Thursday, August 22, 2013

Hoover Tactical Firearms revisited.

It's been over a year since I posted unfavorably on my experience with Hoover Tactical Firearms. I subtitled it "My chance encounter with random acts of unnecessary nanny state ass-kissery," for I was upset at being required to show my ID for a simple ammo purchase.
Things have changed since then. I received this comment to the original story just this week:
Hoover Tactical now has only two owners. We try to provide appropriate service. When you are not happy we want to know about it. You can contact us at 205-822-3600 using our new phone system press the appropriate number to get to management then leave a message. We will call you back. As for pricing, we feel that we are quite competitive. I guess we should start showing the MSRP then our price. Even with Simmons we tend to be within 10-15.00. Is it worth driving from our store to Bessemer and back worth that small amount? (Unless you already have to go that way) We have a large facility. The largest indoor range in Alabama with the only 50 yard indoor rifle range. It was a healthy investment so we need to price low enough to bring customers - but you cannot give away the store with this type of investment. People that shoot at outdoor ranges have many opportunities to shoot different ways. But then again it does not cost much to create berms. We truly believe we have one of the finest facilities in the country.
You should try out our Prism Simulator. It is a "live fire" vid
eo scenario simulator that provides real life scenarios for you to react to.
I hope this has provided the necessary information from this opportunity. For any other questions please call or come by. . .
By the way. The ID requirement used by the previous management has been gone and our store now permits open carry as long as you leave you firearm holstered.
So, yesterday I dropped in to chat with Austin Cook, General Manager of HTF. He gave me a short tour and was able to dispel and/or explain some of the rumors I had heard from other shooters. For example, I had been told that "If you use use the range there, you have to use their ammo." Not true if you bring your own firearm to shoot, says Austin, but they do require that use their ammo on RENTED firearms. They have a number of weapons, including Class III, available for rent. HTF's management prefers that you not come in to shoot their firearms and then run steel-case Russian or reloads through them. This seemed more than reasonable to me.
Another thing I'd heard in the form of a complaint was "If you're using their range, even if you're using your own ammo, if it hits the floor, it's theirs." This is true, says Austin, but the rule was put in place for safety reasons as much as anything, with incidents of kids scrounging brass, getting into other folks' lanes, etc.
Anyway, in the interests of truth and fair reporting, I thought I'd give y'all this update on HTF. Now that the management hierarchy has changed, Austin and the folks at Hoover Tactical Firearms hope you'll come in and give them another look.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here in Illinois everyone has to show their FOID to buy even 22LR - oh and your address had better match your driver license or you can't buy the ammo or any firearm. Some retailers require you to produce both in order to even handle their wares in consideration of purchase.

As for brass hitting the floor being theirs - OUCH. I can understand totally the lane infringement and safety issues involved there but it seems to me that a line painted on the floor would resolve the issue. I view their ammo policy regarding their guns totally reasonable - they are their guns after all.

Class three? Dayum. Some of us can only dream of such access. When it comes to rights, some animals are more equal than others in this former republic.

Anonymous said...

How are you going to shoot any semi-automatic gun without the brass hitting the floor, at least temporarily. Surely they mean, if you leave the shooting position, any brass on the floor is theirs. Please clarify.

- Old Greybeard

Dutchman6 said...

No, they don't want anyone picking up brass from the floor in the interests of safety. If you use a brass catcher, they say, that's fine.

Anonymous said...

whoa and wait a minute... what is wrong with collecting brass from my lane during a cease fire? it's MY BRASS,

Yes I know I can't cross the red line in front. Range here tried to say the guy in the lane next to me couldn't give me his brass that he either took it or gave it to the range.... got a nice bag of brass in the parking lot...

How much money are they making off of all that brass??

That having been said... you can fire class III on full auto at the range (just gets expensive), just please be seated and yes, I am taking my brass no matter where it lands from my 50 cal

FedUp said...

"No, they don't want anyone picking up brass from the floor in the interests of safety."

Still not acceptable to me, but not boycott worthy either. If they want to punish me for dropping brass, I won't drop any brass that I care about. I'd shoot .22, revolvers and air guns there.

Anonymous said...

I would interpret the "no brass" as - you can pick up your own brass in your own lane, but no brass from an adjacent lane that's being used (personal, range and gun safety).

B Woodman
III-PER

Anonymous said...

There is no way to pick up brass during a cease fire since there are no cease fires. This is any indoor range, so all targets are on motorized runners.

As unfortunate as the rule is, I can understand it even if I don't like it. I know that I could be safe picking up my brass, but blanket rules are the result of the 10% who don't have the sense God gave a grasshopper. All it takes is one idiot out of crowds of hundreds to ruin the fun for everyone...

Anonymous said...

I won't be shooting at HTF. Their rules are ridiculous. I can't afford to buy a brass catcher for all models of firearms I might want to shoot there. The only thing I would shoot there would be a revolver. I think those HTF owners are a bit too much influenced by their lawyers.

- Old Greybeard