Gun range on a barge

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Novus Collectus

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Land in some areas is too expensive for a new shooting club to start and then there is taxes and the new problem with dealing with the lead in the soil as hazardous waste, so for areas near water how about a barge with a range on it? The lead would be contained, the cost of the barge may be much less than some land in some areas, it could be mobile and it might be able to avoid a resort town or city's property taxes.
Some barges are three hundred yards long, if a proper roof or baffle system was built over top to catch the bullets it could be a mobile rifle range. Stability in the waves could be handled by adjustable pylons and the anchoring in the shallow water of a bay or harbor.

The price of the barge may be mitigated by leasing instead of buying, but even when buying like I said above the land may be way higher in cost.

The idea came about with some of us because of the high cost of land in Maryland, but we have plenty of water around like the Chesapeake Bay and the ocean. Also, speaking of the ocean, in the town of Ocean City gun ranges are banned (even indoor ones apparently), but would a gun range on a barge in the bay next to Ocean City be right outside city limits?

Anyone know of a gun range built on a barge before?
 
I was also thinking about a skeet or trap range on the upper deck or roof shooting over the water (non-toxic shot only though).
 
That is where the adjustable pylons idea came about. If it is moored at a dock or anchored off the shore a little ways in a bay or harbor, then the water would be relatively shallow and the pylons would not have to go too deep before hitting bottom and hold the vessel steady, or possibly even lift it out of the water ever so slightly.
They would be all around the ship and would be adjustable not just so they can be removed or applied at each location moved to, but also because the bottom of the bay or harbor may be uneven, or may settle under the pressure applied by the pylons' feet.

I am sure there are other ways to stabilize one, but the adjustable pylon idea seems like the most obvious.
 
Illegal gambling becomes "legal" 3 miles out to sea, so why not.
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If you leave US waters you might have a rough time "importing" your guns back into the US without the correct paperwork from Customs and/or the State Department -- I'm sure Hillery would love your idea.
 
The lead would be contained, the cost of the barge may be much less than some land in some areas, it could be mobile and it might be able to avoid a resort town or city's property taxes.
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You might avoid property taxes and if you buy the barge, you write it off over time. However, you may be stuck with some significant docking fees. Waterfront dock space isn't cheap, especially for large vessels the size of what you are describing. And you will need to be fairly permanently docked for the barge range to be commercialy successful and to have necessary utilities (such as sanitation, sewage, and power).

As the saying goes, "A boat is a hole in the water you fill with money."

Maintenance on a barge will likely be more than that of a structure on land.
 
Illegal gambling becomes "legal" 3 miles out to sea, so why not. Neat idea you got there.
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Actually in some states, if your Casino is a boat sitting on a body of water its legal, just like this fine example of legal compliance.


26casino6001.jpg
 
If you leave US waters you might have a rough time "importing" your guns back into the US without the correct paperwork from Customs and/or the State Department -- I'm sure Hillery would love your idea.
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I believe state territorial waters is three miles out and federal is twelve miles out. So from three to twelve miles out I think it is fed jurisdiction and beyond that you are leaving the country as I understand it.
Now here is the other catch, even if in US territorial waters, what if the barge is under the flag of a foreign nation? Would the guns kept at the range never being brought to land not be considered imported? Might be an interesting way to be able to shoot non-importable guns like modern, post 86, full auto or some of the cool Russian stuff. Maybe have two barges side by side, one under the flag of a foreign nation and if you want to shoot the non-importable stuff you jump to the other ship, but if you want to shoot your own guns you use the US flagged ship.
 
You might avoid property taxes and if you buy the barge, you write it off over time. However, you may be stuck with some significant docking fees. Waterfront dock space isn't cheap, especially for large vessels the size of what you are describing. And you will need to be fairly permanently docked for the barge range to be commercialy successful and to have necessary utilities (such as sanitation, sewage, and power).

As the saying goes, "A boat is a hole in the water you fill with money."

Maintenance on a barge will likely be more than that of a structure on land.
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Yes, all valid points, but people in some areas get away with house boats built on barges in city harbors and for some areas it is way cheaper than owning waterfront property at a harbor.

Now as far as the docking fees, if the vessel was moored a little out in a shallow bay there would be no fees I assume and there could be a water taxi regularly running to and fro.
Now sewage is one thing I did not thing about. Maybe use the kind of toilets which burn off the sewage like they use on the big boats to limit the amount of waste?
 
As the saying goes, "A boat is a hole in the water you fill with money."

Funniest thing I've heard all morning. :)
 
I'd shoot there just for awesomeness sake.

It may not be a spot for the kind who wants a 0.3658 inch group at 139756 yards, but I think you'd attract some people just for novelties sake.
 
I can think of a couple of problems...

1) EPA - There would probably be claims that the lead dust cannot be adequately contained or vented properly, resulting in water pollutants.
2) Clean Water Act - Just a gigantic PITA...Wastewater discharge regulations, clean water testing to ensure that there are no resultant contaminants.

Just FWIW...
 
As suggested the "riverboat" gambling operations exist to exploit the rules. Look at all the inland riverboats that never leave shore. They sit on the bottom and are anchored in place with pilings. They're hooked to municipal water and sewer so the city makes money from the purchased services, but they don't pay taxes. The advantage is that you can develop a small piece of riverfront for offices and ticket sales while having a large square footage "afloat". You're essentially building a floating indoor range.
 
I personally would love to hear more about this and have some legal beagles weigh in on it. I'd love to live on ship for extended periods as an employee. I need a career change.
 
I don't have any river experience, but i have a lot of sea-time.

As a private endeavor, i think you could do it...but if it's private you don't need a barge, any boat will do: just go out of sight of land, and other boats, and light it up!

As a business /open-to-the-public idea, forget it. Aside from local legislation where-ever you tie up and on- and offload your clientele, the USCG has strict rules on the number and type of weapons you may have aboard any vessel at a given time, and it would not be economical to only have one or two clients at a time with one weapon each.

Personally, I wouldn't bother based on the price of fuel to move the thing, and the number of times you'd be boarded and have to explain things to petty-bureaucrats on power trips.
 
Desidog, the idea is to place it in one place and maybe move it, if ever, only a few times a year maybe.
As for the type of guns allowed on commercial vessels in a state's waters, well since we know commercial ships carry shipments of guns in from overseas to market and vice versa, I would like to see the regulations limitting the number and typs of guns.
 
I doubt if this would float (pun intended), especially with a lease. The owner may not allow the modifications you'd need to make this work for your purpose. If they did allow it, you'd have to pay for those mods yourself -- probably from a marine contractor -- and if the lease were to be terminated, you'd have to pay again to restore the craft to its original configuration. Add maintenance, Coast Guard certification, possible contention from local governments, blah, blah.

If I were you, I'd look for an abandoned industrial property instead. If it was a real scum-pit, you might even get support from the city to improve it (but don't count on that).
 
Interesting idea but one would have to think about the motion and the affect it would have on target shooting.
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Not a problem.

Remember, the target is moving right along with the shooter. If you clamped the rifle in a vise and pointed it at the target, the scope would be locked on the bull's eye just as if on a bench rest on land.

Barge "flex" might just change my last statement but only if the waves are extremely high.
 
You'd have to contain the lead completely or the ocean-huggers would come out of the woodwork (rightly so, I'd think; the Seinfeld episode with the golf ball and the whale comes to mind :)). The next thing you'd know, the Greenpeace types would flying all around the barge in their mini-craft in a recreation of that awful Kevin Costner movie -- what the heck was the name of that? -- OK, got it, "Waterworld."

Beyond that, it's a nifty idea. I also would think that it would be a fun place to shoot, given the right conditions and circumstances.
 
The idea of being able to do other things on the barge besides just shoot also has some real appeal, now that I think about it a bit. A floating restaurant (no alcohol for shooters, however), or perhaps a floating crap game or poker game, might be just the thing to while away the time between sessions with the P99 or the 10/22.

I also wouldn't mind getting the vendor's license agreement for the sale of ammo on the barge, by the way. You'd sure have a captive audience and ready-made clientele. :)

Then again, where would get the ammo to supply to your ready-made audience?
 
I like the idea of making it mobile; that way it could make trips to Somalia for pirate hunts! Beats Sporting Clays any day! :D
 
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