The Nexus Difference - Part 4: Private Training Bays

In the previous segment of The Nexus Difference, we looked at how our specially designed walls have multiple layers of protection built in to enhance shooter safety.  Now, let's take a look at how we are using those walls to create multiple independent bays to enhance your shooting experience even further! 

THE PROBLEMS:  Most ranges compromise your safety by crowding multiple shooters into a single room.  Looking at the diagram above, it is easy to see how having many customers of varying skill levels packed tightly together is detrimental to safety. 

-  Sweeping muzzles:   Untrained shooters may have poor muzzle discipline or even walk around behind other patrons pointing their firearms in unsafe directions.

-  Noise:  Trying to shout loudly enough to be heard over the continuous gunfire as well as through earplugs and muffs is nearly impossible. For nervous first time shooters, being unable to hear instructions is unacceptable!

- Unrealistic training: Training from a static firing position is only adequate to learn basic target shooting. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to defend yourself, being able to shoot a non-moving piece of paper while you are standing still in one spot is of limited value. In a real life scenario, the players are constantly in motion! Also, the majority of home intrusions occur in the dead of night. How can you handle a low-visibility nighttime shooting if you've never practiced in those conditions? 

-  Poor Ventilation:  The inadequately ventilated room fills with smoke and vaporized lead from multiple shooters (see our prior post about the differences in ventilation systems here... http://nexusshooting.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-nexus-shooting-difference-part-1.html).

THE NEXUS SOLUTION:  As can be easily seen in the picture above, having multiple shooting bays at Nexus alleviates these issues.  This makes it is easier for us to separate customers for the ultimate in safety.   Nexus has EIGHT independent shooting bays varying in size from 10 to 150 feet wide!   Whether you want a whole bay for yourself or have a large group of 10 to 20 people, we can easily accommodate you.

-  Control of the entire room:   Control of an individual bay allows for easy discussion without having to shout over the gunfire of other patrons. 

-  Privacy:  Families with children, public figures, celebrities, and women seeking a safe and discreet experience can shoot without being concerned about other customers. 

-  Low light training: Look at the female patron in the left most bay.  Having your own bay means you can turn the lights to a low setting to properly practice with a handheld or weapon-mounted light.  In our opinion, this is the only way to prepare for the possibility of a nighttime encounter.

-  Shooting on the move:  By separating the range into multiple bays, experienced members will be able to shoot on the move.  Practical training like this is unavailable in any other indoor range around!  This is also key for practical firearms competitors.  Those of you engaged in USPSA/IPSC, IDPA, 3-gun, etc. will find Nexus to be your ultimate training ground.  You will no longer have to limit your training at static ranges.  Rent out your own bay, set up your own course of fire, and gain a competitive edge!   We will have equipment similar to those found at most practical competitions available for your use, including obstacles, cover, doorways, windows, reactive steel, moving targets, etc.

The Nexus Difference Part 3: Shooter Safety

In this segment of The Nexus Difference, let's continue to take a closer look at what makes Nexus one of the safest ranges in existence.  In the previous article, we described how we are utilizing a million dollar military grade ventilation system to ensure the health of our patrons as well as our employees by decreasing dangerous lead and airborne toxin exposure. 

The most important way to ensure safety is to emphasize shooter education.  Shooters who are knowledgeable on fundamental etiquette and range rules are vital for everyone's safety.  We will discuss this aspect of safety in a future segment.  For this article, we will describe some of the innovative features built into the physical range itself.

The first safety system in place is the stall walls separating adjacent shooters.  Amazingly, if you read some of the range safety rules posted at other ranges, they state explicitly that their stall walls are NOT bulletproof.  Our stall walls are constructed of ballistic steel UL rated to the appropriate level of protection.  You can shoot without worrying about the safety standards of the person in the stall next to you.

The next feature that makes Nexus Shooting safer than most ranges is the actual physical walls of the range.  Most ranges have a single layer of bare or painted concrete block (often times hollow), or even worse just a couple of sheets of drywall.  Clearly, this would be ineffective at preventing penetrating rounds, ricochets or shrapnel.

As can be seen in the diagram below, at Nexus Shooting the walls between each range have ELEVEN layers of protection, each with a specific purpose.  The first layer is a two inch thick layer of sound insulation.  This helps to protect your hearing by decreasing the reverberation and noise of gunfire.  Personal hearing protection is still required; however, this sound insulation is a beneficial adjunct. 

The next few layers include plywood, a rubber membrane, crushed rock, and ballistic steel.  These multiple layers are specifically designed to contain errant shots.  The bullet penetrates the plywood, rubber, and crushed rock, and smashes against the ballistic steel.  This prevents penetration into the adjacent rooms.  But, the shrapnel from the smashing bullet and ricocheting of the bullet itself can be almost just as dangerous as the primary penetration of the bullet.  This is where the other layers come into play.  The energy of the shrapnel is dissipated and the fragments are contained by the crushed rock and plywood layers.  The middle layer is solid 4000 PSI concrete.  Then, on the other side of the concrete, the same layers are repeated (steel, rock, rubber, plywood, and sound insulation), thus DOUBLING the protection between ranges. 

Every wall between our separate ranges is protected in this manner.  This allows for safe tactical training all the way up and down range.  Lining all of the walls with these multiple layers of protection is expensive, but at Nexus Shooting, your safety is our highest priority!