Do drinking and guns go well together? A Georgia shooting range will soon find out. (Reuters; inset, CBC)A Georgia couple is building a $3.5 million indoor shooting range that will feature a full bar, serving alcohol to its patrons.
So is this the start of a potentially dangerous new business model where intoxicated firearm enthusiasts will literally be shooting from the hip? Well, not exactly.
WSB-TV reports that Lakeside Guns Shop owner Kristina Brown plans to open the multimillion-dollar indoor range with her husband in Powder Springs. And when it comes to being state of the art, the Governor's Gun Club will not only have the best technology available to marksmen, it will also have Maker's Mark.
That's because by a vote of 4-1, the Powder Springs City Council approved an alcohol permit for the establishment.
However, some residents are skeptical, especially with a housing subdivision being built just 100 yards from the new range.
"I mean, that's just stupid," Traci Hart, mother of three, told the station. "We don't need drunk people running around in and out of the neighborhood."
Georgia law does not generally require conceal and carry permits. In most cases, if a resident is legally able to own a firearm, they are allowed to carry it in their home, vehicle and place of business. There are some notable exceptions, including government buildings. In the case of bars and restaurants, gun owners are allowed to conceal and carry firearms if the owner of the establishment permits it.
So is Hart right to worry about patrons ordering a double, then firing off their double-barreled shotgun? Not so fast.
There's a bit of relief for those opposed to the idea and a potential letdown for anyone planning to put a new spin on the shot glass.
Brown sent WSB-TV a statement clarifying that once someone has ordered a drink in the lounge, they will not be permitted to enter the firing range:
"Customers will have to order a drink with their identification card and once the card is accepted, and flagged, they cannot be checked back into the range that day," the statement reads.
Still, Brown and her husband are not naive about their unique sales pitch. The rest of the statement goes on to add, "Georgia Law allows persons with gun permits to bring their weapon into a restaurant that serves alcohol, we are taking it even a step further."