About Us
The Lakeland Rifle and Pistol Club (LRPC) is a privately owned gun club with membership open to the public. Men, women, and children can enjoy this private, safe shooting facility 365 days a year.
The club supports individual marksmanship, competitive shooting, safety, education, training, social events, and family values through youth events.
Our facility is located near the Polk Parkway / US 98 intersection in Lakeland, making it easy for members to enjoy. Located on twenty-eight acres, the facility includes a training range, 25, 50, and 100 yard rifle ranges, handgun ranges, trap, skeet, 5 stand and sporting clay fields.
The clubhouse facilities feature a business office, meeting and training rooms, an area for social gatherings and a kitchen. Members can purchase targets and other shooting items at the clubhouse.
We are affiliated with the National Rifle Association (NRA), Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), and the Florida Firearms & Shooting Foundation. The Florida Firearms & Shooting Foundation owns the property adjacent to the club and the gun club leases their property for various activities and events.
Shooting events held on a regular basis at the club include training, rifle, CMP, rimfire, youth, pistol, shotguns and more. Members are encouraged to coordinate and hold events of interest to them.
The Central Florida Gun Show, held several times a year now at the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus, is a long-standing club fundraiser and is one of the largest gun shows in the Southeast. It attracts vendors from all over the United States. One of the benefits of membership in the LRPC is being able to volunteer at the show, getting an inside glimpse of this Lakeland tradition.
Message from a Member:
“Welcome to the Lakeland Rifle and Pistol Club (LRPC) website. The home page provides a brief overview of LRPC as well as links to respective programs and activities. The key words on the home page are “private and safe shooting facility.” The good old days of shooting in a local phosphate pit are long gone. You have to go to a public or private range unless you know someone with a lot of land. I started shooting again in 1998 at some local ranges open to the public. These places could be very hazardous to your health as you all too often ended up looking at a gun muzzle pointed in your direction!
Co-workers introduced me to LRPC and I was immediately impressed by the facility, range safety culture and members’ firearms/shooting expertise. You don’t just walk in, fill out a form, pay your dues and become a member. Prospective members must not only learn the range rules; they have to demonstrate safe handling and actual firing of weapons. One doesn’t have to be an expert marksman; but you have to handle weapons safely! Once you become a member, you are a range safety officer. The range is open 12 hours/day year round, which works out to less than $0.05/hour range access. Plus, all dues can be worked off. A member can also bring 2 shooting guests at no additional charge. So, if you are looking for a much safer shooting environment, at a very reasonable cost, check us out!
LRPC has been sponsoring the Central Florida Gun Show since 1968. This quality event is our main fund raiser and helps minimize annual membership dues. Shows are held every third weekend in January, May and September. If you want beanie babies or Elvis paintings, try a flea market or some of the other local shows. If you are looking for a quality selection of all things firearms related, this is the show to attend. Members who help work the show receive credits for dues reductions.
LRPC membership not only gives you access to our 28 acre facility with eight ranges; you become part of our 300+ membership community. We have as members men and women who in their professional lives are current and former firemen, judges, attorneys, gunsmiths, tradesmen, utility workers, phosphate miners, IT, gun shop owners, machinists, construction contractors, bowling alley managers, jet pilots, accountants, physicians and lumberjacks. Our law enforcement members have worked as deputies, FBI, Fish and Game wardens and even Canadian policemen. Many members are veterans or retired military. Our female members include nurses, marshals, bank managers, teachers and firearms instructors. We have Camp Perry shooters and coaches, bench rest shooters with ¼ inch groups at 100 yards as well as some rank amateurs just starting to shoot. If you need a third party opinion on buying/selecting a gun, reloading equipment, optics, ammunition etc., club members will have that expertise or at least point you in the right direction. Also, if you want to try out a particular weapon or piece of equipment, chances are some member has one and will let you check it out.
Our many firearms instructors teach hundreds of students every year at the range. LRPC strongly encourages all firearms owners, particularly concealed weapon permit holders, to become proficient with their weapons and practice at least several times a year. All too many people get their permit, and afterward rarely shoot their weapon.
Along the same lines, LRPC has been providing free firearms instruction to juniors for 35 years. Our Junior programs, which run from October through April, consist of students age 7-17 who are able to accept and apply instruction. Parental or guardian involvement is required. New students will receive medals which can be increased from marksman up to expert with improvements in proficiency.
The Junior program teaches students what to do if they find a weapon, safe handling procedures, and actual firing of 22 Anshutz rifles.
Successful completion of the Junior program qualifies students to join the Advanced Junior program. Established in 2012, this free program introduces the students to more advanced bench rest shooting as well as pistol and shotgun.
Prospective members are encouraged to call the range at 863-665-0092 and make arrangements with our full time administrator for a tour or to observe a shooting event. Non-members who are experienced shooters may participate in supervised shooting events as well. Call ahead for details.
Tom Blount, former Head of Safety Committee; former Board member; and Pistol Match Director
