Some good news on the indoor shooting possibilities for a change.

This is the range that has been talked about on this forum for a while. It is located on the East Valley Highway in south Renton or north Kent by the Great Wall Mall.

I have been driving by every couple of weeks for a while and it was just a nice new two story building that was empty.

Today, when I pulled in to the parking lot the doors were open and the gun store area was being stocked!!! I went in and talked to the owner, who is in a wheelchair, for while. The place will open toward the middle or the end of next week. Check his site at  championarms.com for more info on exact opening date and a map.

Range area is at least two stories tall. Shooting positions still need installation. Major vent system for getting the bad stuff out of the air. There will be a snack bar room, a confernce room and a  gunsmith area.

Owner is a smith that likes to build guns. He is hiring at least one other smith and according to the web site and our conversation today he is looking for additional staff.

He will stock the usual assortment of guns and rifles, including AR's at prices very close to Federal Way and way lower than Wades.

The bad news is the only long guns that will be allowed to shoot there are the pistol calibers, so get going on your 9mm builds. The better news is in a couple of years he is planning to open an indoor 100 yd range on the West Valley just east of Southcenter.

Mike

7/22 Update

Stopped by the range again.  Gun store may open this weekend. Range opening is about a month off.

Personal Rant: I think owner Steve shined me on last week about the range being open by this weekend. I am not a happy camper/shooter right now. However, a lot of us need a nice indoor range in this area, so I'll continue to watch and advise everyone as changes take place.

8/17 Update

I stopped by the range again. Guns were being placed in the display cases and on the back wall. AR's not up yet. Guy doing stocking showed me an Oly with a stainless steel barrel. Not enough of the guns that I am familiar with prices on were out, so I can't really tell if prices are high or low. For security, Steve is using an armed guard who stays in the building all night, until regular security equipment is installed.

And now for the important stuff. Range still not open. Waiting for permit to build concrete block dividing wall to split range in half. Should have permit 8/18. Range open in about two weeks.

Range pass for one year will be $150.00. I'll buy one when I hear rounds going down range,

Previous comments about WSI equipment applies to range booths and target trolleys only, ie. not firearms.

Mike

Quoted: The bad news is the only long guns that will be allowed to shoot there are the pistol calibers, so get going on your 9mm builds.

Go hard, or go home...

That is OK, I would not have gone anyway.


That being said, I wish them good luck.

The guys at Bullseye and Welchers used to have quite the opinion about this guy's gunsmithing skills...however this was at a time when neither shop was interested in custom ARs and just wanted to sell the latest complete.....Bushy or Oly.....I met the guy at champion way back when they were in Fife, and he seemed pretty cool.  

R-32,
Seems you have an issue or some insight.  Can you elaborate?

Quoted: R-32, Seems you have an issue or some insight.  Can you elaborate?

Sounded worse then it really was ment..

I just dont care for the Pistol cal only rifle rules, I will not go out of my way to check them out because if that.

Not a big deal.

If this is the same guy that was the head smith at the Fife location, I’ll have to say that I was not impressed with his work.  I had him cut a barrel for a Mini-14 to just over 16” and install a new front sight/flash suppressor.  He failed to have it ready on the day promised, not once but three times.  When it was finally done, the front sight/suppressor was canted.  If he can’t deliver on basic work like that, he won’t be seeing any more business from me.  

Quoted: If this is the same guy that was the head smith at the Fife location, I’ll have to say that I was not impressed with his work........He failed to have it ready on the day promised, not once but three times.

Same experience here.  I've gone to him for 1911, Hi-power and AR15 barrel work. He was NEVER on time with any of it. In fact, he always took at least a week longer than quoted to do the job. I got fed up and have never gone back.

I see Steve's reputation as a smith preceeds his new location.

IMO, the best smith around the new range is Angie, the Sightman. He loves AR's, especially Armalites.

His shop is just up the hill to the east of the range, about 2 miles away.

Mike

awesome

Roger Young at the GF pit for AR15 troubleshooting and Da_Bunny at the bar for AR15 assembly.

Quoted: Steve Houseman at OAI for general gunsmith work and ARs, Mike Hadley at Safari Arms for 1911s.

I'm just happy there is an indoor place to shoot in the valley for those nasty winter evenings.

I'm just happy there is an indoor place to shoot in the valley for those nasty winter evenings

WahhhhhhhhhhhhT??????
Outdoors baby, real world training all types of weather!
Renton gun club, I shoot in the rain, sun, sleet, and snow! Pistol rifle and shotgun.
What did someone say? Go big or go home?

If you cant shoot the same group with snow or rain your eyes, ?......well you know.

I never could and never will get used to indoor ranges unless they are set up to tactically train in an indoor environment.
Suck about all the crap outdor ranges get these days. I hope I am NEVER forced into one of these places.

Now say there is a 50' hall way with 3-4 rooms on each side with reactive targest in each room randomly placed.  You start at begining and clear the rooms as fast as you can.
THAT would get me indoors in a heartbeat!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh and have to be able to transition between pistol and rifle.

Quoted: Quoted: I'm just happy there is an indoor place to shoot in the valley for those nasty winter evenings WahhhhhhhhhhhhT?????? Outdoors baby, real world training all types of weather! Renton gun club, I shoot in the rain, sun, sleet, and snow! Pistol rifle and shotgun. What did someone say? Go big or go home? If you cant shoot the same group with snow or rain your eyes, ?......well you know. I never could and never will get used to indoor ranges unless they are set up to tactically train in an indoor environment. Suck about all the crap outdor ranges get these days. I hope I am NEVER forced into one of these places. Now say there is a 50' hall way with 3-4 rooms on each side with reactive targest in each room randomly placed.  You start at begining and clear the rooms as fast as you can. THAT would get me indoors in a heartbeat!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh and have to be able to transition between pistol and rifle. While your style of shooting is what I prefer, as my buddies say to the Jacks...... "You're not a mall ninja.  Don't always act like one." You can still have fun shooting even if you're not working through tactical drills.

It never hurts to work on the basics; acquire the target, line-up the sights and squeeze the trigger.

-Frank

The store is open.
The range is not yet operational; as I understand it (and the transmisison could have been garbled) , when they were installing the backstop they discovered that a water pipe had been installed four feet out from the wall.  Now they are waiting AGAIN on the City of Kent to grant yet ANOTHER building permit so they can Fix It.  I suspect this may reduce the range by one lane, but am not sure yet.

They have all of John Clifford's leftover inventory from WSI, and some new stuff.  LSW (sometimes known as "the Imelda Marcos of Purses" oh, Hi, Dear...) was impresssed buy the gun purses they have in stock: "They look like real purses that just happen to lock and have holsters!"

Clifford's empty shipping container is sitting out in front of the store, which contributes to the appearance of a not-open retail facility.
We suggested charging rent, or maybe selling...

I stopped by today:

Q:  Is the range open yet?

A: No

Q: Do you have an estimate?

A:  3 to 4 weeks.  We are putting a divider up so if police/military are shooting on one side , then regular customers can stiil shoot on the other

See the 8/17 update on my first post.

Mike

I called Champion today and asked about AR use at the range and was told: "No problem".  Asked about rapid fire and drawing from a holster and was told "As long as you're hitting the target, your good to go".

Now I am reading this thread for the first time (just dawned on me to check my ARF hometown area) and see that only pistol caliber rifles are allowed. I wonder if Champion had a change of plicy on that.  

My membership at Wade's expires in another week and I am investigating new places to shoot.  I live in West Seattle, but have not bothered with Renton Fish and Game because of the "one round" rule for the rifle range.  Wade's is a lot of things, but they still offer a place for me to shoot what I want the way I want (minus steel cased ammo).

I guess we'll have to see what happens.  I have high hopes and want to get in on the $150 membership sale, but only if I can shoot my AR's, AK's and Shotties along side my handguns.  Seems a lot to ask these days.  

Champion Arms>>> Monkey with a hammer >>>

I have seen his work and the horror storeis. That is all.

Quoted: Champion Arms>>> Monkey with a hammer >>> I have seen his work and the horror storeis. That is all.

I don't want him to work on my guns, just provide a decent place to shoot 'em.  I am still pissed about WSI and being forced to join Wade's at $300 a year.

Stopped by range again this afternoon. I usually drop in or call once a week, but no point in posting unless something new.

Owner got permit to build wall on 9/2. Took 3 1/2 weeks for Kent to issue it for whatever reason.

Like others have commented, all I want is a place to shoot  indoors close to where I live. If I can't shoot .223 then I guess I'll just have to build or buy a 9mm AR, like twist my arm.

I do not really care about owner's smithing skills, or lack thereof, as I will continue to use Angie, the Sightman, when needed.

Mike

Next time someone stops by or calls, can you ask about .223 and other rifle ammo and post back here?  I will do the same when I stop by to check the place out later this week.

I can stop by tomorrow at lunchtime. Its very,very close to where I work.

Quoted: I don't want him to work on my guns, just provide a decent place to shoot 'em.  I am still pissed about WSI and being forced to join Wade's at $300 a year.

When I first moved here it was $100 a year. When it came up for renewal, it was $500, and they would give you credit for the previous years membership= $400.

Best $400 I have ever spent. Damn I have got my moneys worth already, and I still have a lifetime to go. And I didnt even know if I was stayin here or not. Still dont.

Quoted: Next time someone stops by or calls, can you ask about .223 and other rifle ammo and post back here?  I will do the same when I stop by to check the place out later this week.

The answer I got form the guy there was "I think it (the range) should be able to accept .223 (or some rifle ammo) but he wasn't sure." Basically said that he would be surprised if it didn't.  

I really hope they decide to accept 5.56 there, i'd give em my ammo business, haha

Hmmm... Clear as mud.  

Hopefully they will figure it out one way or the other.  My guess is that as long as the backstop can nix any over penetration they will allow rifle ammo.

I'll ask when I am there this week and compare it with what headpulper was told.

May allow some rifle calibers!!!

Stopped by late yesterday afternoon.

THE DIVIDING WALL IS APPROX 1/2 DONE !!!! I am now convinced that rounds will actually be going down range soon, their guess 1 1/2 weeks. No more permits needed, just a final inspection of the wall when completed.

Talked with owner Steve (again) about calibers. When range opens just handgun calibers in rifles. As soon as he gets a chance, he will test the backstop with .223. If he gets ten rounds in the same spot without going through the backstop, then he WILL ALLOW some rifle calibers to be used. So that is also some possible good news.

There were actually some customers in the shop, so the word is getting out. Smith shop is full of equipment.

Mike

*YAWN*

That's a helluva way to test a backstop.

Quoted: That's a helluva way to test a backstop.

No kidding. I wonder if he'll start with 22 LR and go up, then stop at the caliber that does penetrate to set the limits?

Quoted: May allow some rifle calibers!!! Stopped by late yesterday afternoon. THE DIVIDING WALL IS APPROX 1/2 DONE !!!! I am now convinced that rounds will actually be going down range soon, their guess 1 1/2 weeks. No more permits needed, just a final inspection of the wall when completed. Talked with owner Steve (again) about calibers. When range opens just handgun calibers in rifles. As soon as he gets a chance, he will test the backstop with .223. If he gets ten rounds in the same spot without going through the backstop, then he WILL ALLOW some rifle calibers to be used. So that is also some possible good news. There were actually some customers in the shop, so the word is getting out. Smith shop is full of equipment. Mike

Thanks for the update.  I still have not had a chance to stop over there.

What are the business hours? Is it still Tuesday thru Saturday or is he now open Mondays?

http://www.ammoman.com/atk_awarded.htm

someone inform this store owner of this type of ammunition.

I'm looking for a range that is not geared towards hunters, as I don't mean to intrude on their sight in sessions with my evil looking semi-automatic high capacity rifle...

Quoted: Quoted: That's a helluva way to test a backstop. No kidding. I wonder if he'll start with 22 LR and go up, then stop at the caliber that does penetrate to set the limits?

Like my grandpa used to say about tightening lugnuts "Turn 'em till JUST before they break!"

"hey, go around back and see if you can see any bullets coming out the back.  Yell STOP if they do."

Stopped by today. (9/23)
Wall was done, concrete inside being poured this afternoon/evening.  Lanes should be set up in next to no time after that is done.
Next weekeend...?

I am going to stop in this weekend (finally).

Stopped in this afternoon.  Wall is done.  Lanes are not yet constructed, waiting for work crew to show to set up target trolly system.  Unfortunately, most of the work crew that is not off in the sand box is currently in LA/TX/MS/AL cleaning up.  Planning to go back tomorrow, hopefully I will not be the only one there able to work...

OK, the work crew was there, I was late and missed the work.  (Damn, I hate when that happens!)  Lane partitions set up on half of range, and beams (or battens, or whatever) for ceiling panels are up.  Maybe two weeks, now, if all the volunteer help is as reliable as me...

This damn topic just needs to be locked and a new one created if ever this place is in business.

Volunteers? If a member here needs some help working his personal range you get volunteers, but a business? Is this any indication of the kind of service they will provide? If they can't just jump in and get 'er done, what can we expect from them?