Shooting Ranges & Memberships

The LONG wait...

Recently I found myself invited to a local members-only shooting range and realized that I quite liked the atmosphere compared to the hustle and bustle of your everyday range. 
Last month I had applied for a membership at the same establishment and after a couple of weeks they emailed back saying that I could start my membership in June... of 2014.
At first I couldn't believe the long wait, but after seeing what a private range looked like I felt like anyone in their right mind would want a membership at a place like this.
Apparently this isn't an isolated instance of long waits either. I heard that some other ranges not too far away have 2 or even 3 year-long waiting lists and after that you still have to prove yourself to be a viable candidate and in good standing with the NRA.
People seem to be weary of long lines in crowded indoor shooting ranges these days. Can't say that I blame them, because I sure am. Now that Autumn is here I feel like outdoor shooting is in its prime in New England. Being stuck inside an echoing cavern with pistols and rifles going off 10 feet away on either side of me isn't my idea of a good time.

Most private shooting ranges are starting to put a cap on the number of new members and from there the only way you're getting in is almost purely based on knowing the right people. So check for local members-only ranges sooner rather than later because they're filling up quick!

On the upside I got the opportunity to shoot an acquaintance’s S&W .357 revolver. He had hand loads of .38 and .357 ammunition for it and it was a hoot and a half to shoot and sadly I can shoot it better than my own Glock, which I've owned for quite some time. Also had the chance to shoot the tiniest 1911 Kimber I've ever seen or held and was impressed by its manageability even for its small size.

AMD-65 and Glock 30SF after cleaning

Luckily I was able to dust off my Glock 30SF and AMD-65 for the beautiful and cool Fall day and share them with new shooting friends. Still find that I get compliments and inquiries for my somewhat unique-looking Hungarian AK whenever I shoot it, which is nice.

Well here's wishing me luck to getting into a private, members-only range at some point in the future...

Practice, please

Savage Axis XP, TGI AMD-65, Olympic Arms AR-15

New Savage in .308 (foreground) and old Savage in .300 Savage (background)

AMD-65 Project (continued)

AMD-65

I've finally come close to finishing my AMD-65 project with the new addition of a Vortex SPARC Red Dot optic, which I have sighted in and tested. So far as an overall weapon system it is very good as well as simplistic without a lot of toys attached. In my opinion it is simply an AMD-65 with a helping hand.

 Project - Weapons page

Complete and Incomplete Gun Projects

Build Concepts (before and after):

AKM CQB

M16A4 MWS Desert Recon

AKM Desert Recon

Special thanks to pimpmygun.doctornoob.com

Your everyday domestic AK manufacturer (Boiled Down)

Arsenal Inc.:

Quality: ****

Availability: ****

Price: $$$

Overview: High quality imports with a wide variety of AK's donning the "SA" and "SGL" designations. Quality comes at a price though - expect to pay anywhere from $800 to around $2000 depending on which specific model and caliber.

Century International Arms:

Quality: **

Availability: ****

Price: $

Overview: Probably the most common of all imported AK's are Century Arms' rifles, which flooded the market years ago and continue to do so to this day. Although sometimes cheaply made, often with milled receivers and canted front sights you do get what you pay for. And their guns are by far some of the cheapest AK's out there with most of their rifles selling for less than $500.

Red Jacket Firearms (Sons of Guns):

Quality: ****

Availability: ***

Price: $$-$$$

Overview: Popularized by Discovery Channel's "Sons of Guns," Red Jacket Firearms has a reputation for great quality and lifetime warranties. Sometimes on the expensive side, these well-made rifles are more than worth the price.

Tenessee Guns International (TGI):

Quality: ***

Availability: **

Price: $$
Overview: Recognizable for their quality work and importation of Hungarian AMD-series AK's built on the original FEG receivers, TGI stands as a good mid-range AK seller. Their rifles are of good quality and have the reputation to back them up without the higher prices of companies like Arsenal. The only real drawback to the TGI guns is that they are not as common or as well known as Century Arms or Arsenal and some gun stores may not know them.

There are plenty of other domestic manufacturers\importers of AK's in the U.S., but this is a pretty good cross section and start for someone who hasn't seen all of the reviews there is online.