I used to work at the indoor range on Lynnhaven that's owned by the same guy. The airborne concrete barriers were put in place in case there was an inadvertant discharge with the muzzle pointed downrange, but up in the air. OUCH, what an insurance nightmare without it, huh? There's also a moat around the whole place, as well as thorn bushes. I've seen airborne photos of the place when it was originally built, and there was NOTHING around it as far as the eye could see. Now there's houses along the road, and the field to the side where we used to shoot clays has a cell repeater tower in it!
As to the quantity of strikes in the barriers and the steel beams......well, there's a bit of history there.
The owner of the range used to be one of the civilian purchasing directors for the modern SEAL teams out at Dam Neck. He built that range mostly to accomodate their use in the early days and for civilian use to turn a profit. Seems that in the early years the bullets flowed pretty freely, and with little discretion or regard to personal property, a la the Dick Marcinco
hug.gif happens about himself. (NO flame against SPECWAR guys, I thank GOD everyday that there's guys as tough and dedicated as they are so that I don't have to die or send my children to die doing their job! But teh attitude still happens.)
Then in later years, several people in succession have leased the range and operated it as an independant business, but never really took care of the place. When the owner took it back over about 2 years ago, he hired an all new staff, fixed a LOT of holes in the roof of the store and the range, upgraded many of the concrete benches and rubber matting on them, and got some new military contracts.
The current changes out there are very welcome, after it's been a run down bug infested swamp for a lotta years! They're putting in more blocks to seperate a portion of the range so that military groups can shoot without interfeering with the civilian revenue generating side being interrupted (was chasing AWAY MANY MANY members). The SPECWAR guys still shoot out there, and some of the Navy's new MA (Master at Arms) basic school firearms qualifying is done both there and at the indoor range.
Now, if they get some more sand on in the berms, some ground cover planted over the mud, upgrade those target frames, and throw some paint around, it'll be a truly first class place with something to offer everyone.
I go out there about every 2 weeks or so. Maybe I'll see you all out there sometime. I'll be the tall goofy looking guy with all the junk in an orange and black Black and Decker toat! I usually have an AR and a bolt gun.
Tom