 At tonight's more-crowded-than-usual Lewisville Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to recommend approval for a specific use permit for Lewisville's first public indoor gun range, Eagle Gun Range. If the permit is approved by the full City Council, the operator expects to be in business by this Summer.
The indoor range will be located at 491 W. Valley Ridge Boulevard, in the business park just West of Mill Street, and South of the BNSF railroad tracks. The 16,800 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility will have 24 firing lanes for handguns, and two classrooms.
The range is 25 yards, fixed firing position, and will allow both pistols and rifles, shooting any round below .50 caliber. Ballistic steel baffles will prevent bullets from exiting the range from above, and the backstop will consist of 28 tons of granulated rubber, backed by steel plating. Individual lanes will have ballistic protection between them.
The range is 25 yards, fixed firing position, and will allow both pistols and rifles, shooting any round below .50 caliber. Ballistic steel baffles will prevent bullets from exiting the range from above, and the backstop will consist of 28 tons of granulated rubber, backed by steel plating. Individual lanes will have ballistic protection between them.
Indoor air quality, which can be a problem on gun ranges due to lead and other substances will be assured by a $500,000 ventilation system that will air condition for comfort and completely change the air every 80 seconds. HEPA filters will prevent lead dust from being released into the outside air. Outside walls will consist of a total of 15" of concrete and concrete-filled cinder blocks.
 Side elevation of a shooting lane, showing overhead baffles, and rubber backstop. Floor plan showing 24 lanes, and two classrooms.
Action Target, the Utah company building the range, has built numerous other ranges in North Texas, all of which are used by police agencies, including the City of Lewisville's police shooting range.
Denton County currently does not have any public indoor ranges. The Dallas Gun Club is located at the Southern edge of Lewisville, but is a members-only facility. Other nearby gun ranges include the Bass Pro indoor range in Grapevine, Quail Creek outdoor range, just West of Flower Mound, and the Bullet Trap indoor range in Plano.
The facility is expected to be open Sundays from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pricing for walk-in shooters will be $20 per lane per day, with $15 charge* for additional shooters. Memberships are available as low as $150 per year, entitling the shooter to a 50% discount, or $500 per year with free lane rental.
Owner David Prince, a CPA with a Frisco practice believes that 1,500 people a week will visit the range, and that people will drive from as far as an hour away. Prince thinks the ventilation system will be a draw, since other facilities are often not as well ventilated. (From personal experience, some ranges get quite warm.)
The range will have two separate 12 lane bays, so that one can be used for parties, moms' day out, qualification shooting, competitions or classes.
Prince expects that the range will employ 15 employees. Prince believes that although you may be able to hear the shooting from outside the building, it would not be very loud, and shouldn't reach the level of a nuisance. The range's agreement with the landlord requires that the noise cannot be heard in the adjacent buildings, also owned by the same landlord. The lease is a 10 year term with two 10 year options.
Several Lewisville residents spoke in favor of the range's permit approval at the P&Z meeting. Commissioner Alvin Turner voiced a concern about the range's policy to allowing children as young as 8 years old to use the range. Prince clarified that all children would be supervised by their parents, and not allowed to use the facilities on their own. He said that the age is an industry standard, and that the range would not be promoting to children, but are offering that as a convenience to parents who want to teach their children marksmanship and safe handling of firearms.
* Corrected: An earlier version of this post incorrectly listed the price for an additional shooter.
Updated 4/16/2012: In a unanimous vote tonight by the Lewisville City Council, the specific use permit for the gun range was approved.
Owner David Prince says that construction should begin in early May of this year.
Related Links:
- Eagle Gun Range Lewisville website
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Re: Public Indoor Gun Range Planned for Lewisville