Firing-Line Indoor Shooting — Attraction in Huntington Beach

I learned to shoot here and have had some great experiences going back 10+ years – but not recently. The place has always had a dark, run-down feel while being staffed by less-than-savory, disgruntled, burnt-out types who’s lack of interpersonal skills I have ignored as I realize the dangers the range staff deal with on a daily basis; however, their hit-or-miss customer service at the counter and over the phone have convinced me to start researching other ranges to visit. In particular, I took my family for the group safety classes on the morning of 02/15/14 and had a couple of bad experiences with members of their management.

We might have had a good experience if we didn’t get stuck dealing with the tattooed, greaser (descriptive facts for reference only, I am not biased), assistant-manager Steve who told me he was the actual manager when I wanted to complain about his dismissive attitude. He was also the instructor for the class, and his tired demeanor – which left me with the impression of someone being hung over – gave me concern for my family when we arrived. The class actually ended up being full, so he would not let us in (he even made disrespectful shooing away motions and turned his back on us) even though I called days ahead of time in an effort to schedule an appointment for our party of 4 or maybe 6. When I called, I was told that I don’t need an appointment as the classes never fill up, and we would be accepted even if they received more students than expected (I was very specific in inquiring about this when I called). Not being accepted ended up working in our favor as we drove to another nearby range that offered us private classes at a cheaper rate and turned out to have nicer facilities as well as outstanding customer service.

As well, I called days later to inquire if Steve actually was the manager and talked to Dusty who claimed to be the “range master” but would not answer my question about who actually was the manager, so I just accepted that as his answer. After having a couple of minutes of promising conversation with Dusty (at first he sounded like a nice, caring, older gentleman who wanted to hear my feedback), he did a Jekyll and Hyde impression when I turned down his offer of free classes. At that point, he became verbally abusive and started talking negatively about my wife whom he never met. He even made a comment along the lines that he does not care about online reviews. I eventually had to hang up as he became more inappropriate and actually began yelling at me and calling me rude. Why would one person say they are the manager when they are not, and why would another person try to lead me to believe he is the manager but avoid the title of manager?

09/03/14: I've noticed quite a few recent reviews mentioning Steve (and now even Dusty) by name and saying positive things about him. That's great. It would appear Steve may have changed his ways since my last encounter with him. Maybe someone finally put him in his place, such as management noticing that the class sizes have shrunk; or maybe he took it on himself to be more respectful and consistent in the way he treats people after reading all the negative reviews that were floating around at the time which seem to have since...

Been coming to this indoor range for now almost three years. Yes, it may have some wear and tear, and the bays could use some updates, but the over all experience is amazing. The guys behind the counter are always very helpful, accommodating and keep a close eye on all safety issues, (not a lot of ranges are all that safety minded), these guys are!!! Seems like the customers / shooters are middle to upper class, mostly professionals with a lot of shooting experience. They hold great training classes, they offer good advise and they all seem to want to keep the customers happy. They have a nice selection of targets always in stock, and a small selection of retail items you can purchase. Their eyes and ears safety equipment is in perfect shape if you don't own yours or if you forgot yours.

One quick story, I had a guy in the bay next to me who was sighting in his laser sights and noticing his sights were going from the ground, to the ceiling, and then from one side wall to the next, I realized he was an unsafe shooter. I went to the front counter, told the guys what was happening, and they took control, talked to the guy and got it all straightened out with no further issues, again creating a nice safe shooting environment. If you're looking for a good, indoors range to tune up a gun, do some practice shooting, or training, look no further then the Firing Line here in Huntington Beach, I'm more then confident, you'll enjoy your shooting experience. And yes, Im an annual member of the Firing Line and love it being so close to...

I recently purchased my first handgun and have to admit I was a bit intimidated to walk into a firing range with no experience, so I came to an open-enrollment 9am firearm training class on a saturday morning. The guys were playing motörhead in the shop... awesome. Class was packed, but they made room for as many as they could and when they finally couldn't fit anymore they told the rest to come back later that afternoon. The class was informative, not only focusing on shooting skills, but also understanding firearm safety. The instructor asked everyone which firearm in particular they wanted to shoot, in most cases it was available to them (they have a fairly extensive array of firearms for rent). It was immediately apparent that they didn't mind helping people who have little to zero experience with firearms, but they didn't suffer fools and know-it-alls. There is always "that guy" or two... After the class, I signed up for a year membership and have been back twice since then. This is a place to practice with your firearm or try out the other handguns they have available. It can get crowded, it can get busy, it's a firing range. It has lanes with markings at 9, 21 and 33 feet, target holders and brooms for the brass on the ground... pretty much what someone looking to shoot 150 practice rounds at a few...