When Neighbors Complain, NH Gun Club Builds Noise Barrier; Everyone's Happy

A New Hampshire sportsman’s club is installing a sound dampening wall to reduce the noise pollution of gunfire. They’re not under any ordinance or legal requirement to do so — they’re just “committed to being a good neighbor.” 

The Exeter Sportsmen’s Club got a few complaints from neighbors about all of the noise. It kind of makes you wonder why these neighbors bothered buying property so close to a shooting range. Don’t get us wrong, we’d probably get annoyed too if we lived near a shooting range. It’s just that the Exeter Sportsmen’s Club is one of the oldest shooting clubs in the United States and has been up and running since 1878, so it’s not like the gun club suddenly built a shooting range next to a peaceful suburb or anything.

Still, the club is following the old motto, “good fences make good neighbors.” Or, more accurately, “good walls make good neighbors.” They’re erecting a 100-yard-long wall out of pea gravel to help reduce the noise pollution. The rough surface of pea gravel will break up sound more than a smooth wall. On top of that the wall is bulletproof, so it adds an extra layer of protection between the shooters and the homeowners. 

Members of the club have chatted with their neighbors and have received positive feedback about their efforts. Y’see? It’s amazing how easily people can get over a disagreement surrounding guns if people would just dial it down a bit and be reasonable about the matter. This way, both parties are happy and everybody gets to keep their guns.