The National Shooting Sports Foundation has awarded Chicagoland’s Maxon Shooter’s Supplies and Indoor Range its top, five-star approval rating.

“Maxon earned Illinois’ first five-star rating under our previous evaluation program,” Zach Snow, NSSF director of Shooting Range Services, said in a news release. “Knowing how good they were then, when we revised our rating program last year and strengthened the qualifying criteria to achieve the full five stars, we fully expected the range and staff to make the grade — and they did not disappoint.”

Located in Des Plaines, a Chicago suburb, Maxon’s shooting range offers 20 75-foot lanes. Ten of those are pistol-only lanes, while the other 10 allow rifles and shotguns. Modern ventilation and automated target set-ups, a well-stocked firearms rental program, and an experienced instructor staff make for a great shooting experience.

Gun enthusiasts can also visit the range’s retail shop, which carries more than 600 firearms, ammunition, accessories, and Liberty safes. The store also has in-house gunsmiths and firearms class rosters available for rifles, shotguns, handguns, concealed carry, and a number of other specialized and private classes.

“The entire staff at Maxon’s worked hard to achieve the Five-Star rating, and we are proud to be part of the National Shooting Sports Foundation family,” said Sarah Natalie, general manager. “Our mission continues to be that of providing the safest, highest-quality shooting experience for our customers and a commitment to education and advocacy for the shooting sports community in Chicagoland. With a great and constantly improving facility and a top-notch staff, we welcome all Chicago area enthusiasts to ‘Feel at Home on the Range.’”

The NSSF’s rating program requires ranges to fill out a questionnaire and business owner self-evaluation regarding the range’s facilities, staff, community outreach and other criteria. After determining which ranges appear to meet criteria for four- or five-star ratings, the NSSF then conducts on-site evaluations of the ranges to determine the exact rating.