Five-star gun ranges on the rise in Texas

The Arms Room in League City is one of eight five-star gun ranges in Texas, when they first got it there were just two. To become a five-star range, owners must demonstrate the highest level of care and safety in all areas of the facility. less The Arms Room in League City is one of eight five-star gun ranges in Texas, when they first got it there were just two. To become a five-star range, owners must demonstrate the highest level of care and safety ... more Photo: The Arms Room Photo: The Arms Room Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close Five-star gun ranges on the rise in Texas 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

When League City's The Arms Room opened in 2010 there were just two five-star rated gun ranges in all of Texas.

Now there are eight and some in the sport say it's about time there were more.

To meet the maximum quality ranking from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, ranges must demonstrate excellence in all aspects of management and operations, according to the organization's website. That includes appearance, customer service, amenities and community relations, among other things.

Getting certified is a process that can take months but within the industry, it's widely regarded as key to jumpstarting a revolution in the way gun ranges and their fans are viewed.

"It should be more of an industry standard," said Travis James, General Manager at The Arms Room. "The gun industry as a whole has some very negative connotations around it that are not at all accurate."

James' range offers lanes certified to the highest industry levels, heavy involvement in charity fundraising shoots, connections with local law enforcement and air quality monitoring as part of its drive to stay five-star.



"For a long time Texas was very underserved in gun ranges. The ones that were out there were very far from what the industry standard was," James said. "We want to set ourself apart, we want to show people, this is what you should be looking for."

Since its opening, The Arms Room has been joined by one other five-star rated range in the Houston area. Athena gun club on the Katy Freeway right outside the Beltway got its top rating in 2012, something they say they didn't strive for, but has been a welcome bonus.

"It takes that 'Bubba' or 'hillbilly' mentaily out – it refines it," said Patrick Mann, president at Athena. "It makes it to where people don't get that image of people that go to gun ranges as just gun nuts or not safe."

Their five-star rating reflects what Mann says is their offering more pieces to the puzzle. Athena sells guns, rents guns, has a range, a simulator, a private club and more.

Houston gun instructor, Tracey Hughes, says the growth in such highly rated ranges is a welcome development, and not just because of cleaner air.

"They're marketing to a more general family-style range, even for recreation, there is a healthier mindset behind that, a safety priority mindset," Hughes said.



Hughes celebrates an end to the dirty, dank, Texas gun ranges of the past.

"There was am ambiance around the gun range that wasn't very welcoming to women sometimes," she said.

At Athena, Patrick Mann says the trend towards better facilities can only continue.

"I think the old days of dingy, dark, bad air gun clubs or ranges where you can't see, can't shoot, I think those days are pretty much over," Hughes said.

Mann says customers are voting with their feet and turning away from that.

"Not only that, the federal government is driving the bus on what you have to do from a safety standpoint and an air quality stand point, so it's hard to operate nowadays if you're not better," Mann said.

The cost of maintaining this standard does show in the prices: more expensive ammunition and lanes rentals are often the case at five-star facilities but James says what ranges like The Arms Room offer the area is worth it.

"I grew up doing it as a hobby and at family events, it's not this negative Hollywood version," James said. "As a society we've kind of lost sight of that, if we can get back into that mind set the world can be a better place."