By Rosemary McCoy

Want to try out a gun before you buy it and shoot at a few zombies in the process?

Gunway near Harrisburg touts its “try before you buy” service, allowing customers to rent any gun that’s for sale and use it on the range.

The shop opened a year ago along Highway 115 just north of Harrisburg. It’s a veteran-owned and operated business, manager Andy Hanson said.

“We’re not an exclusive shooting place,” Hanson said. “If you like guns, we like you.”

Gunway is a full-service shop, buying and selling new and used firearms, ammunition and accessories. It recently hired gunsmith Jeremy Poss to do service and refinishing work. Other staff members make custom holsters.

The business offers a setting where customers can gather and “shoot the breeze,” too. They can even build their own automatic rifle in the shop by renting the tools.

After buying the property, the business also purchased a freestanding rifle-rated range that’s set up outside. It features two 25-foot lanes with live-fire and laser capabilities. The interactive, video-based shooting targets include the zombies, military targets and other scenarios.

There’s even “kid-friendly versions like whack-a-mole,” Hanson said.

The tracking system for the laser guns provides target results, “where you shot, how quickly the shooter reacted,” he said.

Gunway hopes to start offering shooting safety courses. For now, it offers the South Dakota enhanced concealed carry class that allows permit holders to buy a weapon without a background check and meet the permit requirements for some other states.

Every Thursday is ladies’ night with half-price fees for the range.

The business also bought additional land and hopes to expand someday, Hanson said.