I just got back from Bass Pro Shop (the main headquarters).  I talked to the main range guy, Steve, about the incident with the 10/22 with the pistol grip.  He said it was the fault of the worker.  He has no problems with a 10/22 with a pistol grip.  The only thing they don't allow is shotguns (too much residue for the ventilation), full autos, and guns that are unsafe.  

On the topic of their rifle range, they don't allow any rifle that can't be bore sighted.  That's one of the reasons they don't allow the AR-15 or AK-47.  HOWEVER, he said it was just fine for me to bring in my AR-15 with the flat top receiver and scope to use the rifle range.  They don't want to damage their tube with a rifle with too much height between scope and bore line.  This goes with any rifle they can't bore sight first.  The other rule is that you have to use a scoped rifle in the tube.  No open sights.  

Bottom line is, I was told directly that I can bring my AR-15 into the range to shoot it.  A person with a pistol gripped 10/22 is allowed to use their range.  

I hope this information helps.

Uh, you can bore site the AR15 and the AK!!!!!

This all sounds very well, but I've not met the rifle that "can't be bore sighted"...what am I missing here?  One of my clubs has a similar rule, but it means that if you show up with a rifle that's not even been bore sighted, we stick in the laser or collet or whatever's appropriate and do it before you fire.

I wouldn't care what reason they give for not being able to shoot an AR. This place has more rules than the State of California. Bore sighted my ass!

  I guess I have taken it for granted how well I have it at my range. $6/day, shoot whatever you want and as fast as you want. Safety is the only priority.

Here is the reply I got from BassPro when I wrote to complain.  It seems reasonable enough:

My name is Steve Kuhn. I am the Director of Loss Prevention for the Bass
Pro Shops "Outdoor World Stores". I am writing you to respond to your
E-mail complaints concerning our gun range regulations. It is not policy to
prohibit the use of any legal firearm from our range with the following
exceptions:
  fully automatic weapons or weapons thar fire a burst are prohibited
  incendiary, armor piercing, steel core, zinc alloy and exploding
  ammunition is prohibited
  ammunition developing a velocity exceeding 3500 fps is prohibited

The reason for the exceptions is based on gun range tolerance and what we
feel makes our ranges a safe place to shoot. I noticed from your E-mail
messages that none of you actually were the person who had the negative
experience. Would you please pass this message on to the person(s) who
actually did get turned away so that I can speak to them personally. If I
can determine store, date, and time it occurred it will assist me in
getting the problem corrected. In the mean time I have forwarded your
complaints to all store managers who currently run ranges. They will hold
meetings with range personnel to assure no further misinterpretation of
range policy is made.

My E-mail address is [email protected]
My phone number is (417) 873-4796

Thank you for taking the time to make us aware of the issue. Please pass
this explanation on to any web site that currently received a complaint
about our policy. It would seem only fair to let them know we are reacting
to your complaints.

Thanks for the info, I was turned away and I will definately contact this person.

I still feel his response is a bunch of BS.

When I was turned away, they just didn't tell me my gun wasn't allowed, they had a sheet of paper that showed pictures which guns were not allowed on their range.  Anything with a pistol grip or external magazine.

Here is what I sent them.  I will let you know what I find out.



Steve Kuhn,

I'm writting because I was given information that you were looking into the issue of people being turned away from Bass
Pro Shops "Outdoor World Stores" gun ranges because of the type of firearm they wanted to shoot.

About a year ago I visited a newly opened store in south east Michigan off of I-75, I do not remember the name of the mall that it is in.  I had stopped by with my girlfriend because we were looking for a place to shoot and none of the local rifle ranges were open on that day and I new there was a rifle range at this store.  We went in and talked to the range master and started asking questions about shooting.  I was told that I would not be allowed to shot my firearms because they prohibited any firearms that are scary looking.  When I asked for more info on what he meant, I was told that any firearm with an external magazine or a pistol grip would not be allowed.  He went on further to say that I could bring a Ruger 10/22 and use it with a standard 10 round magazine because it would be flush with the rifle but I could not use that rifle if I brought 25 round magazine which would extend out from the rifle.  As I asked even more questions he produced a sheet of paper that showed pictures off all the types of firearms not allowed at their range.  Basically anything with a pistol grip, folding stock, or a magazine that  extended below the rifle was prohibited and shown in the pictures.

He said he didn't really agree with that policy but that is what management told him.  He was told that Bass Pro Shops wants to keep a "family image" for their store and those types of firearms don't promote that.  He further went on to explain that there was a restaurant that used the same set of stairs as the range and that all the soccer moms who bring their children to the restaurant can see into the range; because of that, he explained that they did not want to offend or scare off any of the women who eat in the restaurant with scary looking firearms.

Because that store is more concerned about how soccer moms might react to a "scary looking" gun who eat a $15 meal at the restraurant, instead of being concerned about making sure sportments who spend $800 dollars on a rifle and would go through $15 of ammo while using the range, as well as buy additional items from the store, I have refused to visit that store and I will not buy anything from that store.

I hope this helps clarify the complaints you have been hearing about.

Another question that I have is, does Bass Pro Shops restrict the type of firarms they stock and display.  The last I had heard this same Bass Pro Shop had stopped stocking all handguns except for a few revolvers, which were target shooting models not self defense models.

I serve on the Board of Directors for a pro-gun organization here in Michigan called the Michigan Coaltion for Responsible Gun Owners http://www.mcrgo.org

I've received numerous complaints from our members regarding various policies like the two I described above regarding this Bass Pro Shop.  If you could please answer my questions and fill my in on any policies that do exist and why they exist I would be more than happy to pass that information along to our members. If you would like more information or want to talk to me feel free to call the phone number listed below.

Stephen Wire

I was told much the same thing by my local Bass Pro Shop, ie. NO MILITARY TYPE FIREARMS. As much as I love stores like Bass Pro, I WILL NOT support a range that reinforces the idea that there are BAD GUNS.

Wow SWIRE.  I got exactly the same story from the Great Lakes crossing mall.  I wanted to sight in my AR-10 deer rifle and they wouldn't let me shoot it for those reasons.  They let me take it up to the range so that I could sight in my slug gun.   Once I got to the range.  The guys up there wanted to see it.  So I pulled it out and they started aiming it around like a wild banshee.  So much for not scaring the soccer moms.  

The guy at the door had a bunch of pictures of guns with evil features which were not allowed to be shot in the range.  The ruger with the pistol grip would have been excluded.  And any other "military looking" guns.

jerks

I won't support them either. Although I don't have a sore close to me(Tulsa,Ok.) I do and have in the past ordered fishing supplies and other equipment from them. After reading the original post on discrimination deal I wrote an e-mail stating that I would not be ordering anymore products from them and told them why. I have not received any comment from them to date. I will however continue to keep their catalog in the rack near the throne! [:D]

hmm maby ill have to drive up to dundee and drag out my evil beretta bm-59 with the evil grenade launcher/ flash supressor that is about 6" long and all those 20 round magazines.
Then for desert perhaps a helping of car-15 with a tiny bit of slr-101

I was personally turned away from the Bass Pro Shop Gun Range in the Miami area.
I have a colt HBAR .223 and I bought a scope for it in that very store. I removed the carry handle and installed the scope on the flat top receiver. When I went to the range in the store the woman attendant told me it was company policy not to permit pistol gripped rifles on their range........  No exceptions!
She did however direct me to the public range at Markham state park where I was treated very well and welcomed.
I have sent a copy of this by email to the bass pro shop.
Bill

                                           That is why I patronize Cabela's in Dundee, Michigan because they are not afraid to sell politically non-correct firearms, like AR15 type rifles or Springfield M1A's. Where as Bass Pro Shop, Gander Mountain,or Dick's Sporting Goods do not. Just my 2 cents..........

All of this has been very interesting.  Steve himself, at the headquarters store, the one who runs the shooting range, told me that I could bring my AR-15 in to sight my scope in.  

I wonder why there's so much differing information here?