# Automatic Weapon Rental in Las Vegas **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 8, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561 "2008-03-08T03:57:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aptronym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@aptronym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aptronym)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/1 "2008-03-08T03:57:16Z")
I swear that someone on this board once said something about taking a bachelor party to shoot automatic weapons in Las Vegas. Does anyone know anything about this? I found a few places on the Web but I’m not sure whether they would let a bunch of tourists just walk in and rent powerful guns. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/2 "2008-03-08T04:33:21Z")
Well, I know that the Mythbusters, on several occasions, have rented large weapons that civilians can’t own in CA (including a mini-gun (and why is it a mini-gun? Looks pretty big to me)) So clearly there is somewhere out west that one can do this. ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/3 "2008-03-08T05:16:34Z")
There are a few places in Las Vegas where you can go “rent” guns. They don’t let you leave the premises with them, but you can shoot them on their ranges. The most widely touted place is The Gun Store on Tropicana. You can rent guns like an M16, AR15 etc…and buy their ammo and shoot at the range. I have never been there, but others I know who have, said the range is poorly lit and the air filtering system could be better. I have no idea what the actual costs are, but renting a fully auto machine gun is really expensive. Considering you can shoot off 50 rounds in less than 15 seconds. There is Discount Firearms on Highland, where you can also rent rifles like AR15’s to shoot as well as a wide variety of handguns to try out. They have a 1st class air handling system there. When we go shooting at a range, we always go to Discount’s range. Bass Pro Shops has a range, but I don’t think you can rent a gun there. Plus they are really expensive-$10 per 30 minutes of range time. Discount Firearms is $10/lane unlimited time + rental gun/ammo costs. There is also American Shooters, but I don’t really know much about them. In order to rent a firearm at any of these places you have to have photo ID and fill out some paperwork, and I think you have to be 21 or older. But you could call them up and find out what the age restrictions are. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/4 "2008-03-08T12:54:25Z")
My ex-husband went to the Gun Store and fired off UZIs, I believe. Made it sound really fun. I’ve never been, but I’m planning to if I ever find myself in Vegas. I had been under the impression that he fired an AK47 there, but research shows that they don’t let you fire AK47s or M16s, but they let you fire UZIs. I’m sure there’s some sort of logical reason for that. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/5 "2008-03-08T16:31:40Z")
A local range (I’m not out west) rents them too (or at least, used to), but when you’re looking at a gun that fires 500 rounds per minute and a cost of $1 per round, you’re looking at a pretty significant expense for a very short experience. An Uzi would be a lot cheaper, being 9mm at about $10-15 for 50 rounds. But you’re still talking about a relatively short experience. It’s not like the movies, where someone fires on full-auto for several minutes on one clip. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/6 "2008-03-08T16:43:40Z")
[QUOTE=Gala Matrix Fire] My ex-husband went to the Gun Store and fired off UZIs, I believe. Made it sound really fun. I’ve never been, but I’m planning to if I ever find myself in Vegas. I had been under the impression that he fired an AK47 there, but research shows that they don’t let you fire AK47s or M16s, but they let you fire UZIs. I’m sure there’s some sort of logical reason for that. [/QUOTE] According to [their web site](http://www.thegunstorelasvegas.com/rental.htm) they do have AK47s and M16s available for rental. I can’t remember what I fired when I went there, but I believe it was an UZI. eta to correct coding ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/7 "2008-03-08T16:52:40Z")
Thank God, it’s a place where you go in, shoot an automatic weapon, and go out. From the thread title, I thought it was a place where you could rent an AK-47, just have it back before six o’clock, OK? ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/8 "2008-03-08T17:29:34Z")
Yeah, Vegas is a pretty open city but not quite _that_ open. Now if you want to rent a college co-ed there are any number of places will accommodate you. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/9 "2008-03-08T19:36:50Z")
> [@pricegyu](#): > > I thought it was a place where you could rent an AK-47, just have it back before six o’clock [QUOTE=LurkMeister] Yeah, but not quite… Now if you want to rent a college co-ed there are any number of places will accommodate you. 😃 [/QUOTE] But do you have to get the coed back before six o’clock? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aptronym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@aptronym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aptronym)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/10 "2008-03-11T01:30:03Z")
[QUOTE=LVgeogeek] The most widely touted place is The Gun Store on Tropicana. [/quote] Yes, that was the one I found on the Web. We have a decent budget for this venture - $100 per person wouldn’t be unreasonable. We’d probably be taking turns or sharing lanes just for the competition aspect of it, mixing up as many weapons as possible, and at least one person (me) would need a complete training, having never fired a gun. The longer the event lasts, the more likely people would be willing to shell out for it. > [@LVgeogeek](#): > > When we go shooting at a range, we always go to Discount’s range. Will they have the same level of service? I’m guessing that we don’t want to go anyplace where there’s a lot of regulars and we’ll draw attention for being slow or rowdy. Thanks! 🙂 > [@chappachula](#): > > do you have to get the coed back before six o’clock? Yes, but not the same six o’clock as the six o’clock for gun rental. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/11 "2008-03-11T02:03:06Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] Thank God, it’s a place where you go in, shoot an automatic weapon, and go out. From the thread title, I thought it was a place where you could rent an AK-47, just have it back before six o’clock, OK? [/QUOTE] You can _buy_ an AK-47 in a whole lot of places in the world for less than the price of a live chicken, no questions asked. And you don’t have to bring it back by 6. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/12 "2008-03-11T02:11:57Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] You can _buy_ an AK-47 in a whole lot of places in the world for less than the price of a live chicken, no questions asked. And you don’t have to bring it back by 6. [/QUOTE] No, you can get a semi-automatic derivative of an AK-47 for the price of a live chicken. The actual AK-47, if you can find it, goes for the price of a new sub-compact car, if you’re lucky. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/13 "2008-03-11T02:18:17Z")
In this country, yes. In Somalia, it goes for less than a chicken. Ditto any number of other Third World hellholes. How many millions of them have been manufactured to date? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/14 "2008-03-11T02:22:16Z")
[QUOTE=LurkMeister] Yeah, Vegas is a pretty open city but not quite _that_ open. [/QUOTE] Berkeley, on the other hand, is where you need to go if you want to be casual about slinging a LAWS or M240 over the shoulder. [“It’s common knowledge that whenever you get two or more CS grad students together, the conversation will inevitably drift to the same topic: automatic weapons.”](http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/shivers/autoweapons.html) Having fired a couple of automatic weapons (a Steyr AUG assault rifle and suppressed H&K MP5 submachinegun) I have to say that I found the experience somewhat underwhelming, particularly when you realize that you’ve burned up $30-$50 in a few seconds, and sprayed bullets all around the target with an embarrassing lack of precision. Maybe I’m just jaded, but it was just kind of meh. Firing a .50 BMG rifle, on the other hand, was pretty unforgettable. Not something I plan to do again unless I need to penetrate a lightly armored vehicle at 1000+ meters, but along with my first time firing a Browning Hi-Power and a 12 gauge pump gun, memorable. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/15 "2008-03-11T02:25:56Z")
There is a place in Tennessee (Lynchburg?) where you can shoot damn near anything. I think it’s one week a year. R. Lee Ermey did a “Mail Call” there one time. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/16 "2008-03-11T02:33:19Z")
[QUOTE=Oslo Ostragoth] There is a place in Tennessee (Lynchburg?) where you can shoot damn near anything. I think it’s one week a year. R. Lee Ermey did a “Mail Call” there one time. [/QUOTE] [Knob Creek](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knob_Creek_Gun_Range) ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/17 "2008-03-11T04:47:59Z")
[QUOTE=aptronym] Yes, that was the one I found on the Web. We have a decent budget for this venture - $100 per person wouldn’t be unreasonable. We’d probably be taking turns or sharing lanes just for the competition aspect of it, mixing up as many weapons as possible, and at least one person (me) would need a complete training, having never fired a gun. The longer the event lasts, the more likely people would be willing to shell out for it. Will they have the same level of service? I’m guessing that we don’t want to go anyplace where there’s a lot of regulars and we’ll draw attention for being slow or rowdy. Thanks! 🙂 [/quote] On an M16 or AK you can blow through 25 rounds in less than a minute. That can get pretty pricey. Discount’s range isn’t usually that busy during the day during the week and not to bad on Saturdays. They aren’t open on Sunday A few of the guys can be a bit gruff, sometimes, but 99% of the time they are really great. We have gone and been there for 2-3 hours and never have been rushed. You’re more likely to feel rushed at The Gun Store ad the advertise to the tourist crowd. I doubt any range would tolerate “rowdy”, but being excited and high-fiving (or whatever) would be acceptable. here is the [link](http://www.discountfirearmsinc.com/Rentals.htm) for Discount Firearms. If you have other questions and don’t want to make long distance phone calls, you can email me and I will call the places for you. email is in my profile. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/18 "2008-03-11T08:32:59Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] You can _buy_ an AK-47 in a whole lot of places in the world for less than the price of a live chicken, no questions asked. And you don’t have to bring it back by 6. [/QUOTE] I’m well aware of that, and I can think of numerous reasons to want to own an AK-47, perhaps especially in the third-world hellholes you mention below. What I can’t do is think of one good reason to want to rent an AK-47 in Las Vegas. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/19 "2008-03-14T14:13:37Z")
When I was in Vegas a couple of weeks ago, we went to The Gun Store so I could play with all the neat hardware that’s not available here in Australia. 😃 It was expensive, but worth it, IMHO. I fired a Thompson M1928, a Sten Gun, a Norinco AK-47 clone, a Steyr AUG, and an FN-Minimi. Tommy Guns are awesome. 😃 Cost me about USD$300 all up, but like I said to my wife, there’s no way I could ever hope to be able to do in Australia, and I now have a photo of me with a Chicago Typewriter to sit on my desk and remind myself why I go to work (So I can get money for awesome holidays where I get to play with automatic weapons! 🙂 ) The range wasn’t that long (15m, maybe?) but all in all I really enjoyed it and it wasn’t that far from The Strip, either, so it didn’t cost a huge amount of money to get there and back to our hotel afterwards. [QUOTE=Priceguy] I’m well aware of that, and I can think of numerous reasons to want to own an AK-47, perhaps especially in the third-world hellholes you mention below. What I can’t do is think of one good reason to want to rent an AK-47 in Las Vegas. [/QUOTE] Because you live somewhere like Australia where AK-47s are illegal and shooting one isn’t something you can do at home? ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561/20 "2008-03-14T21:34:08Z")
[QUOTE=chappachula] But do you have to get the coed back before six o’clock? 🙂 [/QUOTE] Yeah, but you don’t have to clean 'er out and fill 'er up before you bring her back. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-weapon-rental-in-las-vegas/440561.md?page=2)