On Sunday, I stopped by the Long Island Shooting Center, a place I had not been to probably in a couple to a few years. The LI SC is split into two sections, one being a gun store and the other a range. Only the range was open when I arrived and it would close in about an hour. More than enough time to send some lead downrange and have some fun while getting in some practice. The man behind the counter greeted me pleasantly, checked my ID, asked what I was shooting, then really checked my ID because I had replied "pistol", then told me it would be $11.00 for an hour. I paid up told him I did not need targets or ammo when he asked and then headed to the firing line after he told me to take any open point. I donned my earmuffs and walked into the firing range.
Once on the actual range, I picked a spot and started to set up. It was then I decided to go back out and grab some life sized targets. I had smaller targets and with this ranges fairly high target holders I thought I might put one or three into the ceiling. I realized the cables all had good sized bellies, so to speak, and my target would have been much lower half the distance out, but still at close range they would have been pretty high so the longer targets were the better bet. Then back inside and I was soon blazing away with my Glock 26. (I will admit I goofed when I also grabbed 2 of my Berettas at home but forgot to grab the key set for their cable locks, so it was just what was on my hip for shooting that day.)
When you first enter the range side of the LISC, you may think you walked into a restaurant. It has a counter with several swivel stools and apparently used to be a restaurant of some sorts. behind the counter, today though, you will find a wide assortment of targets, ammunition, and firearms accessories and supplies. The LISC range has several points, I am going to guess 15 to 20. Each has electronically operated target carriers and the range is 50 feet long. About 5 or so of the points had what looked like a pile of railroad ties stacked up down range. I am guessing this is how this range allows something larger than pistol calibers or 22long rifle ammo on some points. While there is usually not much point to shooting large caliber rifles at that close a distance, sometimes you have no to little choice of open ranges in the area, after all this is New York, and you have to shoot where you can. Each point also has lighting within each booth, supposedly one the shooter could dim, but all I could do was turn mine on and off. The downrange portion of the range is fairly well lit. The target carrier control worked well and amounted to a toggle switch for sending the target downrange or bringing it back to the shooter. The range was clean and seemingly well ventilated.
I shot about 250 rounds of various types of 9mm ammo through the Glock. I did well but was having some problems in that the Glock repeatedly failed to feed after about the first 100 rounds. Out of 250 rounds, I would estimate, there were at least 10 failures to feed in the last 150 rounds. A good cleaning is in order and so is a check of the magazines. Shame on me if it was just due to a dirty pistol but that usually is the likely culprit in such cases. I would have sworn I cleaned it right after shooting it last but I may have forgotten to do so. Last time out I shot many more rounds through it than this time, I think around 400 to 500. So with another 100, where the problem started this time, that would have made for one dirty gun and could explain the failures to feed. Never had the problem before. So I will clean it, shoot it, see if it happens again. If not - problem solved. If yes - back to trouble shooting until it is problem solved.
Regardless of the problem with failures to feed, I had a good time. The range personnel were pleasant, the range was clean, it was not to expensive for this area, and it is convenient for me to go to whenever I visit my mom who lives about 10 minutes from the range. I think a few near future return trips are called for and hopefully I will make it there when the gun store half is also open.
All the best,
Glenn B
