Gun Range, Store Opens in Absecon

Gun Range, Store Opens in Absecon

Range 129, a 32,000 square foot, state-of-the-art indoor firearm training facility and retail store opened Friday, November 23. Consisting of 20 pistol lanes at 25 yards and nine rifle lanes at 100 yards, Range 129 is the only 100-yard indoor rifle range on the east coast above Georgia. The ranges are independently ventilated with a multi-stage filtration system that ensures the user’s health and comfort.

Range 129 also features an extensive retail showroom, offering firearms, ammunition, rentals, apparel and accessories. Additionally, Range 129 offers a dynamic variety of courses, from beginner to advanced held in a classroom setting. The courses encompass the entire spectrum of firearms, from pistols to shotguns and rifles.

The facility is the entrepreneurial vision of Margate resident, 26-year-old William Wolfson. A 2015 graduate of Stockton University with a master’s degree in business administration, Wolfson visited an area range three years ago while he was a student at Stockton. Despite coming from a law enforcement family, William had never used a firearm before.

‘I was struck by the laissez faire approach to firearm instruction and safety at this particular range,” said William. “Despite repeatedly telling the staff that I had never used a firearm before, they weren’t the least bit concerned with instructing me or helping me understand proper protocols. I was left totally on my own to figure out what to do and how to do it. It just didn’t seem right to me.

“During that same time period, I was preparing to do my MBA project for school, which consisted of writing a theoretical business plan,” added Wolfson. “I had another business in mind already for the project, but my experience at the local firearm range changed my thinking because I saw an opportunity to design a business model that would far surpass the one I had just experienced.

The project was presented to William’s class, and was so well received by his classmates and his professor that he began to think seriously about building such a facility. With support from his father, he decided to do just that. After one year of planning and research, ground was broken for the project last April.

“Working with both architects and firearms experts, we created a state-of –the-art range that is second to none in its cleanliness, technology and visual appeal,” Wolfson stated. “Everything was designed and built in accordance with our mission of creating a safe firearm environment by educating our clients through instruction on safety and through professional training.”

In addition to affordable daily fee rates, there are a variety of annual individual and family memberships available at Range 129, and special discounted rates for law enforcement personnel and military officials, both active and retired. Range 129 will also host parties, corporate events and various theme nights for ladies and veterans, among others.

Range 129 will employ 30 people. An outdoor archery will debut in January of 2019. The address is 129 Pleasant Ave. in Absecon. Hours of operation are 9 am to 9 pm, Monday thru Saturday, and 9 am-6 pm on Sundays.

To contact Range 129, call (609) 380-2557, or email info@range129.com. For more information, visit www.range129.com.