kept in separate areas and the ROs kept stationed in the lanes with the customers it would improve the experience of more safety minded individuals.

Looked like a nice event, thanks!

 

[StantonCree]

Okay I’ll check back later

 

[Checksbob]

I've been to Gilbert a number of times and while it wasn't glitzy or overpriced like the newer places (Heritage, GUNTRY, Silver Eagle, etc), it was fine and and the prices were reasonable. The lobby is plain-jane but clean (unlike some) and lanes are a bit newer/nicer than a number of others in the general area.

While I usually shoot during weekdays, I don't think I've ever had to wait in line for more than one person and usually there's been no line. The guys behind the counter definitely went through my ammo and never gave me a hassle about using store-bought ammo from less expensive places, including +p hollow points. I take my own targets too. But again, no attitude given and it's almost always a non-event in just processing me through.

As for seeing a$$-hats on the line, you come across them in most any range. Guntry and Silver Eagle are some of the fanciest and nicest places around yet you'll see plenty of dings in the concrete floors, even in the booths, on the overhead rails, and walls.

I have personally been at Gilbert when the RSO's approached and talked to customers who were oblivious wankers more than once. My thought is the place seems to get more people who've not had much real training than some other ranges, possibly by being so close to DC and down county MoCo. The last idiot stood back far enough only his forearms and hands were in his booth when he brought his pistol up and the RSO was immediately yelling cease fire then in his face. The only issue I've noticed with Gilbert RSO's not noticing potential idiots is they can get distracted by students and newbies and have their back to most of the lanes.

 

[brianns]

Anybody know what a year membership is at Gilbert’s?

 

[StantonCree]

Anybody know what a year membership is at Gilbert’s?

I had the LEO membership. Only ended up going 4-5 times. Never had any issues was treated well. I just couldn’t get over there enough to justify it, then I had a private range for a while.

I didn’t answer your question obviously but your question made me think.

 

[Biggfoot44]

So, they're the Montgomery County of shooting ranges?

I see what you did there .

 

[Gilbert Indoor Range]

Gilbert, the fact that you responded the way you did actually lends support and credence to FN509fan's criticism.

Your comparison to a backyard barbeque is a pretty poor comparison - yes, it was free, but you're a business, and the idea of offering a free event was self-serving because the idea of the open house and free range time to first responders is in an effort to generate paying business in the future - don't try to act like you're doing it out of the goodness of your heart because you aren't. A better comparison would be an open house of a new burger joint, and in that case, YES - poor service and poorly cooked burgers would definitely be something to complain about because it's a BUSINESS.

And it IS all about the money - why else would you host the event? Why else does any BUSINESS host an open house? Because it's a business - it's about offering something for free now so that it pays off in the end.

Whining about the idea that you were short staffed because you had to pay out of pocket for everything isn't much of an excuse - if you can't afford to do this kind of event and do it right with the right number of staff, then don't - seems pretty simple to me.

Ultimately it's your business, so you can run it any way you see fit, but if you don't learn the rule that it's the customers who butter your bread....well, rest seems pretty obvious to me.

 

[Gilbert Indoor Range]

trickg,

Thank you for your sound advice and the insight into your savvy outlook on operating a business.

From your statements you really have no clue and way off base on the motivation for the free open house for volunteers. You obviously do not have the volunteer mindset, and you probably have never donated any of your time to help the community on a regular basis. And, it is not about the money!

Please share your crystal ball to predict the staff needed and to make it pretty simple for me too.

 

[StantonCree]

Subscribed for the rabble rousing

 

[4g64loser]

trickg,

Thank you for your sound advice and the insight into your savvy outlook on operating a business.

From your statements you really have no clue and way off base on the motivation for the free open house for volunteers. You obviously do not have the volunteer mindset, and you probably have never donated any of your time to help the community on a regular basis. And, it is not about the money!

Please share your crystal ball to predict the staff needed and to make it pretty simple for me too.

Trickg actually spends his own time mentoring young musicians, some of them from less than stellar circumstances, and has spent his own money to assist them in their pursuit of self improvement. He is himself a military vet with many years of service to his country. I don't know him very well but my few meetings have led me to believe that he is a stand up guy.

I don't know if he has a crystal ball.