Range 129 recently opened in Absecon.
ABSECON – Range 129, a state-of-the-art training facility that offers 20 pistol lanes, nine rifle lanes and a retail store, opened Black Friday, Nov. 23 at 129 Pleasant Ave. The 32,000-square-foot facility focuses on education, training and safety. A grand opening ribbon cutting will be held 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28.
Range 129 is the entrepreneurial vision of 26-year-old Margate resident William Wolfson. A 2015 graduate of Stockton University with a master’s degree in business administration, Wolfson visited an area range three years ago while he was a student at Stockton. Despite coming from a law enforcement family, William had never used a firearm before. Struck by the “laissez-faire approach” to shooting instruction at the range he visited when he was new to shooting, Wolfson saw opportunity.
“During that same time period, I was preparing to do my MBA project for school, which consisted of writing a theoretical business plan,” Wolfson said. “I had another business in mind already for the project, but my experience at the local firearm range changed my thinking because I saw an opportunity to design a business model that would far surpass the one I had just experienced.”
His project was so well received when presented to the class that he thought seriously about building such a facility. With support from his father and a year of planning and research, ground was broken for the project last April.
“Working with both architects and firearms experts, we created a state-of-the-art range that is second to none in its cleanliness, technology and visual appeal,” Wolfson said. “Everything was designed and built in accordance with our mission of creating a safe firearm environment by educating our clients through instruction on safety and through professional training.”
Range 129 consists of 20 pistol lanes at 25 yards and nine rifle lanes at 100 yards, making it the only 100-yard indoor rifle range on the East Coast north of Georgia. The ranges are independently ventilated with a multi-stage filtration system that ensures the user’s health and comfort.
Range 129 also features an extensive retail showroom, offering firearms, ammunition, rentals, apparel and accessories. Additionally, Range 129 offers a dynamic variety of courses, from beginner to advanced held in a classroom setting. The courses encompass the entire spectrum of firearms, from pistols to shotguns and rifles.
In addition to affordable daily fee rates, the range offers yearly individual and family memberships and special discounted rates for active and retired law enforcement and military personnel. Range 129 will also host parties, corporate events and various theme nights for ladies and veterans, among others.
An outdoor archery range will debut in January.
The range is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Call 609-380-2557, email info@range129.com, or visit range129.com.
