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“A lot of women who come in already own firearms, they just don’t know how to use them,” said Mike Perkins, who said women make better students because they come with few preconceived notions about shooting. Several people who came into the shop said their interest in the range was related to some high-profile crimes and brazen home invasions that have alarmed intown residents. “This is exciting,” she said, adding, “My mom would kill me if she knew I was here.” She smiled at the thought of her gift and the gun-filled glass case in front of her. “One of my neighbor’s home got broken into yesterday,” she said. Lyons said she’s even thinking about learning how to shoot. “Then I told him I was going to get him something manly.” “At first, I was going to get him some art,” she said. Her search brought her to the range for a gift certificate. “We try to offer a welcoming environment for women and children.”Īt the front desk last week, Mike Perkins helped explain the process to Justine Lyons, an Emory researcher who was looking for a Christmas gift for her husband. “We’re trying to differentiate ourselves in cleanliness, customer service and a well-lit range,” Perkins said. His parents - Jan and Mike Perkins - man the counter. The range wants to cater to first-time shooters, and Perkins said he hopes to win them over with kindness and chocolate chip cookies, which are offered at the front desk. Simply put, he said, “It’s a huge circle (I- 285) with a diverse population who want to shoot guns.” And there was nowhere to do it. “It was a pain in the butt,” said Perkins, who also owns a demolition company. The self-described “inside-the-perimeter kind of guy,” started shooting last year and had to drive to ranges in Forest Park, Norcross or Smyrna. Tyler Perkins, a 26-year-old entrepreneur, opened Quickshot in a brick building that used to house an auto repair shop. (The owners and their clientele) are removing some of the stereotypes surrounding guns.” Wolfman has shot there several times and said, “I’m always surprised to see who is walking through the door. “The area is not as liberal - or at least about guns - as you’d think.” “A lot more people are supportive of shooting than you’d think,” said Jonathan Wolfman, one of the owners of Soapbox Studios, which is near the range. Henry Batten, who is active with the Lindbergh-LaVista Corridor Coalition, which represents the neighborhoods just to the north of the area, said, “Most people would say, ‘At least its not another nail salon or check cashing place.’ ” “I’d be upset if that was in our neighborhood.” “I’m surprised because the NPU is filled with neighborhood activists,” he said. Gerry Neumark, vice chair of Neighborhood Planning Unit-F, which represents the Atlanta neighborhoods adjacent to the Zonolite area, heard nothing about it. The range, which is just outside the Atlanta city limits, quietly gained its permit and did not draw protests. The intown range has been open three weeks now and is drawing a steady stream of residents interested in their marksmanship, the discipline of precision shooting and personal safety.