Gun Ranges & Alcoholic Beverages

B

BarryLee

New member
I attached a link to a story about a new gun range under construction in suburban Atlanta. The range looks to be pretty nice as you can see from the link to their WEB site. The range plans to have a lounge which will serve food and alcoholic beverages. The local city has just approved their alcohol license and I assume things are moving along.

As participants in the shooting sports continue to become more diverse and participation in general is more accepted it appears amenities are improving and expanding. I think many people are looking for a social experience along with their range time.

So, just curious if there are many gun ranges that serve alcohol?


http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/gun-club-allow-alcohol-sales/nSF4x/

http://governorsgunclub.com/
 
So, just curious if there are many gun ranges that serve alcohol?
Click to expand...

I don't know how it's legal, doesn't the law prohibit having a firearm in a building that sells alcohol for on-site consumption?

That's my understanding of it, not sure whether it's correct.
 
Gunnut17 said:
BarryLee said:
So, just curious if there are many gun ranges that serve alcohol?
Click to expand...
I don't know how it's legal, doesn't the law prohibit having a firearm in a building that sells alcohol for on-site consumption?
Click to expand...
Federal law does not, so the question has to be whether state law does. The answer, of course, is "it depends on what state you're in."
 
Now that you mention it, our local gun ranges have club houses with alcohol licenses. I don't go to them as I shoot at my camp, but it does seem to make you wonder. Although, maybe it is designed for after shooting and all guns must be stowed in vehicles?
 
Any "well run" range that serves alcohol will have explicit rules about drinking only after the guns are put away.
 
At the one and only German shooting club where I shot in Germany about 45 years ago, I'm sure they served beer. Beer is served everywhere in Germany and I think there's even home delivery. The shooting was from inside, the targets were outside, though my memory of the place is a little vague. But it was typically Bavarian Jäger-style, with deer antlers and rustic furniture.

The Germans, by the way, have a lower drinking age and a higher driving age. Don't know what their shooting age is, though.
 
When i saw the news this morning as soon as a drink is served, the computer will flag them so they could not shoot for the entire day.
I think this is getting blown out of proportion. After spending 3.5 million +, and paying the super high cost of insurance, I would believe the owners would want to limit liability as best as possible.
 
I've shot at 3 different ranges where alcohol was served. To my knowledge there was never a problem at any of them. The rules were posted, and they were all policed by the members.
 
Personally, I don't have any problem with a range/club that serves beer as long as its served after the shooting is done and guns put away. I will sometimes have a beer or two when I'm cleaning my guns after shooting - not at any range, but at my house.
 
I've never seen one that did. I would never, ever, ever, get near a range that sold booze. Thats not sane. :eek::eek::eek:

EDIT: If you can only buy booze after shooting ok, but only if its a strict system. I have to deal with way to many yayhoos as it is with drunk yayhoos waiving guns around.
 
I see no problem at all,,,

I see no problem at all,,,
As long as the drinking is after the shooting.

When I visit my range,,,
A few adult beverages after shooting is almost always the case.

I just make sure I am "transporting" my firearms,,,
As opposed to carrying it concealed.

I would love it if there were an indoor range near me,,,
That had a lounge for an after shooting beverage.

What camaraderie there would be,,,
And the alibis generated after a glass of scotch would be great. ;)

Aarond

.
 
I see no problem at all,,,
As long as the drinking is after the shooting.
Click to expand...

Pretty much. As long as they keep a tight watch on those who might think popping off a few rounds with a buzz might be a sound idea, I don't see the problem.

Town I went to college in had a laundromat with a bar - laundry day was always a good day:D
 
We are talking adults, right? We make a big point in the gun community of individual rights and the responsible gun owner. The same mindset should apply to drinking.

In Texas, drinking and concealed carry is treated the same as drinking and driving. You're impaired or you aren't. It's an individual responsibility. It's not the job of the bartender, or some gun club nanny with a "strict system," to police adult shooters.

The only specific proscription in Texas regarding drinking establishments is you can't concealed carry in actual "bars," i.e., establishments that derive 51% or more of their revenue from alcohol sales. So a business serving alcohol co-located with a shooting range might have to meet that criterion to be viable, namely sell more food than booze. But as far as just shooting and drinking without CC, it's a pure individual responsibility.
 
I don't know how it's legal, doesn't the law prohibit having a firearm in a building that sells alcohol for on-site consumption?
Click to expand...
In Georgia, it's legal to carry in a restaurant that serves alcohol, so long as 51% of its income is from food.

Carry in bars is legal with the explicit permission of the owner.
 
We are talking adults, right? We make a big point in the gun community of individual rights and the responsible gun owner. The same mindset should apply to drinking.

In Texas, drinking and concealed carry is treated the same as drinking and driving. You're impaired or you aren't. It's an individual responsibility. It's not the job of the bartender, or some gun club nanny with a "strict system," to police adult shooters.

The only specific proscription in Texas regarding drinking establishments is you can't concealed carry in actual "bars," i.e., establishments that derive 51% or more of their revenue from alcohol sales. So a business serving alcohol co-located with a shooting range might have to meet that criterion to be viable, namely sell more food than booze. But as far as just shooting and drinking without CC, it's a pure individual responsibility.
Click to expand...

Are we talking adults?
1. If its a private club, or just your friends thats one thing. A public range - no way. Judging by the high yayhoo count I've dealt with in the past - I wouldn't trust the range or so called personal responsibility for spit.
2. The legal limit on drinking with a CC in Texas is actually "impaired" and that has not been tested by a court. Most instructors will tell you don't drink and CC. Frankly I'd trust a CC ten times more than the average shooter I see at the public range.

Your mileage may vary. I shoot mostly at public ranges. While convenient the yayhoo factor can be high. If we're talking my local shooting club, that would be a different story. I know them.
 
Last edited:
At the private range where I'm an RO the club doesn't provide alcohol. It has no problem with people consuming alcohol at private parties upon the property as long as all shooting activities are completed and firearms are stowed away properly.

Alcohol and shooting really don't go together. However, privately I suspect a lot of people here have had occasion to meet with friends at a favorite shooting range "up in the hills" or wherever, with a couple of six packs of beer and a couple of "bricks" of .22 for a fun afternoon.
 
In Georgia, it's legal to carry in a restaurant that serves alcohol, so long as 51% of its income is from food.

Carry in bars is legal with the explicit permission of the owner.
Click to expand...


Please tell me Taco Mac serves more food than beer....
 
The place looks nice, too bad it doesnt have rifle range distances since its indoors. Ive always wanted a golf country club style gun range that serves good food. I like the locker idea as well. the initial fee is what gets you, the 800/year meh, thats a lil steep but like i said if it had an outdoor rifle range as well i could see that being alright. currently the only range we have here goes out to 200 yards, been around for decades, 120 or so a year w/ a 120 first time activation fee. very cheap and nice, run by "older people" and have a rep for being a bit up tight.

It hurts that ive been to Ulm over 20 times but not since this opened
http://www.mszu.de/ the site is of course in german, but you dont have to speak german to drool. this has been posted on here before.
 
Mine sells beer, pop, coffee, and bagged snacks and as a social area with tables and chairs and a fireplace. Pretty nice setup, feels very homey.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top