Well it's been a while, but I went back over a week ago, to actually buy that handgun I was considering. This time Bob helped me out. First he spend a foot 15 minutes on the phone with me. He was so generous with his time and insightful with his answers I wanted to make sure to work with him when I went in. He told me his hours the next day, so I went and caught up with him. I had narrowed my selection to two guns. He encouraged me to try a third, which when i held it felt amazing in my hand. In that one moment I knew his rec was going to be the one even though I came in with two others. Then he encouraged me to shoot all three and alternate every 5 shots so I would get a feel for each. He said it would be clear after that. In the end, I ended up with the gun I least anticipated. It wasn't the one Bob brought to my attention. In fact it wasn't even the one I came in wanting. It was on only my list because I have shot that brand before (Sig) before and I needed something to compare my first choice too. The gun totally chose me. As I write this I am also currently shipping a gun to TMGN that I purchased online. Transfers there are quick. It's easy and it's reasonable pricing to transfer it in. For transfers you want to talk to Nicole. She goes out of her way to help even ran down customer emails that are sein the middle of the night. Can't really go wrong with The Machine Gun Nest! read more

The Machine Gun Nest - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

I placed an online order through their portal but needed to cancel it before picking it up. Because I requested the cancellation prior to fulfillment, the merchandise never left their shop. Despite submitting the cancellation, I never received a confirmation email. I have since called the storefront and sent direct emails to the manager to resolve the issue and process my refund, but I am being completely ignored. It has been several days with zero response. At this point, the business is holding my money for an order I never picked up and explicitly canceled. I am highly disappointed with the complete lack of customer service and communication. I will be forced to dispute this charge with my bank if management does not respond and issue my refund immediately. read more

Great range. The staff are amazing and super nice. They are very knowledgeable and helpful. I got my CCW training there with Bill who is very informative and a skillful, caring trainer. All the staff I have interacted with have helped me to grow in my firearms knowledge. I highly recommend TMGN for all you firearms training/shooting needs. The staff are so wonderful they are like family to me. read more

Came here for training to get my HQL and CCW with Bill and I had such a wonderful experience! The class was super informative and interacting. For someone who has NEVER held a gun before yet alone seen one in person -- this was very beginner friendly. I like that the class was small so we each got a chance to do role play for different scenarios. Bill was such a great instructor I passed on my first try during the shooting portion! I felt very safe being under Bill's watch and guidance. I will be back to continue practicing my shooting. read more

The Machine Gun Nest - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

Decent range. Will probably come again since they have a bunch of unique firearms to rent. It is also nice to see that they have an RSO to keep the range safe from negligent actions. Downside is that it only goes to 25 yards. Ammo was expensive too...so make sure you stack up beforehand. read more

Overcrowded range full of people who know nothing about guns and have never handled a gun standing shoulder to shoulder in an extremely small space flagging each other almost every minute. They let some idiot rent a machine gun or a large caliber rifle and shoot it right next to your face while you try to practice with a pistol in the adjacent lane. The snivel little nerd kid with glasses conducts himself with an obnoxious know-it-all attitude while wearing Grunt style clothing despite never having served. I'm not too keen on noodly armed children with thick-rimmed glasses giving attitude for no reason other than his misplaced sense of self-importance. Cheap, overcrowded, dangerous, and run by children. Ammunition and gun prices are also marked up really badly. read more

Went there with my family and we had a blast, got two lanes and shot the FN 2000. The ppl are friendly and knowledgeable about firearms so don't hesitate to ask questions. read more

I reaLly enjoyed myself here the other day. As a first timer I was a little nervous at first, but the staff made sure I understood all of the basics and got rid of some of that nervousness. Of course once you walk in you have to sign a waiver and then head to the counter. I bought this on Groupon (recommended) and showed the staff meter my voucher. He placed 4 pistols on the counter and walked me through how to select which one would be best for me. Once you selected your gun, they show you the hand placement, how to aim and shot and the rules. You get a pistol, a box of ammo, protection glasses and ear protection. Once you're inside the lanes it's a different story. To me, (who has never shot a gun before) was prettt intense. I put my target on and sent it away down the lane. If you have never shot a gunn before and would like to, this is the best place to go and do it. It's fun, safe and in a controlled environment. Note: try your best not to hit the yellow brace above the target (50 dollar fine) or the security camera (500 dollar fine) P.S I DIDNT HIT Them. Just wanted to make sure that you all are aware :) read more

The Machine Gun Nest - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

Best prices around for an indoor range and excellent customer service! They're super knowledgeable and are willing to assist if you need any guidance or tips on grip/form/posture etc. A++ read more

Been a few times, people were friendly enough. Don't like the cylinder block walls so much. MGN has tried their best to accommodate people and also be mindful of COVID. Today was probably the last time I visit here. WAY too many people were permitted to que inside while waiting to be checked in. 20 people in that lobby is too many. 5 people in the lobby at a time would be better. Everyone else should wait outside. Make it number system or something. More disturbing was the A hole taking pictures for social media half assing his mask with nose exposed like "look at me I ain't following the rules" ego trip bullshit. One of the employees was not wearing a mask, no one was following the 6 foot rules and one customer came off the range with no mask and just walked around the lobby for 5 minutes. After that I said "F this!" And walked out. If there's no attention to detail in this regard I have to imagine that this place is not being cleaned on a regular basis either. Sad to say but I will be visiting somewhere else from now on. This isn't the time to screw around with public safety. read more

I am typing this review as soon as I got inside my car. Been here a few times with family and friends but today is my last. Got in at 3:35pm, iPad for getting in queue was low battery and died. Guy in the Recruit shirt had to plug and wait for at least 8 minutes to get my name in line. Unbelievable they only have one SINGLE iPad to do this. Was told there were 7-8 ahead of me. Customer Andrew was paged same time I walked in and did not show up till 4pm. Nathan takes over and gets my name queued at 3:44pm. Waited for 33 minutes, no other folks ahead of me showed up. Nathan tells me He can get me at lane 9 @ 4:18pm. There were only two customers in two lanes when I walked in the shooting area!!!!! Was just putting down my bag in my lane and RSO tells me I only have 30 minutes to use the range since they close at 5pm. This left a sour taste to me as a customer. Waited patiently near the vending machine and they could have simply accommodated me earlier after seeing nobody was showing up after getting paged instead of letting me waste 33 minutes. Would have given them high praises if they paid attention more to the situation. Process definitely needs to be improved or maybe just common sense! I am definitely telling my friends to bring their business somewhere else. Better to just drive to the NRA for $15 for members and they know how to take care of customers plain and simple. Trust me, spend your money somewhere else.... read more

Awesome range. Fair pricing and to top it off their staff and RSOs are phenomenal. This will be my go to place.

They are great at helping with safety and any questions you have concerning use of weapons.

I great place to shoot and buy ammo! The staff is always knowledgeable and it's one of the few places locally that really knows NFA.

Let me start off by saying I have loved this place since it opened and was a regular customer before I moved away. I received a gift certificate for the browning 1919 and through scheduling and the gun being out for service, it took me 2 years to finally get a chance to come in and shoot it. I came with 3 buddies and we ended up renting the browning with 4 belts of ammo and also the Barrett with 20 rounds. We started with the browning and we were pretty dissatisfied with the fact that the gun kept jamming almost every 3rd shot and also started slam firing when we would re-rack the gun. Multiple people who worked there came over to try and fix, clear, oil it etc. but it kept doing it. From our estimation and videos we took (we filmed all 4 belts being shot) we lost about 20-30 rounds just from having to re-rack the gun. I didn't tag TMGN on social media because the gun performed so poorly and it was embarrassing. Then an older guy who worked there finally came to see the problem and said to the younger employee and us, that the belt fed ammunition was packed improperly and that's why we were having so many issues and that it also needed grease. We finally got through our 4 belts of ammo, in a painstakingly slow method of re-racking, slam firing and taking the gun apart and they brought out the Barrett. This gun was a dream to shoot, had lots of raw power and really made our evening. After shooting the gun, the young employee (long hair guy with a nose ring, who had zero customer service skills) picks the rifle up and starts walking away from us quickly. We yelled (were in the range where it's loud) to stop real quick so we can see the rifle up close, take a photo with it as a group and hold it so, " I can see how heavy it is". He turned to us and said, "actually you can't hold it". The Asian RSO (who was super cool), said to the kid "are you serious, you won't let them hold it or take a photo with it?". The kid said something we couldn't hear and then we just left and tanked the RSO. For spending the amount of money we did, and TMGN pushing for social media tagging when people shoot there and their guns, it was pretty pathetic we could hold it or even take a group photo with it and to hear that the belt fed ammo was improperly packed is sad. Their was no, hey sorry we packed the ammo wrong or let me give you guys a second belt that works. We left and that was that. Pretty sad. I have never had this experience with anyone there before and the long haired kid should be given some customer relations training. read more

As a law enforcement firearms instructor myself, I've been meaning to teach my wife how to shoot a gun properly. Based on the reviews of nearby ranges, we chose to go to The Machine Gun Nest. I am happy we did and understand now why they have a 5 star rating. First and foremost, safety should be the number one priory at the range. Upon entering TMGN mandates that shooters watch a 4-5 minute safety video and fill out a questionnaire/quiz. This is to ensure first time shooters they understand at the basic level what to do on the line, if they are legally allowed to shoot there, and other liability issues. After filling out the required paperwork, we met TMGN team member / instructor Dalton. I didn't inform Dalton I also was an instructor, but advised him that it was my wife's first time shooting. Dalton was knowledgeable, professional, and respectful. He comes from a military background, and gave her a few pointers - all of which was sound advice. Dalton really went above and beyond expectation. In all, shooting there is great experience for new or experienced shooters. She enjoyed it so much that we are contemplating on becoming members there. I highly recommend this place. read more

The Machine Gun Nest - Lane 9 - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

I absolutely love this place! The Machine Gun Nest is a true gem. I went on a whim with my friend not expecting much. However, my friend had to almost drag me out. I didn't want to leave! I am now considering taking the HQL class to purchase a handgun for my home. I would highly recommend this range for nervous beginners. The staff at the Machine Nest were so pleasant, patient, and eager to answer my questions. read more

The Machine Gun Nest - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

I have been here many times. NEVER GOING BACK. This place has gotten to big for there britches. The wait is horrible and their sign in system suck ass. They need a better system. read more

I had found this gun range after heritage was still closed. I can honestly say I was treated with the upmost respect. All staff members were polite and knowledgeable. The range was great and it was not expensive to go shoot for an hour. I have already recommend the range to a few friends. I plan to be back in the future. read more

The Machine Gun Nest - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

My boyfriend is a member of The Machine Gun Nest and he absolutely loves it here. I've been a few times myself and I have to say, I really like it too. There is minimal parking outside, so try to carpool or just come early. The building looks inconspicuous outside, but when you enter, it's a really inviting and comfortable space. I've been to two other gun ranges in the past and they both looked like shady little pawn shops. For a first timer, this can be intimidating. TMGN has tastefully done gun related artwork hanging on their walls, tvs that help to muffle the gun sounds, and comfortable seating. And everyone that works there is always respectful, and friendly. They know their guns and they know safety and that's comforting. You can bring your own guns and ammo which is a plus. I know there are other ranges that make you buy ammo there with their crazy up-charge. Of course, they have a nice range of guns and rifles for rent as well. read more

The Machine Gun Nest - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

Amazing service and professionalism!! Very clean and advanced space, friendly RSO very knowledgeable. Will return read more

This place was great! The guys were so much fun and understanding. They were there every step. It was our first time and I am terrified of guns but they made it comfortable and fun. I didn't shoot but they allowed me to stand by my guys and watch. Thank you! read more

See all

Bought a membership for me and my wife, but every time we came to shoot we were told we couldn't buy ammo because we were not renting a gun. Whats the point of a $450 membership if we can't shoot our own firearms? People who come in and want to rent a gun are given the option to buy ammo, but we are not just because we have our own firearms. Not to mention the fact that a few of the employees have terrible attitudes. Seems to me like they pick and choose who they want to give ammo/ customer service to read more

Now I'm not some 2nd amendment, card toting NRA member or anything, but I firmly believe in self-improvement in any way possible, including learning how to respect and operate various firearms. If sh*t hits the fan, I'd rather be familiar with firearms than having never touched one at all; it's just pragmatism. And so I try to periodically get into a shooting range just for some practice and education purposes. When I saw that there was a range located right in Frederick, I had to try it out. This place is pretty swank, at least compared to other firing ranges I've been too. It's very clean, has leather couches in the waiting room, and even the waivers you sign are done on tablets instead of paperwork. The last point though (tablets) were kind of annoying. The tech isn't there yet so it took way longer to sign all the waivers and whatnot using the tablet than if you were to just give me paper and pen. Prices are a bit expensive. They get you by saying "Handgun rental only 10 dollars/semi auto rifle rental only 15 dollars," but there's an 18 dollar hidden fee for using the range, so if you rent a handgun for example, you're going to actually pay 28 bucks. The ammo they sell seems to be more than online market price as well. However, I called later and asked if I could bring my own ammo (I was banking on a "no" for security purposes) but they actually said yes. Which is really cool. I really don't have much more to say. It's very professional though and other than a couple small issues, this is definitely one of the best gun ranges I've been to and I'd totally recommend it! read more

See all

What set TMGN apart from other ranges in the area is the people. Everyone and I mean everyone is always friendly, kind, and helpful. Nice and clean facilities with lots of different guns for rent making this a very nice range to visit. The range is very well ventilated. RSO is always attentive but not intrusive. Target system is nice and easy to use. I can't say enough good things about this place. It's definitely worth checking it out. read more

My HQL course was held here, and that's how I found out about it. It's actually about a half hour drive away from me but I heard the best things about it. My first time here, I was a bit nervous because I'm fairly new to all of it. The instructors here are the best. They will walk you through everything and encourage you to ask as many questions as possible. Take your time with getting comfortable, and you'll be fine. They have a great selection of guns you can rent if you don't own one yourself. It's 12 lanes which you can share if you brought a friend. Today was my second time and Larry helped us out. Gave me a refresher course because I told him I'm still nervous when it comes to shooting. Even the lobby area is a great place to just hang and look around. Newbie or Pro, this is the go to shooting range. read more

The Machine Gun Nest - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

I absolutely love this range! best range in Frederick Md. I will most likely be getting another membership.. Ryan is the a beast when it comes to working on my guns and always giving out solid recommendations on optics and firearm parts Nicole is always a pleasure to work with when doing my background checks via form 77r Mike and Christopher are awesome rso's with a wicked sense of humor Matthew - you have a hell of a range... I frankly don't really care what people say... this place is my second home aside from Westridge Liquors where I work at. read more

Got a deal on Groupon...this is a great place for beginners and for people who are afraid of guns. The staff are awesome. They know how to teach anyone how to use any model of guns. read more

The Machine Gun Nest - Got a deal on Groupon...this is a great place for beginners and for people who are afraid of guns. - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

Anyone who has spent time at ranges or gun stores can tell you the customer service tends to suck. For whatever reason, the dudes (mostly dudes) behind the counter rarely have anything bordering on people skills. As a firearms enthusiast, it's just something you learn to live with. And don't get me started on the state of most firearms websites. TMGN is the best range/FFL I have experienced. The vast majority of the staff are personable, friendly, and more than happy to answer any questions or provide tips to the new (or more experienced) shooter if asked. The guys and gals who work at TMGN are a definite step above. The range is clean, and very friendly to new shooters. The members tend to be welcoming and are often happy to show off some of their more interesting guns to the curious observer. The few times I've observed potentially unsafe behavior, the range safety officers have stepped in within seconds and corrected it. I've been a member for a couple years now and it's by far the best indoor range in this area. I only wish they owned an outdoor range as well because I wouldn't hesitate to continue to give them my business at every opportunity. read more

Few of observations: 1) Seems there are always many people for the range, the sound of shooting can be heard from the sales area, not pleasant, actually kind of scary! 2) Sales persons seem to keep changing all the times, not easy to build a personalized business relationship, have keep repeating yourself every time! Not very friendly bunch either, seems like they are all stressed out!!! 3) Just purchased a Canik Elite 9mm at their store, paid $539+tax, later, realized I overpaid by more than $100, kind of steep prices!!!, They wouldn't even sell me any ammo! Its only common curtesy to at least sell a box. I guess, they are charging more for ammo for the range!!. A Keltec 22lR is listed $399 in their store, where on Keltec own website listed for $199, which is usually higher than norm. I guess supply and demand is jacking the prices up but by 100%? do your homework before visiting the store for any purchases. For these reasons, I wont buy anymore from them nor use their facilities for practicing. read more

Love this place! Came in from California where we lived sheltered lives. These guys showed us the way and took us on an assault rifle and full auto tour. Loved it! read more

See all

First time shooting and went from nervous to thrilled. The customer service, professionalism, safety, and education was superb. They took their time to explain everything on multiple guns to multiple people in my group. Each and every person there was friendly and made sure my group was prepared and enjoyed our experience. I highly recommend this place. Other ranges in the area need to take notes. Good customer service and great people skills are important in any business. Willing to travel a little further to shoot again at TMGN. read more

I was at MGN with my family this week and had a great time trying out 4 different guns including Desert Eagle. I highly recommend this place for any beginners thinking about purchasing a gun. The MGN staffs are very nice and answered a lot of questions from us who are very new to guns. There were out of 9mm amos so we were shooting .22 guns but it was a lot of fun. Next time, I am planning to try out 9mm and .40 cal. Go check it out! read more

The Machine Gun Nest - I was shooting AR-15 :) - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

I want to take a moment out to give a big shout out to Kelvin, He gave my son Ian a mini lesson that will go a long way. I absolutely love the professionalism, and great services unfortunately ian was unable to shoot today because he was too young but he will be 10 next year and we will be first in line. Thank you Kelvin I hope I am spelling the name right read more

By far one of the best shooting experiences ever. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Not a bad gun shop either. I was thoroughly impressed. Great birthday gift. read more

Overall this is a pretty good place to shoot. The RSO was attentive to what was going on without being overbearing. Check in staff was helpful and efficient. It seemed busy, however they managed to get everyone going quickly. The equipment was in good shape. It was an enjoyable experience. The range felt a bit cramped though. I'm sure I'll be back read more

The indoor range started out a date night event, now its turned into a weekly to a biweekly trip to the range. The instruction and education received is above and beyond helpful and safety is priority one. The staff is friendly and courteous. Always greeted with a smile, making every trip to the range a fun one. The relationships that have been fostered from just one night out with your girlfriend to an several time a month visit. I've been to other indoor ranges and they all have special features about their facility. We feel safe and very educated at this facility every time we walk in the door. Loved shooting ever since my childhood days with my grandfather and my dad and always felt safe, now I can do the same thing and feel safe with the staff at the Machine gun nest. read more

I bought a Groupon for the Maching Gun Nest to surprise my husband with and we had a blast! We had never been to the gun range before and I thought he would enjoy it. We both enjoyed it! The employees are super friendly and very helpful. Upon arrival we were welcomed by almost everyone in the building. We watched a movie on safety and filled out our waivers and then given some choices of our weapon of choice. We each got to pick out a gun. We were then given a lesson on how to hold the gun, how to load it and how to aim. They made sure we felt comfortable every step of the way and I really appreciate that. Next we got our safety gear and targets and entered the range. My husband and I took turns on our lane and had the assistance of another employee anytime we needed it. I really appreciate that there was always someone around if we had any questions, got uncomfortable with the gun or just needed assurance in what we were doing (firing, loading, aiming etc.) especially since we were beginners. The Maching Gun Nest is a great establishment and highly recommended. read more

The Machine Gun Nest - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

As a gun enthusiast, paramount is facility safety, and alert staff, I would rate them a 10 plus. On customer friendly and knowledgeable staff a 10 plus. It's a great facility, we spent a few hours there and were very comfortable . I say it as an awesome day at the Range... Kudos to a great staff... Not stuffy , no range Nazi's , you will want to go back Just Returned again 7/10/ 2016, same professions knowledgable staff, what a great experience, a pro shooter's choice, you guys Rock read more

Good range to take new shooters or people less comfortable with shooting. The lobby area is tastefully decorated, with a sleek and welcoming look. The front desk staff is friendly, but not over bearing. Pricing on the lanes is reasonable and pricing on the rentals is as well. TMGN is an FFL, so you can buy guns you like or have them transferred to you. TMGN also offers "gunsmith" services. Meaning they can do basic maintenance and assembly (Drop in triggers, sight swaps, furniture mounting etc). Enough for a range. Don't come expecting them to be able to do barrel threading, polishing, pinning etc that an actual gunsmith would be able to provide. So why 2 stars? Yelp lists 2 stars as "meh." TMGN is squarely "meh" if you are just looking for a place to shoot without needing your hand held. They offer many nice to have amenities for a range, but the most important part of the range should be the range itself. The range itself is cramped, with little space behind booths. The booths themselves are (or seem, it's not like I used a tape measure) smaller than booths of many other ranges. You can't draw out of a holster unless you take a $90 class from them, no matter what your proficiency level is. The only way you can get out of paying for the class is to pay for a $100 (or more) membership, but you still need to take the class. You can be a GM/Master class shooter and still need the class. Can we say "Money Grab?" While on that topic, while the range / rental fees are reasonable the pricing for the "gunsmithing" services are actually rather high for how easy they are. It just reinforces the feeling that this place is designed to get new (or less knowledgeable) people in the door and make money off them. You won't see many experienced / high level shooters here, and for good reason. Performing correct emergency / speed reloads (as taught as best practice by pretty much every nationally recognized instructor) will get you yelled at. I had the slide lock back on last round, ejected the magazine and broke the strong side elbow down to bring the firearm in (still pointing mostly down range but with the muzzle slightly raised) so the shooter can watch the new magazine into the mag well and was yelled at by the RSO on duty. The first time I didn't hear what he said, just that he was speaking. Second time he actually came over to say that wasn't allowed. I was 100% shocked and in disbelief. What kind of range doesn't allow you to perform a technically correct, nationally taught reload technique after the slide locked back? How do they want you to do it? I asked how the RSO wanted me to do reloads and he said to keep the firearm out as if you are shooting it, keeping the firearm completely vertical and just put the new magazine in. That's asinine. If you have your own firearms, ammo and are reasonably proficient with them then there's no reason to come to this range unless you live close by or you want to rent MG's. read more