(courtesy wilshiregun.com)

“One shot, one bourbon, one beer. That’s a gun shot, by the way,” money.cnn.com reports in its own dismissively incredulous sort of way. “Oklahoma City entrepreneurs are opening a gun range next month [Wilshire Gun] where both alcohol and full automatic machine guns will be on tap.” On tap. Geddit? And thanks for the link to the SHOT Show Media Day machine gun porn. “Co-owner Jane Moran, a certified financial planner and shooting enthusiast, said that ‘guns are the new golf’ in the world of corporate events. She wants to create a clubhouse environment where business people can schmooze. The shooting and the drinking will be kept safely separated, Moran said. The range will scan customer driver’s licenses so that after they leave the range for a drink they can’t get back in.” So . . . what’s the problem? Well . . .

Nothing! And despite the tongue-in-cheek intro, the CNN report is fair-minded on that point.

There’s a similar range called the Governors Gun Club located in Powder Springs near Atlanta. Members pay a $700 sign-up fee and $800 annually to use the Freedom Lounge, which features a billiard table, a poker table, a humidor and a bar. They also get a gun locker and a cigar locker, as well as a free machine gun rental on their birthday.

There are even retail establishments that sell both guns and hard liquor under the same roof, although they’re rare. Ken’s Sporting Goods & Liquor Store in Crescent, Ore., has a sculpture of a bear with a salmon and a sign that says “Guns Ammo Liquor Beer Wine.”
Ken’s has been selling liquor and guns for at least 36 years, according to Chuck Defoe, who sternly condemns drinking and shooting at the same time.

“I get some people coming in here and they say, ‘Oh, you’re pushing drinking and shooting,'” said Defoe. “I don’t drink and shoot guns. I don’t advocate anybody having a drink and shooting guns. If anybody appears to be on drugs – there’s a lot of that around – or drinking, we will not sell.”

Store clerk Phil Lindquist said he’s only had a customer come in once to buy a gun and liquor at the same time.

I wonder if the customer was from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (and Really Big Fires).

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70 COMMENTS

    • Yup, I am used to hunters taking a drink or two before shooting. Relaxes the nerves, makes it easier to shoot, though I don’t drink.

      Also, sex. Why are you (Americans) so uptight about it?

      • Also, sex. Why are you (Americans) so uptight about it?

        I can see that you never met our wives.

        • I don’t mean that. I mean the fact that having a film where two person kiss is worse than having a film where one shoots the other guys head off with a shotgun.

      • Why are you europeans (guessing) so arrogant, condescending and judgemental about Americans. Take your opinions about Americans and go home. Or stay home.

        • I am not guessing.

          I saw it personally, films with sexual themes get much harsher ratings than your average action flick which end with the undertaker sending all three of his kids through college and buying himself a beach house on a private island (I am trying to say there is a lot of violence in it).

          Also, if I was arrogant/condenscending I would have made at least one joke about fat Americans, which i didn’t. Because I am way too classy for that.

        • The birthplace continent of Fascism, Communism, and Nazism doesn’t have the standing to give advice about violence.

          Also…

          When some non-U.S. entity saves the world a couple times get back to us and we’ll talk about if your opinions have any merit.

        • Can’t make it to 5 replies before we resort to a pissing match? Well, I am too mature for something like that despite my trauma and cranial injuries.

          I asked a simple question which had nothing to do with international politics, simply about films and media. Then I get such a response? Will rather be somehow responsible (never understood that, I didn’t create/support it yet I am responsible for it?) for communism and facism than nuclear weapons, KKK, CIA and surveilance that rivals the UK. Sure, the first two cocked things up but the other ones will mess things up in the future. Will rather spend 5 years shooting nazis than getting nuked/drone bombed while having been unjustly imprisoned for 20 years prior (don’t get me started on the prison system). You might say that you saved “us” from facism but you didn’t. For two reasons; One: if Russia didn’t help you out you wouldn’t have accomplished anything. Two: Your forefathers fought in WW2, not you. Doug Stanhope said it best: “I know I blacked out after that fourth Jagermeister but I don’t remember saving some French people”. Here is the vid:

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy19YmQHHJU&feature=kp

          I know this is the Internet and such but good day to you and all.

      • Oh, yeah, totally agree. Before I go driving I like to drink a shot or two…. helps me relax, ya know…

      • … also, it doesn’t make it easier to shoot. Have you ever tried to hold a gun steady after ingesting alcohol? I’ve tried it – you haven’t (as you’ve admitted). I can tell you that it makes it much more difficult to keep steady aim, and that it’s much more easy to do something stupid like put your finger on the trigger when you don’t intend to. The gun wasn’t loaded – because believe me, if I were to have something to drink, I wouldn’t try something as stupid as handling a loaded gun. When you’re going to go hunting, what you need is alertness, not relaxation. Maybe you didn’t get it, but this article is NOT promoting drinking before shooting. It does not help with weapon handling, it helps with making it highly probably that you will become the next headline on The Truth About Guns
        ….. not in a good way if you haven’t caught on yet.

        If your brain needs alcohol to handle weapons, you should not be handling weapons, period.

        PS. Anything you see in the Hollywood movies is that: Hollywood. It’s not a representation of American society, so if you’ve watched some movies, that does not mean you know American society. If you haven’t lived in America for at least 5-10 years, then you have no actual experience to say anything about American society.

        • Honestly? I don’t know, I don’t drink (religious/practical reasons). That is what I was told, they haven’t shot anything they shouldn’t have so I don’t complain.

    • The drinking age here is insane. At least when I was 18, the drinking age in TX was 18, but then the feds made us raise it back to 21. I think that was Mrs Dole’s doing.

    • Jeff, It’s called firearms safety. When responsible gun owners think of people drinking while shooting, it’s worse than drunk driving. I just hope that the system works and there are no issues. I would have to imagine that the insurance would be super high. Also when anyone is shooting with me, no alcohol until guns are put away. If you have been drinking, you don’t shoot. Simple as that. This is why I hope the system works and someone doesn’t do anything stupid.

  3. I know of plenty of private gun clubs that have bars in their clubhouse. This doesn’t seem unusual at all to me. I do like the control to keep those consuming from returning to shooting, great idea.

  5. Gah! I had this exact idea a few years ago, even the no re-entry from the bar part. I don’t even drink, but I know a solid business plan when I see one. Ranges around here close at 6pm when I’d much rather shoot at 9 with a chance to relax afterwards.

  6. The Today Show had a feature on Wilshire a couple weeks ago, and the cast basically poo-poo’d it like it was some redneck flyover country invention…something that would never be thought of to exist in the rarefied air of sophisticated locales like New York.

    Of course, I’m sure they have no idea that Tiro a Signo exists just about three miles away from their Rockefeller studios….

  7. It’s sad that utter fear of liability and strict adherence to the lowest denominator has gone from a business decision to a social attitude.

    • Example number #43,523 of how lawyers are almost complete in the destruction of our country.

      I’d bet lawyers will be one of the biggest losers in a SHTF scenario.

  9. Used to be a gun store in El Cajon, CA. that also sold alcohol ~ 25 yrs ago, I don’t know if they’re still around. Hiram’s Guns and Spirits, or Wine and Guns or something like that. I don’t know if its still around– the one time I went in they didn’t have a large selection and they were a bit higher than other stores in the area.

    • It’s “news” now because the city council approved Wilshire’s liquor license in late May.

      Then again, The Today Show ran their piece within two or three days of that. Not sure what’s CNN’s delay (unless they are finally clearing the backlog of non missing Malay airliner stories)…

  11. Eh, the gun clubs I’ve used either serve liquor or let you bring your own.

    “There are even retail establishments that sell both guns and hard liquor under the same roof, although they’re rare.”

    The old defunct Texas Stores were guns and liquor. I made many visits to them with my mom as she ran her errands. Kids were allowed to explore the guns side of the store, but not the liquor side, unless accompanied by a parent. I thought nothing of it, but I guess it would be odd nowadays.

  12. They media is all up in arms that someone might have a drink and shoot, but they have no problem with someone having a drink and then driving?

    • That’s why we have the drive through beer barns. You can buy your deer corn there too.

  13. The local walmarts in nevada sell gun, ammo, beer and hard liqueur in the same store.

    Whats the big deal?

  14. I’m very surprised by CNN’s website reporting in the past month or so. They have been very fair on all issues, actually going back to being real journalists.

  15. Doesn’t seem rare at all to me. Just google Hussey’s in Maine. The sign says it all.

  16. “There are even retail establishments that sell both guns and hard liquor under the same roof, although they’re rare.”

    Really? I’ve heard many terms used to describe Walmart, but never “rare.”

    • Wal-Mart didn’t occur to me, but I live in Pennsylvania. Wal-Mart isn’t allowed to sell alcohol here.

      • Until very recently, nobody in PA was allowed to sell beer/wine unless you were part of the alcohol distributor group that kept that regulation in place by greasing all politicians. No big name free market retailers were allowed in the group and it of coarse was cozy price fixing racket.

        Walmart was just another retailer that couldn’t sell alcohol.

      • Well, until recently (as I just found out), in CT no stores were allowed to sell alcohol after 10 or on Sundays – something about “in observation of religious days” – well, what about my religious rights as an Atheist/Agnostic?! Forcing me to take part in their religious BS is religious discrimination right there! My religion tells me I can drink, well… whenever the hell I want!! I’m glad I was only stopping on my way through. CT definitely had some retarded lawmakers … can’t say if they’re still there or not … I’m pretty sure some Christians could use some alcohol too after their hardcore “You’re going to burn in hell!” session.

        I read this article, it made me laugh
        http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/nyregion/sunday-liquor-sales-end-an-era-in-connecticut.html
        ” But the way our society is these days, I think alcohol sales on Sundays is going to lead us down a very slippery slope.” LOL

        Yes, “OMG, I now have no self-control!There is nothing to stop me from drinking! I will no become a hardcore alcoholic!!” LOL

        It’s so ridiculous, it reminds me of the Southpark episode “Bloody Mary,” in which Randy claims he has a disease that is forcing him to drink, and he has no control over it, not even trying to moderate intake.

        • Oklahoma still has those laws….

          Liquor stores are closed on sundays, after 9pm, and on major hoildays (wanna drink at the lake on Memorial Day? better get your booze on saturday!) Our liquor stores can’t sell anything cold, and our grocery stores and gas stations can only sell “low point” stuff cold (they can’t sell high point stuff at all).

          hell, until the state constitution was changed in 1984, you couldn’t even buy liquor at a bar…you had to bring your own bottle…..

    • Wal-Mart in Ohio can’t sell liquor, but they sell beer and wine. The one I was in yesterday also sold a very limited selection of rifles. Sure sounds like guns and alcohol under the same roof to me…

    • In Ukiah, CA (yes, california. you might want to sit down for this) there was a store across the road from my hotel. It was a combination liquor store and gun store. Of all the signs I saw in that town my favorite said something along the lines of “Car Stereo, Alarms, Guns.”

  17. Same as the card playing house that serves drinks in my town.
    Liquor in front and poker in the rear…

    • I thought the same thing about flights. It doesn’t really make them seem any faster…. but it does make them a bit more pleasant 😉

  19. Sounds like a business plan for me.

    Our ranges all close at 6pm which chaps my ass. I work till 5, so between going home to get the guns, and then getting there, I’d have…20 minutes maybe?

    The idea of being able to go a range that’s open till 8 or so, then wash up and have a margarita and some queso immediately after is pretty tempting.

    • Closing at 6PM. Is that a city ordinance or what? That really sucks. I’m really lucky we have a self governed small outdoor range. We pay apprx. $50.00 a year, and we can use the range anytime we want, at any hours, except dark.

  20. I thought that in Oklahoma if you are carrying a firearm you cannot consume any alcohol. So… Does this mean that everyone that goes to that gun range and visits the bar is committing a felony?

    Or at least thats what I was told when I took my carry class..

    • it will depend on if the “bar” is a actual bar (gets more than 50% of its sales from alcohol) or if it’s a restaurant with a bar (gets more than 50% of its sales from food), and how the food facility is arranged in the building.

      If they have a 21 to enter section, then that section is almost certainly going to be off limits to carry. if they have a chili’s-like arrangement (a restaurant setting with a bar to the side) then the bar seating will likely be carry restricted.

      in short, once you finish shooting, you stay off the bar rail or you put your gun in your car. if you are going to drink, you must secure your gun off your person.

  25. I think this article could do without a couple “OMG!s,” we can make our own opinion on things……. your job is to report the news, NOT to be a sarcastic asshole.

  27. I recently had drinks at the range after shooting five stand. It was what I imagined what golf should be, which is fun and civil.

    • Unlike drinking and driving, I don’t think you are actively drinking at shooting at the same time, or drinking THAN shooting. I think the club only allows one or the other or shooting than drinking.

  29. I live about 20 minutes away from Brock’s Gap VA which has the last store in VA that sells alchohol and guns under the same roof.Anybody know where Im talking about?

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