WW2 Small Arms Experience
Recommended by 99% of travelers
New Hampshire, USA
- 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
What's Included
- All firearms & ammunition
- Safety glasses & hearing protection
- Use of range
- Paper targets
- One on one instruction by experienced range officer & historic armorer
- This is an outdoor activity, be sure to bring your favorite bug repellent
- SnacksWe keep bottled water on hand for everyone, but feel free to bring a snack or bag lunch
- Space is limited to four participants. Please do not bring extra people who are not registered.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 623 Meany Rd, Charlestown, NH 03603, USA
Participants to meet at our shop at 623 Meany Rd
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.11:00 am
What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 2 hours of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Most travelers can participate
- Participants must be able to walk on uneven terrain and sit/kneel/stand in various positions to safely operate different firearm types.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Daniel_B
Myself, my 2 sons and son in law had an amazing time learning all about the various WW2 weapons on hand. Pete was an extremely knowledge host, and geared his explanations to the various levels in our group. My youngest son 20 years old is a WW2 buff and he could have stayed all day listening to Pete. We already have 2 from the group planning a return trip , I would highly recommend Pete's adventure to all.
Reviews
4.9
based on 99 reviews
Brad_D, Jan 2026
This is a history lesson you can’t get from books alone. You get to feel and see weapons and here of their strengths and weaknesses from someone who knows them intimately.
JoMarie_F, Oct 2025
Great chances to make a deep dive into the history of WWII and get up close and personal with the iconic firearms. Pete has an amazing collection and can give you the backstory behind each gun if you are interested in the historical context. He personalizes the experience to your specific interests—so if you just want to shoot you can, but if you are a history buff you can get the whole story! I appreciated that flexibility and really enjoyed learning the history of some specific guns in his collection. Of course the shooting range was the highlight—and despite wet weather it was comfortable. Pete has it setup with a tarp to protect the shooting position against weather and even with steady rain I was able to stay dry while shooting. Highly recommend this unique experience!
Daniel_B, Sep 2025
Myself, my 2 sons and son in law had an amazing time learning all about the various WW2 weapons on hand. Pete was an extremely knowledge host, and geared his explanations to the various levels in our group. My youngest son 20 years old is a WW2 buff and he could have stayed all day listening to Pete. We already have 2 from the group planning a return trip , I would highly recommend Pete's adventure to all.
Katherine_d, Jun 2025
This was absolutely incredible. Pete is a wealth of knowledge and it was a really enlightening and educational experience. Be prepared to be there longer than you think as he has many stories to tell and they are all worth sticking around for. We were there for 7 hours and had a blast, pun intended.
Leland_B, Jun 2025
The experience is as much about history as shooting the weapons. I’ve studied WW2 history for almost 40 years and I still learned do much!
Of course shooting the actual weapons is so cool!
Stacy_R, May 2025
Amazing experience! We learned so much about the history and the how each gun was developed over the course of the war and why! I would highly recommend for anyone truly interested in the history behind these firearms!
Kathy_D, Oct 2024
Pete was very knowledgeable about weapons of all sorts. He had stories and interesting information that kept things going. We enjoyed shooting the rifles, pistols and the 30-cal machine gun!
Cliff, Oct 2024
Pete was awesome and has an amazing collection of firearms and knowledge about that era. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
HOWARD_G, Aug 2024
Very knowledgeable, very relaxed, great day all round. I have never seen quite so many weapons in one place …
Lexi_S, Aug 2024
This was a FANTASTIC way to spend the day in NH. It was a gift for my bf who is a history fanatic and a weapons owner. It was great to see him be able to geek out with someone who knew just as much and had just as much passion for the topic!! He is a seasoned gun owner and I am a total newbie and the instructor was very good at helping both of us feel confident and comfortable I cannot recommend this enough!!!
Luc_H, Aug 2024
Pete of Historical Shooting Inc. really has a lot of knowledge! Before my son and I got to the actual shooting, he gave us a lot of really interesting info on the guns and their place in history. And what a collection of all kinds of fire arms! The actual shooting of the guns was amazing as well.
Highly recommended!
Paul_M, Aug 2024
Good Fun. Allot of history. Be ready to be in a small room listening to gun history for a number of hours . Then out shooting . You will leave having taken in more than you expected .
Joy_R, Jul 2024
My son Evan (18) & I had an excellent time! Pete is an Small Arms history expert and a great story teller. If you like history, especially WWII and Small Arms development, you will love this unique experience.
Larry_F, Jul 2024
Truly something different and out of the ordinary. My two adult sons and myself had a great time, first we had a review and history of each weapon and safe handling discussion prior to hands on in the field. Not to many people can say they fired a military issue gerand rifle, 1911 45 pistol or a fully automatic 30 cal. machine gun just to name a few of many to choose from. The owner Pete, is a gentleman and is an expert and very knowledgeable of WW 2 weapons and enjoys sharing its history, this is a bucket list experience, If you appreciate vintage weapons and the history that comes with it. Don’t hesitate, make your reservation, thanks Pete
James_C, Jul 2024
Pete was an excellent host. He has an impressive collection of firearms. He is planning upgrades to his presentation facilities and I would look forward to that.
Greg_D, Jul 2024
Great experience. Pets is extremely knowledgeable and has historical hand guns and rifles from all over the world. I got to shoot some really interesting guns. The history lesson was excellent. Highly recommended.
Steve_R, May 2024
An awesome experience. Unforgettable. Pete is a very personable, deeply deeply knowledgeable man. A collector of arms and memorabilia his entire life - WWII era, historical items brought home by GIs, 18th century arms, much much more. Pete will tailor your visit to your interests. My adult son and I are very interested in the history of the WWII firearms - pretty far along on the nerd scale. Pete ran with that - we arrived at 11AM (it's rustic and out in the woods - very NH). We met Pete and then talked through the history of WWII firearms non-stop until 3:30 PM. Took a short break (I had coffee with me) and then talked another hour. Then off to shooting, at a 50-yard shooting range not far from the house. Each of us could select a rifle, a pistol, and a submachine gun to fire. We also each fired a light machine gun - a Browning M1919 A-4. (Between us, we also fired an M-1 Garand, a Walther P-38, a Colt M1911 pistol, and submachine guns - a Finnish Suomi KP-31 and a Russian PPsh-43 ). There were numerous other choices - if it is shootable and Pete has ammunition (and that he has), you can choose to shoot it. If you are not as deeply in the weeds on the history, that is fine - Pete explained that some folks just want to do the shooting with just a little background. We were all in, with the result that we were with Pete from 11AM to 6:45PM (glad we brought a sandwich and coffee). If you have an interest in WWII history and are comfortable with firearms or want to experience them for the first time, I recommend this very highly. I have no clue where you could have an experience like this anywhere else (he has had guests from all 50 states and 14 countries). The value for the money is terrific - you will be shooting up a decent amount of expensive ammo. It was a great day and I am very glad to know Pete. I want to try out his flintlock experience too.
Haley_F, May 2024
Pete was extremely knowledgable and he made this experience so much more rich. Would absolutely recommend!
James_H, May 2024
Awesome day with Pete learning about weapons of WW2. Great value, recommend for experienced and beginners
Duncan_M, Mar 2024
Great guy with a real love of history!….and it shows! Pete’s got one heck of a comprehensive collection from matchlocks to M16’s. I did the WWII small arms course and you get to handle tons of sub machine guns, rifles and pistols issued by the various nations.
He knew my Dad was in the Ski Troops in WWII (10th Mountain Division). I got to shoot the same variant of the Browning 30 that Dad was issued.
Highly recommended!
Billie_A, Nov 2023
Pete has on particular gun that came with some paperwork. He was able to research the gun and find out who brought it back from the war. It was a nurse. Pete has so much knowledge about these firearms. They come from the axis and ally countries. He has a very large collection and he has painstakingly restored a lot of it so that it has returned to firing capacity.
We spent 6 hours there, listening to his stories, learning about his guns, and even shooting the guns. What a generous man. He truly loves what he does. Spend only a few hours here, or the whole day. You won’t be disappointed!
Bill_J, Aug 2023
Pete is good at what he does this was my second time with Pete, he knows a lot about the history of the fire arms. He has a large array of historical and modern fire arms. Will teach you how to use each and every firearm you choose to shoot that day. To anyone who wants to experience using historical and modern fire arms I highly recommend this experience. It's definitely something to as a bucket list well worth it.
Shana_U, Aug 2023
First off this is much longer than two hours!! Just so you’re aware.
But in saying that, it’s absolutely amazing. Truly such an experience, the guide is such a historian and his knowledge is unbound. And the husband and father in law had an absolutely amazing time. If you like history, this is for you
David_D, Jul 2023
Pete is an awesome guy! Very informative and entertaining! … and you get to shoot a machine gun!!! How can you beat that!
DANIEL_R, Jun 2023
Lots of information, very good historical context and also fun on the range. Pete was great. Good backstory and sense of the wartime perspective. Many entertaining and informative anecdotes.
Laura_B, Oct 2022
I went to the WW2 Small Arms Experience with a buddy who also loves history. The experience is led by Pete who is super friendly and knowledgeable. We spent lots of time going through Pete's extensive collection of WWII weaponry and memorabilia. Every piece had a fun story that helped to bring its history to life.
My friend and I both have some experience with shooting, but not with these vintage weapons. Pete made sure that we knew how to handle these guns and how to do so in a safe manner.
We shot a range of pistols, rifles, sub and other machine guns. We had an absolute blast! (Pun intended.)
Pete seemed to be having fun, too, and we ended up staying for hours.
I highly recommend this for people interested in WWII history, firearms and good company.
Michael_D, Oct 2022
Great day, very informative, some really touching stories that linked the weapons to personal history. Fantastic to discover that my wife is a great shot with a .45 automatic never having fired a pistol in her life. I would definitely come back if we revisit the US. Fully recommend!!
RebekahM, Oct 2022
While the facility consisted of a private residence and we weren't sure we were in the right place at first, the proprietor provided a wealth of information, had an incredible collection of memorabilia, weapons and documents and his enthusiasm was infectious. Highly recommend!
Robert_C, Oct 2022
Pete was amazing. He spent 6 hours with us and gave us an in-depth history of the WW2 guns we used. He also showed us a lot of artifacts helmets, maps etc.
Trayce_G, Aug 2022
Pete is a wealth of knowledge. It was important to him that we had a great experience. He took as much time as we wanted discussing history and then provided appropriate guidance during shooting. He cares about the story and history behind his collection, and it was clearly important to him that my son and I had a memorable experience. Top notch. We will be back.
From $179.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
WW2 Small Arms Experience
99
4 hours 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$179.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in New Hampshire, USA
More attractions near New Hampshire, USA