Coming soon: Hone your shooting skills in Carpentersville

Carpentersville will soon be home to Chicago Armory, a 25,000-square-foot firearms training facility catering to novice to advance gun users and focusing on gun safety and training.

Carl Swanson owns the building in the Commerce Parkway industrial park, off Route 31 in Carpentersville, and is a general partner for Chicago Armory. He said once he opens in March, the facility will be the only one of its kind in the Chicago area. It will offer three indoor ranges for all types of shooting handguns to hunting rifles to assault rifles.

As budgets are shrinking in police departments across the country, Swanson thinks officer layoffs are going to prompt people to find new ways to protect themselves.

“People really need to be able to provide their own security,” Swanson said.

Mt. Carroll's North American Weapons and Tactical Training Center will use the facility from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week, but Chicago Armory will be open for the public before and after those times as well as on the weekend. People can come in, rent guns, practice their shooting and take training courses to qualify for Chicago gun ownership or concealed carry permits for the states that allow them.

Chicago Armory also will be equipped for leagues and competitions once it opens.

R Guns, another Carpentersville business, will sell in the retail space of the facility.

The Carpentersville village board voted unanimously to grant Swanson a special use permit for his new business at its Tuesday meeting.

“It will be a facility for quality training, small retail and the village will see some increased sales tax revenue from this,” Trustee Judy Sigwalt said.