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Smith & Wesson shooting range closed?

eisenhow said:
If you want to guarantee a slot volunteer to work the match. If you buy enough it may even justify the vacation time. [wink] If you are patient and look around you can find a Pro. I scored a .40 Pro that I plan on using for a Limited-10 gun next year.
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I tried to do that, but I never got a response. I have to try earlier next year (provided there is a match next year).
 
jdesro said:
I could have sworn I read somewhere that it was discontinued, but of course now I can't find anything to verify that.

I guess I was wrong (that's been happening to me a lot lately!) -disregard my prior post!
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You may be thinking about the 9L. I think they discontinued that, not the Pro.
 
drgrant said:
Yeah, that is actually a relatively good price. I guess they brought the pricing down to more reasonable levels. I just know that a couple of years ago it was off the wall in comparison, by like $50-100 over.
Bass Pro probably sells that same gun for $599. [rofl]

-Mike
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Yep, I been going up there regularly for a little over 2 years... the pricing came down about then, and even more about a year ago. I can appreciate they were trying to increase sales, to justify their existence. Yet trying not to step on local shiops. But the truth is, our local shops don't discount much except for my favorite shop. He is usually a few bucks cheaper than others in the area and a lot nicer guy to deal with. I remember buying my M&P45 from Mike even though I could get it about 30 bucks cheaper up at the SW store.. Plus back then, SW retail store offered free range time and $25 off your next gun purchase.. when you bought a gun
 
kiver said:
I wonder if now they will sell me their range 952, Been trying to buy it for some time now
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speaking of that... I did score a couple of range guns last year when they put em in the showcase, a benefit of frequenting the place.. of course all the really good ones were sucked up by the store employees. But I did get a M10 I had been wanting and a NG386 for like 1\2 price.... I also walked in there to shoot this past Presidents day to shoot, the range was closed for the IDPA match, but the store was open.. I left with 3 more guns on layaway with a 30% discount!!
 
Damn, this is not good. I was a member from 2003-2008 I think and was thinking of renewing soon. It`s very hard to find good indoor ranges that don`t have ridiculous rules about use.
 
rwl1955 said:
Damn, this is not good. I was a member from 2003-2008 I think and was thinking of renewing soon. It`s very hard to find good indoor ranges that don`t have ridiculous rules about use.
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MFL is the only premium grade indoor range around without obnoxious rules - (you can draw from a holster and have a target closer than 25 feet if you want, both of which are banned at a crapload of indoor ranges in MA), the ventilation is superb and you can shoot almost anything (even big rifles) except shotguns (although they allow them at the old range across the street) Memberships the first time around are relatively expensive, though (well over $200) although I think renewal is like $165 or something) and you still have to pay fees every time you come in, but the member fees are almost half of what joe public pays, and you get the benefit of being able to make reservations, though. (which is necessary during the winter months). You also get pretty significant discounts on MG rentals and sometimes on bulk ammo.

-Mike
 
On the CT forum, the poster there said that 17 guns were "missing" and convicted felons were caught shooting at the range. I'm just repeating their 'rumor" but it might hold some water.

Rome
 
From what I have been told. The SW range was a mess. Several people needed to be fired. The insurance company was not helping keeping this a public range. I had a printout from the center but misplaced it. The range should be open as a private facility in a month or two. Most likely a no guest policy. Trainings and classes will continue. They are offering refunds on remaining membership time or they will roll it over
 
kiver said:
From what I have been told. The SW range was a mess. Several people needed to be fired. The insurance company was not helping keeping this a public range. I had a printout from the center but misplaced it. The range should be open as a private facility in a month or two. Most likely a no guest policy. Trainings and classes will continue. They are offering refunds on remaining membership time or they will roll it over
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Any word if they will keep the retail store open?
 
mark056 said:
Any word if they will keep the retail store open?
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I am not sure. The letter I was given talked about how to obtain refunds and how to continue with payments. I was working the show and left the flyer behind and I think one of the waitresses must have picked it up and discarded it. I am not sure of the value of a store if the range is going to be strictly private. They were not making a lot of money on the store due to not wanting to undercut other gun shops. My bet would be it is no longer going to exist. I am going to be away for a couple weeks otherwise I would get you some more info
 
kiver said:
I am not sure. The letter I was given talked about how to obtain refunds and how to continue with payments. I was working the show and left the flyer behind and I think one of the waitresses must have picked it up and discarded it. I am not sure of the value of a store if the range is going to be strictly private. They were not making a lot of money on the store due to not wanting to undercut other gun shops. My bet would be it is no longer going to exist. I am going to be away for a couple weeks otherwise I would get you some more info
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Thank you for your reply and for your helpful information. Sig-Sauer has a private range facility used for training only, but they do have a retail outlet on premises. I don't know what kind of a profit the Sig Pro Shop makes under that kind of arrangement.
 
I took the Handgun Techniques course yesterday, May 12, and it was last scheduled Shooting Sports Center (SSC) class until management makes decisions on how they are going to proceed forward with opening both the Academy and SSC. If you are interested in S&W continuing to offer civilian training courses, the best thing you can probably do right now is to let the President and CEO of S&W, P. James Debney, know that you want them to continue offering the them. I understand he has been getting alot of S&W customers expressing their concern about the closing and contacting him can't hurt.

It is thought that S&W is working on putting together a list of the existing SSC memberships and will be contacting members with options.

P. James Debney
Smith & Wesson
2100 Roosevelt Avenue
Springfield, Massachusetts 01104
United States

[email protected]
Phone: 413-781-8300
Fax: 413-731-8980
 
Statement issued by S&W. I know there have been complications with non-licensed persons using the public range and rental guns:

"Due to a number of business and infrastructure factors which include planned upgrades, we are electing to keep the SSC closed on a temporary basis. This closure applies to the general public, current members, law enforcement, IDPA members, VIP’s (without prior approval) and all Smith & Wesson employees. The closure will remain in effect until further notice. We anticipate a mid-summer opening.

During the coming months we will reassess the entire operation to assure alignment with our core business objectives and we plan to open as a private facility with a renewed purpose intent on supporting our commitment to the shooting sports industry. Our plans will encompass continued access to License-To-Carry (LTC) and other training programs as well as FirstShots®, IDPA events, Scout activities, Hunters Education classes and others."
 
It blows my mind they would let unlicensed people use the range without some kind of a safety class in lieu of the license, and maybe a safety check-out at the end of the class.

This has nothing to do with 2a rights. It has to do with being a responsible private business owner.

Don

p.s. although based on what I see at my gun club, some of the worst violators of the basics of gun safety are the old timers who have been shooting for a million years. Many of them think nothing of sweeping you with an "unloaded" gun while uncasing it.
 
dcmdon said:
It blows my mind they would let unlicensed people use the range without some kind of a safety class in lieu of the license.

This has nothing to do with 2a rights. It has to do with being a responsible private business owner.
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Tons of commercial ranges do that. Heck, every single indoor range within a at least a 50 mile radius of where I live currently is like that.
 
dcmdon said:
It blows my mind they would let unlicensed people use the range without some kind of a safety class in lieu of the license, and maybe a safety check-out at the end of the class.

This has nothing to do with 2a rights. It has to do with being a responsible private business owner.

Don

p.s. although based on what I see at my gun club, some of the worst violators of the basics of gun safety are the old timers who have been shooting for a million years. Many of them think nothing of sweeping you with an "unloaded" gun while uncasing it.
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I have rented at ranges all over the country. I do it when traveling on business if I have free time. I've never had to take "some kind of safety class." Mind-blowing to you, maybe, but there it is.
 
dcmdon said:
It blows my mind they would let unlicensed people use the range without some kind of a safety class in lieu of the license, and maybe a safety check-out at the end of the class.

This has nothing to do with 2a rights. It has to do with being a responsible private business owner.

Don

p.s. although based on what I see at my gun club, some of the worst violators of the basics of gun safety are the old timers who have been shooting for a million years. Many of them think nothing of sweeping you with an "unloaded" gun while uncasing it.
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Don,

I appreciate your post and concerns but I fear that you are a victim of your own provincialism. Any public range that I have ever gone to from Arizona to New Hampshire has always had some kind of safety briefing and acknowledgement prior to renting range time. In the case of S&W one actually had to watch a video prior to going on to the range, and acknowledge that the safety rules were understood. Now when did you go to the S&W Shooting Sports Center, and not acknowledge in writing that you were familiar with the range rules?

What concerns me the most is your opening statement: It blows my mind that they would let unlicensed people use the range..." You see my friend Don, this is the first but subtle step in the process of accepting gun licensure as a the norm, rather than the abridgement of a natural right. I totally agree that with rights come responsibilities and one has an obligation to use firearms safely (just as one does not falsely yell "fire" in a crowded theater)...but to see licensure as an accepted norm, is a bit distressing. You do see how we are being conditioned, next thing you know, one is prompted to ask"what is really wrong with reasonable gun control laws? I hope that someday you will have the opportunity to reside in a state where no licenses are required (AK, AZ, VT, for instance). [wink]
 
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At one time not too long ago S&W used to require a safety "class' before shooting if you didn't already have a permit. I (an NRA pistol and rifle instructor) would bring friends who never shot before there to experience it for the first time. S&W made them sit through a safety film. It sounds like they had suspended that practice for one reason or another.

Rome
 
dcmdon said:
It blows my mind they would let unlicensed people use the range without some kind of a safety class in lieu of the license, and maybe a safety check-out at the end of the class.
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Most commercial indoor "pay ranges" in the US don't mandate any of that crap, so what S&W did is not really that unusual. I know they make you watch a safety video (its only a few minutes) if you are not a member, even if you have a license. There are additional restrictions in play I believe if you are unlicensed, but they still allow you to shoot. They also usually have a full time RO on the line as well. I doubt this dust-up is due to safety issues, or at least issues "beyond the norm". Hell, the biggest issue at most of them is range suicides, and there are ways to mitigate that sort of thing, but none of them have to do with safety classes.

It will suck if S&W completely closes the range to member + guest access, as that will eliminate one of the better indoor pistol ranges in that half of the state.

-Mike
 
Cabinetman said:
At one time not too long ago S&W used to require a safety "class' before shooting if you didn't already have a permit. I (an NRA pistol and rifle instructor) would bring friends who never shot before there to experience it for the first time. S&W made them sit through a safety film. It sounds like they had suspended that practice for one reason or another. Rome
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I have a LTC but still had to watch the video (this was about a year ago). I first shot there about 2001 or 2000 and even then I had to read some kind of safety pamphlet and acknowledge that I understood it by signing a statement to that effect.

If they suspended that practice, it would have to be something very recent.

There is really something fishy about this whole deal. I did get a FAQ sheet from the Shooting Sports Center this morning. I wrote Dabney a letter, I'll let you know if I get a reply. I heard nothing from Liz at Investor Relations. If S&W is facing some kind of legal action, this could affect stock prices and I'm a stockholder, so I have more than just a casual interest in any S&W business decisions.
 

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