Looking to open an indoor range?

[Slayr]

There's an indoor range available for those of you who might have the money or resources to invest. It's been closed now for about a year but as far as I know all the furnishings are still intact. An attractive building located in Douglasville. Ga. The phone number has been disconnected but if anybodys interested I will get more info. It's the old Wolf Creek pistol Range 5840 Bankhead Hwy. Douglasville, Ga.30134 25yd 12 stalls


Third rule of gun ownership-Don't hessitate to use it if you have to.

[dunkel]

Can I get more info? Been looking for something like this for a while, so more information would be cool. I'm heading up that way this weekend to check the site out, but any further information you might have would be great.

Thanks.

[Okie]

Can I get more info? Been looking for something like this for a while, so more information would be cool. I'm heading up that way this weekend to check the site out, but any further information you might have would be great.

Thanks.

Welcome to the AK files, from one person to another who wandered over here freom Assault Web! (from Wolf)

[dunkel]

What?!? How did you know it was me? Hm, my disguise must not have worked...

Anyway, thanks for the welcome. So many gun boards, so little time, lol.

[ByronF]

Be sure to check local ordinances and EPA air quality issues before spending money. Some new air standards are VERY difficult to achieve. Airborn lead levels are the major concern.

Byron

[Ought Six]

The range may have closed because its ventilation system does not meet EPA lead abatement standards. If that is the case, then the old system must be ripped out by certified lead abatement specialists, and carted off to a class 1 toxic waste site. Then, an extremely expensive new ventilation system must be installed. This may be why the range went out of business, because they could not afford to comply with this requirement.

The other problem is operating costs. You must do regular lead abatement, removing the lead dust & spent bullets. This is not as simple as just sweeping up & vaccuming. There are required proceedures and protective equipment, and the waste must again be disposed of to a class 1 toxic waste site by a company certified to do that. Some states may require trained and state-certified professionals to do this.

Another major operating cost is insurance. The liability policy for such a business covers you, your employees and your patrons. The potential for lead poisoning among employees and injury with everone in the building is relatively high, and premiums for such a business are extreme.

Yet another cost is required periodic medical screenings for all employees. These involve full physicals a couple times a year, as well as blood screenings for lead even more frequently. Many a range master has been forced to quit for six months or longer due to excessive lead levels in the blood. That means hiring & training a new range master.

The last thing is paperwork. When you are dealing with employees working in a toxic environment, storage & sales of ammo, disposal of toxic waste and special liability and employee medical requirements, the paperwork from the fedgov, state gov and insurance companies is insane. There are also a number of licenses required, and they are not cheap.

This is a complex business with very high operating costs. Insurance & medical costs are skyrocketing at far beyond other normal business costs, so business like indoor shooting ranges that must expend a higher percentage of their operating budget in these areas are being hurt badly. That is why we see so few indoor ranges today, and why we will see even fewer of them in the future.

If anyone is seriously thinking about owning such a business, they would be smart to speak to another indoor range operator in their state before spending dime one, and find out just what is involved.

[dunkel]

Well, I went up and asked around. Facility looked nice, but after talking with some of the locals, it looks like they shut down because of landlord problems. Apparently, there were some maintance issues, and the landlord was bring a jerk about it, so the guy running the place moved on. Local sheriff is using the joint for K-9 training or something.

[Packrat]

The E Germans loaded training ammo for the AK with a plastic core and a steel jacket. If some ammo company could be enticed into doing this, with lead-free primers, you wouldn't have a lead problem. The bullets hit a hard surface and flexed, breaking the jacket, so there would not be a problem with penetration. Finally, the bullet weighed about 60gr, so matching the ballistics of the AK round required a light powder load, which was less stressful on the firearms. This would be just the load for an in-door range.

[Romak]

Centerfire Systems just got a batch of 7.62x54R plastic core in. It was listed in their last flyer..

$79.97= 912rds