Renting a handgun..use their ammo?

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USNRet93

New member
For grins, I ventured into my local range to test ride a Glock 26..While getting checked in, guy behind counter put 'his' ammo on the counter..$25 for 50 rounds of cheapo federal that's available at wally world for more than 50% less($9.87 for 50)..so my $35 test fire($20 for range, $15 for the -26) became $60..I said no thanks.

Question, is that common, have to use their supplied ammo, even if it's just over the counter stuff that's available for less $? I got the impression that even if I had the very same ammo, I'd still have to use/buy his.

He mentioned 'liability'..but just standard white box federal FMJ..
 
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CajunBass

New member
Their house...their rules.

I used to shoot at a range that did the same thing, but they didn't charge for range time. It worked about even going to the place that charged for time, but let me shoot my own ammo.
 
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USNRet93

New member
I understand that, and I understand the $ involved in having a fleet of handguns and rifles available to rent(they DO have a bunch) but I was still surprised. Not necessarily about the $(which even the guy said was 'expensive') but 'liability', offering just standard, nothing special Federal ammo.

Thanks
 
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OhioGuy

New member
I've been told that the liability issue comes with the uncertainty of what kind of ammo a person is bringing into the range. Most ranges make you sign your life away anyways, but at the very least, if someone comes in with his buddy's half-assed reloads and something goes awry, the range may be out one gun.

$25 is nuts. Tells me they're either gouging, or they're in financial trouble and trying to make up the difference where they can.
 
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Targa

New member
My range does this as well when I rent a gun, with the exception that they let this policy slide if I bring the exact same box of ammo with me that they sell when renting.
 
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nanney1

New member
If I rent a 9mm, I'll bring an extra box or two of my own stuff and buy one of theirs. My range isn't bad. Their 9mm range ammo is $14.99 for a box of 50. Usually Blazer, Fiocchi, S&B, or Magtech 115 grain.
 
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FITASC

New member
Their price is high; most ranges I have been to that rent guns charge prices more in line with Midway or similar, so not the very cheapest, but nothing outrageous either. One range here doesn't care if you buy their ammo as long as you use factory; and since the lanes are outdoors......... ;)
 
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TunnelRat

New member
For most places near me that do rentals that policy is common, for the reasons mentioned. Those prices, however, are not.

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Jim Watson

New member
I ordered a gun off Gunbroker this week. "Free" transfer as a range "member" benefit.
I wanted to testfire the new-to-me 9mm with factory loads so as to avoid any doubt.
$27 got me two boxes of Federal econoball, three targets, an earmuff rent for a friend who dropped by after work to see my new gun.
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
"...is that common..." Yep. Liability is part of it(his gun blows with his ammo his liability insurance will cover him. It won't with your ammo.), but so is "I don't know what you loaded that ammo with or if you know how to reload." As in, "Never shoot another person's reloads." So is, "I'm in business to make money."
"...more than 50% less..." He's got a captive audience. He have a patch on his eye, a peg leg and a parrot on his shoulder? $25 is at least a 100% mark up over MSRP.
 
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JDBerg

New member
OP, I’ll bet I know the indoor range you’re talking about (in Broomfield CO?). FWIW, this place is unique since they DO NOT sell firearms and you can demo any gun they have and get completely objective information from the RO on duty.

Although their ammo prices for demo of their rentals are nuts, and their range fees are high, you can (obviously) bring factory brass or aluminum cased ammo in to shoot your own guns. And I can tell you it’s a very well run facility, I took the mandatory 6 hour course for the Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit there, and although the excellent instructor I had has since left there, the rest of their instructor and range staff are all top notch.

Sometimes it might be worth a little extra to demo a new firearm before you buy, and the range staff has no vested interest to push one model or brand over other choices that may work better for your purposes.
 
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USNRet93

New member
It Is the one in Broomfield and altho I’m ragging on them about their ammo prices, I really like this range, been there about a dozen times and will continue to use them. Great staff, very well run, I just won’t demo a gun there. I was surprised since it’s the first time I’ve wanted to demo a gun also, hence the question here. Gonna go there tomorrow in fact. Shoot me Glocks.
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
Question, is that common, have to use their supplied ammo, even if it's just over the counter stuff that's available for less $? I got the impression that even if I had the very same ammo, I'd still have to use/buy his.
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It's not just common, it's standard. I have never been to any range that rents guns that would let you use your ammo in their guns.

And yes, even if you had ammo in the same box he was selling, he still wouldn't let you use it. The issue is that he knows what's in the boxes he is selling. He has no way to verify what's in the box you're using.

My rules are the same. If I see you at the range, and you want to shoot one of my guns, I will certainly let you. But you will use my ammo. There's no way I'm letting someone put ammo of unknown origins in any of my guns. For the same reason, if I find a live round at the range, it goes in the trash, not into a gun.
 
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Mike38

New member
To be brutally honest, I wouldn't let someone use one of my guns, and shoot their ammo of unknown quality through it. Exception being .22LR or any centerfire that I knew was factory. Their reloads will not be shot in my gun. If a reload is going to blow up my gun, it will be my fault only. If their reload blows up my gun, there is going to be problems.
 
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sigarms228

New member
That is what my range does and others around here. $10 fee to try out as many pistols as you want, $11 a box of 50 9MM ammo, and $9 range fee for an hour on Mondays and Tuesdays.
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
Standard procedure.

As for bringing your own -- how do they know what you have in that Winchester box isn't your own, souped-up, super Magnum XtraPowr load?
 
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reddog81

New member
Is all the ammo that overpriced or just the box he happened to grab? The 2 ranges near me with rentals require you to buy their ammo but it's priced at what I would consider regular gun store prices - not Walmart cheap, but not double more than double what you can otherwise pay.

There's no reason to "demo" a gun if $18 worth of ammo cost me $50. You might as well buy the gun and if you don't like it, take a hit selling it used.
 
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