Gun Club closure megathread

I've chosen to let my membership at my Sportsman's Club expire after 23 years of membership. I will now use 'pay-as-you-go' public ranges, (I've got 2 or 3 good ones near me).

The way I see it, if my Club would not stand up against unjust closure when outdoor ranges are safer than Walmarts and Market Baskets, I might as well spend less at a location that gives the same Zero Fvcks about My American Rights.
Maybe shutting down crowded indoor public ranges was warranted (maybe, I doubt it…) but, outdoor ranges that already have tables and benches 20 feet apart? No way.

This will happen again. Maybe not a 'heath scare' but something will shut down ranges again for capricious reasons. I'd bet a leg on it...

~Enbloc
 
enbloc said:
I've chosen to let my membership at my Sportsman's Club expire after 23 years of membership. I will now use 'pay-as-you-go' public ranges, (I've got 2 or 3 good ones near me).

The way I see it, if my Club would not stand up against unjust closure when outdoor ranges are safer than Walmarts and Market Baskets, I might as well spend less at a location that gives the same Zero Fvcks about American Rights.
Maybe shutting down crowded indoor public ranges was warranted (maybe…) but, outdoor ranges that already have tables and benches 20 feet apart? No way.

This will happen again. Maybe not a 'heath scare' but something will shut down ranges again for capricious reasons. I'd bet a leg on it...

~Enbloc
Click to expand...

The problem with this is there aren't really much in the way of pay-to-use outdoor ranges. The only one I'm remotely aware of was the one at Waynes if you wanted to call
it that. (I dunno if he even charged for it, I know he let customers use it). This limits rifle/shotgun work significantly.

I also think we have to be careful- while there are certainly clubs that cucked themselves out and went all corona karen, there are many others that literally stayed open right up until the
point that the boot of the authorities was on their throat, like HSC, HSA, and likely several others. Let's not crap on the clubs in these cases when its pretty clear that in a lot of cases a lot of this bullshit was the outcome of poor state and local government forces working against gun owners.

-Mike
 
I have On-Target over in Dracut and Granite State up in Hudson, NH. (They are actually closer to me than the Club.)
Both make my club's indoor range look like a joke and offer a wider range of platforms to shoot.
Sure, no long-distance rifle work, but I am now training for "Front Door to End-of-driveway" targets...

"Different times require different training and a different mindset"...

The 'Good Old Days" are over...
~Enbloc
 
drgrant said:
The problem with this is there aren't really much in the way of pay-to-use outdoor ranges. The only one I'm remotely aware of was the one at Waynes if you wanted to call
it that. (I dunno if he even charged for it, I know he let customers use it). This limits rifle/shotgun work significantly.

I also think we have to be careful- while there are certainly clubs that cucked themselves out and went all corona karen, there are many others that literally stayed open right up until the
point that the boot of the authorities was on their throat, like HSC, HSA, and likely several others. Let's not crap on the clubs in these cases when its pretty clear that in a lot of cases a lot of this bullshit was the outcome of poor state and local government forces working against gun owners.

-Mike
Click to expand...

enbloc said:
I've chosen to let my membership at my Sportsman's Club expire after 23 years of membership. I will now use 'pay-as-you-go' public ranges, (I've got 2 or 3 good ones near me).

The way I see it, if my Club would not stand up against unjust closure when outdoor ranges are safer than Walmarts and Market Baskets, I might as well spend less at a location that gives the same Zero Fvcks about My American Rights.
Maybe shutting down crowded indoor public ranges was warranted (maybe, I doubt it…) but, outdoor ranges that already have tables and benches 20 feet apart? No way.

This will happen again. Maybe not a 'heath scare' but something will shut down ranges again for capricious reasons. I'd bet a leg on it...

~Enbloc
Click to expand...

As Mike stated, you can't blame your club if the JBT were ready to issue Cease & Desist orders to close clubs if they didn't comply.
 
A big problem that I see coming when they reopen , will be restrictions, not the masks and distance stuff, but the no guests and no new memberships.. I'm waiting for my renewal to come back and from what i've been reading here it doesn't seem like there's going to be any / many places to use it.... Paul
 
AFVet said:
A big problem that I see coming when they reopen , will be restrictions, not the masks and distance stuff, but the no guests and no new memberships.. I'm waiting for my renewal to come back and from what i've been reading here it doesn't seem like there's going to be any / many places to use it.... Paul
Click to expand...

Depends on the club and whether or not they dodged the Waffen SS the first time around. A lot of them probably want to get back to normal.

-Mike
 
Rockrivr1 said:
Just heard that Hopkinton is back open. That is awesome news and I'll be heading down there this week to work out some pent up pew pew need!
Click to expand...


Just to clarify for anyone else reading here, Hopkinton Sportsmen's has opened all of our OUTDOOR ranges FOR CLUB MEMBERS ONLY for the time being. The clubhouse will remain closed until further notice. Standard safety rule are in full effect.

Carry on.
 
drgrant said:
Depends on the club and whether or not they dodged the Waffen SS the first time around. A lot of them probably want to get back to normal.

-Mike
Click to expand...
To add to Mike's point . . .

If a club waited to actually receive a cease and desist, even if the state does open up and Faker changes his mind (if Maura tells him that he has), the club is still under a cease and desist until whatever Waffen SS removes it. In other words there could be a "punishment phase" of months of waiting after other clubs are open.
 
Just checked my Club's website and it has been updated (Update as posted, only change they made is in bold)

NOTICE:
DUE TO CONCERNS WITH COVID-19 THE OUTDOOR RANGES ARE CLOSED, EXCEPT FOR POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
 
enbloc said:
Just checked my Club's website and it has been updated (Update as posted, only change they made is in bold)

NOTICE:
DUE TO CONCERNS WITH COVID-19 THE OUTDOOR RANGES ARE CLOSED, EXCEPT FOR POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
Click to expand...
f*** that. The cops use our club for free twice a year. It would not go over well if the cops tried to shut us down.
 
Language on the Leominster Sportsmen's Association website has been changed once again...

ATTENTION: The RIFLE RANGE is CLOSED until May 18th! So unless Gov. Baker extends the lock down date or is pressured to open up ranges sooner, we'll see you at the range on May 19th.
And just so we're clear this lock down is being enforced by the local Health Department.
Click to expand...

EDIT BELOW TO ADD: The club really should coordinate the language between the website and FaceBook, what follows is the post on FB dated the afternoon of 5/5/2020

RANGE UPDATE:
After polling the Board of Directors via email over the weekend, the majority of the Board was in favor of re-opening the range.

Out of courtesy, we reached out to the Leominster Police Department to inform them of our intent. The request was forwarded to the Leominster Health Department, who is charged with enforcing the Governor's emergency health-related mandates.

The health department called us back directly and (apologetically) stated that if we re-opened the range prior to May 19th, they would enforce the Governor's mandate and take action to shut it down.
We have informed GOAL of this situation, but at this time, we are going to remain closed until May 19th.
Click to expand...


Someone is going to have to explain to me what "enforcement" authority the Leominster Health Department has to order locking of the gates to private land on which there are no public facilities.
It's a field in the woods FFS.

And it seems built right into that statement on the website is a roll over clause, "Unless Gov. Baker extends his lock down date."



🐯
 
Last edited:
enbloc said:
I have On-Target over in Dracut and Granite State up in Hudson, NH. (They are actually closer to me than the Club.)
Both make my club's indoor range look like a joke and offer a wider range of platforms to shoot.
Sure, no long-distance rifle work, but I am now training for "Front Door to End-of-driveway" targets...

"Different times require different training and a different mindset"...

The 'Good Old Days" are over...
~Enbloc
Click to expand...
Granite State wasn't doing new membership for a while and no MA residents. This is from their email


-The range is open to all NH residents only and ALL members. A valid ID is required. We will welcome back our MA friends when their governor lifts the stay-at-home order.
 
enbloc said:
Just checked my Club's website and it has been updated (Update as posted, only change they made is in bold)

NOTICE:
DUE TO CONCERNS WITH COVID-19 THE OUTDOOR RANGES ARE CLOSED, EXCEPT FOR POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
Click to expand...

That's effed up
 

Similar threads

Finland Goes Pro-Gun
2
Replies
36
Views
912
Picton
Picton
New England gun tourism
Replies
26
Views
643
MisterHappy
MisterHappy
The new NES stud club member badge - the blue envelope from state police!
2
Replies
54
Views
1K
headednorth
headednorth
Ma. March gun auction Major SUCCESS.
Replies
3
Views
295
Mesatchornug
Mesatchornug
Biden Closing "Gun show loophole"
2
Replies
30
Views
863
zboys
zboys
Back
Top Bottom