Indoor Shooting range

Garry,

I would check with the New York affiliate (Gun Owners of America - New York) to the National Rifle Association (NRA).

If you are a member of the NRA, you know they have all of the details already worked out.

Ventilation (lead) and insurance will be your main concern..

Good luck

How much space/area do you have to work with? R u talking about actually building a building or making 1 in your basemant? Something I may suggest,it would'nt be permanent, could be put up in 1 day with a friend or 2, last a couple years maybe more depends on what grade you get, weigh about 350 to 500 lbs (depending on grade level I'm guessing for a long 1, At around $360 for standard to$1500 xtra heavy duty delivered. It would be 8' ft high/12ft wide/24ft long.The extra heavy duty has 10 year warranty. It could possilby bypass alot of building codes. If that's something that might fall into your range of possibilities then check out ShelterLogic. Heating with a portable propane heater should'nt be to bad if the height kept near minimum.

Check my first post...

Call John Swenson at New England Airgun, Hudson,MA. He has a 1st class indoor range and store. I am sure he can assist you. Great Guy. 

Garry,

I'm also a NYer - both Central NY and Upstate NY. 
In Cortland Country [Central] my friend's friend who was into air gunning had mentioned an indoor competition and range.. 
There, they just put together a club, and must have rented out a certain amount of space in a big building in town.. 
It was an old 'flea-market', and they'd rent it out as needed.. It happened, so, apparently not too much was involved.
The Alphabet org has nothing to do with Air Guns, so 'gun organizations' may not be much help..

Things that Are good to know though - legalities of shooting an airgun in a certain area.. 
For ex: In Cortland, we couldn't discharge one in 'city limits', so, outside of the city, we were perfectly fine.. 
Indoors / Outdoors - it didn't matter.

The building I mentioned above was considered CortlandVille, so, they got away with it. - Being Outside of the city..

Here in Clyde, NY [Upstate] apparently there is a local indoor range already established, but, it's for actual firearms.. 
Pistol / rifle / and probably bow / x-bow too.. And air rifles are also welcomed - so says the few people I've talked to.

Insurance - Legalities: Those are the 2 main things that always come into play..

I looked into opening an indoor shooting range in Cortland Country back 10+ years ago, 
and the rules, regs, things needed was overwhelming, so, it never happened..

Much easier for air rifles - being that people w/ FFLs, Cirtified Range Masters, etc. wouldn't have to be present.. 
Also, with things like insurance, one would think that a large umbrella policy could be done under a name [like DBA]
and then contracts / waivers signed as well..

It's a pain, but, it can be done..

Maybe talk to the owners of a local paint ball company to get an idea of what they had to go through..

Also - and IMO most importantly..

With AIR GUNS - As of right now, they'll still not regulated Federally, and it'd be Great to keep things that way.. 
The more attention that they get in the public eye, the more people will inevitably try to ban them, set up rules, regs, laws, etc..
Maybe it's best to just enjoy our airguns at pre existing ranges vs. trying to start up air specific places.. Just my $0.02 
And I say that because as a NYer - I absolutely Despise NY. We're being regulated out of being able to do anything and everything.. 
Lets not help them and give up our rights to use airguns too..

 

Sam -

Garry,

You're welcome! I've always thought that it would be a fantastic idea, and would love a place indoors to shoot all year round.. 
It's almost crazy that there aren't more places.. All of the law enforcement back in the Cortland area do their training 
either outside at my local 'outdoor' sportsman's club, or, they have to somehow secure private buildings..

For 'civilians' though.. we're always just left out in the rain and cold.

Hey, another thought..

I used to shoot archery indoors..
A much older friend of mine said that when he was younger, they used to have a high school rifle team..

I shot archery in a building up above our local ambulance dispach center - while the place lasted.. 
He shot .22's in the basement of the high school.. [That school is in a different town so no 'extra city ordinances']

Anyways.. Maybe someone in the local archery scene would know of a place? 
Or even have some advise..

Again, much of it boils down to municipalities, their 'feelings' and / or laws / regulations, etc. 
And then like we mentioned, the safety, legal protection, etc. also involved.

 

Sam -