California on my agenda - need info

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Mikey

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Looks like my job will put me in the Oakland area on and off for the next few months. I have a Tennessee Carry Permit which I figure will be worthless in the Peoples Republic but I also like to shoot, mainly IDPA, and want to stay sharp.

Any clubs or ranges in the area? Any TFL members in the area? What kind of restrictions on firearms imports with visitors from the rest of the continental US?

Mikey
 
I live in San Francisco.

As far as restrictions, sigh, there are quite a few.

I recommend you get yourself to an NRA web site pronto to find out what you can...nothing like reading verbatim legal text to set you straight. A simple web search using www.northernlight.com will speed you on your way.

As for ranges in the area, well, there a quite a few. A visit to any gunstore in the are will put you right. I like the Richmond Rod and Reel club the best.

In Oakland, there is a very good shop on West MacArthur and Telegraph (on the NW corner of the intersection..."Trappers" is the name I believe).

I think the biggest problem you are going to have is finding an inexpensive place to live....rent and home prices are going through the roof lately. An example is that my house went up 30% in price in the last two years!

If you want more info, email me and I can send you more specifics.

Duncan

PS

This should give you a fright......
http://caag.state.ca.us/firearms/ab991.htm


[This message has been edited by Duncan (edited November 02, 1999).]
 
Duncan,

Thanks for the good info. I'm not moving there, just a temporary assignment and I'll be in and out every couple of weeks or so. I'll be living on the company dime so I won't have to fret over housing. I've been to the area before - San Jose, Santa Clara, San Francisco - seen the bridge, seen the big trees, seen the coast, been to the Warf. It's been a while and I remember the sticker shock when I looked at housing prices!

I assume I wouldn't fall under the "personal importer" clause since I won't become a resident. If the other laws are too tricky I probably won't even fool with bringing my pistols. I'm going to check the NRA site right now!

Do you happen to know if any of the local ranges offer rentals on quality stuff - 1911's specifically - like STI's and such?

If you wish to do so, you can e-mail your contact info (phone?) and perhaps we could get together while I'm in the neighborhood. Don't feel bad in the least if you are reluctant to do this. I realize you don't know me and I might be reluctant myself if the tables were turned.

Mikey

[This message has been edited by Mikey (edited November 02, 1999).]
 
There is a range in Castro Valley (approximately 20 minutes east of Oakland)where IDPA is done. Check the IDPA web site for the dates, I beleive its the second Sunday of each month. I have not shot there but a freind has and enjoyed it. Welcome to the gulag...

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It is far better to dare mighty things, though riddled with failure, than to live in the dull grey of mediocrity.
 
That would be the Chabot Gun Club. I haven't been there, but I've been thinking of trying the PPC competition they have on the 2nd Sunday of each month. IDPA is 3rd Saturday of each month.

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[This message has been edited by Ewok (edited November 02, 1999).]
 
Best range is the Los Altos Rod and Gun club. Better than anything I've found in the Austin, Texas area (!). 40 yard tin can range rules! Very strict with fools.

Rent sucks. I'm paying half of my CA rent in Austin, for a place that is 50% bigger, and isn't in a slum. SF is even worse: I have 3 friends sharing a two bdrm (it was nice) @3600/month.

Basically, CA sucks. I thought I was going to be in fat city when I accepted my CA job, but everyone and their brother has their hand out. 900 to register my truck, 12-1500 rent for a 1 bdrm, 9+% income tax, 1.98 gas (last summer). The list goes on and on. Moving to Austin was an immediate 25% _after tax_ raise, and the people here bitch about the cost of living. OOOh and don't forget the $200K+ 1 bdrm condos!
 
The only ranges I know that rent are the indoor ones. I confess an intrinsic dislike on indoor ranges, and have only look at a few in the area...never shot at any. Didn't notice any 1911 style pistols.

Try this page for pointers on where to shoot in the Bay Area:
http://www.california.com/~jtchew/BAranges.html

As for meeting up, Mikey, and doing some shooting, anything is possible, but the next two months are not going to leave me with much free time....lots of holidays, relatives, work, surfing, oh, and sleeping. I'll have to check my schedule before I could make any firm statements one way or the other.

Regards,

Duncan
 
Mikey,

Drop me an Email at guy.meredith@astragate.com when you are in the area if you want directions to any of the ranges.

I have visited or shot at the ranges in San Leandro, Richmond, Milpitas, Castro Valley, Baypoint/Concord and Livermore. All except Richmond are within about 25 miles of my home in San Ramon (east of Oakland).

I am a member if USI/Diablo Rod and Gun club/Diablo Action Pistol Club at the Baypoint/Concord location and a member at Chabot in Castro Valley where I work one day a month as Range Safety Officer.

The San Leandro range is the least interesting, nestled between auto junk yards.

Livermore has an okay shotgun facility, but rifle and pistol seem to be very low on the priority with minimal facilities.

Richmond has a nice and safely built action pistol range and hosts some good shooters. They sponser some of the more challenging matches and the fun Bay Bridge Charity Classic for Toys for Tots (third largest donor in the Bay Area last year behind two major corporations). However their public target range is even less impressive than San Leandro. Okay club house with kitchen and cocktail lounge.

Milpitas is Target Masters, an indoor range and the only one with rental handguns. They also sell guns and did have an amazing selection and price until a recent management change. Still some of the best prices around.

(The store that Duncan mentions is Traders. Has an unwarrented reputation as their prices are outrageous and make me uncomfortable with the large number of gang bangers that hang around.)

Chabot in Castro Valley is by far one of the most beautiful in terms of location, situated in a clearing in an euctalyptus forest in the park. They have about 90 seats in the public rifle and pistol ranges which go from 7 yards to 100 yards. They have two special purpose ranges used for PPC, IPSC style action pistol, IDPA, junior rifle, plinking, black powder, cowboy, International, Bullseye, etc. Also shotgun ranges. The 200 yard range is for club member use only. Check http://www.chabotgunclub.com/ for schedules.

The only drawback to the Chabot ranges for IPSC/IDPA is that the ranges are not divided into bays, so the squads need to coordinate firing periods and target check periods. I saw the IDPA people breaking 180, which does not suit me.

The USI range at Baypoint/Concord hosts three clubs from the area. They have a clubhouse second only to Richmond (no cocktails), a large shotgun facility, a public rifle/pistol range almost as large as Chabot and a action pistol range with 5 bays.

The IPSC style action pistol here is run by the Diablo Action Pistol club and by far allows for more action pistol time than the others. Not sure about winter schedule, but Thursday nights, 1st and 3rd Saturdays are open for practice if an RO is available the rest of the year. Practice match is the second Sunday and the monthly match is the fourth Saturday.
 
Ooops again. The store Duncan is talking about is Siegals. Very good despite location and outside appearances (was probably a bar at one time or another). Prices are so-so, people are good. Traders is off the 580 in San Leandro (?), has just about everything including an incredible selection of safes and, in case I didn't mention it, a more than acceptable gang banger clientele.

The USI group will soon be reopening its multi-purpose range (up to 200 yards), but I don't know whether it will host handgun activity or whether it will be open to the public.
 
Thanks for the GREAT response!! :)

It's a doggone shame that a place with so many nice shooting facilities has such restrictive gun laws. :(

I'll let you guys know what my schedule is when I find out myself.

Mikey
 
Guy Meredith,

Thank-you for the corrections concerning the names and locations of the shops I spoke of.

As for the 'gang-bangers' in Traders, I've never had a problem. Seems to be a fair amount of bluff and gruff posing to me.

Of course I can only wonder what they think of me when I say hello and, if the opportunity presents itself, what they they think about certain firearms. I've yet to have a blank stare/glare....common interests go a long way. But outside of the shop, for the most part, I ignore them.

Regards,

Duncan
 
Duncan,

You may be right about the bangers. They may also just be window shopping--usually in the dramatic movie prop handgun section. I've had no overt negative attitude displayed, just as you say the posing. However can't say that we have anything in common as my intents are most likely quite different.

For the most part Traders isn't interesting anyway as it is easy to get better prices elsewhere.
 
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