How To Buy Your First Gun
Where To Shoot In Los Angeles
Ahhh the old days. Go out to the desert, make sure you're not near structures or streets, and shoot to your heart's content. Unfortunately, a combination of extreme anti-gun sentiment from the government, and some irresponsible shooters, have made those days but a fond memory. Today your safest bet is to go to an organized and licensed shooting range. And there are plenty of nice ones around! Whether you are looking for a convenient indoor handgun range in the city or a beautiful outdoor range for all types of weapons, away from the maddening crowd, there's probably one less than an hour's drive from wherever you live in the SoCal area. Here are a few we've used and can heartily recommend.
Angeles Shooting Ranges
Outdoor Shooting Ranges
Lake View Terrace
We love the open-air beauty of this range. It's nestled at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains at the mouth of Little Tujunga Canyon and you can shoot just about ANY firearm here. There's an area for handgunners, another for rifles, and there's even a way to practice sporting clays with your shotgun. It's greatest use though is with rifles. There are steel targets out to 600 yards! The setting makes for a great, relaxing yet productive day. Make sure to take lots of ammo, because you are going to want to spend the day! When you buy your first gun, ask for a free pass for your first visit!
The Firing Line
Indoor Shooting Ranges
Huntington Beach, Northridge, Burbank
Indoor ranges are a totally different experience from shooting outdoors. They're loud. They don't have the best air quality. They're very limited in distance. And they are a TON of fun. This is the place to hone your accuracy with the pistol. We know some very accomplished shooters who still visit their local Firing Line range at least once a week to keep their skills sharp and current. You may not want to spend a long afternoon in this atmosphere, but an hour a week, with good and constant drills, will make your pistol acumen the envy of the entire free world. Or at least your circle of shooting friends.
LAX Firing Range
Indoor Shooting Range
Inglewood
LAX is much like The Firing Line but, in a rarity for indoor ranges, they also allow high-powered rifles. This comes with many restrictions, however, and is more for function testing or a rough sighting-in at the very limited distances afforded. As with any other indoor range, LAX is a great place to perform defensive practice drills or shoot precision targets with your pistol. Again, the atmosphere is not conducive to a long visit, but it's perfect for an hour or so, throwing 50 - 100 rounds downrange. Or, as we like to put it (in our best Zen Master voice) "sending each holy missile to its intended target." The staff is friendly enough - but they don't suffer fools gladly. Recreational shooting is fun, but it's still a potentially deadly activity. Ranges have rules, and they enforce them stringently.