Anyone here interested in a shooting partner?

At last night's hearing, the applicant's answers to my questions were pretty clear to the effect that the proposed facility is not comparable to, say, Blue Ridge Arsenal. Membership will be required, with a background check. No specific price was mentioned, but figures as high as $20,000 for top-tier membership were acknowledged as possible.

I've spoken with NRA and will follow up with the Range Development group to see if we can bring a more community-oriented operation to the county.

Stevens Miller
Dulles District Supervisor

 

Steve-
Thanks for sharing your findings. Below is the email I just got from the NRA on the hearing.

Notice how both the email and you confirm that 'there is talk of making a more accessible facility for residents" i.e. not just membership based.

Is it your belief that this facility will be that for our residents by changing the rules -- to allow non-members. Or do you believe that this has sparked a larger discussion to investigate opening a more traditional indoor range in the area (ala Blue Ridge in Chantilly or the NRA range itself in fairfax)?

To me a gun club is like a golf country club. Only a select few can afford to join or even want to be part of it, whilst a majority of the 'players' go to public courses to enjoy their sport.

Let me know your thoughts.

-Chris

NRA EMAIL===========================
On Monday, June 9, with a vote of 8-0-1, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted to advance a special use exemption for the Beaumeade Gun Club that will allow for the construction of an indoor shooting facility in Ashburn.
The proposed facility will house a private gun club and will offer some of the most comprehensive privately run tactical firearms training in the mid-Atlantic region. While this is a private club that will require a membership fee, this opportunity has sparked a discussion about providing more accessible indoor shooting facilities for members of the shooting community.

 

The proposal presented last night only included three lanes. Most of the space was dedicated to activities that would not involve live rounds. Even if the operators chose to offer membership at a very low price, I don't believe they could provide the amount of service we might want. It really seems to be designed for something rather different.

I am thinking that the most productive way to provide a useful facility for Loudouners who want to maintain proficiency will be to look for an additional operator willing to provide that as its main service. While Beaumeade is free to set up its membership structure as it sees fit, I believe it's not appropriate for the county to exert pressure on them to do so in connection with their special exception application.

Please note that this is not an either/or situation. What Beaumeade offers, and what a more traditional practice range could offer, are not mutually exclusive. So, regardless of the future of Beaumeade, and of any membership structure it might adopt, I would still see a conventional range as something we could welcome to Loudoun.

Stevens Miller
Dulles District Supervisor

 

Stevens-
a response to your PM has been sent.

C-

 

$10,000 a year and only three lanes? Good lord. So basically one would pay out $10 for the privilage of using the place, what, maybe three or four times a year?

How many lanes does the NRA range have? I know that the range Brassy & I used to go to in Woodbridge had 20 lanes and we never waited.

 

Did you ask Dick Cheney?

 

The NRA Range has 15 lanes.

 

Is it 3 lanes or 3 RANGES? I think they are calling for 3 ranges, not just 3 lanes... I may be wrong, though...

"Membership fees are supposed to exceed $10,000 a year at the 64,000-square-foot club, which will include three indoor ranges, a lounge and a gym, the club's operator, MVM Inc., told supervisors in June."

 

My assumption would be 3 in-door ranges -- if not 3 ranges total (one indoor and two outdoor). I doubt the article has all the details.

At 64K sq. ft and 10K a year for membership one would expect very exclusive things.

Wouldn't surprise me if the '3 indoor ranges' comment meant one 'range' of lanes for handguns, one for long guns and maybe even an in-door shoot-house style setup.

Or, they could mean 3 ranges, one indoor and two out-door (skeet for example).

In any case, I don't see myself spending $10k/year to join. I can barely find justification to pay NRA $300 to become a 'member' and get unlimited time on their range.

Would love to have a 'normal' range out this way though.

 

I wonder if a normal range can be sustained here, with the cost of rent and daily operating expenses. It seems as though there is a definite interest from the community. I just wonder how viable (profitable) it could be.

 

I was mistaken about the number of lanes. At the public hearing on the application, I misunderstood the floorplan and thought each range was only for one lane. At the ground-breaking, I learned that each of three ranges will have up to ten lanes.

My apologies for the error. I'm looking forward to being there when they open the doors.

Stevens Miller

 

I worked at a place that had 32 lanes and no entry fee. Of course, it was a bowling alley and you were not allowed to shoot the pins.

Good thing, too. People get angry when they don't all fall down like they are supposed to!