"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. The Second Amendment..."

 

General Club Information

Use these pages to find general information about the club. Here, you will find information about:.

  • Membership
  • Visitors
  • Club's Location and General Facilities information
  • Club's rules and regulations
  • Safety Equipment
  • The  Muzzleblast Newsletter
  • Camping Availability
  • CLOSED FOR HOLIDAYS

    The club will be closed on Easter,

    Thanksgiving and Christmas days each

    year.

     


Members & Membership

Dues for 2024 are now payable. Please ensure you have your account up to date in the club office and that you have received your new annual tag's and that they are properly placed onto your membership badges.

Any member is encouraged to use the facilities during all normal hours of operations.   On weekends, some ranges are reserved for scheduled Club matches.  These match dates and times are available at the Club office and in the Club’s Muzzleblast newspaper.  We also have scheduled range closures for range maintenance.  These times are also posted at the range and in our Club newspaper. We also are presently in the process of greatly expanding our range facilities and safety measures such as berms and bullet baffles.  This too will require periodic range closures during work by contractors.  These closures are posted on the Club’s website and in our Face book website.   

Joining the club is easy. 

2024 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP PRICES

$175 Initiation fee (This is a 1 time fee if the membership is kept current)

$175 Annual Dues (Dues are prorated every quarter for New Memberships only)

If membership is bought:                                                             

Jan-Mar   $175  Init. Fee

                  $175 Dues

                  $350.00

Apr-June  $175  Init. Fee

                  $131.25 Dues

                   $306.25

July-Sept.  $175 Init. Fee

                    $ 87.50 Dues

                    $ 262.50

Oct. - Dec  $ 175 Init. fee

                    $   43.75 Dues

                    $ 218.75

All memberships expire Dec. 31st & Must be renewed before a member can shoot the following year. Renewing starts in November and can be done between then and your first visit of the following year.

Memberships include spouse (proof of marriage required if last names are different), children and/or grandchildren under the age of 18. Annual and life members may bring up to 1 guest in addition to the family members that are included in the membership. The guest will pay one half the daily rate on a 1 time basis within a twelve month period.

 

Bylaws of Gateway Rifle & Pistol Club (GRPC) on Membership Qualifications

(a)  Any citizen or legal resident of the United States eighteen (18) years of age or older, may become a member of this organization upon favorable application after first subscribing to the following pledge and after  paying the initiation fee and dues hereafter prescribed membership pledge.    

I hereby swear or certify that I am a citizen or legal resident  of the United States of America and that I am not a member of any organization or group which has as any part of its program the attempt to overthrow the government of the United States or any of its political subdivisions by force or violence.  I have never been convicted of a crime of violence or felony and there are no legal reasons to prevent my lawful possession of firearms.  If admitted to membership, I will faithfully endeavor to fulfill the obligations of good sportsmanship and good citizenship 

                             (This pledge is on the reverse side of the membership application card.).

(b)  No person shall receive membership until he/she has watched the club safety video and passed the test.

(c)  All new memberships are probationary for sixty days pending approval by background screening as directed and approved by the Board of Directors.  The Florida Department of Law Enforcement may be one of the screening agencies as an example.  If a probationary member is rejected by the Board of Directors as not meeting the criteria in the pledge, the initiation fee and membership fee will be returned less $20.00 for the background screening.  The rejected probationary member will be notified in writing as to the cause of rejection and may appeal his/her case to the Board of Directors.


Visitors

If you wish to visit the Club for more information or to join, check in at the Club office to join or be issued a visitor’s name tag.


Club's Location

We are located in an isolated section of West Jacksonville Florida south of Herlong Airport, north of 103rd Street, and west of Old Middleburg Road.

From Interstate (I-295) and 103rd Street, proceed west on 103rd to Old Middleburg Road; north on Old Middleburg Road to Noroad Road; west on Noroad Road to Zambito Avenue North; north on  Zambito Avenue North to the Club. The following map will help: Click Here

WHERE TO SHOOT WHAT AT GATEWAY

 


Rules & Regulations

Membership in GRPC is open to all law-abiding citizens or legal residents of the United States over the age of eighteen, are not a convicted felon or have any legal reason why they cannot own, possess or shoot firearms. The club has three types of memberships; annual, life and daily. 

Annual membership fee is $175. New member fee is $175 and $175 initiation fee for an annual membership the first quarter of the calendar year.
The $175 yearly fee is prorated by each quarter of the year.  For example new members joining April thru June pay $131.25 and the initiation fee. 
July thru September is $87.50 plus initiation fee. October thru December is $43.75 and initiation. All yearly memberships expire on 31 December of that year.  Yearly members must renew membership before or in the next new calendar year to avoid repaying initiation fee the second year after joining.

The Life membership is obtained by paying a fee equal to 10 times the annual dues*. Once the life membership is paid, there are no further dues.  At this time Lifetime membership does have a limited number of openings. If you would like to be put on the waiting list please call the club manager at (904)771-2937. The reason for this is the number of lifetime members at GRPC within a calendar year is limited to 10% of the previous calendar year's total membership.

A Daily membership is available.  We are a private club but do offer a daily membership as a service to the community.  There are people who have the need to shoot a firearm on an infrequent basis such that an annual or life membership is not financially justified.  Such people may apply for a daily membership by   1. Viewing the safety video, 2. Passing a written test on safety rules, 3. Signing a statement that they will abide by all Club rules, 4. Not be a convicted felon and 5. Not be in violation of any law or court prohibiting them the use, possession or the discharging of firearms.

 In addition, Daily members are limited to specific ranges as defined in our safety video and posted signs.  The type of firearms allowed is the same as seen below for all members in the section.

*Fees paid for annual memberships do not transfer to satisfy the fees for a LIFE membership.


Visitors

If you are a visitor, you must check in at the Club office and is issued a visitor nametag while on our premises.  We are a private Club and are not open to the general public.  However, If you are interested in shooting a firearm just for the day, we do offer a daily membership.   We charge $17.00 on weekdays and $22.00 on weekends and holidays for each person for the facilities usage. Children of the visitor 15 and under are not charged a fee. This entitles you to use only specific pistol and 100 yard rifle ranges.  There must be a two second interval between shots.  More information on qualifications for Club membership is available in the membership section as seen below. 


Hours of operation

The Ranges are open seven days a week, 362 days a year for your shooting pleasure. The Ranges are closed Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The range is near an area where several houses are located within a short distance from the firing line. Therefore, as a courtesy to our neighbors, we have defined the times you will be allowed to fire. You may begin firing no sooner than 8:00 a.m. and must cease firing before the time posted in the range office, which will be no later than 8:00 p.m..


At no time should you fire at tin cans, bottles, fence posts, target frames, plates, plastic covers, etc. or any other non club approved target. Paper targets only are approved at GRPC, with the exception of clay targets on the shotgun range, and approved steel targets on the proper range for that purpose. On the pistol ranges you should place the target with only one bull's eye or aiming area in the center of the frame to preclude destroying the wooden frame. Some ranges or possibly the entire range may be closed occasionally for special matches. Members must be given ample notice via this site or the Muzzleblast when a match of this nature is planned.

Range commands

       "The line (or range) is cold". When this command is given all shooting will have stopped, all firearms will be unloaded and all actions will be opened. On all ranges all chambers will have an open bolt indicator inserted. Muzzle loaders will have the open bolt indicator inserted in the muzzle. When the line is cold, no one will handle a firearm for any reason (adjust sights, clean, remove from line if finished, bring to line if just arriving, or touch for any reason).

 Open Bolt Indicators, OBI’s  (Also known as chamber flags and empty chamber indicators) are required on all Club ranges where and when a cease fire or “cold line” is declared so that people or shooters may move forward of or down range of firearms that are in a “safe” and unloaded condition.  There are three exceptions at present:   (1)  The first is during sanctioned matches being run by a Club approved (sanctioned) match under the direct control of the Match Director and his/her Range Safety Officers.  (2)  The second is when the range is leased to US military unit, federal, state or local police agencies willing to assume responsibility for any and all actions during that range rental.  (3)  The third is on the Club’s clay target shotgun range where no one will be down range to examine targets.  However, on the clay target range the shotguns will be loaded only while in the “wooden framed box” when preparing to or ready to fire.  Shotguns outside the wooden framed box will be unloaded.  This is standard practice on “sporting clay" ranges and is adopted by our Club.

     To facilitate this safety condition, only Club approved OBI’s are acceptable on our ranges.  At present, these are yellow or orange in color and are sold in our Club Store.  This way our Range Safety Officers (RSO’s) or any Club member can easily identify the OBI’s.  The use of expended cartridges, sticks of wood or other make shift indicators is not acceptable.  If in doubt, the RSO on duty at the time will be the approving official.

      THERE ARE THREE BASIC RANGE COMMANDS

"The line is hot". This command is given when all shooters have completed their activity forward of the firing line and are ready to begin firing. Only during a "hot line" may a shooter who has completed firing remove a firearm from the line or bring cased or uncased firearms on to the line.  While the line is hot, firearms are being loaded, fired or being handled while loaded or unloaded.  Obviously, firearms safety rules and common sense are extremely important while the line is hot. 

The line is cold” This command is given to call a cease fire so that targets may be placed or removed down range.  On this command, all shooting must stop, firearms made safe (magazines and chambers emptied), Chamber flags (OBI’S) inserted and the firearms placed on the bench.  No handling of firearms is allowed until the range is again called “The line is hot.”

The range or line can be called cold by the Range Safety Officer (RSO) on duty.  If there is no RSO present, the shooters on line may all mutually agree to call a cold line.  When ready, the shooters may again mutually agree to call the line hot after verifying that all shooter have returned from the target areas.     

"Ceasefire!" If an unsafe condition is observed by anyone on the range shout “ceasefire” immediately. Upon hearing ceasefire, remove your finger from the trigger, unload the firearm, put it down on the bench and step back from the line until the unsafe condition can be corrected.  The command cease fire may also be used to prepare a range to go from a hot range to a cold range status.


Transporting firearms

Transporting firearms to and from the range should be done in a safe and secure manner. No firearm should be brought to or removed from the range while loaded. All firearms will be removed from your vehicle unloaded and in a closed case or similar container. If you do not use this type of container, then the firearm must be carried from the vehicle unloaded and the action opened with an OBI inserted properly.  If the line is cold, shooter may bring unloaded and cased firearms to the line, place them on a bench to designate that that position is now taken.


Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages are not allowed on GRPC property with the following exception: only during a board of directors approved function and after all Ranges are closed, alcohol may be allowed.

 


Types of firearms

Any firearm in good working order may be used at GRPC with the following exceptions:

  1. A fully automatic or select fire firearm are not allowed to be fired in the automatic mode defined as continuous firing as long as the trigger is pulled. 
  2. A semi-automatic firearm with external attachment allowing manipulation of the trigger to simulate automatic firing may not be used.
  3. Firearms of the.50 BMG caliber (and cartridges derived from it) and larger ammunition, except muzzle loading may not be used.
  4. Pistols that are made from AK-47, M-16 or similar type assault rifle configurations may not be used. These do not have a butt stock; have a short pistol length barrel and detachable magazines. These are essentially a rifle with no stock and a short barrel. Our ranges are not designed for this type firearm and they cannot be fired safely on them.
  5. We have limited shotgun facilities. Shotguns with no stocks may be fired only on specific ranges.  Club staff can explain which ranges can be used for no stock shotguns. Shotguns with hunting sights, iron sights or scopes, are allowed on specific rifle ranges.  Shotguns to be patterned have specific range positions.  We have specific ranges suitable for riot type shotguns. We have clay bird target throwers for use with birdshot. Further details on all of these are available from the club Range Safety Officers.

Ammunition should be safe and the proper size for the firearm you're using. When shooting various calibers of firearms, retire one firearm and ammunition before bringing a different firearm and ammunition to the firing line to preclude placing the wrong cartridge in the firearm you're now going to use. An example of what happens when the wrong ammunition is used is on display at the office.

When using black powder, keep the container covered at all times and never pour directly from the container to barrel; use a powder measure. Never approach a muzzleloader with a lighted cigarette, pipe or cigar. Never cap or prime your firearm until it is pointed down range and you are ready to fire.


CHILDREN

All children defined as minors (under the age of 18) must be closely supervised all times while on our premises.  If a minor is going to shoot or is shooting under our required continuous adult supervision, that adult must be close enough to physically restrain any unsafe condition.  The supervising adult cannot be shooting or in possession of a firearms while the minor has physical access to a firearm.  There are no exceptions to this rule and adherence is mandatory

 BEHAVIOR

We all like to have a good time while engaging in the safe shooting of firearms.  All members, life, annual, daily, their guests and any visitors are expected and required to exhibit good sportsmanship, safe shooting conduct, respectable behavior, follow all Club rules and obey instructions from Club staff while on our premises.  Depending on the severity on the infraction, if any, such persons will be instructed to cease the unacceptable behavior immediately or may even be required to leave our premises.  The decision made by a Club Range Safety Officer to the offending person or persons is final at that time.  Appeals, after the fact, may be made to any Club officer or member of the Board of Directors. An appeal is best handled by a written incident report submitted through the Club office. 


Range fees, Guests, Non shooters, Visitors

 Annual or life members do not pay any range fees. 

 

The daily member range fee is $17 weekdays and $22 on weekends and holidays. Children of the day member 15 and under pay no range fees.  Shooters 16 and over will pay day member fees.

 

Annual and life members may have guests with them.   Member’s guest fee is 1/2 price of that day's rate. A member may only have one 1/2 price guest per day and that guest only one time per year. A member is allowed 2 more guests, for a total of three guests per day, but the two additional guests will be paying the full daily rate.  Children of life or annual members 15 and under pay no range fees.  Shooters 16 and over will pay day member fees.  The Club member must sign their guests in at the office when arriving to the range. Please call 771-2937 ext 5 if you need more information.

 

Non shooters; Life, Annual or Day members may have non shooters (such as a spouse or children) with them but the non shooters must wear a non-shooter name tag provided at the main office.  Members are responsible for the non shooters with them.

 

 All other persons that are just visitors must wear a visitor name tag provided at the main office.

 


Muzzleblast

The club publishes a quarterly newsletter for your benefit as well as informing you of what is happening within the club. The editor is always in need of articles to publish, so please forward (or e-mail) your articles, concerns or suggestions about these topics or issues to the editor. The club is only as good as its active members and you get out of the club only what you put into it. We need active members and encourage you and your family to become active. Read your Muzzleblast online, or pick up a printed copy in the club store, and keep up with the club's activities. Remember it’s your club.


Safety Equipment

As of January 2016 eye protection of some type is mandatory and hearing protection is advised when on the firing line.  When shooting the steel plate rack targets a minimum distance of fifteen yards is required.  

On each of our ranges, there is a compulsory empty chamber indicator flag that must be inserted into the empty chamber or barrel. Muzzle loaders insert the ECI into the muzzle. This safety feature ensures that the range officer and all participants know that the line is in fact "cold". If you do not have such a device, it is available for a just a nominal cost in the club store.