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DFW area - wheelchair accessible handgun range?
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 3:53 pm
by dierdorf_237
Hi everyone, first time poster here and relatively new handgun owner. My girlfriend is in a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury. Does anyone know of any wheelchair accessible handgun ranges in the area? My primary concern is that the height of the counters (at the range I usually go to) is too tall to shoot from a seated position.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Re: DFW area - wheelchair accessible handgun range?
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 4:01 pm
by Pawpaw
Ammo Depot is about 15 miles east of Ray Hubbard, just off I-30. Their benches are much lower than other ranges I've been to. I took my daughter there, who had to sit in a folding chair, due to back pain. She did just fine that way and enjoyed herself.
It has a semi-indoor range. It's enclosed on three sides, but the far end is open to the berm. If it's cold, they have a space heater they'll fire up.
Great bunch of guys, too!
Re: DFW area - wheelchair accessible handgun range?
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 4:12 pm
by Beiruty
Frisco gun club.
Re: DFW area - wheelchair accessible handgun range?
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 4:44 pm
by gringo pistolero
It's nice they have the ramps but the benches look pretty high for seated handgunnery.
Re: DFW area - wheelchair accessible handgun range?
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 4:57 pm
by WildBill
dierdorf_237 wrote:Hi everyone, first time poster here and relatively new handgun owner. My girlfriend is in a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury. Does anyone know of any wheelchair accessible handgun ranges in the area? My primary concern is that the height of the counters (at the range I usually go to) is too tall to shoot from a seated position.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
I would think that younger [shorter] shooters might have the same issue.
Can she bring some cushions to raise herself to the height of the benches?
Re: DFW area - wheelchair accessible handgun range?
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 5:29 pm
by discoqueen
Eagle Gun Range in Lewisville has one wheelchair accessible lane. It's wider than the rest of the lanes, and the bench is lower to accommodate wheelchair heights.
Weekend shooting there may be an issue, as I believe it still gets pretty crowded.
Re: DFW area - wheelchair accessible handgun range?
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 8:44 pm
by chasfm11
discoqueen wrote:Eagle Gun Range in Lewisville has one wheelchair accessible lane. It's wider than the rest of the lanes, and the bench is lower to accommodate wheelchair heights.
Weekend shooting there may be an issue, as I believe it still gets pretty crowded.
+1 on Eagle. I had a friend in a chair there a couple of weeks ago and it was great. Lane #12 makes it easy. All of the lanes have low benches but having the wider one makes moving back and forth more comfortable.
Re: DFW area - wheelchair accessible handgun range?
Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 10:28 pm
by jbarn
Shoot Smart is 100% ADA compliant, and the staff will help you out.
Re: DFW area - wheelchair accessible handgun range?
Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 12:27 am
by rthillusa
Last time I was at Bullet Trap in Plano, the guy in the next lane was in a wheel chair, so I guess you can add them to the list. I didn't pay a lot of attention to him, but the bench in my lane seemed a little high for shooting from a sitting position. However he seemed to be doing OK in his lane so maybe it was equipped differently. Might be worth a call if they are in your part of the metroplex.
Re: DFW area - wheelchair accessible handgun range?
Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 12:39 am
by n5wd
jbarn wrote:Shoot Smart is 100% ADA compliant, and the staff will help you out.
Just to amplify jbarn's report, the north Fort Worth location of Shoot Smart has 10 lanes that have benches (which may or not be low enough for you,) but it also has six lanes that have no bench at all, but do have a rolling cart that serve as a moveable bench, if needed. I've seen several folks shooting from a wheelchair, and have watched as staff did everything they could to make the shooter's time there worthwhile.
Re: DFW area - wheelchair accessible handgun range?
Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 11:21 pm
by dierdorf_237
Wow, it sounds like there are a lot of options! Thanks for the help, everyone. I'm looking forward to taking her to the range in the near future.
Re: DFW area - wheelchair accessible handgun range?
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 10:23 am
by philip964
Any gun range constructed after 1993 would need to have ramps, walking surfaces and benches accessible to a person in a wheel chair. Any existing gun range built before that time would need to make "reasonable accommodations" to a person in a wheel chair. For example building ramps and removing benches. Most businesses understand that if someone in a wheel chair comes in, they should assign an employee to assist with any problems that person might have in using their facility.
I would suggest visiting the most convenient gun range to where you are located and see if it works for you. If not let us know.
Re: DFW area - wheelchair accessible handgun range?
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:34 pm
by Dave2
dierdorf_237 wrote:Hi everyone, first time poster here and relatively new handgun owner. My girlfriend is in a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury. Does anyone know of any wheelchair accessible handgun ranges in the area? My primary concern is that the height of the counters (at the range I usually go to) is too tall to shoot from a seated position.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Can you post a range review as it relates to wheelchair accessibility, please, if you two end up going somewhere?