Is any body a member of kirkland interlake sporting association? Their web site is pretty simple. It just says to show up on the first wensday of the month for the monthly meeting. There is a number to call for info but no one has ever returned my phone call. Any one have and info or comments on this facility?

Yes.

It's a fantastic place to shoot if you work at Microsoft (or live nearby). There are no services and no range officer - usually there is no one but one or two shooters on site. You cannot buy ammo or supplies there, the improvements on the property is usually limited to what the members do. The fee is relatively high (~$200/year) but for us Microsofties location, location, location, location!

To sign up you have to visit the facility during the board meeting (once a month, the schedule is on that website) with the checkbook in hand, and then attend the orientation and safety training next Saturday.

cool thanks! how long of a range is it? 200yards?

Pistol - any up to 25 yards (drag a table to whatever distance you'd like)
Rifle - 25, 100, 200 (no 50 for some reason)
Shotgun - never shot it, it's only open when the shotgun club has its events I think...

ill have to check it out next month for sure

I want to join Interlake but I came across this message on their website.

Membership has been temporarily suspended till further notice.
Please check website for open membership in the future.
Sorry for any inconvenience.
- Board of directors

Does anyone know what happened?

Yes, I was there today...and spoke with a few members of the board.



It seems the local HOA has banded together and the popularity of Interlake has worked against itself. Basically, the local homeowners all complained individually for years (why they moved next door to a gun range is a separate issue)...but now they are fighting collectively (a copy of the HOA letter is sitting on display in the club house). Also, as all of the other ranges within the metro area have become more draconian with their rules (1 round in the magazine, for example), Interlake's membership has grown drastically...plus they have a very liberal guest policy. Combined with the recent panic, the number of people shooting at Interlake has exploded and with so many people using the range, it makes semi-automatic gun fire sound like fully automatic gun fire...especially to non-gun owners who are only concerned about their property value.

The HOA has made some powerful friends in local government who wouldn't mind putting Interlake out of business...so, the Board of Directors has concluded that there is nothing they can do except try to show a measure of good will by closing the door to new members (limiting traffic) and slowing down the amount of gunfire (making it sound less like a "war zone"). I'll post the picture later, but there's a new sign asking rifle shooters to only fire one round EVERY FIVE SECONDS. Although verbally, they asked all semi-auto shooters to slow down their shots.

It's a fucking mess. I'm really pissed. I've been a member for 6 months...I was really deliberate about which range I joined. While I still think Interlake is the best range in the Seattle area, the anti-gun crowd is already starting to ruin it.

Simple answer... "war zone noise"


Silencers (aka suppressors)! The club should encourage members get suppressors!

Absolutely. That's a great solution...the only problem is the $200 tax stamp and the 8+ months of waiting.

Shit...I applied for mine in January and the .gov still hasn't even cashed the check.

Realistically, not enough people are willing to jump through the hoops and pay the money for a suppressor and there are plenty of guns that are too difficult/impossible to suppress. So, Interlake is going to continue to have these problems...or be shut down.

The steps are awesome!!

Yes, I went there with a friend I brought a lot of guns and ammo with me, wish I hadn't, even going down was brutal with that much weight.

Btw they also shoot black powder at the shotgun range every now and then.

That sucks. It is in a pretty residential area too.

This range has been in trouble for years with nearby homes and government. I don't know if they were ever annexed to Redmond but at one time there was talk and Redmond officials said that there would be no gun ranges in their city limits (or words to that effect).

I shot there years ago. Just showed up, paid $5 to the person that lived in the mobile home at the gate. All you had to do was just put up the red flag(s) letting everyone that the range was "Hot".

Would be interesting to see if all the titles to homes nearby have a notice that there is a gun range in the "neighborhood". Just like those around big Airports and other noisemakers that were in existence before the subdivision was platted. If so, I'd say "Tough Cookies" to the homeowners that moved in next door, just as long as rounds aren't hitting their homes or landing on their property.

It's changed a lot since then...and they take it very seriously to ensure no rounds leave the range. In the past there have been allegations that rounds left the range but not much evidence. Regardless, this time around it's just the noise.

Even if there were not notices, I say fuck em. If you don't do your due diligence to see what you're moving into, you sometimes don't get what you expected. They have no one to blame but themselves if they don't like it.