The Almaden Rifle range was a state operated range for the 2nd Battalion, 159th Infantry Regiment. It was located in the San Jose suburb of Almaden. The April 1926 issue of the California Guardsman indicated that this was a newly opened range. The April 1931 issue stated that the range was expanded and had 25, 200, 300, and 600 yard ranges. The last mention of this range appears in the May 1935 issue of the California Guardsmen.
From the February-March 1925 issue of the California Guardsman:
After negotiating for some time and overcoming some opposition, Major Mitchell has obtained a lease granting the Los Gatos and San Jose Companies the use of an excellent ground for a range, and the use for camp and field instruction of about 50 acres of varied terrain. The land is situated on the Almaden Road, 7 and ½ miles from San Jose, toward the south-east and about equal distance from Los Gatos. The range will now parallel that one now used by the San Jose and Mountain View Rifle Clubs.
The target pits will be backed by a range of hills, sufficiently high for safety and will be north-west of the firing points, insuring good light from the right and rear of the marksmen. Rather sharp hills, to the south, protect the range from high winds and there will be a slight, but hardly perceptible rise from firing points to targets. Ranges up to eight hundred yards may be obtained as well as separate sites for pistol and thousand inch machine gun and automatic rifle ranges.
Posted 18 March 2009