US gun range granted alcohol licence

A gun range has been given permission to serve alcohol by Oklahoma City Council when it opens later this spring.

Wilshire Gun Range, a planned 40,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility, could soon be serving up alcoholic beverages to its gun toting customers, strictly after firing off their rounds, after the city council voted 6 to 3 in favour of the licence on Tuesday, according to a report by okcfox.com.

Co-owner Jeff Swanson’s plans for the gun range includes 24 firearm lanes, 10 archery lanes, a simulation room, classrooms, VIP Lounge, and a café, but was quick to quash any thoughts that drinks would flow too freely at the facility.

“Any misconceptions or joking aside, beer and bullets, guns and alcohol, they do not mix,” Swanson told the news site, adding, “once you order a drink your driver’s license is scanned and you are red-flagged and you’re not allowed into any of the shooting facilities either as a spectator and certainly not as a shooter for the remainder of the day”.

Now that the city council has approved the request, Wilshire Gun Range must apply for a license from the ABLE Commission, which deals with the enforcement of the laws regarding alcoholic beverages – the last hurdle in gaining its licence.

If approved, it would be the first gun range in the state of Oklahoma to have been given approval to serve alcohol, however similar licenses are already in place at ranges in California and Texas.

Oklahoma’s gun laws are known to be some of the most relaxed in the US with residents aged over the 18 able to purchase a rifle, shotgun or handgun without a permit.