Silver Eagle Group

[Moist]

Went with my wife and son to the Silver Eagle Group range in Ashburn on Sunday. Time was about 2:00pm. This was our second trip there. The 25-yard range was full up, so we were sent over to the 50-yard range. There were only 3 other people there using 2 of the 8 (or 10?) lanes, so we were able to pick out our spot and get to it after some brief instructions from the RSO.

My wife bought a M&P Shield in .40SW with Crimson Trace laser and I have a CT laser for my LC9, so the plan was to get her Shield broken in and get the lasers sighted in. Her Shield was awesome, it was dead-on at 21 feet. If you put the laser on the red center of the target, it would chew the center out with one magazineful, and we were only shooting cheap UMC bang-bang ammo from Walmart. I'm really impressed with that pistol. My wife and son got three or four jams (failure to feed), but it's because they were limp-wristing, once I made them aware of it they were fine.

I'm very disappointed with my LC9. I was unable to fire consistent groups with the pistol, and the bullets seemed to be all over the target. My wife thought it might be the very long pull and crappy trigger on the LC9, but I'm actually okay with it, it's not as bad as people might think. The laser was practically useless, as there was no meaningful way to get it sighted in properly. Unfortunately, our time ran out, so I'll have to see about bench firing the pistol soon to see about getting these issues squared away. Disappointing because I like the LC9, it functioned flawlessly with cheap UMC, Winchester Silvertips, and Federal Nyclad ammo.

As for the RSO, his presence was known, but the only real interaction we had with him was when he gave us instructions before entering the range, and when we left he said "Thank you for shooting safely!" I never felt like he was hovering around. When we left, the lobby was literally filled with people, don't know if it was other weekend shooters or people arriving for a class, but I like this range and I like the people there. It may be a bit pricey, but for the money you get a clean, well-ventilated range with RSO's and staff that are friendly. I'll definitely keep going there.

[bryanrheem]

Does the 50 yard range have bench rests?

[Moist]

The 25 and 50 yard ranges each have bench rests.

[mstuff]

Silver eagle is probably one of the best indoor ranges I have been to, and its 5 minutes from me

We were members for a year but their weird hours or operation and ever climbing cost of ammo, combined with our having a 1,000 yard range at the other house, led us to drop the membership. But you can still go and pay hourly.

I never ran into attitude there and lots of full auto was used and you can go 50 bmg, so its pro outfit that has just been remodeled again.

Rentals sales ammo training, although all the good stuff is sold out there like everywhere else.

But you can rent my gun there, SCAR 17, AR 15's are for girls

[bryanrheem]

having a 1,000 yard range at the other house

uhm... vgof outing?

[Molfeens]

2nd the VGOF outing!!!!!

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[mstuff]

Well I just changed my opinion of Silver Eagle

Seems that now that every newb in the world is lined up cash in hand, I pretty much don't matter anymore.

I had a member ship there, paid in full 12 months in advance, plus some "initiation" fee, whatever that was, I dont recall getting "initiated" after paying it.

Anyhow, that was back during their "lean" times, when they serviced the customer etc etc

That was during the time that the range hours were all over the place and access to the 50 yard range was alway hit or miss depending on if they had personnel to man it AND the other two shorter ranges.

But we put up with that, and after the 12 month period was over it went monthly on my wife's credit card, cause she bought it for me as "a gift" on her card, one of those "gifts" where after she charged off the first 12 months and initiation fee, I paid the card off, one of those gifts.

Anyhow, once it started going on her card monthly, about 6 months in, 18 months after we started the membership, she cancelled it cause we just weren't using it.

So I just went down there, gonna pay hourly, asked about turning the membership back on, was told I had to pay a 100 dollar "initiation" fee, and they have no record of me ever being a member due to a "new system" being installed (although if you look through the office window from outside there's a box marked "cancelled memberships).

Anyhow they got a manager, I told him what was what, had paid about 900 for 12 months and 50 or 60 for 6 months, and went there about a dozen times if that over 18 months, wanted the membership turned back on, what about this 100 "fee" that I had already PAID once to be "initiated".

His in depth reply took 2.4 seconds, "NO, you have to pay it."

So, Im looking around, line out there door, place is packed, and Im thinking hmmmm
I remember coming in here, they were SOOOOO nice to me, and I gave them ALL THAT MONEY for a year and a half, and now they have this line going out the door, money flying all over the place, and they want me to pay an "initiation" fee ?

When I already paid that once and never got "initiated".

And Im thinking,
umm NO.

So I picked up my 5 guns and ammo, and left.

Its a nice place, but, its obvious that once the market turned in their favor, you can pound sand, we have all the clients we need, we can be more discriminating now.

Thats fine, I have seen all this before

Home Depot, use to go in there HI CAN I HELP YOU ?
So willing to help me

Then they got successful, that went away FIRST

Then the economy and home improvement TANKED, and now they are like HI HI HI CAN I HELP YOU ?

UM YES U CAN, WHERE IS LOWES ?

I dont shop at Home Depot anymore, never will

And Silver Eagle, you'll make a lot of money, but you wont make anymore off me.

And I know you dont care, cause you got TONS of clients right now, for now, until that market changes, and it will.

And I will still be here, no longer recommending people go there, which is 180 degrees from what I have done, for two years.

Word of mouth

[MattS]

Sounds like they operate like the big chain gyms do.

I always hate "initiation fees" or whatever else they try and charge. I pay for goods and services. I receive nothing for those fees, apparently other than the privilege of paying more money for the actual membership.

With gyms, you can usually argue them away. Apparently times are good at SEG and they don't need your money.

Like everything else, it will be interesting to see how these places look "post-frenzy". A lot of businesses are either winning loyal customers right now by doing business as usual, and a lot are apparently willing to risk mortgaging the future by earning the disgust of shooters with gouging and unfriendly practices. Yeah, yeah I know it is the "free market". It doesn't mean it is a sound business practice for customer service.

[mstuff]

Now I remember why I stopped going there, you need a degree in calc to figure out when you can use the facility, and they jam all the members in there at the same time with the public.

Just as well I didn't rejoin, If I had, the ONLY members only time on the 50 yard range is like 3 hours a week on Tuesday so I have to compete for a lane with every other member wanting time on the 50 yard in a 3 hour window per week ? And, ** Range will be closed if it is being used for Training Classes** ?

Then there's a 3 hour window Friday evening before they close but prior to that its mixed public members, if its not closed for training or lack of RSO to run it, which was always my experience there when trying to use the 50.

Then there's all weekend with lines out the door now.

Membership now really makes no sense, not if you are primarily interested in the 50 yard.

Public Range Hours:
Wednesday: 2PM - 8:00PM
Thursday: 11:00AM - 8:00PM
Friday: 11:00AM - 8:00PM
Saturday: 9:00AM - 7:00PM
Sunday: 9:00AM -5:00PM

Members ONLY Range Hours:
Monday: 5:30PM - 8:30PM
Tuesday: 5:30PM - 8:30PM
Wednesday: 12:00PM - 2:00PM

50 yard Range Hours:
**Tuesday: 5:30PM - 8:30PM**
**Friday: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM**
Saturday: 9:00AM - 7:00PM
Sunday: 9:00AM - 5:00PM

So out of a 7 day period there are TWO three hour windows to MEMBERS to use the 50 yard, IF its open and IF they have an RSO.

And they want 100 bucks in a FEE too ?

lol

nope

EDIT- See ? After reading this I find I STILL have it wrong
Friday, the 3 hour window? Is NOT members only, is the ONLY time the 50 is open Friday, and its to all, so its not even 6 hours a week its only 3 where the 50 yard is for members only. I think, let me read all this again

[mstuff]

Yep I always "remember" the "true colors" of businesses, and tell others, like I never go to home depot, and I advise others not to go there when they are looking for something, Ill go out of my way to help them find it via net if I have to. Only cause I saw how the chain treated me over time.

By the way, SEG, Im the guy that was buying that FS 92, you can sell it, Im not buying it.

I just went to Nova Armament and got a HK P30 40 cal in your honor, cost twice what that 92 was.

[Mindflayer]

Funny, I always have a good experience there. When I added my wife to the membership. they jumped thru hoops to figure out how to make the system work since I'd already paid.

[Rumson]

I had the same "Initiation" issue a couple of years ago..

I cancelled my membership due to divorce and the subsequent financial issues.. I went back to pay for a monthly membership a year later.. They said I needed to pay the "initiation" fee again.. Bunch of back and forth and they wouldn't budge..

Never mind I wasn't the one shooting up hangers, walls and ceilings.. Also paid a lot of money towards IDPA and two gun matches.. I still haven't gone back..

[2WheelFun]

I went back to SEG after about a year. They now want waaaaaaay too much info and money to shoot there. Like others have said, they have a new system and purged all the previous information. Shame they couldn't transfer it.

I also find there memberships to be unreasonably high, $420/year/individual plus that $100 initiation fee. While SEG is a nice clean facility, I don't think it's worth what they want. As an aside, I joined Blue Ridge Arsenal as a senior, 62 ans older for a mere $140/year. BRA is not the nicest place but it works for me.

I won't be going back to SEG.

The lines are long everywhere. Get there early.