I have to agree - guns and alcohol don't mix unless guns are left at the range. What happens if someone leaves and may not be legally drunk but due to alcohol consumption have impaired judgement? If someone cuts them off in traffic will they pull a gun? Total Stupidity.

I agree with the two dissenting council persons --- alcohol & guns do not belong together. That is a dangerous combination any way you look at it and I don't care how you try to rectify it.

Way to go Nancy Hudson/Al ---My husband has been an advid hunter all of his life, his father took him squirrel hunting as a child. However, if He knows someone in a deer camp is sitting around drinking, then He has not and will not go hunting with them, its COMMON SENSE, as the resident stated, GUN and ALCOHOL do NOT mix, and they can try to put a modern spin on it if they want to, its a stupid decision and He was considering joining this place, but forget it, He'll drive alittle further and keep going to the one He already goes to target practice, as they don't tolerate alcohol and certainly don't serve it. People need to think! Thanks to the TWO that took the RIGHT STAND, and didn't let the $$$ influence them, this new business will loose in the end, smart people will not want to go where they know someone is drinking and aiming a gun in the same building!

Ladies,
I know typically women don't mess with guns and that is a shame. However, you all have responded as if everyone who has a drink becomes drunk or is an alcoholic. That is what is stupid.
To assume that everyone who goes into the shooting range will get drunk enough to come out and shoot someone over a traffic mishap is asinine to say the very least.
Being the first man to respond to this, I am neither for nor against the sales at the range, but it is not a bar ladies, it is a shooting range. If you can go to any restaurant and buy liquor while eating, you can still get shot by the guy (or lady) who carries in their car or truck. Think about it... how much stuff do you want to control today? The government does more than its fair share of that!

Well said Chuck. And if I understand correctly, which I believe I do, once a member has a drink, that member is not allowed back into the range to shoot. I trust that the Browns will have the needed safeguards in place to ensure that is well monitored. Who monitors that at a hunting club or local bar? No one. As for once the member leaves the facility, it is no different than when a gun owner leaves their favorite restaurant or bar. I don't believe it increases the level of danger to the general public. And I have found that most hand gun owners that I know, typically carry a hand gun in their vehicles. So where's the difference? There is none.

Having been around people who were drinking and had firearms on them at the time, I agree wholeheartedly that alcohol and firearms do not mix. Bad combination. I know of a building in Paulding County that has several bullet holes due to this very combination. Even supervised, it is not a good idea.

Not only that, it SHOULD be a liability issue for the firing range. What is they serve someone and then they get out on 278 and have an accident that kills someone? If bars and liquor stores can be held responsible for the actions of their patrons, it only seems logical that the firing range could be held responsible as well.

I've lived outside of Powder Springs for 34 years and it really surprised me when the city council approved the firing range in the first place. To hear they have approved alcohol sales there just blows me away. Yeah, much better than that plumbing company that tried to build there. Yeah, much better.

Just to be completely clear on some facts not completely covered in the article. The lounge is only accessed by key card issued to a limited group of members (Full Metal Jacket Members). All food and beverage services will be charged to the member’s account allowing tracking of their beverage purchases. Once a beverage is purchased on the customer’s account, the account is flagged and they cannot be checked into the range that day. Full Metal Jacket Members who wish to have a drink after shooting have available to them Gun Valet Service. This service allows their firearms to be stored in the facility vault until a future visits. Additionally, these privileged members have lockers available to them for storage.

Georgia Law provides that persons with permits may carry firearms in restaurants and bars that serve alcohol; however, they may not consume alcohol while carrying. The same standards of this law will be implemented in the gun club; however, we are going a step further than the law. We are providing a means to accommodate their firearm safely, and contractual rules of their membership privileges that hold them to high standards of conduct. One of which is that the Members Lounge is not a bar and will not be used as one. This is a relaxing social atmosphere for members to enjoy food and limited drinks responsibly. Irresponsible and excessive drinking will not be tolerated by members, and will not be served by the staff. Members must be responsible firearm owners and responsible drinkers; otherwise they will not be patrons or members at the facility.

We know that unfortunately not everyone who owns a firearm exercises the necessary responsibility, but most firearm owners accept the obligation of responsibility that goes along with gun ownership very seriously. We also know that alcohol can and is often abused by many; however, it is unfair for some to assume that everyone who drinks is incapable of exercising personal responsibility and restraint and would choose to make that decision for everyone.

The Almighty Dollar has won again in Powder Springs. Did YOUR council person vote for it? I'm proud that mine DID NOT.

While I understand that there are some genuine concerns from select individuals regarding this issue, I believe it is important to emphasize that this is not a bar nor is it a place to go get drunk. The intention of allowing a limited number of alcoholic beverages to be purchased by FMJ members is to foster a social and interactive environment wherein other members get to know each other and/or enjoy some time unwinding after a session. Those individuals who have a tendency towards irresponsibility will do so regardless of what environment they are in be it driving a several ton weapon like an automobile after consuming more alcohol than the legal limit or discharging a firearm after leaving a bar. Please consider your arguments and concerns holistically before continuing a campaign to allow goverments to impose further restrictions around our lives. I am confident that the actions demonstrated by both the gun range management and its full metal jacket members will prove to be responsible and respectful.

Chuck, since your post was directly to women, I have a response to you. I'm not upset at you, but I think you assumed more than us! I can use a gun, I've been taught, and after having a home invasion, I will use it if needed to protect myself. I am NOT assuming everyone that comes and drinks will get drunk, HOWEVER on that note, my grandmother is 96 years old and still speaks with much wisdom, she has said consistently all my life, if someone drinks there will be a time they will get drunk and I've never met a person that doesn't apply to. Also, after going to shooting ranges, its not like you will be there hours and hours, its more of an in/out deal, and its a place that you need to focus, we need to remember most of us that go are there to "practice", I don't see bars opening at ballfields so the adults can have a drink together, usually they leave and go to a resturant etc. I will stick with my first thought that GUNS and ALCOHOL do not mix, and I believe the owners would have been more profitable without, Serious gun owners will not go for this. We were very excited about this business and would have been faithful and loyal customers, but now we will stick with where we go and drive further, after speaking to other serious gun owners, we all believe this will damage and hurt their customer base, and we're so sorry for this, a new business needs to get off on the right foot. We wish you Good Luck!

Whatever. Our elected representatives "represented" THEIR (or what they were told) constituents' view on this by their vote. And on it goes. Again, so glad MY representative represented MY view, not what might have been pushed as the "right" vote. Were any of you asked about this? I was.

I believe whole-heartedly in the right to own and carry a gun - I have a few myself - and I really enjoy shooting them. But Alcohol and Guns DO NO MIX! This is a very STUPID idea! And, for Lakeside Guns to say on their FB page that the people who do not agree with a gun range serving alcohol are "people who are trying to demonize alcohol ... [or people who] want to let the government control every facet of our lives through government bureaucracy .. [or people who] try to take away our gun rights due to their own beliefs" ... well now, that is just complete and absolute BS!!!

My wife and I intended to join the gun club, but there's no way in hell that's going to happen now. There are other places to shoot around here, I won't patronize a business that promotes irresponsible gun usage. I drink, and I shoot, but never, EVER at the same time or in the same place.

It's not like this is going to be some kind of Wild West saloon, with drunken cowboys staggering out into the street at all hours of the day and night.

Drinking and driving don't mix, but we don't prohibit people from driving to and from restaurants and bars that serve alcohol; an out of control multi-ton vehicle is far more lethal than any firearm.

Given the controls that are being put in place, and given the nature of an establishment that is selective about it's membership, I'm sure there will be no issues.

Alcohol and cars DO NOT MIX! I don't think you have to worry about patrons of the gun club, but you SHOULD worry about all of the drunks coming out of your local bars that can hardly walk, much less drive, and the roads are FULL of them!!!

People across the country think we're nuts, I wonder why? This was on Fox and Friends (NYC news) yesterday morning, and you could vote on a poll, I have no idea which way it went, didn't have time to check---bout fainted when I heard Powder Springs, Ga on the news. I have friends that own two in suburbs of Chicago, they enjoy their beer and drinks at home and w/ friends--so not a problem with drinking with meal and other social events, but they DO NOT allow alochol inside thier ranges, and said, "they are asking for trouble"..That's coming from shooting range owners. so the , debate continues, it doesn't matter with me, I don't have a dog in this fight anymore. I was excited, was going to grand opening and join, but..We won't now, I can't tolerate any alcohol and the chance of someone getting upset while wearing their weapon on their hip, but it's a personal thing w/me, my brother got shot while deer hunting ACCIDENTIALLY, (He didn't pass away, thank goodness). As far as driving around w/drunks and DRUGGIES, yes we do, and its scares me terribly, but we have no choice unless we stay home 24/7. In this situation, we have a choice, so I'm choosing to not be a part of it and we'll keep going to the shooting range further away, UNFORTUNATELY, was excited to keep money closer to home. Good Luck to all.

Rednecks, guns and alcohol!

Are you kidding me? Who in their right mind thinks alcohol and guns are a good mix - EVER?

Bad idea! No guns allowed where the alcohol is served is good but what happens when the gun is returned when the person is leaving? It doesn't take much to piss off a drunk person with a gun. Not to mention that person could be driving drunk with a gun.

If gun lovers and -toters shoot themselves in the foot, or even shoot one another, I don't think I'm going to feel too sorry about it.

While the onsite strictures seem well suited to the situation, it's still not a good idea; booze and bullets are a very bad mix. When an extraneous factor comes into play, such as spending a little too much time at the slop chute, that people get hurt - - somebody as too much to drink, forgets to clear/safe his or her weapon, and it just magically goes off. Firearms safety is a 100% deal, and being fuzzy/buzzy does very bad things to the thought processes. Again, a bad idea.

I see no problem with serving drinks at the gun club. You guys are flipping out with all kinds of imagined scenarios....'Ooooo, what if they all get drunk as skunks and then get all their guns back, then go driving, get mad, shoot innocent people right and left, because, as we all know, having a couple glasses of wine or beer drives drunks crazy! They are not even serving hard liquor for crying out loud! I can't believe there are so many people who are so completely misinformed about the difference between alcohol abuse and the enjoyment of a pleasant drink.
The people driving from the gun club are NOT the ones everyone should be worried about, they are experienced, legal gun owners persuing their interest legally at a private gun club and they are less likely to shoot anyone even if they were all drunk as skunks. It's the criminals with stolen guns and no experience except what they learned from Big Daddy Mo or whoever who will shoot us on the road in cold blood.

I hear banjos...

I have been around gun clubs my whole life, kids winning contests, going to the grand. I have never seen any accidents at a shooting range that served drinks and beer. Its those who "think " they know how to shoot and "play" with their guns who have accidents, or those who dare to bring a gun into a home and not have each pamily member take a shooting course.

Guns and booze - let the body count begin.

Guns, Alcohol and Red Necks, WOW in some states thats called "Strike Three"!

There is 1000's of firing ranges/shooting ranges in this country, why do you suppose 98% do not allow alcohol? I like the way some are calling people in this area "rednecks" on this post, just wondering where is that coming from? Then we have other's stating how we're imagining senario's, of course no one can predict what could and will happen, but isn't it better to be safe than sorry? Why live on the edge with weapons? We've had guns my entire life, my husband has gone hunting since He was 5 years old with his dad, the main thing is people have to have respect for all weapons and for themselves. I don't agree with this decision, but I'm also NOT going to call the ones that do agree with the decision degrading names and/or belittle anyone, that's wrong, and I wish anyone that opens a new business in this economy much success!

Look out for more Darwin Awards nominees . . .

No, no, no. It is totally inappropriate for alcohol to be served at a gun range. Geez, can't the shooters wait until they get home? It is just as illogical to shoot and drink as it is to drive and drink. This has nothing to do with folks rights...it has to do with common sense. I love shooting, but dang sure don't have to have a drink to do it. All of us are more likely to have an accident or mental lapse when we drink, so let's not increase problems at shooting ranges. I say the folks who applied for and the folks who approved this permit made stupid decisions. Period.

The people who are against this business plan do not fully understand it. This is not a bar. It is a social (Country Club) atmosphere for gun enthusiast. Please do not try to thwart or doom someones ideas just because you do not agree with them. Powder Springs has the ability to monitor the issues in question and if there is a problem it will be handled. I liked this future business so much that I purchased two Full Metal Jacket memberships. I am glad that there is going to be a upscale gun/archery range for the community to enjoy.