Thieves used a forklift to break into a firing range in North Carolina and steal eight firearms, according to news reports.

The three robbers hit the Youngsville Gun Club and Range at 1.17am on May 1, kplctv.com and cbs17.com reported.

The gun club's security footage shows a compact forklift smashing through a security door before three men rush into the building.

Police say the men left with six handguns and two rifles.

“You can prepare for a lot of things. You cannot prepare for someone stealing a forklift and running it through a steel cage and breaking and entering into your business,” gun range owner Jason Gladwell said in a television interview.

In other late-night forklift crime news from the US, two men, Steven Mockel and Eric Temple, were charged by Californian police with possession of a stolen vehicle, as well as driving under the influence and resisting arrest. 

In a May 3 Facebook post, the Auburn Police Department said officers were responding to a 2am report of a stolen forklift when they noticed the vehicle cruising along a street with the passenger “casually sipping from a wine bottle”. 

“When police attempted a stop, both men decided to run for it.

“After a short foot chase, Mockel was caught without much fuss. Thanks to additional officers and some brave locals, Temple was also detained. 

“But the drama didn't end there—the abandoned forklift rolled back and smashed into a business's fence.”