Sidney Paul Gordon Shooting Range Courts National Guard, Eyes 45-Acre Expansion in Busy May

The Sidney Paul Gordon Shooting Range had one of its busiest months of the year in May, serving 943 visitors while opening talks that could bring the New Mexico Army National Guard to the facility and add 45 acres to its footprint, according to the range's May 2026 monthly report to the Otero County Manager and County Commission.

The report, prepared by Range Master Mark Douglas and dated June 10, lays out a month of strong attendance, continued law enforcement use, and several developments that could shape the range's future.

National Guard weighs a local option

Among the month's most notable items, a spokesman for the Army National Guard unit stationed in Alamogordo approached the range about using the facility for firearms qualifications. According to the report, Guard members currently travel roughly 50 miles west to ranges on White Sands Missile Range to qualify.

Douglas wrote that bringing those qualifications to the Sidney Paul Gordon range "keeps The Guard local and builds community cohesion." The report noted that early discussions also raised the possibility of Guard members helping the FOLLR Foundation staff its display table at local gun shows. Douglas described the conversation as a first meeting, adding that "time will tell" whether it grows into a lasting partnership.

A larger campus on the way

The range is also in line to grow. The report states that the transfer of an adjacent 45-acre parcel from Christus Hospital to the county is in progress, a change Douglas said would expand the range's ability to serve the local shooting sports community.

That potential expansion follows improvements funded by a $99,999 grant awarded a year earlier through the New Mexico Economic Development Division. The grant replaced two 30-year-old firing-line canopies on the 200-yard rifle bay and the 50-yard pistol bay, added ADA-compliant parking pads at four communal shooting bays and the office and classroom complex, and is set to fund a new 100-yard archery bay.

Heavy law enforcement and military use

The range continues to function as a regional training site for police and federal agencies. The report names agencies that used the facility in May, including the Alamogordo Police Department, the Otero County Sheriff's Department, the New Mexico State Police, the New Mexico Livestock Board, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, the National Park Service, the Cloudcroft and Tularosa police departments, and Union Pacific Railroad Police.

Game and Fish officers were on site for day and night firearms qualifications, with one officer driving in from Roswell. Douglas argued that building more advanced shooting bays could draw additional agencies to qualify and train at the range.

The facility's role in the area's military community was also visible in pass sales. Of the 37 passes sold in May, 28 were military discount passes — 15 individual and 13 family — far outpacing every other category.

Memorial Day crowds and a self-defense seminar

The range stayed open on Memorial Day and served close to 150 participants over that weekend, the report said. The facility is open every holiday except Thanksgiving and Christmas. May activity also included four competitions and events hosted by the La Luz Shooting Club, the Otero Practical Shooting Association, and the Pisgah Long Rifles muzzle-loading club, drawing 67 shooters.

At the end of the month, the range hosted an NRA Refuse To Be A Victim seminar coordinated by the FOLLR Foundation and independent firearms instructors. Nine students attended, two of them traveling from El Paso, against a goal of twelve. Douglas called the turnout a success and said the range plans to hold the seminar several times a year.

The bottom line

Financially, the range took in $7,426.42 in May against $4,613.09 in expenditures, leaving an operating surplus of roughly $2,813 for the month. Revenue came from user fees ($3,027.39), pass sales ($2,097), donations ($1,233.27), target and snack sales ($704.45), and taxes collected ($364.31).

Online, the range reported about 6,400 Facebook page views and 1,591 lifetime followers, along with 339 Google Business Profile interactions — a 4.3% increase over the same month last year — and 141 requests for directions through its Google profile.

This article is based on the Sidney Paul Gordon Shooting Range's May 2026 monthly report to the Otero County Manager and County Commission, prepared by Range Master Mark Douglas.

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