“We recently made the business decision to temporarily close our Shooting Sports Center, while we make changes to better align its purpose with our key business objectives as a firearm manufacturer. This is a decision that we made internally and on our own accord for a number of business-related reasons which include the many complexities of operating a public range, combined with our desire to focus on our manufacturing operation.” – Elizabeth A. Sharp, Smith & Wesson VP for investor relations [not shown], via masslive.com
Oops. I think it could happen at any range though, as the ones I’ve been to take you at your word. All you have to do is sign a sheet attesting that you are legal and show ID.
Ouch! Well it doesn’t sound like they were forced to close, but ouch none the less.
I can’t even imagine how much the liability insurance costs for a public range. What happens when a patron shoots another guest? I’d guess that either the insurance company would drop you like a hot potato or triple your rates. I don’t blame S&W for shutting down the range.
Pre PC, and an overly litigious society, it wasn’t as big an issue. Screen for idiots at the gate. If one slips through and does something stupid on the line, kick their butt out.
Today, that’s racist, homophobic, or red-neck or something, and grounds for a lawsuit.
I always tell anyone that goes to the range with me that if they bring a guest to be sure and tell that person that if you have a record, don’t attempt to handle any firearm because you’ll get locked up if you get caught. A lot of people think they can just lie on the form, but if ATF or any other agency ever decided to audit these forms then you’re going to have a serious problem. I even tell people not to sign up for any of my classses if they’re not allowed to legally handle a firearm. I don’t want them to waste their money, but more importantly I don’t want to be teaching felons about guns or have them touch any of my guns.
I’m a dyed in the wool Smith & Wesson weenie, but let’s face it — S&W management is absolutely, completely and totally FUBAR. If they really want to “better align its purpose with our key business objectives as a firearm manufacturer,” fire the corproate management, starting with that doubletalking Elizabeth Sharp, and bring in some people who actually know how to run a firearms company.
They need people who know how to run a business in the late 20th century (21st century would be asking too much). I placed a parts order with the regular S&W website a while back and called to check on the shipping status about a week later. I was told to expect a postcard in the mail which would be informing me that the items were back-ordered. They had my email for the order confirmation, but have to revert to snail-mail? At this point I can only assume that the back-order postcards are also back-ordered since that is late as well.
This hard to believe that a felon lied about being a felon and is being charged with a felony for being a felon in possession of a fire arm.
Hopefully the MA legislature will pass another law so this doesn’t happen again and if MA doesn’t I’m sure CA will.
Note to Smith & Wesson – Until you get rid of that @#$%^&* lock I won’t be buying one of your revolvers.
Yup that lock is just a recipe for FTF; especially on the scandium framed revolvers.
Nice boy in the picture there. Does he wear a hoodie at times?
Taken to extremes, can we expect NCIS checks at ranges in the near future?
Liability is a big expense for ranges. One near me had a suicide last November, now a patron by his or her self cannot rent range guns any longer. It seems loner come in, rent a gun or two and then decide to check out. Or at least that is what the insurance company thinks based on reports of gun range suicides.
Many ranges have membership systems and I guess they try to filter out the kooks and criminals. At least they can eyeball someone and decide if they have proper intentions. Whatever that might be.
Best to have 10 acres somewhere to shoot at where no one bothers you.
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