Which range do you prefer in the Annapolis area?

[fabsroman]

Can anyone explain the "cool down" period to an out-of-stater? My wife's uncle took me to On Target shortly after moving here. We walked in with our range bags with pistols stored away. They made him open up the bag and when they went to check the chamber they loaded a round from the magazine. The guy behind the counter shouted "Whoa!", set the pistol down and he backed away quickly. We were then informed that we couldn't shoot there for 24 hours in order to "cool down"

He asked to speak to management and they confirmed it was store policy. He tried to explain that the pistol wasn't loaded until THEY chambered it and his reply was "Well, it's our store and it is our policy".

I have never stepped foot back in there and I will never be a patron to a place like that.

As you stated, that would be On Target's store policy. There is nothing in the law that requires a "cool down" period in that case. No clue why they even call it a "cool down" period. Should just be a 24 hour Darwin Award that prevents you from shooting there. End of the day, the employee was an IDIOT for racking the slide BEFORE dropping the mag.

It is NOT illegal to have a mag full of cartridges. However, it IS illegal to transport a handgun with a loaded mag inserted in the handgun.

There are a lot of issues with this one on both sides of it.

 

[Americus]

On target isn't impressive. They ripped off my friend with a 25% restocking fee, and when I went there, I wished I had brought a floodlight as I could barely see the damn targets in the dim light.

Celeckt Fyre... not even gonna go there

 

[trickg]

On target isn't impressive. They ripped off my friend with a 25% restocking fee, and when I went there, I wished I had brought a floodlight as I could barely see the damn targets in the dim light.

Celeckt Fyre... not even gonna go there

When it comes to indoor ranges, I'm not really impressed anywhere I go. Punching holes in paper is flat-out boring compared to how we used to go out and shoot when I was growing up in Nebraska. My Dad had a range set up on a relative's property about a mile and a half out of town. On that range we had:

Steel disk targets on stands
A big "gong" made from a tractor disk hanging from chains - this was fun to shoot with the full-autos
A stand for paper targets
A benchrest at a measured 100 yards
silhouette steel targets that would fall down with a shot that was anything above center mass. They were on hinges, and you could pull all of them back up at once with a rope.

And that was just if we wanted to go the range. There were a couple of prairie dog towns too.

And then if we wanted to, there were a couple of other places we could go to shoot bluerocks/clay pigeons - nothing fancy, just using a hand thrower, but still a lot of fun.

Needless to say, even the best of the indoor ranges are a bit underwhelming to me.

 

[Mr H]

Another vote for OT

But, I'm surprised no one said "the Food Court at Annapolis Mall"

 

[slybarman]

LOL. I think the service is too busy these days retrieving ammo from their hookers to sling lead in the food court.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using Tapatalk.

 

[longgunnewb]

Are you saying they loaded a mag, inserted the mag and racked the slide?

If you had a loaded mag in the pistol when you came in the door, you had a "loaded gun". If you had a loaded mag in the pistol in the vehicle, you were in violation of not only range policy, but law as well.

As you stated, that would be On Target's store policy. There is nothing in the law that requires a "cool down" period in that case. No clue why they even call it a "cool down" period. Should just be a 24 hour Darwin Award that prevents you from shooting there. End of the day, the employee was an IDIOT for racking the slide BEFORE dropping the mag.

It is NOT illegal to have a mag full of cartridges. However, it IS illegal to transport a handgun with a loaded mag inserted in the handgun.

There are a lot of issues with this one on both sides of it.

He forgot the magazine was in the pistol and when they asked to inspect the pistol he handed the bag over to them. The employee racked the slide without dropping the magazine which loaded the chamber. Sure, he unknowingly broke the law which he would have had to deal with if caught but things happen and for the employee to act in that way was absolutely ridiculous.

Also, for the "manager" to back the employee over what happened was stupid IMO. Yes, proper safety is a concern for the owner of OT as well as the management so they have to be strict on certain things. However there are certain times in which you need to take a step back and look at the big picture.

 

[Mark75H]

If I were the owner, it would probably be a permanent ban. (But then again, I would allow loaded magazines separate from guns, too.)

 

[ironpony]

When it comes to indoor ranges, I'm not really impressed anywhere I go. Punching holes in paper is flat-out boring compared to how we used to go out and shoot when I was growing up in Nebraska. My Dad had a range set up on a relative's property about a mile and a half out of town. On that range we had:

Steel disk targets on stands
A big "gong" made from a tractor disk hanging from chains - this was fun to shoot with the full-autos
A stand for paper targets
A benchrest at a measured 100 yards
silhouette steel targets that would fall down with a shot that was anything above center mass. They were on hinges, and you could pull all of them back up at once with a rope.

And that was just if we wanted to go the range. There were a couple of prairie dog towns too.

And then if we wanted to, there were a couple of other places we could go to shoot bluerocks/clay pigeons - nothing fancy, just using a hand thrower, but still a lot of fun.

Needless to say, even the best of the indoor ranges are a bit underwhelming to me.

Yes all of this but ground hogs replacing the prairie dogs.
On Target, good experience but no AC in the summer.
MSAR, didn't shoot there but people were pretty good to deal with.

If the cold weather keeps up On Target it is.

 

[sgt23preston]

Sgt Preston here...

The Naval Academy has a REALLY nice 500 yard range...

BUT unfortunately, it's not open to tax paying citizens...

My USMC unit qualified there for 5 years back in the early 60's...

 

[mxrider]

(But then again, I would allow loaded magazines separate from guns, too.)

They don't have an issue with this.

OT has been fine for me. I have also shot at msar with no. Issues but always in the rifle range

 

[longgunnewb]

If I were the owner, it would probably be a permanent ban. (But then again, I would allow loaded magazines separate from guns, too.)

Wow, really?

Would you allow the ignorance of your employees to chamber a round without dropping a magazine as well?

 

[Mark75H]

Wow, really?

Would you allow the ignorance of your employees to chamber a round without dropping a magazine as well?

Yeah, they'd probably be looking for a job somewhere else. I never said otherwise.

 

[Longvisit]

Yeah, they'd probably be looking for a job somewhere else. I never said otherwise.

MSAR works for me. The people working there do seem to have an interest in making you happy.