ON TARGET in Severn

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - ON TARGET in Severn

Posted: 2/27/2009 9:28:44 AM EDT

Don't think I'll be going back. Have you all had positive experiences there?

Posted: 2/27/2009 9:42:51 AM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
Don't think I'll be going back. Have you all had positive experiences there?

I can't stand that place. Prices are high and their range rules are so strict they make Continental Arms seem like the wild west.

Posted: 2/27/2009 12:14:28 PM EDT

[#2]

Bought a 1911 there a few years ago. The guy I dealt with was friendly and knew what he was talking about. That's the ONLY good experience I've ever had. I hate that place.

Posted: 2/27/2009 3:24:46 PM EDT

[#3]

I've been a member there for 2 years now. Shoot there all the time. Know everyone there personally.

Yea, the prices are a little on the high side, but not any more inflated than any place else in MD (except BassPro or any other Chain store.... but they buy in bulk). It's a nice place with friendly folks.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, may have been a bad day.... what rubbed you wrong?

Posted: 2/27/2009 3:33:08 PM EDT

[#4]

I haven't been there in a couple of years but other than the expense, it was uneventful.
I don't shop there though.

Posted: 2/27/2009 5:54:30 PM EDT

[#5]

I have found them to be nice guys with a good range of stock. Gun prices are mostly too high and range rules are tighter than they might be but otherwise no issues.

Posted: 2/27/2009 6:03:18 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
I've been a member there for 2 years now. Shoot there all the time. Know everyone there personally.

Yea, the prices are a little on the high side, but not any more inflated than any place else in MD (except BassPro or any other Chain store.... but they buy in bulk). It's a nice place with friendly folks.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, may have been a bad day.... what rubbed you wrong?

The rather large, greasy long haired range officer clothed in sweat pants and jack boots.

Posted: 2/27/2009 8:55:47 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I've been a member there for 2 years now. Shoot there all the time. Know everyone there personally.

Yea, the prices are a little on the high side, but not any more inflated than any place else in MD (except BassPro or any other Chain store.... but they buy in bulk). It's a nice place with friendly folks.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, may have been a bad day.... what rubbed you wrong?

The rather large, greasy long haired range officer clothed in sweat pants and jack boots.

I seriously doubt that Bill was out of line. Hes about as nice of a person as you can meet. Perhaps he was just enforcing store/range rules that he is REQUIRED to do, and you took offense?

The place is owned by some lawyers so dont be suprised when they have strict range rules.

If its not for you thats fine but they are not jerks, rude, ect...

If you want to be treated like a turd stop by Select Fire, they will be happy to abuse you.

Posted: 2/28/2009 1:22:28 AM EDT

[#8]

I had a bad experience there in 2006 and never been back since. The staff just does not know how to talk to people (Customer Service).

Posted: 2/28/2009 3:04:52 PM EDT

[#9]

I go there in the winter time.

I just shot there with a buddy a few months ago.

Crowded and 3 lanes down from us the guys kept hitting the frame and knocking the wire off track so the whole range would have to stop for them to fix it. It got old after the 2nd time.

The I started to watch the private security qual. on the right side of the range. OMG....that was scary.

Then I had enough, the guy next to us is shooting a .22 pistol something. Bang, Bang, Bang then a FTF. The guy stops trys to figure out what is wrong with his weapon turns the muzzle to the left and Bang into the wall. Lane 1, look for the small ding about 6 foot high two feet in front of the shooting line.

I was done.

Posted: 2/28/2009 3:21:26 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I've been a member there for 2 years now. Shoot there all the time. Know everyone there personally.

Yea, the prices are a little on the high side, but not any more inflated than any place else in MD (except BassPro or any other Chain store.... but they buy in bulk). It's a nice place with friendly folks.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, may have been a bad day.... what rubbed you wrong?

The rather large, greasy long haired range officer clothed in sweat pants and jack boots.

I seriously doubt that Bill was out of line. Hes about as nice of a person as you can meet. Perhaps he was just enforcing store/range rules that he is REQUIRED to do, and you took offense?

The place is owned by some lawyers so dont be suprised when they have strict range rules.

If its not for you thats fine but they are not jerks, rude, ect...

If you want to be treated like a turd stop by Select Fire, they will be happy to abuse you.

Agreed.

Bill can be a little rough, but he's most usually right. Some of the rules can seem a little anal, but you should seem some of the bozos who come in to shoot.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but as Clandestine said, I'm sure if you go to Select Fire, they will be more than happy to abuse you right.

Posted: 3/1/2009 6:08:50 AM EDT

[#11]

I stopped in there a couple times when I was at Meade. There was one older guy I talked to who seemed like a good guy to deal with. The rest were not so much.

Only thing I ever bought there was a holster I needed on short notice. Prices kept me from shooting there, but I found that to be the case with most Maryland ranges.

Posted: 3/1/2009 9:36:09 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:

Quoted:

.

Some of the rules can seem a little anal, but you should seem some of the bozos who come in to shoot.

.

There are two issues here:

1) MANY MANY handgun owners do not handle their guns safely. Want proof? Go into ANY indoor range and look at the cieling. Or the floor. Or the walls. Or even the shooting benches.

What do you see?

NEGLIGENT discharges. IE - those were NOT accidents - they are evidence of NEGLIGENCE. But here is what winds up the staff at public ranges: that NEGLIGENCE is: A) potentially deadly and B) completely preventable.

Hanguns are not toys. They can kill (and are designed to do so - at least the one I carry is so designed). When something like that is handled carelessly and waived around while loaded, (and as I said - look at the all the NDs in any range) - it tends to provoke a strong reaction from the folks there who might get sued, loose their jobs, or get shot/killed.

2) While its understandable that the RO's take safety seriously, they are still in the "customer service" business. They MUST make the activity as safe as possible, but they should TRY to be as polite as they can be. The indoor range they have set up down in the basement of the NRA's HQ building down here in Virginia is a good example of how to do it right.

Finally here is a thought:

-all those people who negligently shot the floor & cieling did NOT think/know that they were being unsafe. People (men in particular) do NOT like being told that they are doing it wrong/being unsafe. So they tend to blame the messenger.

How would I know anything? I used to work at Shooters Paradise in Virginia before it burned down (due to a member of the public ignoring the safety rules and deciding to fire tracers indoors. It happened several times before the place went up in flames. Now I don't have a place to work/shoot anymore).

Posted: 3/3/2009 6:22:14 PM EDT

[#13]

I haven't been there in years, but it's not because of anything bad. I just don't go to many places anymore. I go to the NRA range in Fairfax. I used to bounce between On Target and Maryland Small Arms near Andrew's AFB. My .02

Posted: 3/5/2009 5:35:49 PM EDT

[#14]

If I didn't live 2 minutes away from AAF&G I'd keep my membership at On Target in a heartbeat.

I'd call ahead and they'd reserve a lane for me.

Ed fixed a gun for me at no charge.

Helen frequents Annapolis lobbying for all of our rights.

Tyrone is a stand up guy - honest, hardworking abd friendly.

I'd say that's about as good as it gets around here.

Continental has always treated me perfect as well.

Posted: 3/8/2009 4:33:17 PM EDT

[#15]

I worked there back in the early '90s, and Jesus, the morons who came past the huge sign on the door, plus giant stop sign saying NO LOADED GUNS ALLOWED got to be a bit old. And they'd give us shit because we got a tad upset, unloaded their guns, and sent them home for the day. I lost track of the number of times some fool had an ND, shot down a wire, shot the ceiling or armored wall. Then there's the holes in the floor in the checkin area from those "oh I forget the gun was loaded" incidents.

Then you had the homies coming in from everywhere wanting to shoot, sideways and all. We had a ton of those guys, you know, prison tats, wanted to rent guns and practice before their next rumble. Twas pretty interesting...they paid lots of cash in small bills. Then they stopped coming in suddenly.

I ended up wearing body armor, and took grief for that as well.

Right before I started working there, the owners - several lawyers - decided it was cheaper to drop their insurance allowing the employees to carry something to protect themselves. Cheaper to pay for a dead employee than some serious money for insurance I guess. Then after a while, due to employee protests, they allowed the managers to carry. That came to a sudden end when one manager nearly capped an customer when he loaded up his gun in the office instead of the range where he was supposed to.

It got a bit rediculous and I had enough. Too high risk, too little pay.

While some may think the rules are a tad anal, and they can be, it's because some fool caused an incident requiring a new rule or two. I certainly didn't enjoy correcting people and constantly trying to keep them safe.

Rant off.

Posted: 3/9/2009 8:59:58 PM EDT

[#16]

My experience with On Target has been mostly positive. I bought my Glock 17 there.

These days though I usually drive up to Carroll County and shoot at the Hap Baker Firearms Facility.

Posted: 3/17/2009 4:43:29 PM EDT

[#17]

I shoot there. I haven't had any negative experiences there. The range needs to be updated in a baaaaaaad way.

Posted: 3/17/2009 4:46:31 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
I go there in the winter time.

I just shot there with a buddy a few months ago.

Crowded and 3 lanes down from us the guys kept hitting the frame and knocking the wire off track so the whole range would have to stop for them to fix it. It got old after the 2nd time.

The I started to watch the private security qual. on the right side of the range. OMG....that was scary.

Then I had enough, the guy next to us is shooting a .22 pistol something. Bang, Bang, Bang then a FTF. The guy stops trys to figure out what is wrong with his weapon turns the muzzle to the left and Bang into the wall. Lane 1, look for the small ding about 6 foot high two feet in front of the shooting line.

I was done.

Holy crap! I was loading mags at the window behind the line, and a guy did a similar thing, but pointed the muzzle RIGHT AT MY FACE, FINGER ON THE TRIGGER!!!!!!! He was all ouchy from the .22 brass that bounced down his shirt. I got the guy kicked out. This was about 2 years ago.

Posted: 3/17/2009 4:47:39 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
I haven't been there in years, but it's not because of anything bad. I just don't go to many places anymore. I go to the NRA range in Fairfax. I used to bounce between On Target and Maryland Small Arms near Andrew's AFB. My .02

+1 on the NRA range. That place is the best range I've been to.

Posted: 3/18/2009 3:45:09 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I haven't been there in years, but it's not because of anything bad. I just don't go to many places anymore. I go to the NRA range in Fairfax. I used to bounce between On Target and Maryland Small Arms near Andrew's AFB. My .02

+1 on the NRA range. That place is the best range I've been to.

+1 NRA just a little bit of a ride

Posted: 3/21/2009 8:01:33 AM EDT

[#21]

I'm from Mississippi, here on TDY at Fort Meade, so when I walked in there to check it out, the first thing that caught my eye was the huge crowd of hood-rat thuggzz gushing over the Glocks and XD's.

I couldn't buy anything here even if I wanted to, but I just wanted to see the lay of the land.

I came away with the realization that there is a completely different perspective on owning and safely using firearms up here.

Lots of extremely stupid laws, too, which I thought pretty ironic, considering that this area is one of the places where our Constitutional liberties were fought and bled for.

You guys need to throw out all your politicians and get some people who are less interested in stripping you of your civil liberties.

Posted: 3/28/2009 7:35:17 AM EDT

[#22]

I used to shoot at On target quite a bit. I've had a membership there a couple of times over the years, and I've never had any problems. Yeah, there have been times when I thought the staff could have been a little nicer, but I'm sure that I'd be a little less than friendly after dealing with some of their clientele for eight hours as well. I was never muzzled by a fellow shooter while there on the range, but I did see plenty of people shooting sideways and the like. I remember asking my friend the cop if I should volunteer to showa couple of them how to shoot. He gave me that instantaneous look that said don't be a dumbass, without ever saying a word.

The place just hasn't been the same since Katie left.

Posted: 3/28/2009 7:45:04 PM EDT

[#23]

Thanks for the excellent advice! I agree 100%. Until I moved OUT of MD in 2000, I did not realize just how f-ed up the situation is in MD. Join www.MDshallissue.org - it is your ONLY hope, MD. Do you think: "its not that bad." - sorry you are WRONG. It IS that bad for gun owners in MD - weather you realize it or not.

Quoted:
I'm from Mississippi, here on TDY at Fort Meade, so when I walked in there to check it out, the first thing that caught my eye was the huge crowd of hood-rat thuggzz gushing over the Glocks and XD's.

I couldn't buy anything here even if I wanted to, but I just wanted to see the lay of the land.

I came away with the realization that there is a completely different perspective on owning and safely using firearms up here.

Lots of extremely stupid laws, too, which I thought pretty ironic, considering that this area is one of the places where our Constitutional liberties were fought and bled for.

You guys need to throw out all your politicians and get some people who are less interested in stripping you of your civil liberties.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - ON TARGET in Severn

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