Ranges 8, 9, 10 and 11 are closed due to flooding.  All other ranges are also under water.

Gun sales in April were still amazingly strong and were 69% higher than April 2019.  Handgun sales were the majority of sales with 984,872.  It is obvious that people are worried about the times we are going through and the social unrest that may be on the way.  Everyone is preparing.  People keep throwing the term social unrest around, but what does that mean?  I can best describe social unrest by my own experience.  I witnessed this at my own front door.  In the late 1960s, I lived with two other guys on North Indiana Avenue in Kankakee, Illinois.  It was an old 11 room house and my share of the rent was $27 per month.  It wasn’t exactly Gold Coast property.  The house was located two blocks north of the Kankakee Police Station.  At the 4-way stop, a half a block from the house, people were getting robbed if they had the windows rolled down in their car.  It was simple, if you had your driver’s window rolled down and you stopped, a guy would run up to the car and put a hunting knife to your throat.  If you moved, you would get your throat cut.  One night we were having a party and three of our guests were on our front porch.  One-time riots broke out but we thought we were pretty safe with the police station only being two blocks away.  When we looked at the police station, the windows were all boarded up.  We had to park in the back and I carried my Winchester Model 12 shotgun in the car.  When I got home, the shotgun was uncased and loaded when I entered the house.  I know the neighbors saw me and that was just fine with me.  I remember being home and getting a call from one or the other of the two guys who lived at the house, telling me they were on their way home.  I would stand in the upstairs window and cover the rear parking lot with their pending arrival home.  Two blocks from the police station might as well have been 20 miles.  I totally understand why people want to arm themselves and why they need to.  Needless to say, it wasn’t long before we found more upscale living arrangements. 

Tomorrow is the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe, V-E Day, truly a great fete of courage and commitment by the greatest generation.  Everyone should take a moment and think of all those men and women who did an impossibly difficult job and literally saved the world.  If you know any of those people who are still with us, thank them from the bottom of your heart.

Right now we are only allowing current range members to enter the range and they must comply with current social distancing and hygiene. At this time we are asking that members do not bring guests.  No organized activities, classes, or leagues are taking place at this time.  We will let you know when the range is fully open once the state restrictions are lifted.  We are projecting to have the range fully open by mid-May.  

An old English proverb states that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  Truer words were never spoken particularly when it comes to Executive Orders issued by Governor Pritzker and many other governors throughout United States.  Part of the latest Executive Order requires citizens to wear a face mask while out in public.  The problem is that if you are a firearm owner and comply with that order, you are also violating the Illinois Criminal Code.  So, you are guilty if you do and you are guilty if you don’t.  

After thoughtful consideration and reflection, the Board of Directors of the Civilian Marksmanship Program announces the cancellation of the 2020 National Matches at Camp Perry.