Walking down pretty Nagymező utca, you wouldn’t think that Soviet Kalashnikov AK-47s, Mossberg M500s, Taurus M689s and many other weapons hide a few metres below ground. Shooting ranges are normally a bit out of the way in Budapest, but now there is one right in the city centre where you can pull the trigger under safe and strict conditions.

“60% of what you see in American movies is nonsense, while the other 40% is totally dangerous,” says Péter Jójárt, one of the owners of Budapest Shooting. They work with small teams that start every two hours, so it is highly recommended you book ahead. If you just walk in, you may find a slot with the next group, but there’s no guarantee.

You need to show ID and total sobriety – if you are questionable or troublesome, they get the probe out. With Budapest Shooting so close to the party district, you can never be too careful.

One of the most basic rules of shooting is that you only place your finger on the trigger when your aim is dead steady. If possible, always point the gun towards the ground or towards the sky, but even this is not a safe plan – the bullet can bounce back even from concrete or even from a body and still cause harm.

There are two soundproofed and ventilating rooms with special material on the walls that hold the bullets. Insulation with car tyres ensures that the glass jars on the kitchen shelves next door remain intact. To a certain extent, bullets can still bounce back from the walls, but they can only cause harm if they get in your eyes, so goggles are compulsory. So are ear shields.

There are standard and extra packages, which run between 18,000 and 22,000 forints, but these can be further extended. You can try a vide variety of guns, from old-style revolvers to the serious weaponry that international special forces use around the world.

District VII. Nagymező utca 37.

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