The Wyoming State Shooting Complex events center is slated to include not just a general retail space for the complex, but a separate Civilian Marksmanship Program retail space, the first of its kind in the western United States, which will include on display many historic firearms. 

It’s an auspicious time for that space, as CMP recently announced it will be selling its extensive stockpile of M-14 rifles — once they’re adjusted to be legal for the civilian market. 

“That will be a significant draw,” Wyoming State Shooting Complex CEO Patrick Giles said. 

The preliminary design of a more than 20,000-square-foot building is a centerpiece of the complex south of Cody and includes space for a large conference center with a seating capacity of more than 600 using rectangular tables or roughly 425 using round tables. The space can also accommodate indoor air gun or indoor archery, as well as nonshooting events such as banquets, awards ceremonies after a competition, and business retreats.

Beyond that nearly 9,500-square-foot space, the plan is also to have, among other areas,  kitchen space, a classroom, gift shop, and rental and retail safes.

Giles said the CMP space will have a separate roll down security gate that will keep the area even more secure each night. 

He said he’s also had discussions with the organization about it potentially funding retail positions in the building. 

The retail space, Giles added, is well above the minimum requested by CMP. In fact, those designs are advanced enough — he said the design committee has had multiple meetings with Iron Spur Architecture Principal Architect Amber Conwell  — they can start moving toward a guaranteed maximum price on the center. 

“She has done a great job of representing the vision. She's been very responsive to the feedback,” Giles said. “The design committee was very supportive and excited about what she put together and shared to us, and we are moving forward with that design for her and the contractor to now work toward the guaranteed maximum.”