Go Full Auto

If You Are Looking For an Opportunity to Go Full Auto – Visit Big Sandy

Travel checklist complete. We have directions, drinks, a variety of snacks, and a feed-belted machine gun. Pretty much everything a serious road trip needs. This is obviously not your everyday run-of-the-mill road trip, though. We are setting off before dawn to travel through the backroads of Arizona on our way to the Big Sandy Shoot. The largest machine gun shoot in the US. The trip is a nice adventure in and of itself, and the destination is unlike anything most people have ever experienced! It’s time to go full auto.

Twice each year, MG Shooters LLC hosts a huge recreational machine gun shoot at the Big Sandy range. MG Shooters has been hosting shoots for over 30 years and eventually grew to what it is today. The Big Sandy Shoot is the world’s largest privately owned, civilian-based machine-gun shoot. While the shoot is obviously the main point of this discussion, I would be remiss if I did not mention the incredible nature of the Big Sandy Range. I have visited ranges worldwide, and each has its own selling points.

The Big Sandy, however, is in a class all its’ own. Designated as an impact area by the government, very little cannot be shot or blown up at this scenic location. That range has a firing line over a quarter mile long with a maximum range of 1200 yards. It has over 1000 reactive targets and includes hardened concrete walls down range to allow companies and shooters to really test penetration. Located in Northwest Arizona between Wikieup and Kingman, the range has been host to countless TV shows and film projects and, in its short time, has become known worldwide. Throw into the mix the beautiful scenery associated with this part of Arizona, and it becomes a great day in short order.

In The Middle of Nowhere

The trip to the range is a somewhat cliché backroad venture from Phoenix. The mostly two-lane highways wind through tan desert studded with cacti and low brush. We roll through Wickenburg with its dude ranches and gift shops and continue north. As we crest one hill, the desert changes to an endless sea of Joshua trees, and the thought of alien landscapes enters the discussion. A small curious oasis pops into sight, and a stop is definitely required. Welcome to Nothing, Arizona. The current population appears to be zero. It consists of a boarded-up, sun-chewed shack that once housed a shop and a gas station.

A warning is scrawled in black spray paint: “No Trespassing. Private Property. Keep Out.” We press on and soon hit Wikieup. It is a desert town like so many spotted across Arizona. It consists of a bar, a barbeque joint, an auto shop, and a collection of trailers. The population is a whopping 133 people. We are close now, and the excitement builds. At the designated mile marker, we head off the paved highway into a labyrinth of winding dirt roads, slowly taking us to the range. The roads are oddly well maintained, and while dusty, they offer little challenge.

That is, until we need to cross the stream that stands between us and our destination. The water was low, and the ground was firm enough that there was no issue with steady movement through the shallow water. I would have second thoughts about small cars, however. After a tour of the regional terrain, we finally arrived and prepared to take some machine gun action.

Well Organized

Following a well-organized registration and check-in process, we are shuttled up a hill to the firing line. We arrived shortly before the firing line opened, and people were happily milling around or getting equipment set up. The line is a quarter-mile-long series of sun canopies and automatic weapons. Even in March, the Arizona sun makes a sun shade a must-have. Just behind is a line of campers and trailers belonging to the shooters who will be calling Big Sandy home for a few days. A walk down the firing line is like a trip through the biggest machine gun collection in the world. There are modern-day belt feds sitting right next to World War I water-cooled machine guns. As we finally near the end of the line, we come across a collection of canons that are also being prepped for shooting. This is going to be a good day.

As the clock strikes noon, the range master gives the signal, and all hell breaks loose up and down the line. It was time to go full auto. The actual range turns into a cloud of smoke and dust as shooters hit pre-positioned exploding targets provided by the range. To the uninitiated, this wall of sound and flying brass is enough to make the hardest person grin. To me, it was an incredible opportunity to visit with people who have a passion for full auto, even with the challenges they face.

Firearm Owners Protection Act

In 1986, we were introduced to the Firearm Owners Protection Act. This was a double-edged sword for gun owners because while it was primarily an attempt to protect gun owners, it also included a ban on any future new automatic weapon purchases. In essence, civilians would not be allowed to own any automatic weapons manufactured after 1986. This created a finite pool of existing weapons, and with one political signature, the price of these weapons skyrocketed.

The actual law is about a billion words long, but this covers the gist of it for our purposes. This is also one of the factors that cause serious gun owners, and especially machine gun owners, to cringe when they hear the media call everything a machine gun. For example, a full auto M16 can run into the $20,000 + range. So, the idea that some street thug robbed a Quickie mart with a real M16 is the equivalent of saying his escape car was a Ferrari. Understanding the price tags connected to many of the guns on the line, I was in awe.

A Variety of Shooters

The shoot is mostly a recreational opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts to shoot their prized possessions on a great range. They pay a set fee and are assigned their own little piece of the firing line to occupy during the shoot. Spectators are not left out, though, as MG Shooters has a tent set up where visitors can crack open their wallets and get some time on some very nice machine guns. While the initial crush of automatic weapons fire has died off a bit, the shooting continues up and down the line.

There is an occasional excited burst of fire up and down the line as the folks from MG Shooters fly one of their many remote-controlled aircraft out over the range area, daring everyone to shoot it down. They make a few passes, but the plane is soon in pieces near a cactus downrange. It was yet another chance to go full auto. I asked the organizers how much ammunition is shot each year, and the answer was incredible.

3.5 Million Rounds

On average, there are over 3.5 million rounds fired per shoot. Considering that some of this ammo can run into the $4.00 a round range, the price tag makes your eyes water. As I start to do the math in my head, I hear a serious boom near the end of the line, and I realize the canons are firing. People are gathered around as these antique lead launchers are loaded and aimed. The primary gun on the line now has two people sitting on it as the command “Fire in the hole” rings out. With that, a thunderous thump and boom, followed by a cloud of dust drifted off the gun.

A shell the size of a large water bottle ejects to the ground, and the team gets ready to go again. The shouts and cheers following the shots never cease, and only when it is time to take a break does the crowd begin to break up a bit. The shooting continued until late afternoon when a cease-fire was called. It was time to reset everything and allow everyone to get ready for the night shoot. The night would soon be alive with tracers and flares.

Friendly People

While it was no surprise to me, seeing how friendly and open the shooters were was still a pleasure. These people are passionate about what they do and eager to answer questions. The shooters spanned the entire spectrum of society with one connecting link – their guns. A shooter from this station would be visiting with shooters at that station.

They would quickly hop in to help each other if they had mechanical issues, and many shooters would set up complete work benches. An unfortunate aspect of these guns is that they are getting older and require a skilled hand to keep them running. There is no need for outside experts, though, as many of these folks know their guns better than the people who originally built them. The range cadre regularly patrols the line to ensure that safety remains the priority. While not everyone’s cup of tea, the Big Sandy Shoot is a must for anyone interested in the full auto world. It has an almost family reunion feel to it…just with automatic weapons.

For more information, visit: https://bigsandyshoot.com/