Posted: 12/23/2008 3:38:51 PM EDT
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As some may know I am looking for a new duty weapon to replace the aging SIG P220 that I currently carry. The SIG was given to me by my dad (ret. HPD) and I think it was made in 1989 based on the serial number. It says "Made in W. Germany."
Anyway several other officer's have given me advise of all kinds of guns. I have really considered the idea of the HK. So, today, I went to TOPGUN to rent and shoot a HK since they have a larger selection of rent weapons than Memorial OAKS. I walk in the door, and thats when it all went down hill. I approached the counter and a man assisted me. I asked him to rent the HK P30 9mm since they did not have the .40 I was looking for. He asks why, and I tell him I am looking for a new weapon. The guy has a dumbfounded look on his face and in a annoyed tone of voice asks me, "you dont carry a glock? why would you not carry a glock? would you rather test out a glock?" Some people may like glocks but I dont so I declined respectfully. He then got the HK for me and asked how much ammo I would need? I advised him I had 200 rounds of my own ammo. He then said its their policy that if its their guns I have to buy their ammo. As he point to the ammo pile in the shelves behind their counter I noticed it was the same brand of ammo as what I already had. I told him I could just show him the ammo and its the same brand, caliber, grains, and turned out later to be from the same LOT # too. He then said "No, its a Chain of Custody thing for insurance, you know about that since your a cop." I said fine here is my credit card. The guy then asked me if my friend was going to shoot. I said no hes just going to stand behind me and watch for a while. The guy then said he cant go into the shooting area unless he is a shooter too. So I said, ok dude whatever just charge me again then. He does. HK rental + 150 rds of ammo + 2 shooters + targets = 100+ bucks and I felt he was rude. I will not be returning to this range. He also told some dude with a PPK that he would not help him familarize himself with the pistol because he purchased it at a gun show and not at his store. |
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yep. You got the topgun treatment.
They have a "ladies night". You shoot free if you are female but only if you buy there ammo. They teach shooting. $150 a class to start and you shoot 50 rounds the first class. They don't teach trigger control untill you get to the third class and have forked over $450.00. How did you like the HK? |
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He then got the HK for me and asked how much ammo I would need? I advised him I had 200 rounds of my own ammo. He then said its their policy that if its their guns I have to buy their ammo. As he point to the ammo pile in the shelves behind their counter I noticed it was the same brand of ammo as what I already had. I told him I could just show him the ammo and its the same brand, caliber, grains, and turned out later to be from the same LOT # too. He then said "No, its a Chain of Custody thing for insurance, you know about that since your a cop." I said fine here is my credit card. The guy then asked me if my friend was going to shoot. I said no hes just going to stand behind me and watch for a while. The guy then said he cant go into the shooting area unless he is a shooter too. So I said, ok dude whatever just charge me again then. He does. With all due respect, I only allow my friends to shoot MY ammo out of MY guns also. Ranges cannot afford the liability if someone blows up one of their rentals with reloads, or keep up with the increased wear if hot rounds are used. An injured shooter could come back and sue the range out of existence saying the firearm wasn't maintained properly. I shoot once a month at TopGun. They are generally curteous to me. Theres simply no such thing as a cheap rental gun and cheap range ammunition. Also, I have lived in 3 cities within Texas and all the ranges that rented guns required their own ammo. I would expect a cop to know that, but apparently not. Anyway, I will continue to go to TopGun because they don't fuss over rapid fire like other ranges. Yes, they are high priced, but they DONT charge by the gun and they are smack dab inside the city, so what you do expect? |
| Sound like a shitty experience and overpriced range fees. I occasionally go to Champions Firearms in College Station. They have a clean facility, nice couple who owns the place, and decent prices. I can take a friend with me, rent a gun, and purchase 150 rounds of 9mm and be out the door for $70 including tax. |
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Should have gone to Memorial Shooting Center in the first place.  Went there a few days ago. Although they dont know when to stop with the jokes they are nice and I will go back there. I got a buddy at Katy PD and they have their own range. If its not Memorial then it will be Katy's range which is more cost effective if you get my drift. |
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I forgot to add this part in the story.
After I purchased his ammo, the same I had in my bag, I told my buddy to stay at the counter with the salesman and I'd put my shooting bag full of 600 rds of ammo back in the car. He offered to keep my ammo behind his counter, even after making me buy his ammo. The same ammo I had was on his self. I said "No thanks, Chain of custody thing." How are you gonna charge me to buy your ammo, which is the same ammo I already have, then want me to hand over my ammo to you. Thats retarted. |
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He then got the HK for me and asked how much ammo I would need? I advised him I had 200 rounds of my own ammo. He then said its their policy that if its their guns I have to buy their ammo. As he point to the ammo pile in the shelves behind their counter I noticed it was the same brand of ammo as what I already had. I told him I could just show him the ammo and its the same brand, caliber, grains, and turned out later to be from the same LOT # too. He then said "No, its a Chain of Custody thing for insurance, you know about that since your a cop." I said fine here is my credit card. The guy then asked me if my friend was going to shoot. I said no hes just going to stand behind me and watch for a while. The guy then said he cant go into the shooting area unless he is a shooter too. So I said, ok dude whatever just charge me again then. He does. With all due respect, I only allow my friends to shoot MY ammo out of MY guns also. Ranges cannot afford the liability if someone blows up one of their rentals with reloads, or keep up with the increased wear if hot rounds are used. An injured shooter could come back and sue the range out of existence saying the firearm wasn't maintained properly. I shoot once a month at TopGun. They are generally curteous to me. Theres simply no such thing as a cheap rental gun and cheap range ammunition. Also, I have lived in 3 cities within Texas and all the ranges that rented guns required their own ammo. I would expect a cop to know that, but apparently not. so what you do expect? Do you work at at TOPGUN because one of the sales persons made a very similar comment to me about this. Just because I am a cop does not mean I go to indoor ranges very often. I usually try to shoot at a buddies land or a department range. Matter of fact I have never rented a gun from anyone until today and was very displeased. This ofcourse is just my opinion. I encourage everyone to touch the stove to see if its hot. What I expect: A firearms enthusiast who is more interested in the needs of his customers rather than the all mighty dollar. But the days of good ole customer service are gone. That has been discussed in other topics. They just dont treat people like they used to. |
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Not really a deal at all. Their price for ammo was more than the price of the range rental. I was better off just paying the rental fee and using my own ammo. So much for "Ladies Night" I will say that generally, my experience there has been a positive one but it isn't cheap. Quoted: They have a "ladies night". You shoot free if you are female but only if you buy there ammo. |
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I went to TopGun last thursday. I've been there several times over the years and only had one experience that I thought was positive, and that's because my brother is active duty Army and there was a guy there that used to be Army, that wasn't much older than us and had done a tour in S. Korea(which was where my bro was headed at that time, the guy had shrapnel wounds all over his arm from a N. Korean grenade, interesting story!)and of course they hit it off.
But I did feel like they were quite condescending towards me and my buddy, like we didn't know shit, or weren't worth their time to talk to. For instance, they forgot to give me our targets after I paid them their $100, and when I asked about them, the guy said, "we'll you get them when you pay to shoot" sounded like he wanted to say "jackass" afterwards. And this was after I had already paid, gone into the range area, and come back out for them. So I wasn't the one who forgot. But I don't think I'll go back...... |
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He then got the HK for me and asked how much ammo I would need? I advised him I had 200 rounds of my own ammo. He then said its their policy that if its their guns I have to buy their ammo. As he point to the ammo pile in the shelves behind their counter I noticed it was the same brand of ammo as what I already had. I told him I could just show him the ammo and its the same brand, caliber, grains, and turned out later to be from the same LOT # too. He then said "No, its a Chain of Custody thing for insurance, you know about that since your a cop." I said fine here is my credit card. The guy then asked me if my friend was going to shoot. I said no hes just going to stand behind me and watch for a while. The guy then said he cant go into the shooting area unless he is a shooter too. So I said, ok dude whatever just charge me again then. He does. With all due respect, I only allow my friends to shoot MY ammo out of MY guns also. Ranges cannot afford the liability if someone blows up one of their rentals with reloads, or keep up with the increased wear if hot rounds are used. An injured shooter could come back and sue the range out of existence saying the firearm wasn't maintained properly. I shoot once a month at TopGun. They are generally curteous to me. Theres simply no such thing as a cheap rental gun and cheap range ammunition. Also, I have lived in 3 cities within Texas and all the ranges that rented guns required their own ammo. I would expect a cop to know that, but apparently not. so what you do expect? Do you work at at TOPGUN because one of the sales persons made a very similar comment to me about this. Just because I am a cop does not mean I go to indoor ranges very often. I usually try to shoot at a buddies land or a department range. Matter of fact I have never rented a gun from anyone until today and was very displeased. This ofcourse is just my opinion. I encourage everyone to touch the stove to see if its hot. What I expect: A firearms enthusiast who is more interested in the needs of his customers rather than the all mighty dollar. But the days of good ole customer service are gone. That has been discussed in other topics. They just dont treat people like they used to. No, I'm a structural engineer. One guy is sarcastic (dude with the mustache), but generally a nice guy, maybe you talked to him and missed it. Maybe I've never had a problem with them because I simply go inside and shoot or just buy something. I don't sit their and shoot the breeze with them, ask for recommendations or rent guns. If all you do is shoot though, then its a good place. 15 bucks and I can take 6 handguns and lone them to friends that I take with me so that they can try new guns. Do that at ASC, Carters or the like and you'll pay out the ass for each gun. In general, shooting is expensive and renting is VERY expensive. I'm not some kind of mass defender of TopGun, but I'm just saying that overall I enjoy shooting there. I go often though and they recognize me. |
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He then got the HK for me and asked how much ammo I would need? I advised him I had 200 rounds of my own ammo. He then said its their policy that if its their guns I have to buy their ammo. As he point to the ammo pile in the shelves behind their counter I noticed it was the same brand of ammo as what I already had. I told him I could just show him the ammo and its the same brand, caliber, grains, and turned out later to be from the same LOT # too. He then said "No, its a Chain of Custody thing for insurance, you know about that since your a cop." I said fine here is my credit card. The guy then asked me if my friend was going to shoot. I said no hes just going to stand behind me and watch for a while. The guy then said he cant go into the shooting area unless he is a shooter too. So I said, ok dude whatever just charge me again then. He does. With all due respect, I only allow my friends to shoot MY ammo out of MY guns also. Ranges cannot afford the liability if someone blows up one of their rentals with reloads, or keep up with the increased wear if hot rounds are used. An injured shooter could come back and sue the range out of existence saying the firearm wasn't maintained properly. I shoot once a month at TopGun. They are generally curteous to me. Theres simply no such thing as a cheap rental gun and cheap range ammunition. Also, I have lived in 3 cities within Texas and all the ranges that rented guns required their own ammo. I would expect a cop to know that, but apparently not. so what you do expect? Do you work at at TOPGUN because one of the sales persons made a very similar comment to me about this. Just because I am a cop does not mean I go to indoor ranges very often. I usually try to shoot at a buddies land or a department range. Matter of fact I have never rented a gun from anyone until today and was very displeased. This ofcourse is just my opinion. I encourage everyone to touch the stove to see if its hot. What I expect: A firearms enthusiast who is more interested in the needs of his customers rather than the all mighty dollar. But the days of good ole customer service are gone. That has been discussed in other topics. They just dont treat people like they used to. No, I'm a structural engineer. One guy is sarcastic (dude with the mustache), but generally a nice guy, maybe you talked to him and missed it. Maybe I've never had a problem with them because I simply go inside and shoot or just buy something. I don't sit their and shoot the breeze with them, ask for recommendations or rent guns. If all you do is shoot though, then its a good place. 15 bucks and I can take 6 handguns and lone them to friends that I take with me so that they can try new guns. Do that at ASC, Carters or the like and you'll pay out the ass for each gun. In general, shooting is expensive and renting is VERY expensive. I'm not some kind of mass defender of TopGun, but I'm just saying that overall I enjoy shooting there. I go often though and they recognize me. It's true about ASC and Carter's, they can be expensive to shoot at those places since they charge by the gun. As long as you take your own guns, and your own ammo, TG is reasonable. I didn't like the fact they didn't let you shoot magnum calibers in there though. Something about the decible level and city ordinance. And I like shooting my Desert Eagles and my .357 roscoe, so I get stuck with Carter's. |
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How is Memorial? I live pretty close...I actually learned to bowl there back in the sixties when that was a bowling alley. For the most part Memorial is a nice clean range. The guys I have met behind the counter are helpful. I just picked up a Comp-Tac "infidel" slide for my Glock 26. I love the holster; I would have never looked for this style if it were not for their help. They carry a lot of handgun accessories (mostly for Glock/Sig), but have a limited number for AR-15s/shotguns. Range fee is the same as TopGun. |
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As some may know I am looking for a new duty weapon to replace the aging SIG P220 that I currently carry. The SIG was given to me by my dad (ret. HPD) and I think it was made in 1989 based on the serial number. It says "Made in W. Germany." Anyway several other officer's have given me advise of all kinds of guns. I have really considered the idea of the HK. So, today, I went to TOPGUN to rent and shoot a HK since they have a larger selection of rent weapons than Memorial OAKS. I walk in the door, and thats when it all went down hill. I approached the counter and a man assisted me. I asked him to rent the HK P30 9mm since they did not have the .40 I was looking for. He asks why, and I tell him I am looking for a new weapon. The guy has a dumbfounded look on his face and in a annoyed tone of voice asks me, "you dont carry a glock? why would you not carry a glock? would you rather test out a glock?" Some people may like glocks but I dont so I declined respectfully. He then got the HK for me and asked how much ammo I would need? I advised him I had 200 rounds of my own ammo. He then said its their policy that if its their guns I have to buy their ammo. As he point to the ammo pile in the shelves behind their counter I noticed it was the same brand of ammo as what I already had. I told him I could just show him the ammo and its the same brand, caliber, grains, and turned out later to be from the same LOT # too. He then said "No, its a Chain of Custody thing for insurance, you know about that since your a cop." I said fine here is my credit card. The guy then asked me if my friend was going to shoot. I said no hes just going to stand behind me and watch for a while. The guy then said he cant go into the shooting area unless he is a shooter too. So I said, ok dude whatever just charge me again then. He does. HK rental + 150 rds of ammo + 2 shooters + targets = 100+ bucks and I felt he was rude. I will not be returning to this range. He also told some dude with a PPK that he would not help him familarize himself with the pistol because he purchased it at a gun show and not at his store. uh yeah that sounds about right. TopGun is notorious for their insanely high ammo prices and stupid policies. Not to mention it's not nearly as nice of a range as it used to be. it's filtering system in the range is messed up and they refuse to fix it. It gets hot, muggy and dirty inside the range. It used to be very clean. Since switching management it's gone downhill. |
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uh yeah that sounds about right. TopGun is notorious for their insanely high ammo prices and stupid policies. Not to mention it's not nearly as nice of a range as it used to be. it's filtering system in the range is messed up and they refuse to fix it. It gets hot, muggy and dirty inside the range. It used to be very clean. Since switching management it's gone downhill. Seriously though, what range DOESN'T have insanely high prices? I'm curious, because every range I've ever been to in Houston exceeds prices at Academy and Walmart. Also, what policies do they have that are stupid? If its the "you have to shoot their ammo through their own guns", I'm telling you, all ranges do that. Even po-dunk ranges I went to in Lubbock, TX required that. |
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Jason, Don't you live on the North side now? Try Shiloh over by willowbrook. I've heard good things about them. Shiloh has the same no magnums and no rifle policy as Top Gun. I can't think of a single indoor range in the greater Houston area that doesn't suck. |
| Have any of you ever been to the PSC club in Friendswood? It's for members and their guest only and I think the dues are around $170 the first year and about $130 a year after that. That's a pretty good amount up front but there's no charge after that. The range is outdoors and is open during the day all week. It has two rifle ranges, one out to 300yds and several handgun ranges. They don't sell ammo or supplies but I always took my own. I was a member for several years and really enjoyed it. The only downside is the location (I-35 at FM 528) for folks from Houston. |
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Can't say as though I blame them for insisting their ammo gets fed through their rental guns. I would not put it past someone to sneak their reloads in to save a few bucks after showing legit factory ammo boxes up front. ( Not saying you would, but would bet the ranch some folk would in a heartbeat.)
I quit going to indoor ranges years ago. I think it was Ayoob who says " Shooting at an indoor range is equalivent to grazing for your lunch at a toxic waste dump". Even in modern, well maintained indoor ranges, the lead levels in the air are usually out of sight. Sorry to hear they were rude to boot. While the gun industry/culture contains my best friends and the best people I have ever met, it also seems to attract more than its share of total assholes. |
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Can't say as though I blame them for insisting their ammo gets fed through their rental guns. I would not put it past someone to sneak their reloads in to save a few bucks after showing legit factory ammo boxes up front. ( Not saying you would, but would bet the ranch some folk would in a heartbeat.) I quit going to indoor ranges years ago. I think it was Ayoob who says " Shooting at an indoor range is equalivent to grazing for your lunch at a toxic waste dump". Even in modern, well maintained indoor ranges, the lead levels in the air are usually out of sight. Sorry to hear they were rude to boot. While the gun industry/culture contains my best friends and the best people I have ever met, it also seems to attract more than its share of total assholes. well and funny enough the place used to be pretty clean as far as air was concerned but it's gotten filthy. so if there was still somewhat dangerous levels of lead in the air even when it was "clean" then I shudder to think what it is now. |
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Have any of you ever been to the PSC club in Friendswood? It's for members and their guest only and I think the dues are around $170 the first year and about $130 a year after that. That's a pretty good amount up front but there's no charge after that. The range is outdoors and is open during the day all week. It has two rifle ranges, one out to 300yds and several handgun ranges. They don't sell ammo or supplies but I always took my own. I was a member for several years and really enjoyed it. The only downside is the location (I-35 at FM 528) for folks from Houston. I have been there quite a few times. I had a friend that had a membership. It's a nice place, relaxed, clean, quiet and user friendly. I like the place and will probably be seeking a membership of my own after the New Year. |
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Can't say as though I blame them for insisting their ammo gets fed through their rental guns. I would not put it past someone to sneak their reloads in to save a few bucks after showing legit factory ammo boxes up front. ( Not saying you would, but would bet the ranch some folk would in a heartbeat.) I quit going to indoor ranges years ago. I think it was Ayoob who says " Shooting at an indoor range is equalivent to grazing for your lunch at a toxic waste dump". Even in modern, well maintained indoor ranges, the lead levels in the air are usually out of sight. Sorry to hear they were rude to boot. While the gun industry/culture contains my best friends and the best people I have ever met, it also seems to attract more than its share of total assholes. Is the Shooter's Station still open in Conroe? That thing had so much air blowing downrange I think it changed the ballistics of the rounds expended. Took my bride there and she said "Not gonna shoot somewhere if I have to redo my hair after shooting" LOL Only thing is, the first time you come in they make you read up on their rules, sign a form and get your picture taken. Then they give you a "license" to shoot their. The facility was clean a couple of years ago. |
| At every range you will run into a KIA (know it all). I've been to TopGun several times and have gotten that treatment. It doesn't detour me from going back. Some people find their worth in making others feel less than. I own an HK P30 and love it, but I love my HK45 even more. it will be nice when HK comes out w/ the same design in a 40cal. |