Sharpshooters 8/12/2015

[WVUBeta1904]

Had another productive range trip last night (530-7p) at Sharpshooters. Ended up bringing a buddy of mine along for his first trip there. Seems that we arrived at the right time, just as the lanes were quickly thinning out. As I said, I had a productive trip. My friend, however, was not so lucky.

He wanted to put in some time with a Chiappa .22 1911 clone he recently picked up, which he had not yet fired. I was mainly there to sight in new optics, as well as log some more practice time with my CC.

About 20 minutes into the session, my friend popped over to my lane complaining of a substantial amount of FTE issues with one of his magazines. I walked over and watched him shoot, witnessing the failures myself. He had two magazines, and was only complaining of issues with one. I told him to run the other magazine; this also yielded some FTE problems...he was visibly irritated by this point. He could not get out 3 consecutive rounds without a failure. I asked him to cycle a single round, eject the magazine, and fire. He did this a couple times, and with each instance, the shell casing stuck within the ejector port. With inspection of his ammo (Federal), which seemed to be fine, I estimated that it was an extractor issue.

Unfortunately, he was not getting the desired effect of his new pistol. He had to take off about 45 minutes into the trip (wife was beckoning I suppose), so I told him to contact Chiappa when he got home, so that they could make it right.

I do not have any experience with this brand, although I do see their name floating around the internet every so often. Reputable or not, this firearm did not function as it should have, and that's never a good thing.

[shovel1966]

I realize this is an old post. But....I am moving from Rhode Island to Springfield, VA in about 2 weeks and it appears that Sharpshooters in the closest range to the new house. I've read other "reviews" and opinions that make it sound like a decent place. Thanks for your review of your day there. It helps.

[trailrunner]

I've been a member there for over 20 years, and I actually stopped by there tonight. The range is OK. It's indoor and hasn't been updated in a while. There is no heating or cooling, so be prepared for that. Maximum distance is 20 yards. Rifles are allowed up to a certain caliber, but I don't remember exactly what the maximum is except that it was larger than I'd ever want to shoot. The range can get crowded on weekends, and I've had to wait an hour to get a lane, but if I go during off-peak hours I can usually go right in. Their selection of guns is pretty good, but you'll pay regular retail. Annual membership is $285 (I think) which gets you unlimited range time.