[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City of Mount Vernon 11-13-1957 as Ch. 36
of the General Ordinances, approved 11-15-1957. Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any indoor range or gallery wherein firearms and firearms
ammunition are used.
It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain a shooting range
within the limits of the City without first obtaining and keeping
in full force and effect a license therefor, and the same shall be
conducted and maintained in compliance with the regulations hereafter
set forth.
Application for a license to maintain a shooting range shall
be made by the person desiring to maintain such range, upon forms
to be furnished by the City Clerk, and said application shall contain
the full name and address of such person, and in the case of a club,
society, partnership or corporation, the full names and addresses
of the trustees, partners and/or officers. Such application shall
also set forth the street address of the premises where such shooting
range is located.
No license shall be issued nor such license renewed until the
premises wherein such shooting range is located shall have been inspected
by or under the direction of the Commissioner of Public Safety and
said range certified by him as conforming to the specifications hereinafter
set forth. Said certification shall be endorsed by the Commissioner
of Public Safety upon the application. If the Commissioner of Public
Safety refuses to so certify, the reasons for his so doing shall be
set forth by him in detail upon such application.
A.
If, upon such inspection, a shooting range is found and certified
by the Commissioner of Public Safety to be in proper condition and
constructed in accordance with the specifications prescribed by this
chapter, then, upon payment to the City Clerk of the license fee hereinafter
set forth, a license shall issue to such person applying for same.
B.
No person previously convicted of a felony shall be a licensee or
shall work or be employed upon the premises of any shooting range.
C.
All licenses shall be issued by the Mayor and countersigned by the
City Clerk.
[Amended 12-27-1989, approved 12-28-1989]
The annual license fee for each shooting range shall be $100.
Shooting ranges where firearms are used and their operators
and employees shall be subject to the following regulations:
A.
License to be displayed. The license issued pursuant to this chapter
shall at all times be prominently displayed upon the premises where
such range is located.
B.
Liability insurance. Every person applying for a license to operate
a shooting range shall carry liability insurance for damages arising
out of the operation of such range to one person in an amount of not
less than $25,000 and in an amount of not less than $50,000 for damages
arising out of injuries to any number of persons.
C.
Competency of employees. The licensee of a shooting range shall employ
no one who is inexperienced in the use and care of ammunition and
firearms. The Commissioner of Public Safety shall be the final judge
of the competency of attendants at shooting ranges and shall demand
proof of such competency.
D.
Type of ammunition. None but soft lead, spatterproof or spatterless
ammunition shall be used at shooting ranges.
E.
Safety precautions. No person, marksman or attendant shall be permitted
on the range forward of the firing point at any time while the range
is officially open for business.
F.
Loading of firearms. While the magazine of a firearm may be loaded
when the firearm is not in use, in no case shall a live cartridge
be injected into the firing chamber until the firearm is being handed
to a marksman ready on the firing line.
G.
Inventory of firearms. The licensee of the shooting range shall supply
to the Commissioner of Public Safety a complete list of all the firearms
used on such shooting range, giving the type, caliber, manufacture
and serial number of each firearm. All licensees shall immediately
report the loss or disappearance or substitution of any such firearm
to the Commissioner of Public Safety.
H.
Good order; minors. Every licensee of a shooting range shall maintain
good order and allow no person under 16 years of age upon the premises
unless accompanied by his parent or guardian.
I.
Zoning regulations. No shooting range shall be licensed or permitted
in any area zoned by the City as a residential area.
Shooting ranges wherein firearms are used shall be maintained
and constructed in accordance with the following specifications:
A.
Backstop. The backstop or bullet stop shall be constructed of steel
plates at least 3/8 of an inch thick, substantially fastened and reinforced
at the seams or butts to form a continuous plate from wall to wall.
The plates shall extend from floor to ceiling or at least eight feet
above the floor and be mounted at an angle of 45° to the line
of fire and floor. No horizontal seams or butts will be permitted
to cause dangerous ricochets. If bolts are used for fastenings, they
shall be flatheads and the plates countersunk so that bolt heads are
flush with the surface of the plates.
B.
Sand trap. There shall be installed on the floor from wall to wall,
directly beneath the entire backstop, a sand trap to catch the bullets
deflected from the backstop. The sand shall be either white beach
or fine building, at least six inches deep throughout and shall be
held in place by means which will not cause dangerous ricochets.
C.
Firing stalls. There shall be installed at the firing point and parallel
to the line of fire, steel plates at least 1/4 of an inch thick, six
feet long and at least seven feet high, faced with a fire-retardant,
sound-absorbent material at least 1/2 inch thick. These plates shall
be spaced at least 36 inches apart to form firing stalls. In the center
of each firing stall and at a convenient height from the floor, there
shall be installed a wood shelf at least 12 inches wide, to mark the
firing point and act as a barrier to prevent participants from entering
the range forward of the firing point. Angle iron or the like shall
not be used for bracing on the front edge of the partition plates
but may be used on the rear edges.
D.
Target carriers. There shall be installed in each firing stall an
electrical or mechanical target carrier capable of transporting the
target to and from the firing point to the position where it is to
be fired upon. These target carriers are to be constructed so as to
present no right-angle surfaces to the marksman which may cause dangerous
ricochets.
E.
Range proper. The range proper must be completely enclosed beyond
the firing point and lined with bulletproof material. All surfaces
on the range forward of the firing point presenting a right angle
to the line of fire, including pipes, columns, etc., shall be properly
treated so as to eliminate the possibility of a dangerous ricochet.
All electrical wiring in the range proper must be concealed and all
electrical wiring for target equipment must be installed behind the
firing point.
F.
Soundproofing. All walls and ceilings shall be faced with satisfactory
sound-absorbent material.
G.
Ventilation. Ventilation shall be installed to exhaust the powder
smoke, gases and sand dust from the range away from the marksman,
in the direction of the backstop.
H.
Repairs. Whenever any exposed surface in a shooting range shall show
holes or undue wear from being constantly struck by the missiles used,
such exposed surface shall be immediately repaired or replaced.
It shall be the duty of the Police Department to see that the
provisions of this chapter are enforced and obeyed.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as applying to or
governing the military forces of the state or United States or police
authorities or nonprofit clubs and nonprofit associations which are
members of the National Rifle Association.
