A Franklin company that sells targets and guns will soon open a shooting range in the store.
Patriot Tactical, located at 166 RJ Parkway, wants to install six shooting stalls for residents, police officers and deputies to keep their skills sharp. The range will be open by fall 2015.
Customers have repeatedly asked over the past year to add a shooting range on site, company president Jerry Johnson said.
Patriot Tactical had to get approval from the Franklin Board of Zoning Appeals to install the shooting range since it is located in a business zoning district. The five-member board unanimously approved the addition this week, and Patriot Tactical is able to move forward with construction.
The shooting range will be open to the public, and training sessions will be done so residents can learn about gun safety and hone their shooting skills, Johnson said. Novice and female-only classes will be provided to offer options to people of all skill levels, Johnson said. Residents will be able to rent guns to use at the shooting range, Johnson said.
Patriot Tactical originally opened at Camp Atterbury in 2009 but opened the R J Parkway location in 2013. The current location sells tactical gear, such as gun holsters, bullets and shooting targets, in one half of the building and manufactures products for military use in the other half.
Space previously used for storage and packaging will be renovated into the shooting range, Johnson said.
This will be the first indoor shooting range in Franklin.
