Point Blank gun range opens
The Point Blank Range in Harrisburg in now open for business. Though one concealed carry class had been taught there, the official first day was Wednesday, Jan. 22.
"We had a good first day," said co-owner Roman Kuppart. "We have a few cosmetic touches to finish, but the range is up and running."
Kuppart and Lee Nugent purchased the building with the intent to use some of it for office space and were then trying to decide with the rest of the building.
"I've been an avid hunter and shooter all my life," Kuppart said. "We saw the need for an indoor range. There was only one gun store in Harrisburg so we decide to provide a service to the public."
Kuppart pointed out that the nearest indoor ranges are Metro East St. Louis or Evansville, Ind.
Point Blank Range is a full range gun shop as well as a state of the art shooting range. Kuppart stated that the shop is fully licensed to sell all legal rifles, pistols and shotguns and can make sales to out of state purchasers, shipping the weapon to a licensed dealer in the purchaser's home state. Point Blank Range can also serve a similar service for local residents who make a firearm purchase out of state and need a local dealer as shipping recipient for the purchase. Point Blank carries a generous selection of rifles, shotguns and both semi-automatic pistols and revolvers.
Point Blank offers an extremely sophisticated shooting range, with programable user-controlled selection for lighting, target presentation, distance and target advancement in each of the eight shooting lanes. The range has two lanes that are handicapped accessible, as is the rest of the building. The range equipment was built and installed by Range Systems, a Minnesota Company.
"The target presentation can even be set to randomly flip sides, so you can set up "friend or foe" training situations," Kuppart stated. "A hostile target on one side and a friendly, no-shoot target on the other."
The range can safely handle rifles up to the .300 Winchester Magnum, pistols up to .50 caliber and shotguns with bird shot, slugs or buck shot. The bullet trap system is the same one used in all the factory test ranges of the Colt company and is the first system of it's kind to be in a public facility.
Point Blank will also offer Illinois State certified concealed carry classes to the public. Five instructors are on staff, four of whom are serving law enforcement officers. The cost of the classes depends on the amount of certified training the students have received and such factors as whether or not the student has a concealed carry permit from another state and previous certified gun-safety training. The cost of the course can thus vary from $150 to $295. Cost of ammunition is not included in the course cost and Point Blank require students to have a quality weapon in good condition approved by the management for use in the course. Point Blank also includes meals and drinks during instruction and provides a free T-shirt as well as two free hours of range time upon graduation.
"We plan to have rental guns for range use available to our customers," Kuppart said. "If you want to try a caliber or type of firearm you don't own, you can try it here. We will have these weapons here in a couple of weeks. Right now, we do have a Thompson machine gun available for range rental. It fires semi-automatic and is a blast to shoot."
Prices for range use are $18 an hour and lanes can be split rented by two people per lane. Memberships are available, either by the month or yearly, and are available for an individual or for families. The range is open to the public and does not require membership for use.
"We want to try to keep the cost down so we are affordable to everyone," Nugent said.
Illinois is the only state in America that requires a Firearm Owners Identification Card so Illinois residents must present their FOID cards. Out of state patrons need only present picture ID to verify their age. Age requirements at Point Blank are 18 years old for rifles and shotguns, 21 years of age for pistols and revolvers.
In the very near future Point Blank will be running a variety of specials such as discounts for customers presenting receipts from local restaurants and a date night special.
"We want to try to bring people into Harrisburg," Kuppart stated.
Point Blank is open seven days a week with the hours of operation being 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. The store number is 618-294-8700 and they are located in the old Kerasotes Cinema 4 building at 3 S. Main St., Harrisburg.