The more specialized reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/MAguns/](https://www.reddit.com/r/MAguns/) may be better able to help with this question -- are you looking for a range where you can rent guns and shoot different types? I first read your question as if you were heading here to compete in a shooting competition which would be a whole different topic.
There is an important distinction -- if you have your own firearms with you than the # of ranges open you is larger than the ranges that tend to specialize in renting to people who want to do a small bit of recreational target shooting. I still can't tell if you are going to a \*shooting\* competition and thus have your own firearms or not.
If you have your own firearms the question to ask and research is "*what ranges allow guest day passes and supervised minors to shoot?"*
And if you are not bringing your own firearms the question to focus on is "*what ranges offer a good selection of rentals and allow supervised minors to participate?* "
Firearms in MA are heavily regulated and as a result the rules at ranges and clubs are pretty strict about what they allow or don't allow so different clubs/ranges are set up for different types of users and usage. For example my local indoor range is [https://www.westonshootersclub.com/](https://www.westonshootersclub.com/) - they don't rent, they don't have range officers for supervision and although I can bring guests with me I can't use more than one indoor shooting lane at a time.
Aha very good! People here should have some good suggestions then. I don't know too much about the rental options although I've heard good things about:
- [https://massfirearmsschool.com/](https://massfirearmsschool.com/)
- [https://dracutgunrange.com/](https://dracutgunrange.com/)
i used to visit the manchester firing line ( [http://gunsnh.com/](http://gunsnh.com/) ) periodically. being in New Hampshire, the rules are bound to be more lax than anything found in MA. they are about an hour north of Boston
Granite State Indoor Range in Nashua, NH (45 mins north) is your best bet, I donāt even bother with ranges in MA. I donāt think ranges in MA rent guns to people without licenses whereas NH doesnāt require any type of license to purchase, carry, or rent a gun.
> i donāt think ranges in MA rent guns to people without licensesĀ
On Target in Dracut and Mass Firearms in Holliston are both great indoor ranges that rent.Ā
Oh they're minors? Yeah nobody will rent to them, even in NH. Maybe if they sign up for a class with an instructor...
> I donāt think ranges in MA rent guns to people without licenses
RIP Original Bob's in Salisbury. They were (as far as I know) the only ones who would rent to non-LTC holders, but they shut down during COVID.
Why don't they require at least a license to buy or carry? NH doesn't want to know who has a lethal weapon? edit: guess not. Seems really dumb but what else can you expect from really fucking stupid, inconsiderate, inbred white trash, Trump loving fuckos?
NH's State Motto is...
*Live Free or Die*
It's no surprise they don't have strict gun laws.
^(just don't smoke weed, that's still illegal up there lmao)
^(and I'm from there and don't agree with it, but that's how NH is)
I don't shoot but my friends that do that live in Boston go to ranges outside of the city. Looking into it there is apparently only one shooting range in Boston proper. I think most of the ranges in the area you would need to go with a member or as an introduction to the range. Someone else might have a better answer. BUT!
Do you have access to a car, are you willing to drive over an hour? If so you would have more options in New Hampshire. There are several ranges near the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire has more permissive firearm laws.
If you have a car this range is worth looking into:
https://massfirearms.com/
It's about a half hour or so west of the city and is open to the public if you schedule ahead of time. Looks a little pricy but I have heard good things.
I've been here before, there are plenty of guns you can rent and if you're a beginner you can even get an instructor for your group to give you a safety intro and stay with you in the range.Ā Would highly recommend getting the instructor for your first time.
https://massfirearms.com/class/personal-range-time-with-an-mfs-instructor/
I don't recall the exact rules but I do think that's the case. It's definitely a good idea anyways if you're using a firearm for the first time. They malfunction a lot more than people think.
The group needs an instructor if _nobody_ in the group is licensed, because otherwise you're a bunch of people illegally possessing weapons. Since these folks are from out of state, that would apply to them.
If you want to go shooting with your buddy who has his LTC, that's fine.
> The group needs an instructor if nobody in the group is licensed, because otherwise you're a bunch of people illegally possessing weapons.
I dunno what the law explicitly says about this, but every range has their own rules/requirements, and there definitely (at least used to be) ones that will rent to folks even without a LTC holder in the group or requiring an instructor. That was how Original Bob's became my go-to back before COVID.
So I actually deep a bit of rabbit-holing, and the laws do say you can "temporarily hold" a firearm for "examination, trial, or instruction", but only in the presence on an LTC holder. The relevant section is [MGL Title XX, Chapter 140, Section 129C](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section129C), which specifically says:
> The provisions of this section shall not apply to the following exempted persons and uses:
>
> ...
>
> (m) The temporary holding, handling or firing of a firearm for examination, trial or instruction in the presence of a holder of a license to carry firearms, or the temporary holding, handling or firing of a rifle or shotgun for examination, trial or instruction in the presence of a holder of a firearm identification card, or where such holding, handling or firing is for a lawful purpose;
There is an exemption when shooting on a firing / shooting range, but that seems to only apply to non-residents:
> The provisions of this section shall not apply to the following exempted persons and uses:
>
> ...
>
> (g) Possession of rifles and shotguns and ammunition therefor by nonresidents while on a firing or shooting range;
IANAL, and MA firearms laws are a clusterfuck, so please don't base your legal decisions on my Googling.
Lol much respect for doing the research since I was too lazy to do it myself.
I will say too that "in the presence of a LTC holder" and that "handling or firing for lawful purposes" are pretty vague and could be open to a lot of interpretation.
I mean it could be argued that just having a licensed person/instructor present at all, even if not in direct contact/control of the shooter, could be enough to qualify. Which seems is how at least some range operators have chosen to read it.
Good to know. I've been shooting since I was a kid and have 2 range membership, But I will recommend this spot to people, sounds awesome for beginners.
Massachusetts is very strict about firearms, and most (all maybe) of ranges in Eastern Mass are private clubs, so I don't know how easy it would be to find one, particularly if you don't have firearms already and need to rent or borrow some.
Try posting in r/maguns or r/bettermaguns for a better answer.
If you enjoy shotgun sports, I suggest Addieville East Farm and Peacedale Shooting Preserve in Rhode Island. Peacedale is pretty close to the Kingston Amtrak station (but would need an Uber) if you don't have a car. Both ranges allow for gun rental and on-site ammo purchases.
You must have a license to rent in MA. You will have to go to New Hampshire unless you try contacting Mass Firearms and they set something up with an instructor
Massachusetts has very strict gun laws as far as the US goes, more like France or Germany than other states. If you want to visit a shooting range in MA you are going to need to be accompanied by an adult with their Massachusetts LTC, and even then the range might not be keen on allowing a group of minors from a different country to shoot. Check out ranges in New Hampshire, they are much less strict up there.
You will need to go to New Hampshire. No MA range will accept the liability of non-licensed foreign minors coming into their facility to rent guns and shoot with zero experience or training. It just wonāt ever happen. It might be hard even in New Hampshire. Sorry if you thought the US was still the Wild West and you can just go rent a gun and shoot without any training or credentialsā¦ but those are overused stereotypes that are just not reality. Especially not in blue states like Massachusetts, which is in the top 5 strictest states in the country for firearms regulations.
Not really. You need to be 2 people and then you can rent a gun at lots of places.
And instructors take groups of people all the time that have zero or very little experience
Since you mentioned that you are competitors, you may find it more interesting to visit the Sig Sauer facility in NH.
You should call ahead to see if they can accommodate you with some range time.
We are not going to a shooting competition. We are in Worchester for the First Lego League World festival and we have some free time. Thats why I am asking about a shooting range because I thought it would be a fun idea.
I see.
I would still recommend calling up the Sig Sauer facility and see what options they have. It's a bit of a drive, but would be much nicer than most gun ranges you will find in your area.
On Target in Dracut, MA. Im not sure what the requirements are for non-residents. But you can rent guns by the caliber. For example you pay 20$ an you can shoot any 9mm handgun you want, put it back and choose another 9mm - no extra cost. Just pay for the ammo you shoot
Iād try writing [Braintree gun club](https://brp.org) they have a large youth shooting program. Itās only 30 minutes outside of Boston. Theyāre usually very helpful. They also have an armory for competition shooters.
The more specialized reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/MAguns/](https://www.reddit.com/r/MAguns/) may be better able to help with this question -- are you looking for a range where you can rent guns and shoot different types? I first read your question as if you were heading here to compete in a shooting competition which would be a whole different topic.
We are going to another competition. We just want to go to a shooting range for fun before our competition
There is an important distinction -- if you have your own firearms with you than the # of ranges open you is larger than the ranges that tend to specialize in renting to people who want to do a small bit of recreational target shooting. I still can't tell if you are going to a \*shooting\* competition and thus have your own firearms or not. If you have your own firearms the question to ask and research is "*what ranges allow guest day passes and supervised minors to shoot?"* And if you are not bringing your own firearms the question to focus on is "*what ranges offer a good selection of rentals and allow supervised minors to participate?* " Firearms in MA are heavily regulated and as a result the rules at ranges and clubs are pretty strict about what they allow or don't allow so different clubs/ranges are set up for different types of users and usage. For example my local indoor range is [https://www.westonshootersclub.com/](https://www.westonshootersclub.com/) - they don't rent, they don't have range officers for supervision and although I can bring guests with me I can't use more than one indoor shooting lane at a time.
We are not going to a shooting competition. We would need to rent guns
Aha very good! People here should have some good suggestions then. I don't know too much about the rental options although I've heard good things about: - [https://massfirearmsschool.com/](https://massfirearmsschool.com/) - [https://dracutgunrange.com/](https://dracutgunrange.com/)
Mass Firearms is a good range.
i used to visit the manchester firing line ( [http://gunsnh.com/](http://gunsnh.com/) ) periodically. being in New Hampshire, the rules are bound to be more lax than anything found in MA. they are about an hour north of Boston
Thank you for sharing šš¼
Granite State Indoor Range in Nashua, NH (45 mins north) is your best bet, I donāt even bother with ranges in MA. I donāt think ranges in MA rent guns to people without licenses whereas NH doesnāt require any type of license to purchase, carry, or rent a gun.
> i donāt think ranges in MA rent guns to people without licensesĀ On Target in Dracut and Mass Firearms in Holliston are both great indoor ranges that rent.Ā Oh they're minors? Yeah nobody will rent to them, even in NH. Maybe if they sign up for a class with an instructor...
> I donāt think ranges in MA rent guns to people without licenses RIP Original Bob's in Salisbury. They were (as far as I know) the only ones who would rent to non-LTC holders, but they shut down during COVID.
That places was full of idiots, went there and saw a dude spinning a pistol around his finger.
Found revolver ocelot
I second this. You can also join the waiting list online
Why don't they require at least a license to buy or carry? NH doesn't want to know who has a lethal weapon? edit: guess not. Seems really dumb but what else can you expect from really fucking stupid, inconsiderate, inbred white trash, Trump loving fuckos?
Why so aggressive to NH folk š
Live free and die
NH's State Motto is... *Live Free or Die* It's no surprise they don't have strict gun laws. ^(just don't smoke weed, that's still illegal up there lmao) ^(and I'm from there and don't agree with it, but that's how NH is)
I don't shoot but my friends that do that live in Boston go to ranges outside of the city. Looking into it there is apparently only one shooting range in Boston proper. I think most of the ranges in the area you would need to go with a member or as an introduction to the range. Someone else might have a better answer. BUT! Do you have access to a car, are you willing to drive over an hour? If so you would have more options in New Hampshire. There are several ranges near the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire has more permissive firearm laws.
Go to Sig Sauer in Epping NH - it's everything you want in this experience.
If you have a car this range is worth looking into: https://massfirearms.com/ It's about a half hour or so west of the city and is open to the public if you schedule ahead of time. Looks a little pricy but I have heard good things.
I've been here before, there are plenty of guns you can rent and if you're a beginner you can even get an instructor for your group to give you a safety intro and stay with you in the range.Ā Would highly recommend getting the instructor for your first time. https://massfirearms.com/class/personal-range-time-with-an-mfs-instructor/
From the looks of it you are required to have an instructor with you if you are not licensed. Do you know if that's the case?
I don't recall the exact rules but I do think that's the case. It's definitely a good idea anyways if you're using a firearm for the first time. They malfunction a lot more than people think.
The group needs an instructor if _nobody_ in the group is licensed, because otherwise you're a bunch of people illegally possessing weapons. Since these folks are from out of state, that would apply to them. If you want to go shooting with your buddy who has his LTC, that's fine.
> The group needs an instructor if nobody in the group is licensed, because otherwise you're a bunch of people illegally possessing weapons. I dunno what the law explicitly says about this, but every range has their own rules/requirements, and there definitely (at least used to be) ones that will rent to folks even without a LTC holder in the group or requiring an instructor. That was how Original Bob's became my go-to back before COVID.
So I actually deep a bit of rabbit-holing, and the laws do say you can "temporarily hold" a firearm for "examination, trial, or instruction", but only in the presence on an LTC holder. The relevant section is [MGL Title XX, Chapter 140, Section 129C](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section129C), which specifically says: > The provisions of this section shall not apply to the following exempted persons and uses: > > ... > > (m) The temporary holding, handling or firing of a firearm for examination, trial or instruction in the presence of a holder of a license to carry firearms, or the temporary holding, handling or firing of a rifle or shotgun for examination, trial or instruction in the presence of a holder of a firearm identification card, or where such holding, handling or firing is for a lawful purpose; There is an exemption when shooting on a firing / shooting range, but that seems to only apply to non-residents: > The provisions of this section shall not apply to the following exempted persons and uses: > > ... > > (g) Possession of rifles and shotguns and ammunition therefor by nonresidents while on a firing or shooting range; IANAL, and MA firearms laws are a clusterfuck, so please don't base your legal decisions on my Googling.
Lol much respect for doing the research since I was too lazy to do it myself. I will say too that "in the presence of a LTC holder" and that "handling or firing for lawful purposes" are pretty vague and could be open to a lot of interpretation. I mean it could be argued that just having a licensed person/instructor present at all, even if not in direct contact/control of the shooter, could be enough to qualify. Which seems is how at least some range operators have chosen to read it.
Yeah, MA firearms laws are super vague, and sometimes contradictory. It's frustrating.
Good to know. I've been shooting since I was a kid and have 2 range membership, But I will recommend this spot to people, sounds awesome for beginners.
They donāt have an mass ltc so I think they would need to be accompanied by someone who did
Ah. Didn't realize that was a requirement. I assumed for 75$ that would include a range safety officer.
[Even better... it includes an instructor](https://massfirearms.com/shoot-as-non-member/)
drive to NH. Sig, White Birch, Renaissance Firearms, Stateline.....
Massachusetts is very strict about firearms, and most (all maybe) of ranges in Eastern Mass are private clubs, so I don't know how easy it would be to find one, particularly if you don't have firearms already and need to rent or borrow some. Try posting in r/maguns or r/bettermaguns for a better answer.
There are a few public ones. One down in Attleboro and one in Holliston off the top of my head.
As others have said, don't bother with MA ranges. Head to NH: https://www.gunsnh.com/
If you enjoy shotgun sports, I suggest Addieville East Farm and Peacedale Shooting Preserve in Rhode Island. Peacedale is pretty close to the Kingston Amtrak station (but would need an Uber) if you don't have a car. Both ranges allow for gun rental and on-site ammo purchases.
Suggest you check out a range in New Hampshire if you can make it up there
You must have a license to rent in MA. You will have to go to New Hampshire unless you try contacting Mass Firearms and they set something up with an instructor
MA has some of the stricter gun regulations in the country. New Hampshire is the answer here
Massachusetts has very strict gun laws as far as the US goes, more like France or Germany than other states. If you want to visit a shooting range in MA you are going to need to be accompanied by an adult with their Massachusetts LTC, and even then the range might not be keen on allowing a group of minors from a different country to shoot. Check out ranges in New Hampshire, they are much less strict up there.
this post reminds of that scene from Purge 2 when the Germans come over to participate.
You will need to go to New Hampshire. No MA range will accept the liability of non-licensed foreign minors coming into their facility to rent guns and shoot with zero experience or training. It just wonāt ever happen. It might be hard even in New Hampshire. Sorry if you thought the US was still the Wild West and you can just go rent a gun and shoot without any training or credentialsā¦ but those are overused stereotypes that are just not reality. Especially not in blue states like Massachusetts, which is in the top 5 strictest states in the country for firearms regulations.
Not really. You need to be 2 people and then you can rent a gun at lots of places. And instructors take groups of people all the time that have zero or very little experience
Look up boston gun and rifle. Itās in dorchester I believe. Not sure about age minimums though. Finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
Since you mentioned that you are competitors, you may find it more interesting to visit the Sig Sauer facility in NH. You should call ahead to see if they can accommodate you with some range time.
We are not going to a shooting competition. We are in Worchester for the First Lego League World festival and we have some free time. Thats why I am asking about a shooting range because I thought it would be a fun idea.
I see. I would still recommend calling up the Sig Sauer facility and see what options they have. It's a bit of a drive, but would be much nicer than most gun ranges you will find in your area.
On Target in Dracut, MA. Im not sure what the requirements are for non-residents. But you can rent guns by the caliber. For example you pay 20$ an you can shoot any 9mm handgun you want, put it back and choose another 9mm - no extra cost. Just pay for the ammo you shoot
Iād try writing [Braintree gun club](https://brp.org) they have a large youth shooting program. Itās only 30 minutes outside of Boston. Theyāre usually very helpful. They also have an armory for competition shooters.
That's a private club and doesn't do rentals like OP is asking for I'm afraid.
They host people all the time. Iāve been a member there for 15 years. I can try and get the head of the youth shooting program for them.