Main Street Minute: Personal Defense Center and BDAC | Video

Retha Colclasure | 3/4/2013

A Bismarck pawn shop is expanding in an unusual way to meet the needs of Bismarck and a new art exhibit is on display.

There are a lot of people in North Dakota who enjoy shooting guns, but not many places to practice indoors during a North Dakota winter. That`s about to change. The Personal Defense Center is opening an indoor pistol range in the back of Jay`s Pawn Shop on Airport Road in Bismarck.

The 20 yard range is an ideal place for people who want to practice defensive shooting and get familiar with a handgun, especially if they`re interested in a concealed carry permit.

“A lot of people go out and get their permit. They do the testing which is good but they don`t do anything else after it. It`s kind of like learning to drive a car and then never driving it. You get the laws down, you get all that stuff down but you never practice," said Nicholas Couture with the Personal Defense Center.

The range should be open within a few weeks. They offer annual memberships and have daily walk-in rates. Couture also plans to use the space to offer classes on a wide range of topics.

A new art exhibit is open in downtown Bismarck. "Facing It" showcases a variety of new artwork from artists Tyler Huber and Austin Schmaltz. The exhibit will be open until March 30 at the Bismarck Downtown Artist Co-op on North 4th Street.

Normal hours at the BDAC are Thursday and Friday from 10:00 to 8:00, and Saturday from 10:00 to 4:00.

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