Stupid People

Its stuff like that, that keeps me from ever going to some ranges again. I send a nice hand written letter to the owners of the range and let them know that I will not only never go to their range again, but i will also tell everyone i know that they run an unsafe range and for them to never go to them.

You fail to run a safe range, or allow people to stay on the range after doing something like that, you dont want my money.

You are completely in the right. I've only been to ranges that had an on duty range master. Bad things still happen. People pointing their weapons the wrong way while loaded is particularly common. Thank you for bringing it to the attention of the owner and not just letting things go.

You are completely in the right. I've only been to ranges that had an on duty range master. Bad things still happen. People pointing their weapons the wrong way while loaded is particularly common. Thank you for bringing it to the attention of the owner and not just letting things go.

You are completely in the right. I've only been to ranges that had an on duty range master. Bad things still happen. People pointing their weapons the wrong way while loaded is particularly common. Thank you for bringing it to the attention of the owner and not just letting things go.

It is not about "not firing", it is about "not observing all safety rules".

A little patient instruction rather than a tongue lashing may sometimes reconcile the issue.

Are the range rules posted? If not, then that is a problem with the range. If yes, then maybe a tongue lashing was in order.

Don't compromise on safety. Period.

I even saw this happen in a deployed location in the middle east. A bunch of guys were downrange checking targets when this aircrew member shoulders his rifle and starts peering through the sights.

I quickly tapped him on the shoulder and advised him to ground the rifle before the SMS saw him/chewed off 9/10ths of his ass.

He sheepishly said "sorry," and quickly put it down.

Safety is everyone's responsiblity... don't apologize for embracing that.

You were right to call him on it, but I think you should have tried a less aggressive approach after you dealt with the immediate threat. I know you were angry, but the guy was probably open to being given a lesson:

"Listen - check for people downrange BEFORE you take aim. You could have killed someone doing that! Don't do that again, or I will get you kicked off the range. You got it?"

I have no doubt, if he has any sense at all, that he will comply. I imagine he won't forget it, coming from a guy like you. If he starts being an asshole, then you chew him out. It also makes you more sympathetic in the eyes of the owner.

You were right to call him on it, but I think you should have tried a less aggressive approach after you dealt with the immediate threat. I know you were angry, but the guy was probably open to being given a lesson:

"Listen - check for people downrange BEFORE you take aim. You could have killed someone doing that! Don't do that again, or I will get you kicked off the range. You got it?"

I have no doubt, if he has any sense at all, that he will comply. I imagine he won't forget it, coming from a guy like you. If he starts being an asshole, then you chew him out. It also makes you more sympathetic in the eyes of the owner.

I've had a similar experiance twice on a National Forest owned range that was self-policed. In one case a lady walked up and opened fire at someone else's target while people were downrange. Another time some people brought handicapped kids to teach them to shoot (a good thing) but did not have enough volinteers to give them 1:1 supervision and there was another near miss.

On the other hand I've been to ranges with gated booths and you could not even load magazines out of the booth on a cold range. There was also a no "human" target rule, even in silhouette and a 1 shot every 3 second rule. At another range, they would not make any accomidtaion for chronograph/gun allignment (trial and error over several hot/cold range cycles) and insisted that I rotate my huge 4-gun case 180 degrees on the small bench three times in order to load and unload it.

So I've seen both extremes. However, one just makes me mumble, the other makes me walk away.

Well Well.

Used to go to a local indoor range here in none other than BURBANK Ca.(former CONSERVATIVE stronghold until LOCKHEED left...go figure) had my cell-phone and spare mag ripped-off from the back bench while I was on the line. Noticed that I was flanked by the local chu-vato shaved heads to my left and right. Asked the "range monster" why G-bangers were even in there. His reply.. "Sorry dude, we can't discriminate. I go WWWAAAAY out in the desert now, they don't like the heat.

Guns don't kill people. Stupid people kill people.

A friend of mine was in Police Academy, and wanted to show his gun (a .38, standard, nothing fancy). He left it on his bed, and went to the bathroom. I took the gun, opened the barrel, emptied it, double-checked and "ok, now I can play".

Tried the weight, how it felt in my hands, etc. Finished, reloaded the think, left where I found it.

My friend returned, and started to show-off. I told him to be careful, but the idiot cocked the gun, to realize he could't release the barrel. So he pointed the gun down, and sloowly tried to return the hammer to it's position.

The thing went off, making a hole on the ground 2cm from my big toe.

It was my friend's first and last gun mistake, but now my toe has PTSD ;)

Around here (SE Michigan), the DNR ranges all have range masters and follow the rules very strictly. The indoor ranges are very good, but you don't have to go down range. The only places we have like you describe are private "sportsman's clubs" with outdoor ranges.

No issues, no riff-raff, no idiots.

The gangs in Detroit confine their target practice to Detroit...

I will never shoot at a range that does not have a range master. My only exception is if the range is 200+ yards and only if that is separate from the 100- yards. There are too many novices in the 50- yards with their new pistol to keep me more concerned with safety than with the price of shooting.

You were right to challange him but wrong to yell at him. Try to avoid escalating people's feelings when guns are around. When this happens in the future I'd advise a mature "fatherly" approach to the offender. Come across as an OK guy talking to another OK guy and you'll get his cooperation easier and faster. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vineger.

You are completely in right. I've only been to ranges that had an on duty range master. Bad things still happen. People pointing their weapons the wrong way while loaded is particularly common. I was sitting on a outdoor park bench and noticed a gun pointed right at me resting on a table.