“You don’t have to have a membership to come down here and shoot, and you don’t have to be a member of the NRA or any other organization,” Winkel explained. “There are two other ranges in the area where people can walk in and shoot, but they only allow handguns.”
In line with the owner’s commitment to accessibility, the range is usually open to the public seven days a week. Winkel said his regular customers come from as far away as Wilsonville and Tualatin, passing up facilities closer to them for the English Pit’s fewer restrictions and lower prices.
The English Pit isn’t just a place to use your own firearms, however. Winkel rents his firearms to the public to try at the range as well. This rental service has also experienced a swell of popularity recently.
“Many of the local gun stores are seeing a lot of people coming in to buy a gun, but apparently, they don’t know what they want,” Winkel said. “[The gun shops] are telling them, ‘Why don’t you go down to the English Pit? They’ll help you learn enough to make a good decision.’”
The range’s services don’t stop there, either. The English Pit offers one-on-one classes, taught by NRA-certified instructors, for those want to learn how to wield a firearm. The owner said these trainings are already booked until the end of the month.
“A lot of the people coming in to learn how to shoot are women, and a lot of them are 40 and above,” he recalled. “That makes me believe people are a little concerned about the state of things – the amount of home invasions, [and] being able to protect themselves. So they are getting serious and coming out to learn how to shoot.”
Along with the general public, local law enforcement agencies partner with the English Pit for training. Winkel frequently allows the Vancouver Police Department to use the facility free of charge.
While business is good at the moment, Winkel is apprehensive about the English Pit’s future at its current location.
“I’m afraid this facility’s days are numbered,” he said. “This used to be out in the middle of nowhere, and now there is a lot of development going on in the area.”
Winkel hopes another solution will present itself as 192nd becomes increasingly urban.
“The county commissioners are aware of how heavily-used this facility is and how important it is to the public,” Winkel remarked. “I would hope that prior to this facility being shutdown, another one could be built that we could transition into. It’s only a matter of time.”
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