Machine guns are a top draw in Sin City. In fact, the constant flow of thrill seekers from other, less freedom-loving countries means the appetite for full-auto fun is damn near insatiable. Places like The Gun Store have been satisfying customers for years, but they’re designed to maximize customer throughput. Wait times can be painfully long. The latest wave of machine gun rental operations have focused more on the quality of the experience. Machine Guns Vegas is at the top of the heap . . .
MGV’s exterior has a minimalist feel. There’s nothing to denote that this is a gun range besides the monogram in the corner, the large red door and the TTAG writers loitering by the entrance. If you don’t know what you’re looking for you could miss it. As soon as you grab the semi-automatic door handle you know you’re headed for a ballistic bounty.
The interior is far more inviting than other Vegas machine gun ranges’ bus station-like waiting rooms. There’s some MGV merchandise sprinkled around the room, but the focus is clearly on the customer experience, not the tourist tchotchkes. You reserve your machine gun shooting package of choice at the desk. No line, no wait. Just tell them what you want to shoot, sit down and relax. Small tables ringed with chairs dot the center of the spacious waiting room.
For those who want a more private experience, MGV offers a VIP area with a separate range and waiting area away from the unwashed masses. It runs $100 more per head Given the salubriousness of the general range area I’m not seeing that much benefit. Then again, you’re also talking to someone who doesn’t get strip clubs, VIP or otherwise.
When your trigger time arrives, a range officer meets your party tableside. There’s a short discussion of range safety rules before they lead you out onto the range proper.
The main shooting range is a smaller than I expected. There are 10 lanes and about 25 yards of distance. That length of the range makes sense for machine gun shooting, but there were definitely more than a couple rifles in the cabinet which would be absolutely wasted at those short distances. Oh well — this is all about pulling triggers, not improving accuracy.
MGV offers a number of different packages, many appealing to customers who’ve seen particular machine guns in the movies or video games. Options can be found here. They include themed packages like “The Gamers Experience” featuring famous video game-related firearms. Full-auto firearms are also available a la carte from their list for those who want something different.
Up on the line, your RSO walks you through the gun’s manual of arms and gets everything prepped. All you need to do is grab the gun and pull the trigger. Once you’re done, you can take a couple selfies with your gat of choice before handing it back to the RSO.
You get a new target for each person on each gun. There were a couple pads of targets hanging on the back wall; shooters are encouraged to grab a new one for each new magazine. I appreciated the ability to see how well I did with each gun, and the free targets eliminated the other ranges’ feeling that you’re being nickel-and-dimed to death.
Once you’re out of ammo (or money) MGV’s shuttle service will take you back to your hotel of choice, gratis.
Machine Guns Vegas is the best shooting experience for your buck on the Las Vegas strip. Establishments like Battlefield Vegas have a bigger selection of giggle-switch enabled guns, but MGV’s combination of helpful staff and upscale ambiance make it then to beat.