Holy shit - an abandoned shooting range

I'm doing some work in the former bank headquarters in the Financial District. The place is amazing - 4 levels of basements with huge vaults on every level. Everything is still in place, it takes too much money to demo them. I go to the lowest level and voila! - a 50' pistol range is there, still intact. Even the cables that you hook up the targets to are still there. 2 shooting lanes with counters. Fucking unbelievable!

So this got me thinking. What does it take to open one up again? I'm sure the city regulations are crazy, but this one is grandfathered in. There's a stair to a higher level. One can make a lounge on the upper level with seating, maybe some video games etc. Then people can go down to shoot. Maybe rent out some 22s, Pistol Caliber Carbines to the general public. All kinds of possibilities are running through my head.

What do you think?

I would assume the main problem would be ventilation.

Ha that is an awesome find especially in NYC. I would assume it has ventilation already no? May need a lot of repairs though.

Open it up and I would join...don't charge 450 a year plus initiation fees like the west side range though.

There's ventilation in place, but I doubt it's adequate. All this stuff can be arranged with the building, ventilation, AC etc. It takes money, of course. Also the operator can sell only leadless ammo to avoid hazardous material permits.

I don't know if the building will go for it, these are my random thoughts.

Well, first you buy the building......

Anything old has environmental issues that have to be addressed. Mold, asbestos, etc. Not just lead.

Then you arrange access. Any office bldg has metal detectors, so a process has to be in place to let the public in with guns.

That means covering cost of labor and infrastructure. $450/year would be dirt cheap.

I think that it is very doable if a billionaire wants a private range. As a money making enterprise, no way.

The building had been converted to apartments, that's what we're doing. The access can be arranged. I also believe the place had been abated, I didn't see any asbestos anywhere. The renovation will take money, and we have to see what the building would charge for rent. Right now the basement levels sit without use, so I'm sure the owner is looking to do something with the space. I think it's doable. Want to invest?

That'd be great. I work on Fulton street; and it would give me an excuse to carry my GSG-5 to and from work, I mean, the range. Would make me feel better on the LIRR every night...

A guy i knew in CA looked into opening an old indoor range, it got shut down because of the ventilation system, and was priced at about a mil to replace it to CA requirements from what i was told.

Everyone who goes would need a NYC rifle shotgun permit in order to bring their own guns though, right?

And a GSG-5, no matter what the neutered configuration, wouldn't pass registration in NYC...unless ofcourse you are exempt.

Am I wrong? Can non-residents of NYC WITHOUT a NYC permit bring their guns into NYC to shoot at a range? I know non-full-time residents and non-residents CAN get a NYC long gun permit though (I have one).

Anyway, how awesome would it be to have an AR15.com range in NYC!

Sounds cool, want to post pics? I've heard that many banks in the early to mid 20th century had pistol ranges for the guards to practice.

Like I said, one can have some PCCs there to rent out. The operator would need a rifle/shotgun permit, but the renters wouldn't. Also, constant NRA matches can be arranged to allow non-residents to bring their pistols in. There's an exemption for that.

The possibilities are endless. I think I'll ask the owner about the idea of reopening a shooting range in his basement.

Right now the place is used by the maintenance people for storage, so it's filled with material and tools. I'll try to come back in and take some pics.
It's funny, the wood above the bullet trap is riddled with holes from the guards shooting too high. Can't believe they missed from 50' away.

And yes, these old banks have shooting ranges for the guards. This is the first one I've seen, but I also know Federal Reserve has one for their own police. I believe the policy is to qualify every month, and those that don't get handed the pink slip.

There used to be shooting ranges all over the state, in many buildings.

In Rochester, Kodak on Ridge Rd. had a basement range which was used IIRC until about 1980.

The former Postal Meter facility had a range under the production floor; while the building has been largely destroyed the range is still down there.

The "National Postal Meter" facility in Rochester produced M1 Carbines during WWII...and the shooting range under the production floor was used to test the newly made carbines...most producers of M1 carbines during the war had their shooting ranges directly below the factory floor...best use of space I guess. And the Kodak Pistol Leage is now held at GCL in Penfield.

Anyway, if you get this range up and running, consider me your first member.

Any chance you will allow me to shoot my M1 Carbine??? Or is that too powerful?

Awesomes

I hear there is a range in the Fed reserve in Atlanta. If memory serves me correct (they say) it was 4 points, 50 or 75ft, very well ventilated.

I wonder what the insurance would be for a shooting range in NYC. Anyone knows?

I'm sure it's not too cheap...

Especially since that son of an African diplomat went to the West Side Rifle and Pistol range, rented a 9mm Ruger PC9 rifle, and put a round through his own head (on purpose).

I would glady pay 300-400 a year if you set it up to allow rifles...a lot of indoor ranges have that rubbery rubbish backstop that can handle anything.

Excuse not adequate. Your mission is pics...!!!

I have shot at that range, if it's the one I'm thinking of. It was opened around 1998-1999 by an Israeli guy, and was quite nice. It closed 9/11, never reopened. I hope the guy got a nice bit from the compensation fund in exchange for losing his business.

It would be fun to reopen, but I don't think that place was ever going to make money so it would be a crappy investment.

Doubt it's the same range. I spoke to the guy that's worked in the building for 40 years. This place was used exclusively by the bank guards and closed when the bank had moved out. The range itself is quite small. Only 50'. There's a spiral stair connecting the range to the floor above. That's where a sort of a lounge can be created for the customers/members. I have to see if there's CO in place for it.

I don't know if this thing would make money, but it's cool as hell. Maybe some Wall Street guys will want to organize events there. One could get some lever-action .38 Special carbines to rent out to the attendees. Obviously, armed security classes can be held there as well. I just hate to see such a place rotting away unused.

Ask the folks at Cerebus Capital.. They are guys who have the Freedom Fund, basically own Bushmaster, Remington,etc.

Sorry, I'm not getting you. What should I approach these people about?

EPA, Insurance, and local ordinance. About $100,000 should get you started.

And the periodic lead remediation thats now required.

Thats why the NY national Guard shut down most of the indoor ranges at its armories a decade ago.

Well, if I were to reopen this range I would require and sell only non-lead ammunition. It's available in multiple pistol calibers and the cost is compatible to regular ammo.

You think lead free ammo is comperable in cost to regular ammo? Has there been a drastic price cut in lead free ammo that I am unaware of?

Well, I looked at this page for example:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=43430/Product/REMINGTON-UMC-LEADLESS-HANDGUN-AMMUNITION

The prices don't look too bad, and that's retail. I'm sure wholesale prices are better.

PICS of range !

I have some photos in my Blackberry. I can email them to you and you can post them.

I spoke to the maintenance guy again. The range was used by the bank security and armed guards. The city closed it in the 80s due to health concerns. Apparently someone got lead poisoning. There are definitely ventilation ducts there, but I don't know if the system is running. Doubt anyone knows. The stair leads to a room with a really low ceiling, with a locker room adjoining it. Doubt that any lounge space can be created there. Unless the locker room is moved and re-done.

Any kind of ventilation system they had back then was not of much use to begin with. I don't know if claiming use of lead free ammo would lessen the code requirements of the local authority, but i'm thinking not. To bring it to code you may have to install a negative pressure air system, along with a way of dealing with contaminates, from what i understand it has to work similar to a fume hood in a lab, but obviously on a range size scale. I have no clue what this would cost to put together in NYC but it would be a 6 digit bill for sure.

Do yourself a favor and Google Island Trees school district and lead/gun range/contamination to see what
really happens when things go bad. I'm all for more access to ranges, especially people BURIED behind
enemy lines like NYC but this would be a HUGE undertaking frought with risk and liability I would think.

I spoke to the owner's rep concerning re-opening of the range. He says no one wants a firing range in the building. So I'm afraid it's a no-go. Sucks.

I will post the pics soon.

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