Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I join Arlington Rifle & Pistol
Club?
A: We are always looking for new members. You can download a copy of
our membership application by
clicking here. Print and fill out
the application and bring it to one of our regular meetings. You
can find the dates of our meetings by clicking
here.
You can download a copy of these FAQs in PDF format by
clicking here.
Q: How much are the annual Arlington Rifle &
Pistol Club dues?
A: Our annual dues are $40.00 and are payable only after you complete our basic membership requirements and you
membership is voted on and approved.
Q: What
are the basic membership requirements for Arlington Rifle & Pistol Club?
A: Before your membership can be voted on by our club members, you must
complete the following:
1.) Complete our club application in writing and submit it to our club secretary.
2.) Attend any combination of 3 club meetings and/or shooting events.
3.) Submit 2 letters of reference from people who have known you for at least 2 years and can attest to the fact that they know that you have firearms and are comfortable with that knowledge.
4.) Show proof of active membership in the National Rifle Association (NRA).
5.) Be able to legally possess firearms in the State of Maryland.
6.) Be a citizen of the United States. If you are not a United States citizen, then you must be able to offer proof that you are here in the United States on a legal basis.
As soon as these requirements are complete, your application will be voted on by our general membership at the next regular meeting after you complete these requirements.
Q: How much does an AGC Range Badge cost?
A: Before you can purchase an AGC range badge, you have to become a member of one of the clubs (like Arlington Rife & Pistol Club) that are members of the Associated Gun Clubs. As soon as your membership in our club is complete, then you can purchase an AGC Range Badge. If you purchase an AGC Range Badge on or after July 1, the cost for a half-year Range Badge is $75.00. (You can only purchase one half-year range badge. After that, you will always be required to pay for a full year Range Badge regardless of when you renew.) The cost of a full year Range Badge is $150.00.
Q: Does Arlington hold any matches or other competitions?
A:We are a casual club that focuses on the education of our members regarding various aspects of the shooting sports covering the use of handguns, rifles, shotguns, archery, and air-powered firearms. The only competition that Arlington sponsors is the annual Lewis S. Libby Memorial small bore match for our Juniors team.
Q: I would like to shoot in competitions held at the AGC facilities. Is this possible and if so, how can I sign up to participate?
A:Several AGC clubs sponsor competitions, some of which are NRA sanctioned matches. Some of the matches held by AGC clubs are for that club’s members only. You can tell if a match is open to non-club members by looking at the AGC event calendar on the AGC’s web site. Somewhere in the listing for the event there will be two different status categories set. One category is Range Status. That status will be listed as either Open or Closed. If this status is Closed, all it means is that the club running the match will also be controlling cease fires for the range. If the Range Status is Open, then the AGC Range Safety Officer (RSO) will be controlling cease fires on that range. More important than the Range Status is the Event Status. The Event Status will be either Public, Members, or Police. It the Event Status is Police, then only members of the agency renting the range for that event are eligible to participate. If the Event Status is Members, then only the members of the sponsoring club are eligible to participate. If the Event Status is Public, then anyone is welcome to participate in the event after paying any entry fee required by the event organizer.
Q: What does Arlington do at our various events?
A:Events held by Arlington fall into the following categories: Pistol Shoots, Rifle/Black Powder Shoots, Bust Fests, Archery Shoots, and Juniors Practice. Here is a list of each event with a short description of that activity.
Pistol Shoot
– We hold this event on the AGC Pistol Range.
Normally, we reserve 10 lanes of the Pistol Range for this event.
Members, their guests, and prospective members show up with their
favorite firearms and targets and shoot in a safe, but unstructured
session. During these
shoots, there are always questions by various participants about the
firearms present at the event.
Depending upon the owner of the firearm, you may be able to try a
few rounds with the firearm and discuss with the owner, the reasons why
they chose to purchase that particular handgun.
Some shooting takes place at a distance of 25 yards involving
paper targets. Some shooting
takes place at a range of 21 feet involving paper targets.
The shooting done at closer range is usually oriented towards the
use of firearms intended to be used for personal defense.
Sometime, the club provides helium balloons to shoot at 25 yards
to add to the challenge of shooting at that distance.
The firearms used, the distance shot, the targets used, and the
type of shooting practiced are all up to the individual shooter.
Rifle/Black Powder Shoot
– We hold this event on the AGC Barnes Range (25 - 100 yard range.
Normally, we reserve 10 lanes of the Barnes Range for this event.
Members, their guests, and prospective members show up with their
favorite center fire and small bore rifles and/or black powder rifles
and targets and shoot in a safe, but unstructured session.
During these shoots, there are always questions by various
participants about the firearms present at the event.
Depending upon the owner of the firearm, you may be able to try a
few rounds with the firearm and discuss with the owner, the reasons why
they chose to purchase that particular rifle.
Some shooting takes place at distances from 25 to 100 yards
depending upon the choice of the shooter, involving paper targets.
Depending upon the people and equipment available at the time,
you can receive help with setting the zero on any sights or scopes
attached to your firearm. Sometimes, the club provides helium balloons
to shoot at 100 yards to add to the challenge of shooting at that
distance. The firearms used,
the distance shot, the targets used, and the type of shooting practiced
are all up to the individual shooter.
200 Yard Shoot
– We hold this event on the AGC 200 Yard Rifle Range.
Normally, we reserve 5 lanes of the 200 Yard Range for this
event. Members, their
guests, and prospective members show up with their favorite center fire
rifles and targets and shoot in a safe, but unstructured session.
During these shoots, there are always questions by various
participants about the firearms present at the event.
Depending upon the owner of the firearm, you may be able to try a
few rounds with the firearm and discuss with the owner, the reasons why
they chose to purchase that particular rifle.
All shooting takes place at 200 yards involving paper targets.
Depending upon the people and equipment available at the time,
you can receive help with setting the zero on any sights or scopes
attached to your firearm.
Bust Fest
– We hold this event on Trap Field number 1 at the AGC Trap Range.
Members, their guests, and prospective members show up with their
favorite shotgun(s) and shoot in a safe, but unstructured session.
During these shoots, there are always questions by various
participants about the firearms present at the event.
Depending upon the owner of the
firearm, you may be able to try a few rounds with the firearm and
discuss with the owner, the reasons why they chose to purchase that
particular shotgun. The Bust
Fest is an excellent time to learn about the sport of trap shooting and
to experience it for the first time both for adults and youngsters who
are new to the sport.
Experienced shooters also enjoy this event as then shoot “clean up” for
any targets missed by shooters who are learning the sport.
All targets are thrown from spring-loaded traps so the
possibility of success is higher for new shooters.
Participants are asked to bring their own guns, ammunition, and a
box of clay targets available at Dick’s Sporting Goods and Wal-Mart.
If you plan to attend but do not have a shotgun, then just bring
along either 20 gauge ammunition for new and younger shooters, or 12
gauge ammunition for shooters who are a little more experienced.
Archery Shoots –
These events are always held in conjunction with a Bust Fest because the
Archery Range is adjacent to Trap Field number 1.
Members, their guests, and prospective members show up with their
archery equipment (target points only may be used) and shoot in a safe,
but unstructured session.
During these shoots, there are always questions by various participants
about the archery equipment present (long bows, hunting bows, and cross
bows) at the event.
Depending upon the owner of the equipment, you may be able to try a few
shots with and discuss with the owner, the reasons why they chose to
purchase that particular equipment.
The Archery Shoot is an excellent time to learn about archery
equipment and to experience it for the first time both for adults and
youngsters who are new to the sport.
Juniors Practice –
Our Juniors shoot air rifles at the AGC’s air rifle range which is
located inside of Memorial Hall on the AGC trap range.
They shoot inside from October through April.
From May to September, the Juniors shoot outdoors on the Barnes
Range.
Q: Are there any formal classes taught by Arlington?
A:No. Although several of our members are NRA certified firearms instructors, Arlington Rifle & Pistol Club does not conduct any formal firearms training classes. There are several private companies that do conduct formal classes using AGC facilities. Their information is posted on the AGC web site.
Q: After I have my AGC range badge, can I use the AGC ranges at times other than when Arlington is holding an event?
A:Yes. You can use the AGC ranges any time that they are normally available and not otherwise reserved by other AGC approved organizations. Check the AGC calendar on the AGC web site to verify range availability or call 410-461-8532 and speak to the AGC RSO before you come to the range. Shooting is allowed on the AGC ranges from 8:00 a.m. until dusk, on Monday through Friday and from 9:00 a.m. until dusk on Saturdays and Sundays. The AGC ranges are closed on Thanksgiving Day after 2:00 p.m. and all day on December 25.
Q: Can I bring guests with me to shoot?
A:Once you have an AGC range badge, you can bring any number of guests to shoot on the AGC ranges. However, you can only use 1 firing point per AGC range badge. This means that if you bring 2 guests, and only one person has an AGC range badge, then one person can shoot while the other two watch. This rule applies to all AGC facilities with the one exception of Trap 4, the Wobble Trap. You may bring as many guests as you wish to use the Wobble Trap and up to 5 people can shoot at one time (one person per firing point).
Q: How many events does Arlington hold in a year?
A:Generally, we hold two different events per month every month, with the exception of December, on weekend dates (usually one the week before our regular monthly meeting and another event the week after our regular monthly meeting.) In addition to these regular events, we also sponsor and run the annual Lewis S. Libby Memorial Juniors small bore match on the second Saturday in June.
Q: What safety precautions are taken at the AGC ranges?
A:The AGC has a paid RSO on the range at all times when the range is open. The RSO spends most of his time at the Barnes Range, but he also regularly visits all active ranges via a motorized ATV. Ceases fires are called by the RSO when there are enough shooters on the range to require his supervision. The RSO is always available to receive and act on any reports of possible unsafe activities. Before anyone can receive an AGC range badge, their sponsoring club must complete a safety walkthrough of the range facilities and explain all of the rules and regulations to them.
Q: What are the rules on the consumption of alcoholic beverages on AGC property?
A:Alcoholic beverages may be consumed on AGC property only in accordance with Maryland State Law and only after all shooting activities are concluded. For example, if a club is having a meal or party in conjunction with a shoot, alcohol will be served only after the shooting event is over. No one who is under the influence of alcohol or any other drugs, either legal or illegal, that would affect their judgment is allowed to handle any firearms on AGC property.