I go there weekly. Yes the traffic is bad as many people found out its the best local range around. But the folks that go there and sit in the waiting room are very friendly. One can pick up quite a bit of knowledge standing around waiting for your turn.
On weekdays, dinner time (7pm or thereabouts) is the best time to go. As after dinner and right after work people are there and it is busy.
As noted, it's a nice, well run range. It's out behind the main bldg under the parking deck. It's even air conditioned
I have the luxury of being able to go during the day, as it opens at 10 AM on Mondays and Fridays, have never had to wait and I don't compete with those who have to keep regular working hours.
Blue Ridge Arsenal is also a nice range, but I haven't been there in a couple years and quit going because I was thoroughly underwhelmed with the lack of range supervision and a couple of wankers I encountered who really needed some supervision. I hear it's under new management
Does the Blue Ridge range have the capability to allow rifles or is it just a pistol range? How is the smell? I ask because I used to have to close my windows for miles whenever I used to drive by the Blue Ridge treatment plant.
Blue Ridge is limited to pistol calibers. They use a 45 degree armored backstop to deflect everythng up (armored ceiling also at the stop). Even some pistol calibers can chip the armore and you wil be asked to stop using the gun if this occurs.
The NRA uses oil covered snails that can take almost anything.
Not true with Blue Ridge. You can use rifle rounds BUT you must use expensive Frangible rounds. (It is just around the corner from our office) and we shoot there at lunch sometimes.
At the NRA you can shoot any weapon up to a .50 cal.
The NRA range has the new water cooling backdrop. Very nice. Plus it has these massive A/C blowers that push the smell of cordite away from the shooter.
I know this thread is pretty much dead, but does anyone know if the NRA range, or any other range near Fairfax, allow you to rent their guns? I'm looking to rent, preferably, a handgun (i.e. 1911/glock)?