So the random idea popped up into my dads head about how it would be to open a small indoor range. I doubt he took his own idea seriously, but I did sit on it a little bit. We have a building in north bergen with a large basement in the middle of the walmart shopping center. Im not so sure it would be allowed, but hey, its just a thought. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how much investment is initially needed to get started. The building itself would already be taken care of, there is plenty of space. at least 3-5000 sq ft.

 

Nothing more than a curiosity at the moment lol

So the random idea popped up into my dads head about how it would be to open a small indoor range. I doubt he took his own idea seriously, but I did sit on it a little bit. We have a building in north bergen with a large basement in the middle of the walmart shopping center. Im not so sure it would be allowed, but hey, its just a thought. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how much investment is initially needed to get started. The building itself would already be taken care of, there is plenty of space. at least 3-5000 sq ft.

 

Nothing more than a curiosity at the moment lol

 

The cost is substantial. The OSHA requirements for the HVAC system to maintain air quality alone would kill you and that is before you even began to talk about the state requirements for constructing and approving the baffles and bullet traps... Ocean and Monmouth are bad enough I couldn't imagine what Bergen and Essex must be like...

I think some of us have talked about it in the past.... cost ends up being somewhere around $200,000 per lane?

So the random idea popped up into my dads head about how it would be to open a small indoor range. I doubt he took his own idea seriously, but I did sit on it a little bit. We have a building in north bergen with a large basement in the middle of the walmart shopping center. Im not so sure it would be allowed, but hey, its just a thought. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how much investment is initially needed to get started. The building itself would already be taken care of, there is plenty of space. at least 3-5000 sq ft.

 

Nothing more than a curiosity at the moment lol

 

I did some research into this a few months back out of curiosity aswell and found bits and pieces of info I thought was interesting and copied down into notepad.

______________________________________________

Quote for 10 lanes @ 25 yards includes:

Basic Stalls

Basic Target retrieval system (out - back)

Total Containment System (TCT) with Screw Drive lead removal

Baffle ceiling

Installed

One year warranty

~$330K

Ball Park quote for HVAC system, additional $400K

 

Rubber berm trap is 2/5 the cost of a Total Containment trap. Rubber berms need to be cleaned after 80K rounds; min, once a year. Estimated cost is around $20K

___________________________________________

 

With total containment though you do however collect all your lead which you can recycle and get some return on how much I never calculated

 

Also used hvac systems and back stops can be purchased from time to time from what I have read and can be significantly cheaper.

 

What also needs to be considered is crap tons of building permits then your architect costs which could set you easily over 100k and then finally insurance.

 

Bottom line I could see a 10 lane range costing 700k or more depending on if you go all new or integrate some used systems.

Pm me and I'd be willing to talk about it.

In all seriousness if you can open up a range for under a million I'd say that's pretty good, that's basically the cost of opening up a nice restaurant. The biggest issue is finding a town that will allow you to actually open one, i highly doubt Paramus will allow a gun range under a shopping center... Some towns have a no discharge ordinance as well, and zoning in NJ and permits alone will make you pull teeth.

In North Bergen? Yeah, you can call it the Bob Menendez firearms training facility Seriously, I doubt the mafi-- er, local and county officals would even entertain such a thing

In North Bergen? Yeah, you can call it the Bob Menendez firearms training facility Seriously, I doubt the mafi-- er, local and county officals would even entertain such a thing

The only public facilities in Hudson County are mostly gone now. Kearny PAL is Gone, I Belive the Hudson County range in Hoboken is now gone, although i THINK the Bayonne PAL is still open, isnt it?

Bayonne is alive and well. I don't think its as hard to open one up as people think. It all depends on the town you open in and the people that are there. I am pretty sure you have a much better chance if you open up in an industrial area. I am sure you will have NO problem in North Bergen.

 

quote name='KpdPipes' timestamp='1295292513' post='283273']

The only public facilities in Hudson County are mostly gone now. Kearny PAL is Gone, I Belive the Hudson County range in Hoboken is now gone, although i THINK the Bayonne PAL is still open, isnt it?

Bayonne is alive and well. I don't think its as hard to open one up as people think. It all depends on the town you open in and the people that are there. I am pretty sure you have a much better chance if you open up in an industrial area. I am sure you will have NO problem in North Bergen.

 

I meant that as in another range would definitly fill a need. The Biggest hurdle, as with ANY business is the initial outlay..because of the cost of the HVAC and trap systems and the OSHA regulations involved.

I am sure you will have NO problem in North Bergen.

 

 

You think so? I dunno if you have ever dealt with towns around here but unless your one of the cronies anything you try and do will be hard as hell to get approved. Unless of course you pay them off, then yea i would say it wouldnt be a problem. North bergen is not only very corrupt but theres not a whole lot of useable space when you think about all of the residential areas. If your not on rt17 rt4 your in someones neighbor hood.

After what I saw Bill (from Shore Shot) go through in the early '90s with the town politics in Neptune I would never consider investing money in trying to start up a new range in NJ. They screwed him royally. As nice a guy as Billy is that was a damned shame, the original Neptune Shore Shot would have been an absolutely awesome range... Although now that I live in Toms River I'll admit I am happy they are in Lakewood instead of Neptune...

 

I would venture the reason Phil opened BA in Lakewood near Shore Shot was it was easier than trying to open one a new range somewhere else. God knows Brick gave him a hard time when he was looking to expand there... I actually expected Phil to open his range in Toms River closer to where he lived but I can only speculate that was probably an up hill battle as well given Toms River’s proclivity towards giving gun owners a complimentary hard time…

Only one way to find out, call the North Bergen zoning board about this very issue.

Hey all, thanks for the feedback. I started reading up on it a little and it does sound like a big startup investment. As far as if its allowed i'll just contact the town and see whats up. It wouldnt hurt.

You think so? I dunno if you have ever dealt with towns around here but unless your one of the cronies anything you try and do will be hard as hell to get approved. Unless of course you pay them off, then yea i would say it wouldnt be a problem. North bergen is not only very corrupt but theres not a whole lot of useable space when you think about all of the residential areas. If your not on rt17 your in someones neighbor hood.

 

Hudson County? Ya think ? I Keed, but it would be quite enetrtaining to watch the looks on the NB/County 'officials' faces when you say you wanna find out about opening up a gun range by the WalMart.

Don't forget to look at ongoing costs of maintenance, and especially electricity. Those HVAC/filtration systems can suck a lot of juice.

just for that! i would do all the electrical work for free!

my math showed me minimum outlay of 1.2 to 1.5 mil. Not including purchasing the space, or running the business. This is purely on getting the range up. Add in inventory etc and you see the financials of it.

 

Almost every range owner I know tells me if they could do it over, they would just open a gun store, minus the range.

just for that! i would do all the electrical work for free!

 

Ha! So will I.

 

And I'm sure you'll find more free labor here.

Ha! So will I.

 

And I'm sure you'll find more free labor here.

 

 

I can pull wire. I want to work with Ray Ray!!!

I'll run the pipe, and Bello will wire the lights and outlets.

Hah! I love this forum more and more

As with everything in life, if you have money, anything is possible. It boils down to $$$$.

i am going to say as with any job i manage these days, you could build it at almost half the price. Put it out to bid, it is crazy how cheap people are right not. For example, if an hvac guy comes in at 200,000, you tell him you have a number at 125,000, and he will drop his drawers to get the work. Not nice, but its out there. Just have to look. I see it every day. You will beat people down until they are only making 2.5 - 3% on the job. Saves you big!!!

Hell, I build and weld.

I'm in.

 

 

You get the drawings, Give us guys at the forum a blank check book. We'll handle the rest.

I'm an electrician and I'm sure we have plumbers, masons and laborers ready to go here.

I'm an electrician and I'm sure we have plumbers, masons and laborers ready to go here.

 

same even though i started the freebie work bs i stand by it! im a 14 year electrician and card holder in the state of new jersey i can easily get electrical permits and im sure if ray isnt a noob we could bang that **** out less then a week!

Dude, I bet with a few good workers we can run the pipe and pull the wire for everything in a weekend.

that'd be insane

Here's a link to a firing range design guide, with GSA specs as well as Air Force, Army and Navy. Links all over the place on this site.

 

http://www.wbdg.org/design/firing_range.php#rcas

 

http://www.nssf.org/ranges/PDF/CreatingaSuccessfulShootingRange.pdf