NOVA Gun Range

Hey guys I am coming down to Alexandria for a week and half. Unfortuantly I will not be bringing my guns with me as I am taking a bus down and it drops right off in downtown DC. Any good ranges in the area for reasonable fees and that rent??

If $20/hour first person, and $10 for 2nd and 3rd, is ok, http://www.blueridgearsenal.com Chantilly, VA, near Dulles Airport. They have rental guns.

3fgburner said:

If $20/hour first person, and $10 for 2nd and 3rd, is ok, http://www.blueridgearsenal.com Chantilly, VA, near Dulles Airport. They have rental guns.

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I'm not sure that counts, OP asked for a good ranged ^.^

Do not go to Blue Ridge.

Jay said:

Any good ranges in the area for reasonable fees and that rent

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No, not really.
...but I guess it depends on how much you normally pay

I shoot at Silver Eagle Group in Ashburn. It is certainly one of the nicest indoor ranges in the area.

Nra hq

The NRA range doesn't rent, but I'm betting if you asked for a loaner you would probably find several folks on the VA Forum willing to meet up. They do sell ammo.

There is also the range "formerly known as Gilberts" at Terminal Road & 7100. That is probably the geographically closest to DC <anyone know the current name?>

Blue Ridge & Silver eagle are further away, and more full auto friendly than the NRA range... if that matters in your selection criteria.

All of the ranges are relatively expensive; I think the NRA is $18 / hour for a non NRA member, 15 for a member, 1 hour if they're busy, as long as you want if they're not. NRA also makes you take a test if you haven't shot there before, and it's a 10 dollar 'card processing' fee :-( to take the test. On the up side, they have actual paid RSOs who ... you know... watch the range.

Mr. Y said:

The NRA range doesn't rent, but I'm betting if you asked for a loaner you would probably find several folks on the VA Forum willing to meet up. They do sell ammo.

There is also the range "formerly known as Gilberts" at Terminal Road & 7100. That is probably the geographically closest to DC <anyone know the current name?>

Blue Ridge & Silver eagle are further away, and more full auto friendly than the NRA range... if that matters in your selection criteria.

All of the ranges are relatively expensive; I think the NRA is $18 / hour for a non NRA member, 15 for a member, 1 hour if they're busy, as long as you want if they're not. NRA also makes you take a test if you haven't shot there before, and it's a 10 dollar 'card processing' fee :-( to take the test. On the up side, they have actual paid RSOs who ... you know... watch the range.

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For an evening shoot, yell. I have guest passes to "the range formerly known as Gilberts" (now Sharpshooters Virginia). I have guns I could bring, plus they rent them.

Not the greatest range I've ever been to, but not bad for regular practice. I could be persuaded to meet up!

Jay said:

Hey guys I am coming down to Alexandria for a week and half. Unfortuantly I will not be bringing my guns with me as I am taking a bus down and it drops right off in downtown DC. Any good ranges in the area for reasonable fees and that rent??

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Look at the Federal transport law close http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00000926---A000-.html Or call VCDL VCDL.org

Thanks for the info guys and if once I figure my schedule out a little more I will sound off and see if anyone wants to meet up.

xdm guy said:

Look at the Federal transport law close http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00000926---A000-.html Or call VCDL VCDL.org

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I looked at this however I am taking a bus from NH (gun friendly) to Boston Ma. (not gun friendly) with an 1 1/2 hour change over at the bus station. Bag would be in my possession at the terminal. Then I jump the bus from Boston to Washington DC. Then will have to walk with my bag about a block and half to Metro station to get into Alexandria. I think that is to much time of having a firearm in my possession in two non gun friendly states.

Jay said:

I looked at this however I am taking a bus from NH (gun friendly) to Boston Ma. (not gun friendly) with an 1 1/2 hour change over at the bus station. Bag would be in my possession at the terminal. Then I jump the bus from Boston to Washington DC. Then will have to walk with my bag about a block and half to Metro station to get into Alexandria. I think that is to much time of having a firearm in my possession in two non gun friendly states.

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Dont give in that easy. http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/dc.pdf You might be ok in DC. MA I can't make heads or tails of there laws. Cross link this thread in the MA forum you might get a answer. Why not just bypass MA and DC?

Seg

I like Silver Eagle Group. They too have a large selection of guns to rent including long guns. Yes it is about 5 bucks more per lane but the facility is outstanding. better than blue ridge better that formally gilbert's. If you are here Sat and/or Sun, PM me and you will be able to share a lane with me.

Ya Ya the owner of SEG is an Obama supporter. He still has to pay for the power and water and mortgage on the facility... and he employs about 35 ppl who do not support Obama...

Since you plan on renting firearms from the range, look in Maryland too.... maybe you can find a range that isn't too far from a Metro (subway) stop. I think Gilberts is in Rockville MD... but I don't know how close that is to a Metro stop.

DC Area Metro Rail Maps: http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm

To all the folks that are encouraging our visitor from the frozen North to bring his handgun(s) with him:

First of all, the bus company (is there any national interstate carrier left besides Greyhound?) does not allow gun in checked or hand-carried baggage. I have no information about the intrastate and regional companies but am willing to put a few bucks down saying they have similar rules. Second, if he does not have a Massachusetts FOID card he cannot even posses a handgun there. If my memory serves me right, he will most likely transfer busses in Boston or Springfield, depending on which way he is going. He needs a LTC to transport anything he legally posseses in that state. Third, he will most likely be travelling via I-95 which means he passes through Connecticut where he needs a state permit to posses, and then NY State, where he needs a licence to posses, and through NYC where he needs a city license as they do not recognize licenses from the rest of the state. Bet he has to transfer busses at the Port Authority Terminal. Then he goes through New Jersey where he needs a NJ license. Recall all the folks who got nailed transferring planes there? Then Deleware, where he may or may not be safe. After that he enters Maryland where he again needs a state license (virtually unobtainable) to carry in his carry-on baggage as it will be considered concealed, and if his magazine is loaded he has broken another law. Then he hits DC, where he gets off the bus. It takes months to process the paperwork to register a handgun that you are only allowed to keep in your home. It's not until he crosses the Potomac that he reaches the land of the free.

FOPA will not cover him if only because of his getting off the bus in DC. Remember the tourist who got nailed for having firearms in his travel trailer? If he had not stopped to see the sights he might have gotten away clean because nobody would have seen his firearms.

On top of everything else, TSA has been in the news over deploying VIPR teams at bus stations. That means some risk of getting probulated anywhere along the line, even if it is not a station where he intended to get off te bus.

Yes, FOPA should cover him, but the reality is that most of the states he needs to travel through do not recognize that. As well as the bus companies not recognizing his right to keep and bear as he travels.

stay safe.

ship the guns??

If he wanted to use his personal gun(s), couldn't he ship them to himself at his Alexandria address?

Hotels can hold a package till he arrives. Once here he can ship back home again to himself before he leaves VA.

Just a thought as I've seen this done when attending shooting competitions, where people are coming in from all over the world. I've flown with multiple guns which can be a pain and have thought of shipping them next time I have to travel for a competition.

As a Displaced Granite-stater...

nova said:

He supported Connolly and Bulova, both of which I have to put up with as a Fairfax County resident.

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Jay, PM me with your arrival and contact information and I can assist you if you need it. I work a less than a mile from the train station in DC (Nights though... ) I have a few pistols and rifles that I let others shoot when I am at SEG. Good luck

Nova, His support did not buy Connolly's or Bulova their respective seats... :cuss:

Bus Travel

I feel so profoundly sorry for anyone that has to travel by bus ANYWHERE. Even before I knew about OC and CC (and owned my own car), I used Greyhound a couple times. The 3-hour car ride from Norfolk to Fairfax turned into a 6 hour scenic tour of the backroads of Virginia. It seemed every intersection had a Greyhound sign and we stopped. We even stopped for hitchhikers! They paid the driver a few bucks and went as far as they needed to go. Some of those places I had never heard of (and haven't thought of since).

If I didn't have family obligations, I'd gladly give this poor fellow a ride, but its a bit far for me. I'd only ask him to pay gas and tolls. I'm sure that would be quite a bit less than the price of a bus ticket, anyway.

I know of one bus station manager that CC's. We had a conversation one night when i went to pick my daughter up from an incoming bus. Gave him one of Ed's Cards.

Jay said:

Hey guys I am coming down to Alexandria for a week and half. Unfortuantly I will not be bringing my guns with me as I am taking a bus down and it drops right off in downtown DC. Any good ranges in the area for reasonable fees and that rent??

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LIVE FREE OR DIE!!!!!! NH is awesome. Hope thats my next state. GF wants to move back to MA.....sux to be me.

snatale42 said:

GF wants to move back to MA.....sux to be me.

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Lets see..... new firearm or new girlfriend.... hmmmm decisions, decisions. :lol:

(only half kidding.... these are what they call 'defining moments', when you realize how closely one persons viewpoints might be with the others. Been there, done that... got the divorce. Happily. :banana: )