Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Alright. Me and a friend are thinking about buying some land and getting an indoor shooting range built on it. Can anyone tell me what procedures we would have to go through in order to do so? Like, what kinds of permits and whatnot do we need, what organizations do we need to go to, etc? We live in Richmond, VA, if that can play any factor into it.

Welcome to VGOF!

First thing I would do is find out the zoning requirements in your area for such a facility. I would suggest going to your local Community Development Office and inquiring there about zoning and building permits, etc.

http://www.ci.richmond.va.us/communitydev/index.aspx

There will likely be others who have some good input as well.

Here's a good generic reference:
The NRA Range Source Book

R/Kurt

Given all the BS you gotta go through I would find an established one far from liberal territory and offer to buy it...

Having said that I would conduct much research on any land you look at - and not just for current zoning of it but zoning of everything around it. Try for something adjacent to other private land held by folks with similar interests.

About 2 months ago, I attended the NRA's Range Builder's Conference in Rhode Island with the hopes of opening an indoor range in Richmond. It was a week long conference on everything you need to know about opening a range.

Suffice it to say that after learning about zoning, investors, lead contamination, unfriendly neighbors, suicidal customers, daily lead exposure checks on employees, OSHA, insurance, getting a FFL, noise pollution, proper ventilation, dealing with vendors, etc, we've decided not to build one.

But best of luck to you!

Jim

ProShooter wrote:Suffice it to say that after learning about zoning, investors, lead contamination, unfriendly neighbors, suicidal customers, daily lead exposure checks on employees, OSHA, insurance, getting a FFL, noise pollution, proper ventilation, dealing with vendors, etc, we've decided not to build one.

We've been doing a lot of ground work in that area, and are close to coming to the same decision you did.

For the OP, financing is one of the biggest issues. Indoor ranges are expensive.

Instead of an indoor range with all the drawbacks mentioned above, you could put up an open pole barn to desired length next to hill or berm. It would just be a covered outside range then. If you could find some land with an old chicken house on it, you could just remove the sides and ends, and have a concrete floor.

Keeping it a private--for personal use for you and friends--range could also eliminate some gov't red tape.

If I ever get the extra money, this is what i'm going to do in the middle of 50 acres.

ProShooter wrote:About 2 months ago, I attended the NRA's Range Builder's Conference in Rhode Island with the hopes of opening an indoor range in Richmond. It was a week long conference on everything you need to know about opening a range.

Suffice it to say that after learning about zoning, investors, lead contamination, unfriendly neighbors, suicidal customers, daily lead exposure checks on employees, OSHA, insurance, getting a FFL, noise pollution, proper ventilation, dealing with vendors, etc, we've decided not to build one.

But best of luck to you!

Jim

I was going to voice an opposing opinion , however you did it much more succinctly. I think the author of this thread is dreaming if they think they can "make a go " of a business like this on a whim. Insurance alone would crush you, notwithstanding all or ANY of the other obsticles you mentioned, a friend of mine runs a firing range on his own rural property in "republican" territory and has headaches.........