Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The Range
Is Your Range Open to the Public?
Our range is a membership based facility. Memberships start at $25 for the year. You can find full range details under the Range tab.
What is the Minimum Age Requirement for the Range?
To shoot at West Coast Armory North, you must be at least 8 years of age and be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Children under 8 may accompany their parents to our facility, but are not allowed in the shooting bays. We do not provide child care.
Do You Offer Training Classes at Your Location
West Coast Armory North offers our Handgun 101-201 courses, as well as Handgun Cleaning and Maintenance! New dates are being added on a regular basis, but they fill up quick! Check out the Classes tab for more information, and to sign up for a class.
We also host a variety of classes at our location through InSights Training Center. To find out the next available course you are looking for, please take a look at our Calendar on our website, or you can simply visit the website of our knowledgeable instructors.
Do You Hold Any IDPA or USPSA Matches?
We hold a Tuesday night Action Pistol Match held by H&M Action Shot every week. Rules & requirements for the APM can be found here.
I-594 : How does it affect Range Use?
This is a confusing subject that we are still getting clarification on, so the information may change at any time. As far as we've been instructed, and can decipher, range use is relatively unchanged. Rental firearms are not affected, and classes/training held at ranges are unaffected.
West Coast Armory North- Pro Shop
Are You Able to Dispose of Old Ammunition?
If you have old or obsolete ammunition that you want to dispose of safely, we will take it off your hands and leave you with peace of mind and the knowledge that it will be disposed of properly. Old ammo can take up space, cluttering your storage areas.
Do You Purchase Used Firearms or Offer Consignments?
At this time West Coast Armory North is unable to take in any used firearms.
Do You Provide Firearms Transfers?
Yes, we provide firearm transfers as a service to our clients. If you are considering an online purchase, we would like the opportunity to earn your business. We can often save you money by ordering the firearm for you directly. Call us for availability and pricing to avoid the extra charge.
Please see our Transfer Requests page for more information.
Washington State Laws
How Do I Obtain a Washington Concealed Pistol License?
To apply for a Washington State CPL (Concealed Pistol License) you must be 21 years old, possess a Washington State drivers license or ID card, not be convicted of a felony or found not guilty of a felony by reason of insanity, and not have any outstanding warrants. The process requires that you fill out the application, be fingerprinted, and pay ~$60 for the license. This must be done at the police department or local sheriff office that has jurisdiction where you reside. It is best to call and find out when and where the department is offering the CPL application process, some departments are on a walk in basis and others only offer it a few hours during the week.
*Remember that you cannot carry a concealed gun with or without a permit at schools, courthouses, jails, mental facilities, any areas where people younger than 21 years are not allowed (like liquor stores), and music festivals.
How Old Do I Need to be to Purchase a Handgun/Rifle in Washington State?
Washington State law under RCW 9.41.240 allows for a person age 18 - 21 to posses a handgun in the person's place of abode, at the person's fixed place of business, or on real property under his or her control. You must be 21 years of age to carry, or to purchase a pistol or handgun from a licensed dealer in Washington State. See RCW 9.41.060 for exceptions.
The legal age to purchase a rifle in Washington State is 18 years of age.
May a Licensed Dealer Sell a Firearm to a Non-licensee who is a Resident of Another State?
Generally, a firearm may not be lawfully sold by a licensed dealer to a non-licensee who resides in a State other than the State in which the seller's licensed premises is located. However, the sale may be made if the firearm is shipped to a licensed dealer whose business is in the purchaser's State of residence and the purchaser takes delivery of the firearm from the dealer in his or her State of residence. In addition, a licensee may sell a rifle or shotgun to a person who is not a resident of the State where the licensee's business premises is located in an over-the-counter transaction, provided the transaction complies with State law in the State where the licensee is located and in the State where the purchaser resides and provided the sale complies with all applicable Federal laws. 18 U.S.C. 922(b)(3)
I-594 : What are the changes?
Because the new law is so complex and hard to understand, we are going by a letter-to-letter basis on implementation of the new standards. A few things to be aware of:
1- State background checks for those WITHOUT a current/valid CPL (Concealed Pistol License) are now a standard TEN (10) business day wait, instead of the older standard of only 5 business days. *Most transactions are still approved before the 10 business day period is up.*
2- Private Sales of firearms are now prohibited without undergoing a background check at a FFL holder's facility. This includes gun shops or pawn shops that sell firearms. *Our Transfer Fee is $50. WA State Tax is not required to be collected on these private transfers.*
3- We do not have all the answers. No one does. *Sorry*
If you'd enjoy a further discussion on what may or may not be allowed, feel free to come in and speak with the staff, or you may contact local lawmakers and enforcers to perhaps get further details. Thank you for being patient with us as we work through the adjustement period to the new law.
Gunsmithing Services
Does West Coast Armory North Offer Gunsmithing Services?
The only gunsmithing services provided by West Coast Armory North at this time are sight intallations. Install fee is $35, unless the sights are purchased through the Pro Shop here.
We can also assist with minor firearm issues - please call ahead to see what we can do, and be sure to ALWAYS bring your firearm in to the store in a CASE of some kind. We have cases to borrow or purchase if you do not have one for your firearm.
What is the Best Barrel Break in Procedure?
There are several proper ways of breaking in a barrel. You could argue until you are blue in the face about the best way to do it, but you will never win that argument. We have composed a few ideas in what has worked for us over the past 22 years.
We have seen barrel break-in performed several different ways, but the most popular is by polishing the bore first. Almost all high end barrel makers polish the bore from the factory and this step should be skipped if you're lucky enough to be purchasing one of these high quality barrels. If you are thinking about breaking in a chrome lined barrel - don't bother. There is no reason to break-in or polish a chrome lined barrel, the finish is very durable and any imperfections are now part of the hard chrome surface.
Polish the bore: This requires care and attention to details. First step is to round up a good stainless steel cleaning rod, a jar of JB bore cleaner, some proper fitting patches and nylon brush, and a high quality bore guide. Properly insert the bore guide and verify the fit then tightly wrap a patch around the nylon brush and place a fair amount of JB bore cleaner on the patch. Insert into the chamber guide and start pushing the rod through the bore. It is important to not let the brush and patches exit the end of the barrel, you want to keep the crown as pristine as possible and to be able to pull the brush back with the least amount of hassle. Perform 20 strokes, replace the patch and add more JB and keep going until you get to 80 or more passes. Once finished clean the barrel and remove the residual JB bore cleaner. I like to use Kroil for this step and for all finish passes when I clean a barrel. The idea here is to remove tool machining marks from the rifling process and provide a uniformly clean - polished surface to the bore.
Break in cleaning: Once the bore is polished or purchased as such, the break-in routine continues at the range (this is also a great time to start dialing in your scope). You will need the bore guide, cleaning rod, high quality copper solvent/bore cleaner, and a proper fitting jag with patches. The idea behind this break in is to flatten any remaing roughness and tooling marks onto a clean surface, not powder residue or copper. Shoot 1 round, clean the barrel with copper solvent until the patches come clean, and repeat 3 times. Now shoot 5 rounds - repeat twice, by now you should have shot a total of 13 rounds, the scope should be dialed in and you ready for some real shooting. Dislcaimer: This is the procedure I have learned from some top benchrest shooters, it may not be the best or the worst but works good for my application. I spoken with some of the best rifle makers in the U.S. about barrel break in and there is some consensus that it is not needed on high end rifles. Always follow the manufactures direction for break-in for warranty reasons.
Preferred Products: Butche's Bore Shine, Kroil Oil, JB Bore Cleaner.