Another reason to avoid public ranges

[dr. mabuse]

Got a stern reminder today. Fortunately, no one got shot.

I was quickly checking a rough zero on a scope mounted on a FAL.

I walked down 50 yards and was putting up targets, turned around every so often.

Suddenly, a major asshat walks up to the bench, AR-15 in hand, finger near the trigger, maagazine in the mag well. And now he's monkeying with the charging handle, barrel down range.

Before the rangemaster could reach him, I shouted (as politely as I can as I don't want a ND in my general direction) "What in the HELL are you doing!? There's someone downrange. Put down that weapon NOW and step behind the line!"

Then he gets mad and yells "Well, o.k. Go ahead and finish what you are doing."

I walk back and said, " No one handles a weapon when someone is downrange. Period."

He says, " I didn't see you ( I'm 6'-4" 245 pounds, I was fifty yards away in bright sunlight, clothes contrasting against target and backstop ) and besides, I KNOW it's unloaded."

I said, " Doesn't matter if it was. People and things get shot with EMPTY weapons.
If you're sure it's empty, put the muzzle to your foot and drop the hammer."

He didn't do it and yes, I was prepared for him to try anyway.

He said he was there to teach his young son......TADA!.......gun safety!!

I finished my business and left. The rangemaster grilled him in a lighter tone on the same points. He was huffy and not man enough to humble humself, admit his mistake and move on. Good role model for his son. Some people don't deserve kids.

And no one else on the range called him on it either.

[Utah Bob]

I'm lucky to have a range here on the property. I shoot at 2 other places. Neither are open to the unwashed public.

[dr. mabuse]

On-site must be nice. I have access to an indoor private pistol range most of the time.

All of the people released from sanitariums in the 70's ( and the ADHD folks reproducing like rabbits) are infiltrating the gun culture.

Years ago, I was running a range and there was this LEO from South America ( Cartegena ). He had a 2 handed grip on the pistol, finger on the trigger and quickly, he pivoted up the barrel and looked straight down to see if it was loaded. Did it twice.

I showed him how a press check was done. Sheeesh.

[Paslode]

They don't play that way at our Public Ranges. We have at least one Range Boss on the line, two spotters and one minute warnings of cease fire.

Cease fire, cease fire all shooters on the line remove all magazines and clear the chamber, put all weapons in the rack muzzles pointed up and all bolts in the open position. When you are finished exit your booth, pull the chain across and turn your plates to green. No shooters are allowed down range until clear signal has been given. You may not re-enter your booth for any reason until all shooters have return from down range.

Failure to do so gets you an immediate expulsion.


That makes for an enjoyable and uneventful trip to the range.

[bravo22b]

Public ranges here in PA are a nightmare. They are generally pretty well maintained, but there is no safety system in place. There may or may not be a ranger that shows up at some point to check and see if people are breaking the rules, but usually not. Safety is totally up to the individuals on the range, and on average, 90% of the people on the range fall between complete idiot and merely uninformed. A trip to the public range here generally leaves me favoring some form of gun control because it is so painfully obvious that most of the people there should not be trusted with firearms. Just kidding, sort of.

The closer the range to a major population center, the worse. At least at the more rural ranges you generally get more hunters.

The only saving grace at the range I have generally used is that I am shooting at the 200 and 300 yard targets, which not too many other people use.

Last time, a buddy and I were the only ones shooting on the rifle portion when an overweight 20 something kid showed up with an AK-74. We asked him if he wanted to go downrange to set up a target. He declined, so we kept shooting. He must have spent at least an hour there expending a couple hundred rounds, and at no point did he set up his own target. There was nothing downrange that would have offered him any feedback on whether he was hitting anything, unless you count the dirt. WTF is the point of that?

That wasn't half as bad as the guy that pulled up looking like he was on his way to rob a convenience store. He got out with a pistol grip pump shotgun and fired five rounds from the hip in the general direction of the 300 yard target. Needless to say, I did not turn my back to him.

Fun stuff.

[dr. mabuse]

Paslode, it appears during the cease fire that this guy walked through the entrance from his car nad walked right up to the station. I believe there is only one range officer there.

BTW, running the range qualification part of the CHL classes, not matter what I or the Sheriff's deputy or chief say or do, ~ 2 out of 4 classes, we have someone turn around with a loaded gun pointed at us. No combat pay for that one.

[Paslode]

Originally Posted by dr. mabuse

Paslode, it appears during the cease fire that this guy walked through the entrance from his car nad walked right up to the station. I believe there is only one range officer there.

BTW, running the range qualification part of the CHL classes, not matter what I or the Sheriff's deputy or chief say or do, ~ 2 out of 4 classes, we have someone turn around with a loaded gun pointed at us. No combat pay for that one.

Nothing as described has ever happened at our range during my visits to our range. We have a person at the pay window, 2 or 3 in the observation area and one or two at the line entrance. New shooters are not allowed in the shooting area until the all clear is given at which time they are allowed into the booth to put their firearms in the rack and then take a seat outside of the booth until the next cease fire.

The only infractions I have seen at our range is rapid fire (we have a 3 second between rounds rule) and getting caught with steel core ammo.

Our public ranges in Parkville and Lake City are run by the Missouri Conservation Dept. They well staffed and the guys run a very tight ship, but I know others aren't so fortunate.

Next time I head up there I'll ask them what they run into.

[HOLLiS]

The anti-gun nuts have known it for a long time, some of their best allies and best source for anti-gun information are members in our own ranks.