Deb's Gun Range

[Bondhead88]

I have only been to Deb's once and once was all it took for me to realize I will never be back.

It is a dirty store and the owner (Deb) has got a very bad attitude with customers. Since then I have heard nothing but complaints about the store and the owner.

Is this the only indoor range in the area? Surely there has to be some where better.

I would be willing to drive a good distance rather than give any business to Deb's.

 

[localone]

I just go there to shoot.I dont communicate with any of the staff..Just go do ur thing and leave.It is dirty but its close and pretty cheap.

 

[The Keymaster]

The alternatives are Blythe's in Valpo...relatively clean, but dark, expensive, primitive, and attitude issues, or Midwest Gun and range near Granger.

 

[PatriotPride]

The alternatives are Blythe's in Valpo...relatively clean, but dark, expensive, primitive, and attitude issues, or Midwest Gun and range near Granger.

I concur

 

[jedi]

OP see here for a list of ranges in NWI.

List of ranges in NWI; Is your range here?:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break_room/106004-nwi_ingo_general_post-3.html#post1252132

 

[45calibre]

only reason to go to debs is that its one of the only ranges in NWI.

 

[melensdad]

So take your toys and head to Glenwood and shoot there. Its located right on Main Street (just about a block or 2 west of where Glenwood Dyer Road & Main Street meet) and is easy to get to. I have not shot there in quite a few years but it was a pretty nice range when I was there.

Might want to call in advance for times, fees, etc : (708) 757-5600 ‎

Glenwood Gun & Pistol Range => Google Maps

 

[jedi]

So take your toys and head to Glenwood and shoot there. Its located right on Main Street (just about a block or 2 west of where Glenwood Dyer Road & Main Street meet) and is easy to get to. I have not shot there in quite a few years but it was a pretty nice range when I was there.

Might want to call in advance for times, fees, etc : (708) 757-5600 ‎

Glenwood Gun & Pistol Range => Google Maps

HAVE U LOST YOUR MIND!!!! THAT IS OVER IN THE CRAZY STATE OF IL!
Kind Daley will be waiting @ the state line to take your guns away.

On a serious note per this:
Firearm Owner's Frequently Asked Questions

It says a non-resident can take a firearm into the state of IL if...

1. Unloaded, and
2. Enclosed in a case, and
3. Not immediately accessible or broken down in a nonfunctioning state.

But the FAQ gives that answer for this question.

If a non-resident is coming to Illinois to hunt and would like to bring their firearm, how do they legally transport it?

keyword being hunt. So does target practice count as hunt?

 

[Bondhead88]

Like I said I will go any where but Deb's even the crazy state of Illinois. Not only did she lose me as a customer she lost two additional people who were just getting ready to get into handguns and were looking for a place to start using.

When the owner of a shop starts yelling and swearing at a customer who is trying to remain calm and that owner is vulgar and rude....well as I said earlier she can dictate her rules that is how capitalism works. The wonderful thing about capitalism is I also get a say, by where I choose to do business.

I lose nothing by her attitude, she loses everything.

 

[jedi]

Like I said I will go any where but Deb's even the crazy state of Illinois. Not only did she lose me as a customer she lost two additional people who were just getting ready to get into handguns and were looking for a place to start using.

When the owner of a shop starts yelling and swearing at a customer who is trying to remain calm and that owner is vulgar and rude....well as I said earlier she can dictate her rules that is how capitalism works. The wonderful thing about capitalism is I also get a say, by where I choose to do business.

I lose nothing by her attitude, she loses everything.

Hum.. now you have peaked my interest in what happened?
Also your location says Lawrence County is that not close to Indy?

 

[Bondhead88]

Hum.. now you have peaked my interest in what happened?
Also your location says Lawrence County is that not close to Indy?

I have a friend who opened their home to us anytime we are in town. We travel a lot (last year 65,000 miles around the US & no we are not truck drivers) and my friend gave me a key to his house, they have a room set aside for us and every time we come they fill up their fridge & cupboards with our favorite food & snacks.

So this last time when I was in town my friend and I were talking about an LTCH for him and his wife.

His wife has been nervous about having a gun but even more nervous about not having one. I have been talking with them about different guns and I got her to get excited about a Raspberry Taurus 380 and him about a Beretta 92 fs.

He was still a little uneasy so I suggested we go to a range and try one out. The Cabela's on Indianapolis recommended Deb's.

I didn't have my gun with me as I was just back from Toronto so I called them and asked three very specific questions.

1) Are your lanes public and what is the cost?
Answer: yes they are and they are $9/hr

2) Do you rent guns and if so do you have any 9 mm>
Answer: yes we do and it is $10 per gun flat rate

3) Can I bring my own ammunition or do I have to buy yours?
Answer, You can bring your own but it can have no exposed lead.
I had asked this because I have seen what some ranges charge for ammunition.

I got the range hours and hung up.

I then went back to Cabela's and got 150 rounds of Sellier & Bellot FMJ.

My friend and I went got there at about 6 and when I got there they only had one 9mm and I needed two.

The guy asked me why I needed two and why not use a 40 or something else.

I told him that my friend was shopping for a 9mm and we wanted to shoot them as this was the ammo I had bought.

This is when it started to get ugly.

"You can't put your ammo through our guns." I began to tell him about the conversation I had that morning on the phone when another guy walked up and said he was the one I spoke to on the phone.

I reminded him of our conversation and and he said yes that was what was said but then added. "But you never asked if the ammo you brought in could be run through our guns."

I went back through the conversation with him again trying to get him to see the reasoning of the conversation.

He repeated his statement in a more argumentative manner, when I tried to press the point.

Then a women walked up and said she was DEB. And said to him. "I have told you not to argue with the customers." I thought we were going finally have some reason when she then said. "You know he's wrong and I know he's wrong, we just don't tell him that."

I was taken back and then she said "What makes you think you could run your ammo through my guns?" I told her I didn't that is why I called and asked the questions that I asked.

She then said "Well it's my store and I make the rules so if you don't like it you can leave."

I agreed with her. "You are right it is your store and you can make the rules that you like. I also have a choice and that is to not give you my business and you probably have lost my friends business and I will tell everyone who I discuss this with not to do business here have a good day."

As I was about to leave she started cussing me out and as I turned and said "Nice way to talk to a Baptist Preacher."

I never raised my voice while I was there, I certainly never cussed at anybody, yes I was upset at their lack of professionalism and I probably would have let it go at our disagreement but when someone starts cussing at me I take it personal.

By the way me friend who was with me was an assistant Pastor at another church, he was both disgusted at her attitude and embarrassed. He was thankful though that he found out about the attitude at Debs before he ever took his wife there.

He also has started telling people to avoid this place.

 

[Newbomb92]

I took my wife to Deb's a couple weeks ago for her to get the feel of shooting my XD9. I didn't post this story yet because I was so disgusted I tried to put it out of my head....

We got checked in and went down to the range, shot about 100rds each. Then headed back up. The guy (Deb's husband) asked my wife how'd she do. I said "Not bad for a first timer". I took video on my phone of her shooting. I showed him the video to get a guesstimate on how far the target was. He said about 8 yards and then proceed to tell my wife she held the gun wrong. He quickly unholstered his XDm and popped his hand underneath the grip. He told her that her grip was "combat style". I chuckled and told her that when she gets her LTCH she can come practice more. He said "She can come anytime, she doesn't need a LTCH to transport the gun". I said "Yea, she does". We went back and forth and I explained to him about INGO and the buttload of info/resources we have on here. He then said "Anyone who tells you that is an ******* and I'll call them an ******* to their face". I was shocked, pulled up the IC on my phone and he then said this...."Well you can transport it to another state for hunting so if you get pulled over just tell them you're heading out of state". Shocked, I put my arm around her and tugged her towards the door. He started blabbing about their intro to pistols course and we ignored him and walked out. When we were out the door she said to me "That guy was a complete idiot". I said "Yea, we're never coming back".

What really bothered me was while we were checking in I was explaining the grip safety of the XD to her. He overheard us and started unholstering and reholstering his XDm like a cowboy in a speed contest. Trying to prove that the grip safety was useless, but yet he owned an XDm??? It was wierd but her and I both felt uneasy, I was waiting for a round to go off the guy was so erratic. I'd say stay away for more reasons than one, obviously!

 

[stilllearning09]

My Family lives in Munster and I was hoping to run down to a range and shoot some rounds through Dad's pistol and clean it for him over the holidays. I've been to Deb's once and I did not like the facility, but I did not encounter the boorish behavior of the employees that previous posters have experienced.
Sounds like NWI needs a good place to shoot that is open to the public.

 

[melensdad]

HAVE U LOST YOUR MIND!!!! THAT IS OVER IN THE CRAZY STATE OF IL!
Kind Daley will be waiting @ the state line to take your guns away.

On a serious note per this:
Firearm Owner's Frequently Asked Questions

It says a non-resident can take a firearm into the state of IL if...

1. Unloaded, and
2. Enclosed in a case, and
3. Not immediately accessible or broken down in a nonfunctioning state.

But the FAQ gives that answer for this question.

If a non-resident is coming to Illinois to hunt and would like to bring their firearm, how do they legally transport it?

keyword being hunt. So does target practice count as hunt?

I've covered this many times in other threads, since you are a gangsta north of US30 ne're-do'ell type let me try one more time, slow and loud.

If you are just driving in Illlinois, you may transport your gun, unloaded and locked in a case, inaccessible, etc., Illinois does have its own transport laws that can be applied. They overlap and you made the classic mistake of only viewing the law applicable to transport of hunting purposes.

Here is a link to a public document (government publication) http://www.isp.state.il.us/docs/ptfire.pdf

The applicable section from the above link:

How can I legally transport a firearm on my person or in my vehicle?

Three statutory codes regulate the possession, transfer, and transportation of firearms — the Criminal Code, the Wildlife Code, and the Firearm Owner’s Identification Act.

Under Unlawful Use of Weapons (UUW) in the Criminal Code, persons who have been issued a valid FOID card may transport a firearm anywhere in their vehicle or on their person as long as the firearm is unloaded and enclosed in a case, firearm carrying box, shipping box, or other container. Firearms that are not immediately accessible or are broken down in a non-functioning state may also be carried or transported under the Criminal Code.

The Wildlife Code, however, is more restrictive. It requires that all firearms transported in or on any vehicle be unloaded and in a case.

Because of this, it is recommended that, in order to be in compliance with all statutes, all firearms be transported:
1. Unloaded and,
2. Enclosed in a case, and
3. By persons who have a valid FOID card.

Unless specifically exempted from UUW, a person commits a Class 4 Felony if he or she violates the UUW law in the Criminal Code (i.e., unlawfully carries on their person or illegally transports a firearm in a vehicle) AND one or more of the following aggravating factors apply:

(1) The firearm possessed was uncased, loaded, and immediately accessible at the time of the offense;
(2) The firearm possessed was uncased, unloaded, and the ammunition for the weapon was immediatelyaccessible at the time of the offense;
(3) Does not have a valid FOID card;
(4) Was previously adjudicated of a felony as a juvenile;
(5) Was engaged in a misdemeanor violation of the Cannabis Control Act or the Controlled Substances Act;
(6) Is a member of a street gang;
(7) Has had an order of protection against them in the last two years;
(8 ) Was engaged in the commission or attempted commission of a misdemeanor involving the use of violence against another person or the property of another; or
(9) Is under 21 years of age and in possession of a handgun, unless the person is engaged in hunting activities under the Wildlife Code.

What constitutes a legal “case”?

The Criminal Code refers to a “case, firearm carrying box, or other container; however, the Wildlife Code is more specific, defining case as “a container specifically designed for the purpose of housing a gun or bow and arrow device which completely encloses such gun or bow and arrow device by being zipped, snapped, buckled, tied, or otherwise fastened with no portion of the gun or bow and arrow device exposed.”

How do the differences in these two laws affect me for the purposes of the Unlawful Use of Weapons law?

It is recommended that persons transport their firearms only unloaded and in a case in order to be fully compliant with all statutes. A firearm transported in a container other than a case while engaged in activities covered by the Wildlife Code could subject an individual to a charge of Class B Misdemeanor under the Wildlife Code but would not be considered Unlawful Use of Weapons if the container were a “firearm carrying box, shipping box, or other container” as provided in the Criminal Code.

HOWEVER you must also be aware of CITY CODES that may be more restrictive.

FWIW, I travel into ILLINOIS almost every day, usually twice a day, and I travel with a gun (or two) in the car when I cross over the state line. I do not want to become a test case in their court system, I do my best to comply with the laws and I try to be wary of restrictive city codes like the Chicago codes.

HOWEVER, the Illinois law also states that NON-RESIDENTS do not need a FOID so non-residents are exempt from the FOID card issue. NON-RESIDENTS may legally travel INSIDE Illinois with firearms if they follow the ILLINOIS laws (which I posted a link to and which I posted QA info for) without any need for a FOID card, as per the Illinois state laws.

Lock them in a proper container, unloaded.

I use a "GUNVAULT" brand 'microvault' when I transport guns into the state. Proper container is required. People need to understand the laws and sometimes that requires a good deal of research into various aspects of the law.

What seems to elude people here is that there is no need to follow the FEDERAL safe passage laws and also the fact that Illinois has much better transport laws than our own state! So follow the ILLINOIS LAWs and you are good to go.

So, contrary to popular belief, it is possible to take guns into Illinois legally.

 

[jedi]

bondhead88 and Newbomb92 sorry you had such bad experiences at the place. I took my first handgun lessons for their (NRA basic pistol course) and got my first handgun from there as well. I've only been back to the place 3 times (once by myself and twice taking new shooters) and have never experienced that level of bad customer service.

Sadly around the NORTHERN part of NWI that IS the only range we have public/commercial to us. The link in my prior post those have a slew of other places but they are a bit of a travel although they are worth it.

We just got back from the NWI Meet & Shoot in winamac, IN that that is always a blast! We do it once a month MAR - NOV look for it in the events sub-channel as we like to get "non NWI INGO" members every now and then.

I so agrees stillearning09 that we need another range up here but alas where and who would run it state/private is the big issue both for capital and in terms of land.

I hate to say it buy NORTHERN NWI is well a big to ghetto (ie. chicago like) and while there are many fine citizens we also have a lot of "thugs" and other bad people that would probably make a mess of a state run range in our area. yes it's bad to say but alas it's the true of our area. Look at the clients that are regulars at Debs. Plus the political environment up here is very Chicago like in terms of guns.

If I won the lottery I would devot myself to gun education for the masses in this area but until then it's baby baby steps of taking a few new shooters to the ranges with me.

---
NWI INGO MEMBERS

Get the latest news by joining the NWI INGO group here:
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List of ranges in NWI; Is your range here?:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break_room/106004-nwi_ingo_general_post-3.html#post1252132


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https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...our_rights_what_to_do_when_leo_stops_you.html

 

[Prometheus]

I reminded him of our conversation and and he said yes that was what was said but then added. "But you never asked if the ammo you brought in could be run through our guns."

I went back through the conversation with him again trying to get him to see the reasoning of the conversation.

He repeated his statement in a more argumentative manner, when I tried to press the point.

Then a women walked up and said she was DEB. And said to him. "I have told you not to argue with the customers." I thought we were going finally have some reason when she then said. "You know he's wrong and I know he's wrong, we just don't tell him that."

I was taken back and then she said "What makes you think you could run your ammo through my guns?" I told her I didn't that is why I called and asked the questions that I asked.

She then said "Well it's my store and I make the rules so if you don't like it you can leave."

I've never seen a gunstore that let you shoot a rented gun with anything other than what you bought there.

That said, the people working behind the counter at Debs aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, I'm not surprised he didn't put two and two together.

Debs is generally an unsafe place. Between the clientele, especially the Gary cops, and the staff, it's a nuthouse.

The last time I went into Debs was two weeks before the gary cop shot and killed his partner on her range. I came upstairs and told her "They are going to kill someone down there, you need to talk to them." She replied with somethign like "they know what they are doing, they'd gary pd".

Sure enough two weeks later...

Anyway, debs is over priced on their ammo, guns and transfers. As to the range being dangerous, I've seen just as crazy behavior at Blythes as well.

I don't go to ranges when it's busy anymore. I'm also blessed to have a good friend with property I can shoot on.

 

[MeAndMyXD]

Man I go there all the time and never had that happen.


I honestly never even seen Deb when I was there. every time I go its always empty so I am the only one shooting. I never speak to any workers there except to pay my range fee and thats it. Sorry you had such a bad experience and if I was you I would not go back there either.

 

[45calibre]

what NWI REALLY needs is an indoor RIFLE range.

 

[Bondhead88]

I've never seen a gunstore that let you shoot a rented gun with anything other than what you bought there.

That said, the people working behind the counter at Debs aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, I'm not surprised he didn't put two and two together.

Debs is generally an unsafe place. Between the clientele, especially the Gary cops, and the staff, it's a nuthouse.

The last time I went into Debs was two weeks before the gary cop shot and killed his partner on her range. I came upstairs and told her "They are going to kill someone down there, you need to talk to them." She replied with somethign like "they know what they are doing, they'd gary pd".

Sure enough two weeks later...

Anyway, debs is over priced on their ammo, guns and transfers. As to the range being dangerous, I've seen just as crazy behavior at Blythes as well.

I don't go to ranges when it's busy anymore. I'm also blessed to have a good friend with property I can shoot on.

Neither have I, but I don't usually rent guns and since I know what ranges charge for ammo I thought I would ask. I was surprised when I got the answer I did. maybe next time I need to speak in smaller syllable words...lol

 

[jedi]

Man I go there all the time and never had that happen.


I honestly never even seen Deb when I was there. every time I go its always empty so I am the only one shooting. I never speak to any workers there except to pay my range fee and thats it. Sorry you had such a bad experience and if I was you I would not go back there either.

What days and times have you gone?

SAT its JAM PACKED and typically a 1 to 2 hour wait time.
During the middle of the week (WED) when I went alone I did have the whole range to myself for 45 mins before someone else came down. I think it's the weekend (FRI-SAT) that packs the house with a lot of people from IL side of the house.