Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Gun ownership: Sales booming, rangemaster explains common 'love of shooting' outdoors

Rick Monroe

Special to the Village News

Gun sales, shooting at one of the two local ranges, and conceal carry permits are booming in the region.

"More people have seen the necessity to have a weapon – or weapons – since the presidential election, BLM and Covid," said Tony Williams, manager of Fallbrook Guns & Ammo.

"It's a crazy industry now because there are a lot of novices, mostly for self-defense and protection," he explained during an interview at the store. "A lot of this came after the BLM riots and the defund the police movement. It's picked up again with the recent increase in violent crimes like carjacking and armed robberies."

Ammunition is also in short supply because manufacturers can't keep up with the demand, Williams added, "making prices insane – twice as much as a couple years ago. The good thing is that gun prices have not seen the dramatic price increase."

"Guns are addicting," said one gun enthusiast at a local range. "Many of us have multiple weapons and spend a lot of time on the range."

Being anonymous is a common thread at the two local shooting ranges, separated by 21 miles:

• Rainbow Shooting Club is owned by Tom Duncan. It's been in operation for 50 years and the rangemaster is Bart Del Rio, who said the range has a friendly, family clientele. It's a private club, but visitors are welcome. It has areas for rifles, shotguns and pistols.

• Pala Shooting Range is located on the Pala Reservation and is owned by the Pala Band of Mission Indians. T.J. Pfautz, rangemaster, said they are the longest public shooting range in Southern California, which its attractive for agencies with SWAT and sniper teams to visit and train. It's open Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the public and has shotgun and pistol areas.

"There is a lot more to it than the typical stereotype of an older white conservative male with a pickup, beard and pot belly," he said. "It's really more family oriented, and a healthy recreation, much like golf."

The main difference in those two hobbies is the noise. Golf is quiet. Earmuffs are necessary on the range. Still, there is a social element on the range.

"Most are not talking a lot about self-defense," Del Rio noted. "We don't talk much about the laws or complain about more rules because there's an element that just doesn't like guns."

"Yes, there are more conservatives, but on the range you might find a winery owner shooting alongside a sanitary worker," he added. "You don't have to be a right wing conservative because most folks don't talk politics. There are a lot of liberals here, too. They all have a common love of shooting."

California is not considered gun friendly, Pfautz noted, but it is among the leaders in gun ownership. In 2020, more than 1 million firearms were sold in the state. About 20% of residents in the state are registered gun owners.

The state has some of the strictest gun laws, and recently Gov. Gavin Newsom has outlined plans for legislation including a measure to help hold the gun industry accountable through private lawsuits. Another bill would prohibit advertising certain categories of weapons to children.

California had a longstanding ban on assault style weapons. A federal judge overturned that decision in June.

President Joe Biden issued an executive action last April that directed the Department of Justice to develop a set of rules that would stop the rising number of ghost guns, something already tackled here on the state and county level.

The county also recently passed an ordinance requiring that all guns be safely stored.

The Sheriff's Department handles permits for Carry Concealed Weapons, with most applicants taking a safety class from a certified instructor. According to the department's website, good cause and moral character are required and applicants are evaluated on an individual basis.

Legitimate reasons for a permit include evidence of threats to the personal safety of the applicant, his or her family, or employees, or an occupation that requires the transport of large amounts of money or valuable items.

Both local ranges refer gun owners interested in a CCW permit to an instructor like Shane Regan of Defensive Tactics and Firearms. He regularly conducts training classes at the Rainbow range.

Regan said he has noticed an increase in the number of people wanting to be certified, both here and in Temecula. Regan served in the Marine Corps for 13 years.

Lt. Aldo Hernandez, commander of Fallbrook Sheriff's Department Substation in Fallbrook, said he's fine with law-abiding people having a conceal carry permit.

"They have rights," he commented. "It's important to have proper training. It's nice to see people being proactive, to see them prepared according to the law."

Hernandez also stressed the importance of gun safety in the home.

Many of the people shooting at the two local ranges are active or retired from the military or law enforcement, especially at Pala with its 875-yard targets for long shooters.

"We've been busy during Covid," Pfautz noted. "The range closed for only six weeks in 2020 but otherwise has been open. It was crazy here because everyone else was closed and we had people coming from as far as Sacramento."

There were other reasons for the increased interest, he said.

"A lot of it is politics," Pfautz said. "People are uncertain about the country's direction. It's been the same the past 35 years when the President is a Democrat."

He also said people like that there are less restrictions on the reservation than on a public range.

"We make sure everyone is safe, but we don't regulate what they bring," he explained.

About 60% of customers shoot rifles, compared to 35% pistols and 5% shotguns.

Pfautz said the pistol match on Saturdays is popular at the Pala range. He described it as a run and shoot USPA-sanctioned event with 300 rounds fired each match. The goal is to improve your score and become a grandmaster.

There's a big difference in shooting outdoors compared to an indoor place like Iron Sights in Oceanside, he said.

Pfautz served in the Marines and handled the armor. "I fixed guns, up to 250 calibers."

"I took over here in 2018," he said, "and it was a good year. Things peaked in 2020, but in 2021 it was pedal to metal. The new year is starting well, too."

Del Rio said the crowd varies at the Rainbow range. "Some people come who are in organized shooting competitions, but also a lot of retired military and law enforcement and just regular people and families," he said. "We have people who have come here for decades, once a week or more, who have become close friends. Families shoot together, and now the old timers are bringing their grandchildren."

Being a private club, the rangemaster said it allows shooters to be screened. "You have to be experienced," he said. "Otherwise, there could be 'rookie' mistakes like shooting during a 'cold' period or aiming a weapon at a person."

"We refer newcomers to classes to learn," he said. "Our higher safety concerns has resulted in zero people being shot in 50 years of business."

Del Rio said they share business cards of coaches and classes.

He noted that the older clan seem to gravitate towards the long rifles, but there are also pistol and shotgun areas. The .22 range is ideal for children and beginners to learn to shoot because the weapon has less kick.

Williams, manager of the gun store, said the business was recently sold and the name was changed from Beebe Family Arms & Munitions to Fallbrook Guns & Amo. He said the store is awaiting approval for records to be transferred, expected in early March, and it doesn't have guns on display until then.

"We see a lot of military and retired military, as well as people buying as a hobby," he said. "We've also had the 'little old lady' coming in and someone asking about a one-week rental, which isn't an option. We've had people try to bribe us to get around the 10-day waiting period on the background check. That can't happen."

Williams said a gun buyer must demonstrate that they know how to load and handle a new weapon and pass a 30-question basic test. There are also restrictions on a buyer with a domestic violence conviction, restraining order or any felony.

"We had someone who came in for ammo, they said, because they had to go to a school board meeting," Williams recalled. "I think he said it in jest, but we declined. You have to demonstrate common sense and not say that in a gun store!"

 

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