New city gun range a hit with shooters

A 9mm shell casing ejects from a semi-automatic handgun Monday while Andy Sanville fires his pistol at the Gallup shooting Range on County Road One, west of town. [Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent]

By Kevin Killough
Staff writer

GALLUP — It appears the investment in the Gallup Shooters Inc. gun range is really paying off. More and more people are using it, especially now that the weather is turning nice. And there’s far less gunfire around the trails and other unsafe areas.

“We still get reports, but not as many as before it opened,” McKinley County Sheriff Frank Gonzales said.

Secretary of the Gallup Shooters Inc. John Mraz remembers how it was before.

“When I’d go out and ride my bike, you’d have people out shooting. It gives you a real uneasy feeling,” Mraz said.
As the traffic on the trails grew, so did the problem. There was a growing concern that it was just a matter of time before a stray bullet hit a biker or hiker. Mraz and many members of the community set forth to build a safe place for people to practice and enjoy shooting. The range is north on County Road 1, about 2 miles north of the western High Desert Trail head, north of Mentmore.

“The public hasn’t had a place to shoot, and that was our primary goal — to provide a safe place to shoot,” Mraz said.

The city pitched in $75,000 for a 100-year lease to use the land. The county provided manpower for grading and dirt movement. Mraz estimates the city also paid around $250,000 to help with the effort. The state put in another $40,000 for paving, and grants from the National Rifle Association brought in nearly $13,000 for benches and the pistol range.

Various business around town donated building materials for the range, including The Houston Lumber Company, Four Corners Welding and Supply and Gallup Lumber & Supply Company.

“We probably spent half a million on this” including in-kind services, Mraz said.

He estimates that the gun club has sold about 100 individual and family memberships, which comes to about 200 people from the area. Members are given keys and can use the range at any time. But other people around the community go to Bill’s Reloading Supplies and get a key to use the range all day for $5.

“Anybody can pick up a key,” said Frank Mraz, John’s brother, who is also a member of the club.

Bill Peterson, owner of Bill’s Reloading, says that many people take advantage of the one-day option. He also notes that lately he’s had more people come in for a key now that the snow is melting.

“It’s getting more popular all the time,” Peterson said.
Memberships to the club start at $60 for individuals and $80 for families. There are discounts available for seniors, lifetime, and corporate memberships.

Information: Bill’s Reloading, 863-5820.