Anyone ever been there? Have any stories to tell?

I've been reading about them on yahoo, and a couple of other sites where customer reviews are posted. Unbelievable how many bad reviews they get on one person's bad attitude.

I have shot there off and on for over 20yrs, only one real issue the whole time, and it was with the son too. Luckily I was right, and the dad (Frank) was there to put his foot in the boy's hind iend for treating the customers with zero respect.

Post up any issues you've had with them, I'm curious to read them.


Jay

I bought a brand new 22 Remington Speedmaster from them one time! Got the thing home and started cleaning it up and the finish on the reciever started coming off!

I took it back up there and they had no problem giving me my money back on the gun after inspecting it!

I dont shoot there anymore, but have never had any problems with them either!

I have shot there since it opened and it used to be a pretty decent place. The son is the weak link. He has been rude to me a time or two but he generally leaves me alone. It is a shame that it won't be around much longer. It is a handy place to shoot on my way home from work.

I shoot there and have never had any issues with the older couple that own the place.

used to shoot out there and never really had any problems. They were ruff around the edges, but I would rather it be that way then too lax.

Used to shoot there a lot. Nice older couple. Then a younger man started working there and was very rude. Yelled at me and others. Also the prices went up. If I can shoot on a Marine Corps range for 4 years with no problems I should not have a problem there! Just my .02

They suck......I will never return and won't miss them when they are gone.

I shot there on a couple of occasions and found them to be gruff to say the least. And after me last experience I made the decision not to go back.

It's their place and they can run it how they chose but there is something to be sad about attitude and customer service. And in my opinion they rate poor on both.

However I have a few friends that have used it quite a bit and love it. So to each their own.

I was there about 3yrs ago. I was the only person on the range it was raining.
I went in side to tell them I was going down range to change target's and he said wait until it was time for a sease fire.
I ask when will that be and he said in 10min I said are you for real.
He said yes Iam for real in the $-itys voise and I said I'am done and he said good Iam ready to go home.

I will never go back they dont deserve my money.

I've never had any problem with Frank.I used to patronize
him when he had a store before he had a range.He showed me
about muzzleloading guns,and the proper loading tecniques,etc.
I went to the range many a time.A while back,a younger fella
(yall say it was his son)was running the place,and hollered
at me about 3 feet from me with that loudspeaker"I told you
cease fire,step away from the bench dammit!!!" I had a load
down in my muzzleloader,and Frank had always said"If you have
a load down,take your time,shoot it out" .This guy grabs my
expensive gun and jams it muzzle up against the fence"I said
step away from the benches,and that means you too! !"
I told that jerk to never touch my gun again and I would
never be back,and I never have. . .

I have been going there for about 8 years. I have never had them disrespect me or seen them disrespect any one else. The lady their seems to have a sharp attitude but it seems every one knows this but not disrespectful. Seeing some of the clowns that want to shot can probably explain the rudeness you guys claim though. You know , know it alls that cant explain that the EXPENSIVE muzzle loader is live and assumes he paid so he can shot and every one else can wait on him. Some one can seriously get hurt if the owners are not on top of their game. Right before deer deer season seems to be the worst, all the want a bes come out of the wood work. Again with know it alls that cant ask the proper way, instead do it their way, or try at least. There was one guy about 2 weeks ago that the older guy had to walk up to and tell him again SEASE FIRE, after 3 times of saying it on the loud speaker. I can understand that, if the guy cant pay attention to whats happening around him(or doesnt care)some one needs to get in his face before some one gets hurt. Wouldnt you guys be pissed dealing with a bunch of trigger happy yahoos? People should ask when they have purchased a new gun proper procedure instead of just letting the bullets fly.

In the past you would carry your gun straight through the office and go shot. Now you have to leave you guns outside and walk around. Did some thing happen that caused this?

As I said in my previous post, I've never had any issues the older couple that runs the place. On a recent trip to the range I was the last shooter and he gave me the o.k. to change targets whenever I wanted. He also has told me on more than one occassion that I can pick up all the brass I want.

Not sure if it's true, but I heard that someone's gun dischagred in their office and that's why they require everyone to leave their guns outside.

Yes that is true about the discharged gun, also if you really want to see what kind of digbats have visited that place over the years, look up next time your on the range and be ready to be amazed at how many bullet holes are str8 up in the air on the roof!!!

The one and only instance of disrespect from the idiot i dealt with was many years ago.

A buddy and I wanted to go out shooting. So as we were loading up, his stepson (who had MS) rolls out in his wheelchair and asks to go with us. "You bet" I said. So we went. After going in and registering, we hauled our gear to the firing line. Wheeld the boy out there and set him up in the grass behind the line. We went about business as usual. During one of the cease fires, the idiotic son walks up and asks me, where's this boy's membership card"? I said, "he's not a member, he can't even shoot a gun". "He'll have to be a member or wait in the parking lot", this idiot tells me right in front of the boy. This visibly upset the boy. He thought he was going to be the reason our trip was cut short or something. I, knowing my buddy couldn't really afford the extra money at the time, I went in to buy the little fella a membership. Frank, the owner, knew me and asked why I was buying him a membership, "does he want to shoot"? "No, I says, your son told me, in front of the boy, that he'd have to leave otherwise". Frank turned about 5 shades of red, I mean this man got PO'd to no end that his son was such an [censored] not only to me, who'd been shooting there my whole life, but also to a crippled boy in a wheelchair. Frank told me to go on out and enjoy myself. And also that the boy was welcome there anytime, and if I'd bring him back at a slower time Frank would work with him and see if we could rig up something for him to be able to shoot. He then slid the window open and called his boy inside. So I ask the Mom for a couple more targets while I'm inside, actually just wanting to be a fly on the wall for this conversation. He told his son to get in the back, then he followed him in and tore into him. The 'son' then proceeded to storm out of the office and to the house where he lived on premises. Never saw him again that day. Later encounters never brought anything from this D-bag but the utmost respect.


Frank has always been a great guy. A stickler for rules, but I liked that. The Mom has always been short with customers. I can even deal with that. Heck i used to go in Goff's Hamburgers at Lovers and the Tollway just to laugh at old man Goff when he'd berate me for no apparent reason, like he did everyone else. But the 'son', he is a complete waste of air. He should be forced to wear a sign!

I understand that running a public range must come with more than it's fair share of idiot encounters. But one must know this going in, or at least realize it at some point in the years of working at such a place.

I do not shoot there anymore. We now have a 100yd range at my BIL's with the reloading room built right next to the bench. Anything longer, we just find a pasture that we're allowed to use, and set-up there. No more ranges for me in the foreseeable future.

And yes, there are/were many holes in the roof of the awning over the firing line at Gibson's. Things that make you say, Hmm!


Jay

I will never shoot there again!!!

I have seen the best and the worst from Frank and his wife. I am serious when I say I am concerned that they may be over exposed to lead out there.

They are just waaaaaay too doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde for me and I have never meet the son before.


Tbar

Myself like so many of ya'll have shot there for many years with no problem. I guess Jr. became old enough to earn his keep off ma and pa instead of mooching. I personally never had a problem with him, but witnessed several times when he went off on someone for no apparent reason.
Yes, rules are set for a reason and that reason is safety. There is a correct way to teach and enforce them and the son does not have a clue.
Their benches and target stand are always in poor shape, and with the money they charge, I feel they should invest a little back into the range. Or at least spend it on anger management for Jr.
Years ago I remembered I had a membership at the Garland gun range. Went back and the pulled up my membership from 1972. People were super nice and the range has good benches, good sand bags and very well maintained. Gibsons Outpost will never see another dime from me or anyone that I know.

I went to Garland Gun Range one time. Another buddy and I went out there to do some load development. There were probably about 6-8 people shooting that day. We shot a good bit, then were ready to change our targets out. So were a few other guys. Everyone organized a cease fire, as is/was done there at the time. So we all start walking down the range, about 5 of us. Some idiot sits down about 7-8 benches down from all of us and starts firing his rifle downrange. We were all about 60yds downrange at the time. All of us just went to the ground, and a couple of guys just about ripped the rifle away from this idiot and started chewing him out for his idiocy. That scared me so bad I will never go back to another range that doesn't use a supervised/organized cease fire. Leaving it up to the shooters is good, to a point. But when instances like that take place, it's an eye opener. It was for me, and should have been for management as well.

I gladly returned to Gibson's after that. They may leave something to be desired for attitude. but they are a safe place to shoot. I'll take safety any day.


Jay

Well I saw the son in action yesterday, he was completely justified though. He called cease fire, everyone started walking down to post targets and some idiot picks a rifle up from a case on the ground. The son hollered "put that gun down now" what tha F&%$#K !!!! I was glad, in this case he was in the right 100%