Not_Disapproved
Known Defiler
After reading all the glowing reviews about Freestate Gun Range, I'm afraid going to have to whiz on the Positivity Parade with the first complaint post. I am a member and a regular customer who shoots there at least 3 times a week. In all fairness, I have to say that just about every positive review on here is true, Freestate is the preeminent gun range in Central MD.
Let me start off by saying, God bless volunteers. If it wasn't for volunteers there would be no pet rescue organizations and many churches and charities couldn't function. However, I'm starting to think that volunteerism and handguns is not the wisest combination. As you may know, Freestate uses volunteers to augment their staff of full-time employees. Basically, Mark, Randy, Dr. Bob, and Will are the primary full time employees and I believe that everyone else is "working" for free. This is problematic due to the fact that many of the volunteers have no idea what they are talking about, but they rarely let that discourage them from talking. It's kind of embarrassing when you recommend Freestate to a friend or coworker and then have them tell you that the employee they talked to was clueless. This has happened twice now, so I tell people to always ask for Mark, Randy, Will, or Bob, if they're looking to buy something.
Another issue I have with these volunteers, is when they insist on inspecting your bag. I've never had a full time employee do this, but I understand the need to keep steel cored ammo off the range. However, recently, one of the volunteers insisted that I remove every gun from my bag and display it to him. How this prevents contraband ammo, I'll never know, since an electron spectrograph would be required to determine whether I'd used steel ammo in them. What it does accomplish is analogous to a bank teller who counts out a withdrawal to you verbally: Everybody in the store now knows I've got over $2000 of guns on me. Thanks, dumbass. The icing on the cake was when the volunteer pulled out a magnet to test the ammo I'd brought. Apparently, the Federal 9mm box didn't ring any bells, despite the pallet of the stuff no more than 10' away from us. In fact, it was from said pallet where I bought it, so unless Freestate is selling contraband, no magnet is required. I don't think its unreasonable to have an employee recognize the "house" brand of ammo.
I've, also, heard several members complain about the fact that the volunteers are permitted to open carry in the store and I agree with them. In the unlikely event of an armed robbery, I'm more afraid of the volunteers than of the criminals. Amongst the full time employees, you have a retired police officer, a decorated combat veteran, and an ex-Olympic shooter. If that doesn't suffice, there's nothing an armed volunteer can do to improve the situation and plenty that could make a bad situation worse.
Regardless, as I've already stated, Freestate is, in my opinion, the best indoor range in the area, and I've been to all of them. Don't let anything that I've said here dissuade you from going there, just be sure to talk to a full time employee if you've got something serious in mind or you think a volunteer is doing something dumb.
Let me start off by saying, God bless volunteers. If it wasn't for volunteers there would be no pet rescue organizations and many churches and charities couldn't function. However, I'm starting to think that volunteerism and handguns is not the wisest combination. As you may know, Freestate uses volunteers to augment their staff of full-time employees. Basically, Mark, Randy, Dr. Bob, and Will are the primary full time employees and I believe that everyone else is "working" for free. This is problematic due to the fact that many of the volunteers have no idea what they are talking about, but they rarely let that discourage them from talking. It's kind of embarrassing when you recommend Freestate to a friend or coworker and then have them tell you that the employee they talked to was clueless. This has happened twice now, so I tell people to always ask for Mark, Randy, Will, or Bob, if they're looking to buy something.
Another issue I have with these volunteers, is when they insist on inspecting your bag. I've never had a full time employee do this, but I understand the need to keep steel cored ammo off the range. However, recently, one of the volunteers insisted that I remove every gun from my bag and display it to him. How this prevents contraband ammo, I'll never know, since an electron spectrograph would be required to determine whether I'd used steel ammo in them. What it does accomplish is analogous to a bank teller who counts out a withdrawal to you verbally: Everybody in the store now knows I've got over $2000 of guns on me. Thanks, dumbass. The icing on the cake was when the volunteer pulled out a magnet to test the ammo I'd brought. Apparently, the Federal 9mm box didn't ring any bells, despite the pallet of the stuff no more than 10' away from us. In fact, it was from said pallet where I bought it, so unless Freestate is selling contraband, no magnet is required. I don't think its unreasonable to have an employee recognize the "house" brand of ammo.
I've, also, heard several members complain about the fact that the volunteers are permitted to open carry in the store and I agree with them. In the unlikely event of an armed robbery, I'm more afraid of the volunteers than of the criminals. Amongst the full time employees, you have a retired police officer, a decorated combat veteran, and an ex-Olympic shooter. If that doesn't suffice, there's nothing an armed volunteer can do to improve the situation and plenty that could make a bad situation worse.
Regardless, as I've already stated, Freestate is, in my opinion, the best indoor range in the area, and I've been to all of them. Don't let anything that I've said here dissuade you from going there, just be sure to talk to a full time employee if you've got something serious in mind or you think a volunteer is doing something dumb.
