All he had to do was ask...

[PJR]

Our club hosted a charity sporting clays shoot for one of the conservation groups this weekend.

The inevitable logjam occurred at station 6. No problem. I was already so far out of the running that I was just enjoying a sunshine day and was happy to stand around shooting the breeze with my fellow shooters.

When it came my turn to shoot I want to the rack to grab my trusty subgauge and found it not where I left it but being held by a fellow I didn't know who was going over it in some detail with a friend.

"Excuse me," I said. "It's damn rude to pick up another man's gun without asking first. That gun's mine and I'm up to shoot." I was pretty blunt in my tone. :mad:

Embarrassed the man quickly put the gun in the rack.

I felt bad because if he'd asked I'd have stuffed a fistful of shells into his hand and insisted he shoot it. I like sharing my guns with fellow enthusiasts.

And if I like your gun I know for a fact that I can most often say the right words that will cause you offer to let me shoot yours. Doesn't matter whether it's a Fabbri or a Mossberg. If it interests me I'd like to shoot it.

But I'd never pick up another man's gun without asking first. Ever.

All he had to do was ask. :(

[dc0120]

I know I am new here but, I agree completely I don't care as long as you ask.

[RustyFN]

I totally agree PJR. I would and have offered to let people shoot any of my guns. But the magic word is offered. I wouldn't be happy either if somebody just helped them self to my guns.

[bakert]

Most people will if asked will not only let you look at and in many cases offer a chance to shoot it. That's what I usually do if somebody's interested or curious about one of mine. For someone just to pick up a stranger's gun or for that matter even a friend's wthout asking first is something that shouldn't be done in any instance. In fact I don't believe I've ever seen anyone do it at the many different places I've shot at but there do be idiots out there, especially nowadays. I know it would flat p--- me off.

[Eightball]

If someone just waltzed over and picked up one of mine, I'd be less than polite in insisting they give me back my firearm:fire: . However, if they are civil, and ask about stuff, I'm more than happy to let them shoot it. Taking without asking is akin to "stealing", wheras if they ask, it's "borrowing". At least so far as I'm concerned.

[sm]

PJR,

Common Courtesy, Respect, Ethics and Etiquette are not being taught and passed down today it seems - one would expect these indicators of character would at least be amongst shooters.

Sad.

[Dave McCracken]

Agreed. Manners are always important. They're the lube that reduces friction in interpersonal encounters.

He should have asked.....

[BozemanMT]

Yeah, I'd have been pretty grumpy. I'll stare at them in teh gun rack, but I would never think to touch someone's or even pick it up.
unbelievable :cuss:
you were totally in the right.
And just like you, I would have let them shoot away with it, had they asked.

[Biker]

Iagree fully. I feel the same way about my guitars.

Biker

[TrapperReady]

PJR - I wholeheartedly agree that someone shouldn't pick up or even touch another person's firearm without asking permission.* The only thing I think I would have done differently would have been to be less gruff.

Whenever my blood-pressure goes up about something, whether it's a safety issue or an etiquette problem, I always try to take "The High Road" as much as possible. Unless it is an immediate gross safety violation, in which case I'll be as forecful and abrupt as necessary, I always try to be polite... perhaps even overly so.

A while back, I was shooting a charity event and ran into a very good Master-class shooter I've shot with a couple times. Both of us were discussing how these events tend to have more than their fair share of safety issues and people doing things you just don't see at registered shoots. He gave me a good reminder (that still rattles around in my head to this day) that we always need to be ambassadors for our sport and that if we are anything less than friendly and polite, we can take potential shooters and turn them away from the sport.

Keeping that in mind, there have been a few times when I have gritted my teeth, put on a smile and been more polite than I would have thought possible. And at least so far, everyone I've spoken to has been very cooperative and appropriate in return.

--------------------------

* I once had a guy grab my O/U out of the rack in error and shoot a round of trap with it. Not only did his gun look nothing like mine (IIRC, his was a Mossberg and mine a Browning 425), but he was snapping it open and slamming it shut. I spoke to him mid-round, told him to finish out with it, but open and close it gently. He did, and was very apologetic afterwards.

[Oldnamvet]

At least he was embarrassed which indicated he knew he had done wrong. It could have been worse -- he could have acted snotty and belligerent.

[armoredman]

Good Lord help the person who grabs my gun....

[ArmedBear]

BTW, it also doesn't matter if said gun is an 870 Express or a Krieghoff. I ask, just the same.

[TrapperReady]

BTW, it also doesn't matter if said gun is an 870 Express or a Krieghoff. I ask, just the same.


Frankly, it doesn't matter if it's even a gun. The same holds true for anything that's not mine. Both my sons have had that drilled into their heads since Day One, just like I did from my folks.

[PJR]

TrapperReady, I was blunt but I don't think gruff, no yelling or loud voices. Judging by the guy's shooting gear he was no newbie either. The gun in question isn't common and has recieved interest in the past but never from someone so bold as to pick it up off the rack and start pawing it without asking first.

I've grabbed guns similar to mine off the rack by mistake and had the same done to me. On one occasion it helped a friend of mine. He inadvertently picked up my Beretta 391 and shot well with it. When I mentioned his mistake he apologized but wondered why my gun felt different and shot better than his identical gun.

I tried a few rounds with his and it was immediately obvious what the problem was. He'd bought the gun used from a leftie and the shims were all wrong. We changed the shims and the recoil pad back at the clubhouse and he's shot the gun much better since. Too well sometimes. Every time he beats me I tell him that I should never have changed those shims for him.;)

[TrapperReady]

PJR - Wasn't the Internet invented to pick nits? :)

While there is no question that the guy was in the wrong, and violating a basic tenet of civil society ("Thou shalt keep your grubby mitts off stuffeth which doth not belong to you"), I just wanted to take the opportunity to remind us of "The High Road".

Charity shoots, at least around here, draw a lot of hunters, newbies and infrequent shooters. I've grown used to shooting amongst people who spend a lot of their free time at the range and the safety measures, rules and etiquette are deeply ingrained. When I shoot the more informal events, whether they are for charity or simply open "fun" shoots, it can be a bit of a culture shock... for all invloved.

For example, the last charity shoot I did, one of the gentlemen with whom I was shooting was an older guy who avowed that he hunted (mostly deer) and shot clays once a year or so. He used NO hearing protection. I offered several times, since I keep spares in my range bag, but he would have none of it. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I just wanted to remind folks that taking the High Road is important, even when the situation may make it quite difficult. I've seen threads in the past where someone's gun (handgun, rifle, whatever) was picked up and handled without permission, and sometimes those threads devolve into can issue the toughest sounding keyboard threat.

[zero_chances]

some people... i have looked at other peoples guns on racks, but i have never touched or dared to pick one up. i will let nearly anyone shoot mine if they ask

[PJR]

TR, no argument here and it's an excellent reminder.

[Superpsy]

yup, he should have asked...

[foghornl]

I have both offered and been offered the opportunity to shoot other guns...

BUT NEVER WITHOUT ASKING FIRST!! ! ! ! !

I have once in a while, picked up the wrong one by accident, put always put it back when the error was discovered. :o :o

A year or so back, at the public range, I had a guy insist that there was no way he had picked up the wrong rifle (MY M-44 Mosin-Nagant). I finally said "OK, blast away".

Boy was he ever embarrased when he couldn't shoot it...because the bolt assembly was in my hip pocket.....:evil: