r/RIGuns • u/onion_hat_man • 10d ago

Discussion Gun Clubs

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for advice or recommendations in and around cumberland for gun clubs to join. I have looked at the beagle club but they require hours of free labor to the club which I'm not interested in doing for a place I will be paying dues to. Also they require you to get an NRA membership upon joining them which I'm also not looking to do. Im looking to become actively involved in the community aa much as possible on joining. Any recommendations?

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u/infiniti30 10d ago

Most clubs that have a large property require at least probationary member hours. Too much upkeep to be paying someone year round. Some clubs will let you pay extra to get out of the hour requirement. Wallum lake did years ago, not sure on now. 

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u/onion_hat_man 10d ago

Could they not incorporate that into dues? What is the purpose of dues if not to maintain the property?

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u/Suitable-Pipe5520 10d ago

At wallum you need i think 30 work hours in your first year. But you can buy them out for $200. Its eventually your initiation fees. After that you do not need to do work hours, but if you do they can significantly reduce your fees.

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u/big_ol_weiner 10d ago

So less than $7/hr if you decide to work the 30 hours vs pay the $200 buyout

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u/SmargelingArgarfsner 8d ago

You want to become active in the community, but are unwilling to spend a few hours over a few weekends helping out around the club?

The members who are active in the community will be the ones working with you during your service hours, you know being active in the club, and working to help maintain it. If club members didn’t volunteer their time dues would probably be more than double to pay for all the work that wouldn’t be getting done. Plus that is an excellent way to meet members and get a decent reputation for yourself. I would suggest reconsidering your position on this one.

As for NRA membership, you’re not going to avoid that. As others have mentioned thats how the clubs are insured and membership compliance is required to maintain the coverage. Again, external insurance would be very expensive and nobody would be willing to pay the dues to cover it. I agree that the NRA is garbage and has not been fiscally responsible or held to its mission over the last decade, but if you want to join a club, it’s a pill you have to swallow.

I grabbed an NRA-Life membership like 16 years ago when they were heavily discounted. They needed every penny otherwise Obama was going to personally repel from a chopper into my living room and confiscate all my guns. I think I paid $450 one time and my ROI was like 12years. Not sure what deals they are running now, but I bet there is something out there worth looking at.

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u/onion_hat_man 8d ago

As others have said here the NRA membership isn't needed for all so I will be looking into those as i refuse to give money and support to an organization im against. Also there is a difference between being given the choice to "volunteer" and being forced to do so. I'm happy to give time when I can and after I've been a part of the community. I've never seen a business you pay to be apart of and then have to "volunteer" so it was not something I expected when I began looking. If that's just a part of the process at all clubs then I will do it.

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u/Eham9634 5d ago

I'm in Cumberland and member of Beagle and Manville. Both require hours for newbies. First off, it is a club, not a business. Lots of moving parts in a gun and rod club and having members volunteer helps keep costs low. It also gives new members the opportunity to meet/network with other members and for many, a sense of personal investment in the club, keep things clean, working and being involved in meetings and events. 9 time out of 10 those hours get padded- "30 hours" really becomes 15-20 hours. If you are looking to just show up, throw lead down range, then leave- a range is probably better suited for you. (aka MTR, The Range in Exeter, AFS in attleboro). Some offer memberships for discounted rentals or lane time.

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u/onion_hat_man 5d ago

After getting many answers here I've come to have a better understanding of how clubs work now. I see how the volunteer hours function and their purpose. This was something I was unaware of as someone entirely new to shooting and clubs so volunteering is a okay. However how do you feel about the requiring of a NRA membership no matter what at the bewgle where as it is optional for other clubs?

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u/4k5 10d ago

Good luck. I sucked it up and did the hours and NRA membership every year for the convenience.

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u/dassketch 10d ago

Tiverton rod and gun is solid. They are a NRA affiliated gun club (which I think the vast majority are for various reasons), but they don't require NRA affiliation for their members. There's dues and reduced dues for club labor, but you don't have to do any of that. I think technically you're stuck on probationary until you do the free time, but not sure. I've never done any and don't intend to. Happy to be corrected.

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u/CluelessJew85 10d ago

I haven't seen many that don't require NRA membership or the work hours. I don't mind the work hours as essentially you're cleaning the range, which most people do after they shoot anyways.

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u/whitefox250 10d ago

MTR in Smithfield or The Range in North Kingstown, both have excellent training opportunities which I highly recommend, even if it's from neither.

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u/narutoflows 10d ago

What’s MTR?

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u/VoteForPedroRI Luxurious Woonsocket 10d ago

Mtr is a range in North Smithfield. They have nice lanes with different options like emergency lights, strobe lights, and moving targets

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u/KDOGGG196 10d ago

What calibers can you shoot at MTR and is it only like 25 yards you can shoot at?

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u/VoteForPedroRI Luxurious Woonsocket 10d ago

Yeah I believe it's 25 yards. I'm not sure on the caliber, though.

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u/KDOGGG196 9d ago

Not bad at all! Thank you.

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u/wooody73 9d ago

25 yards and can shoot up to .308

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u/KDOGGG196 9d ago

Damn not bad at all!!

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u/narutoflows 9d ago

Dude they make you buy ammo there lol that’s ridiculous. It’s not even good ammo

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u/quicktuba 9d ago

The NRA provides insurance for free or very cheap which would be impossible for any private club to normally buy, but in return they require all members to be apart of the NRA.

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u/onion_hat_man 10d ago

Agreed.

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u/netwirk 9d ago edited 9d ago

You're missing out for a little bit of work, most (of not all) clubs will require an NRA membership and proper Fed and State training. CBC is a great club both indoor and three (3) outdoor ranges. There is also MTR Gun Range in Smithfield and AFS in North Attleboro, both indoor ranges.

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u/Mother-Pineapple1392 10d ago

Why wouldnt you want to have an NRA membership?

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u/WANGAF1776 10d ago

GOA membership is better. The NRA has proven in the last 5 to 7 years to be a useless organization that is just money hungry

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u/KDOGGG196 10d ago

What do you get as a member of GOA? And how much do you pay?

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u/ImCaffeinated_Chris 10d ago

It should be a choice and not a requirement of membership. I was also turned off by this.

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u/Rohardi 9d ago

I believe a lot of gun clubs get their insurance from the NRA, and membership is required by the NRA for the clubs membership to get the NRA's insurance.

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u/onion_hat_man 10d ago

I don't need what they offer, a recent history of financial mismanagement and I disapprove of their style of advocating and lobbying practices.