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Marksman
Machine Gun America attraction opens in Kissimmee
By Steven Lemongello
Visitors don't need a sign to know which building in the otherwise nondescript mini-mall is Machine Gun America — they just need to listen for the occasional gunfire that echoes through the walls..
Central Florida's "first Automatic Adrenaline Attraction" opened its doors this weekend in Kissimmee, and visitors from as far away as San Francisco and Brazil stopped in to fire a range of automatic and semi-automatic weapons in a variety of themes — from "Zombie Apocalypse" to "Automatic Divas."
"Yesterday was our first day, and we hit all our targets," said manager Bruce Nierenberg. "It was a nice, consistent traffic flow all day, and that's always good when you first start."
The building, which formerly housed theSizzlin' Grill Restaurant, could almost pass for a corporate cafeteria if not for the multitude of weaponry mounted behind the counter, the shot-up poster of Osama Bin Laden laying against the glass and the gift shop with T-shirts proclaiming "I shot zombies in Orlando."
Another T-shirt announces "I shot at Machine Gun America" through words and deeds — or more precisely, the bullet holes in the red and black target on the shirt, which can be mounted in the gun range for your firing pleasure.
"I shot two guns at this," said Max Nelson, 14, of San Francisco, holding up his bullet-strewn shirt. "An MP5, fully automatic, and I think it was an ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) …"
"An AK-47," his dad John corrected him
"Right, an AK-47, which is semi-automatic. It was really awesome. I got some pretty good shots. I got a little crazy with the fully auto-, but it was really fun, really cool. I'm definitely going to wear this to school if I'm allowed to."
Word of MGA seems to have traveled far — the Nelsons "heard about this from our cousins in Wisconsin, if you can believe that!" John said. "The safety here is really something. These guys really make sure you're safe."
"I learned a lot about gun safety," Max added. "I learned a lot about how to properly stand. It's really not as dangerous as you might think actually."
What makes MGA unique, said manager Nierenberg, was that no shooter is alone and everyone is joined by a trained "range safety officer."
"That's what we want to communicate to people," Nierenberg said. "No one here shoots by themselves. … We want to make them feel comfortable and safe, and then they can have a good time."
Nierenberg also expects a lot of international visitors, like Sergio and Lucia Armelin of Sao Paulo, Brazil
drawn in part by the vast differences is gun laws.
"In Brazil, you cannot shoot like that," Sergio Armelin said. "You cannot have these kinds of machines. It's very different."
Lisa Tropepe, of Palm Beach Shores, the wife of one of the owners, tried out her own shooting prowess on a target coated entirely in pink and black — except for the target at the heart, white and full of holes.
"Nice grouping," said safety officer Natasha Schweitzer of Kissimmee. "Seriously!"
Nierenberg said that he expected traffic to build over the course of Christmas week
as more visitors arrive. "And New Year's will be even busier," he said.
"We had a ball with it," John Nelson said. "An absolute ball. There was this thing that we didn't understand before, and now we shot a machine gun. You got to love that."
By Steven Lemongello
Visitors don't need a sign to know which building in the otherwise nondescript mini-mall is Machine Gun America — they just need to listen for the occasional gunfire that echoes through the walls..
Central Florida's "first Automatic Adrenaline Attraction" opened its doors this weekend in Kissimmee, and visitors from as far away as San Francisco and Brazil stopped in to fire a range of automatic and semi-automatic weapons in a variety of themes — from "Zombie Apocalypse" to "Automatic Divas."
"Yesterday was our first day, and we hit all our targets," said manager Bruce Nierenberg. "It was a nice, consistent traffic flow all day, and that's always good when you first start."
The building, which formerly housed theSizzlin' Grill Restaurant, could almost pass for a corporate cafeteria if not for the multitude of weaponry mounted behind the counter, the shot-up poster of Osama Bin Laden laying against the glass and the gift shop with T-shirts proclaiming "I shot zombies in Orlando."
Another T-shirt announces "I shot at Machine Gun America" through words and deeds — or more precisely, the bullet holes in the red and black target on the shirt, which can be mounted in the gun range for your firing pleasure.
"I shot two guns at this," said Max Nelson, 14, of San Francisco, holding up his bullet-strewn shirt. "An MP5, fully automatic, and I think it was an ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) …"
"An AK-47," his dad John corrected him
"Right, an AK-47, which is semi-automatic. It was really awesome. I got some pretty good shots. I got a little crazy with the fully auto-, but it was really fun, really cool. I'm definitely going to wear this to school if I'm allowed to."
Word of MGA seems to have traveled far — the Nelsons "heard about this from our cousins in Wisconsin, if you can believe that!" John said. "The safety here is really something. These guys really make sure you're safe."
"I learned a lot about gun safety," Max added. "I learned a lot about how to properly stand. It's really not as dangerous as you might think actually."
What makes MGA unique, said manager Nierenberg, was that no shooter is alone and everyone is joined by a trained "range safety officer."
"That's what we want to communicate to people," Nierenberg said. "No one here shoots by themselves. … We want to make them feel comfortable and safe, and then they can have a good time."
Nierenberg also expects a lot of international visitors, like Sergio and Lucia Armelin of Sao Paulo, Brazil
drawn in part by the vast differences is gun laws.
"In Brazil, you cannot shoot like that," Sergio Armelin said. "You cannot have these kinds of machines. It's very different."
Lisa Tropepe, of Palm Beach Shores, the wife of one of the owners, tried out her own shooting prowess on a target coated entirely in pink and black — except for the target at the heart, white and full of holes.
"Nice grouping," said safety officer Natasha Schweitzer of Kissimmee. "Seriously!"
Nierenberg said that he expected traffic to build over the course of Christmas week
as more visitors arrive. "And New Year's will be even busier," he said.
"We had a ball with it," John Nelson said. "An absolute ball. There was this thing that we didn't understand before, and now we shot a machine gun. You got to love that."
