[Don Glock]

...and boy was i pissed! i yelled "whoa! watch where you're pointing that!!". it was a taurus 1911, and he had his finger on the trigger too!


i went and told my buddies that work there and they told the guy guns cannot be loaded at the back table, only on the firing line (a rule that's in writing that this group of three imbeciles chose to ignore). they promptly cleaned up their brass and left (prob because i was giving them dirty looks lol).


sorry, but starring point blank down the barrel of a loaded .45 with an idiot at the other end is one of my pet peeves.


anyone else have their life threatened at the range due to careless people?



(sorry if my thread title needs to be edited, wasn't sure lol)

 

[TheLaw]

A main reason I all but refuse to go to a public range. I have gone before but I'm so worried the entire time I'm there I can't enjoy shooting. The last time I went, there were two young ladies in the stall next to mine. They had apparently never touched a firearm before and they were having trouble racking the slide, loading mags, etc. They had rented the firearm from the range and was sent in there with a box of ammo, eyes and ears. I spent almost the entire time helping them so I wouldn't get shot in the back.

 

[Don Glock]

A main reason I all but refuse to go to a public range.

you're right, my friend! i need to join a private gun club! too many first time gun renters at the public one....like you, i find myself watching the gun renters all the time to make sure they're not pointing anything at me, and it definitely is an annoyance. (the gun renters at the range i go to are given a blue plastic container to carry the rental gun and ammo in, so they're easy to spot).

 

[NWGlocker]

wow. glad you're ok DG. my only experience with that kind of clueless dork is in the retail section next my range. I just got swept last week.

two guys 9 feet to my right were inspecting a new gun while i was at the cashier. one of them had his hand on the grip and was inspecting the pistol from all angles. come to think of it I think he swept himself and his buddy as well

 

[TheLaw]

I have been kinda of lucky around here as I have a nice private outdoor range that's not too far of a drive. JL did a write up on it awhile back. I have also had the use of my Local Sheriff Office's range on the first Saturday of every month. While this is open to the "local public" they watch is like a hawk with Range Officers. It used to have a rather light turnout and once they learned who they could trust, you were allowed to do things like shoot on the move, close range, etc..

The Sheriff range actually just closed down for the winter. This sucks as I enjoy shooting there and the last time they closed for Winter, they didn't re-open for almost 2 years. They claim they will re-open March 2011.

The private outdoor range has separate shotgun, pistol/rimfire and rifle ranges. Going on a weekday is usually best as there is often no one there. The board of the range is ran mostly by older guys who's main focus is always skeet/trap, so they aren't very fond of any type of "tactical" stuff. I'm hoping as younger members apply and are accepted that this will change. When I say tactical, I'm referring to shooting on the move, drawing from concealment, close quarters training etc.. JL was able to get them to agree to NRA Training Course being held there, which is a start.

 

[Rowdie]

I've never had anyone point a gun at me on the range, but have in a lot of gun shops. Loaded or not, it makes me just a bit nervous and I say ugly things to them. The most un-nerving thing is to walk up to the firing line at the indoor range I go to and there are bullet holes in the tables and ceiling above the firing line! Scary stuff. I'm not sure it's the BG's we need to worry about!

 

[viclava]

The offender should be banned from the range for a while as punishment. Seems like a reasonable response for violating such a basic firearms rule.

 

[Don Glock]

wow. glad you're ok DG.

thank you my friend!

The offender should be banned from the range for a while as punishment. Seems like a reasonable response for violating such a basic firearms rule.

i agree!

sadly, the owner at this range values repeat business and the money it brings in more than his customers' safety, so people are rarely thrown off the range despite the constant unsafe behavior that goes on there. i've though it over, and despite having friends that work there, i will not frequent this range anymore.

tired of watching my back because of newbee range gun renters, or other asshats that lack common sense loading their guns at the back table, and walking the loaded weapon across the range floor to the firing lines.

the range recently started a policy of having an employee walk the range every 20 mins--that's great! so if i'm shot, my corpse will be discovered in no more than 20 mins.

 

[TedG954]

I avoid private indoor ranges like the plague. We've had 3 or 4 range-suicides (with rented guns) down here. The public range at Markham Park is run by a bunch of range officers that like to throw their weight around..... but ya know what? It's OK with me. They don't put up with any yahoos and I've seen people removed from the firing line and off the range for unsafe practices. Markham is run very well, and safe. Not only can you get shot at private range, you can also walk out of there with black-lung.

PS.... " the range recently started a policy of having an employee walk the range every 20 mins--that's great! so if i'm shot, my corpse will be discovered in no more than 20 mins. " Since you can bleed out in less than 6 minutes, be sure to get a lane near the donuts.

 

[GlockNewb]

Wow Don! Very glad nothing happened! It's one reason I like to go to the desert and find my own little hill to setup against. Perhaps a bit more of a drive, but nothing is out of my personal control then. Again, just glad no one was hurt!

 

[TheLaw]

I avoid private indoor ranges like the plague. We've had 3 or 4 range-suicides (with rented guns) down here. The public range at Markham Park is run by a bunch of range officers that like to throw their weight around..... but ya know what? It's OK with me. They don't put up with any yahoos and I've seen people removed from the firing line and off the range for unsafe practices. Markham is run very well, and safe. Not only can you get shot at private range, you can also walk out of there with black-lung.

PS.... " the range recently started a policy of having an employee walk the range every 20 mins--that's great! so if i'm shot, my corpse will be discovered in no more than 20 mins. " Since you can bleed out in less than 6 minutes, be sure to get a lane near the donuts.

Most of the indoor ranges around here are public and where much of the issues occur. A person can by a membership to the indoor range so they don't have to pay for each visit, or eyes/ears if they have to rent them but they still will be standing by someone who may have never touched a firearm before. Most of the outdoor ranges around here are private. The one I belonged to required meeting attendance, safety sign offs on each area and fees paid, of course.

 

[VolGrad]

I also avoid public ranges like the plague. I am a member of the same place TheLaw mentioned. That's actually how I originally met jlweelms a few years ago. Public ranges are DANGEROUS. Like Ted said ... we've had a bunch of range suicides here in GA this past year too. Scary stuff. You have to deal with the unsafe and the ones that want to die. No thanks.

 

[Don Glock]

The one I belonged to required meeting attendance, safety sign offs on each area and fees paid, of course.

that's exactly the kind of private range i need to join. accidental shooting can happen anywhere of course, but safety measures like that certainly do decrease the risk.

 

[VolGrad]

that's exactly the kind of private range i need to join. accidental shooting can happen anywhere of course, but safety measures like that certainly do decrease the risk.

It is nice. Our membership fee is too low to advertise and we have a key to the gate. We can come and go as we like with a few restrictions. No shooing before dawn or after dusk. No shooting before NOON on Sunday and no shooting before 9am during deer season as the family the club leases the property from retains hunting rights. It's VERY nice to have that type of safety and freedom.

 

[Don Glock]

I also avoid public ranges like the plague. I am a member of the same place TheLaw mentioned. That's actually how I originally met jlweelms a few years ago. Public ranges are DANGEROUS. Like Ted said ... we've had a bunch of range suicides here in GA this past year too. Scary stuff. You have to deal with the unsafe and the ones that want to die. No thanks.

yeah there's been a surprising number of range suicides in my area, but it's always happened at ones that rent guns. if these people already had guns they wouldn't need to go to a range to do that sort of thing. yet another reason to belong to a private gun club as you mentioned

also, not to sound callous towards mentally ill people, but someone offing themselves while i'm at the range doesn't concern me as much as people carelessly pointing loaded guns at me.

 

[coop]

That should never be allowed, and hopefully they will never be allowed back into the range.

The range I go to, is very good about watching people, and kicking anyone out, who does not follow the rules.

 

[VolGrad]

... but someone offing themselves while i'm at the range doesn't concern me as much as people carelessly pointing loaded guns at me.

True ... but a gun used to commit suicide is most likely NOT pointed down range and is thus still UNSAFE to other shooters. The round will probably deflect some too up close to the line depending on the angle of fire.

Then there's the mentally ill that wants to die and wants to take others with them. THOSE you have to worry about. Remember the lady that killed her adult son then herself on the line? Someone that sick might decide they want to take you and whomever else is there with them too. NO THANKS.

 

[Don Glock]

True ... but a gun used to commit suicide is most likely NOT pointed down range and is thus still UNSAFE to other shooters. The round will probably deflect some too up close to the line depending on the angle of fire.

Then there's the mentally ill that wants to die and wants to take others with them. THOSE you have to worry about. Remember the lady that killed her adult son then herself on the line? Someone that sick might decide they want to take you and whomever else is there with them too. NO THANKS.

i was thinking that myself, my friend hopefully i wouldn't be in the bullet's path if someone did try to off themselves. it's a rare thing, but it did happen at a range i frequent the day after i was there.

 

[230therapy]

anyone else have their life threatened at the range due to careless people?

At least he didn't shoot at you!

I was downrange checking a target during a cease fire when I heard shooting. I looked over and on lane #1 some numbskull was shooting. These idiots believed they were doing nothing wrong.

One time I was at an indoor range and looked over and watched a competitive target shooter point his target handgun at me, start loading it, and realize it was pointed down the line. He apologized profusely and it didn't happen again that day. I was nice about it.

Then there was the moron loading guns outside the shooting booth. He had a SIG on the table (slide closed, magazine inserted)...pointed straight back at his belly or door to the range (depending upon whether or not he was standing in front of the gun). I pointed it out and he didn't see anything wrong. I was not so nice in that instance.

I was the last guy on a range where a guy committed suicide. I remember he was shooting a heavy revolver and not doing too much shooting. I left and got a call the next day. I just feel sorry for the poor RO who had to close the range that night.