Gun club background checks?

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It is tough for a small organization like a gun club to do much of a background check.
After a couple of unpleasant experiences, we went to requiring a CCW. If somebody complains "All I shoot is a rifle." too bad, he has to get the permit, too.
 
If it’s a private club, do whatever floats your boat. I’m sure a background check would weed out less than 1% of those who joined or want to join.

And criminal history? Ordinance violations? Misdemeanors? Felonies? Back taxes? Exhaustive personal interviews to dig up past drug use?

Where will your club draw the line on who is acceptable?

I partially jest...

After reading some of the OP’s stories about this club, I’d be more interested in hanging out with actual felons than the average club member at this club!

Where I live, the clubs are all rod and gun or sportsman’s clubs that consist of a rifle, pistol and shotgun range. Sometimes a clubhouse. You pay $20-50 a year for a membership card with a gate combination. Gas stations and grocery stores sell them. You become a full club member, but 95% of people just use the range and don’t participate otherwise.

I guarantee I’ve spent range time with prohibited persons, but what was the harm?
 
I belong to three and have shot at 5 more. Only one of them requires you to be an NRA member and pass their rules and regulations written exam. All the others you pay your fee and behave in a safe manner and follow their range rules, which are posted at all these ranges. No background checks. Never been to or heard of one that does around this area.
 
George P said:
So, poor Joe who made a mistake, did his time, now is to be castigated for the rest of his life? ...
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GBExpat said:
No one has suggested that poor old burglar Joe should be castigated, Silly ... just that he should be denied membership to a private gun club that performs background checks. :)
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George P said:
Why? If he has done his time and has paid his "debt to society" in full - meaning no probation, free to come and go as he pleases, in your eyes, that isn't good enough; so basically he has to serve a life term when it comes to clubs like yours....
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I never offered an opinion on whether or not I think such folks should be denied membership at such places.

Actually, I have not spent much time thinking about it because (a) neither I nor any of my family/friends are felons and (b) I never have and, almost certainly, never will apply for membership or belong to a "gun club".

FWIW, the one person in my life for a few years, long ago, with whom I have spent any time and know to have been incarcerated (several years in the state penitentiary in Richmond for selling pot, IIRC) impressed me as being a fine fellow. I would have had no qualms shooting with him ... or, for that matter, having him watch my house while I was out of town. :)
 
I think a gun club or range would be the last place anyone would try to pull off something illegal. To many people with guns.:);)
 
If they pay their dues, the same as anyone else, what is it to you if they have a record? Asking to show a CCW proves almost nothing...I personally know a convicted felon who has an NYS pistol license. His conviction was a DWI in 1967.

Actually come to think of it, I know another person convicted of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and he still had his pistol license the last time I saw him.

It's entirely possible they come there because the club serves cheap beer.
 
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I belong to a local pistol club because it is located down the road from me and has a nice indoor range as well as an outdoor range. Prospective members need only apply and attend a mandatory safety meeting (takes about 2 hours) which includes a test at the end, then a brief time at the range to shoot 5-10 rounds under supervision. No background check conducted. I don't believe a required CCW would work because they are almost impossible to get even here in Upstate NY. Got mine 30 years ago when it was easy, probably couldn't get one today. I was told that the club required members to also be NRA members because the NRA provided a "kickback" to the clubs with NRA members.
 
The private club I belong to supposedly does a background check and also requires a current member to sponsor the applicant. The sponsor must not only know the applicant but must also have previously observed the applicant shooting and must vouch that the applicant observes safe shooting practices. The applicant must also go to a board meeting to meet the board and be interviewed before the application is voted on. In addition to the first year’s dues, the applicant must also pay an initiation fee of about $200-$300 (forget the exact amount) which supposedly goes towards the background check.

There is a years’ long waiting list for this club. I suspect that’s because the annual dues for this area (Dallas/Ft. Worth) are relatively low compared to other private gun clubs and because there just aren’t that many places to legally target shoot unless you own a sufficient amount of land and can construct your own safe shooting range. The Dallas/Ft. Worth area has a combined population of around 6 million or so. So there’s bound to be a number of crazies amongst our fair metroplex. Hence, I can understand the requirement of a background check. I’ve already had my share of them for employment and licensing purposes, so it’s no big deal to me.

As for NRA membership, it’s not required at our club but was strongly encouraged during our orientation. In fact, one of the questions posed to us during the applicants’ board meeting was whether any of us were members.
 
Even "prohibited persons" may shoot black powder firearms, or use the archery range. Our club recently deleted the exclusion of "felons" because we had no way to check on prior felonies, doing so would have put us in the position of having to monitor every member (with possible penalties if we missed one?), and would have to repay all state fish and wildlife grants received (as state law requires us to allow membership of anyone eligible to purchase a hunting license, and felons are not ineligible to purchase those).
 
Our club just requires an application, dues and a range orientation. No background checks. Club encourages NRA membership, but does not require it. The club had a big membership drive a few years ago, swelling membership from ~600 to ~1000 members in a short period of time. Come one, come all. I suspect if he were still around, and paid his dues, old Al Capone and his boys could be members:eek:
 
ohihunter2014 said:
We get to argue some more next meeting and see where this goes but it got me wondering how many clubs DO NOT do background checks?
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In Wisconsin we have a public court access online page. No background check at my club, but anyone could see if a person had been charged with crimes. One perspective might be, wouldn't you be better with the fact that the club did what it could to make sure there wasn't a felon shooting next to you on the firing line?
 
ohihunter2014 said:
Does your gun club/hunt club perform a background check on new members? I was at my clubs meeting last night and they voted about 6 people in and several of them were recommended by members just because "they met them at a public shoot and they seemed like an okay person". Club bylaws state that two active/good standing members with one year or more seniority have to sign for that person and 99% of the time its someone both people have know for awhile. Last night we heard a lot of "well i met that guy at the public shoot and he seemed like a nice guy" and someone asked if we run background checks on new members and we were told no!

I will say i was shocked that they don't do a basic background check on new members to make sure no one has a criminal record. When asked what the $85 initiation fee goes too we were told it goes into the general fund. Of course this turned the club house into a free for all with members saying well someone signed for them so its good enough and that's the bylaws so there is no discussion. Some members voiced legal liability concerns if the club did let a felon or what not in there and something happened and worried we could be shut down. What got me was dues are $65-year and initiation fee is $85 and they proposed to raise the initiation fee to cover the cost of the background check. Well its already $20 over the yearly dues. I was actually shocked how many people opposed this stating invasion of privacy, well if the guy has a gun he must not be a felon, ask to see the persons ccw upon starting the application process, scratch the idea all together and take members words on it.

We get to argue some more next meeting and see where this goes but it got me wondering how many clubs DO NOT do background checks?
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Has the club done background checks on all members of the club? How do you know that all the members are a pure as the driven snow? Only applicants are possible criminals I guess.
 
George Dickel said:
Has the club done background checks on all members of the club? How do you know that all the members are a pure as the driven snow? Only applicants are possible criminals I guess.
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Now that might be an interesting exercise. Run checks on all of your current members too. I'm sure there would be more than one skeleton in a closet. May even have to drum the club president out for something he did as a teen.
 
GBExpat said:
I never offered an opinion on whether or not I think such folks should be denied membership at such places.

Actually, I have not spent much time thinking about it because (a) neither I nor any of my family/friends are felons and (b) I never have and, almost certainly, never will apply for membership or belong to a "gun club".

FWIW, the one person in my life for a few years, long ago, with whom I have spent any time and know to have been incarcerated (several years in the state penitentiary in Richmond for selling pot, IIRC) impressed me as being a fine fellow. I would have had no qualms shooting with him ... or, for that matter, having him watch my house while I was out of town. :)
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I know the same and have no issues. I think what they are worried about is theft charges, rape, etc. I don't think they will get too crazy about it just making sure who they let in around kids, wives, etc are good to go. we do a lot of community stuff in which club members volunteer their time and most of its kids functions or woman functions and I know I wouldn't want someone with a sexual background around them.
 
JeffG said:
In Wisconsin we have a public court access online page. No background check at my club, but anyone could see if a person had been charged with crimes. One perspective might be, wouldn't you be better with the fact that the club did what it could to make sure there wasn't a felon shooting next to you on the firing line?
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I'm not sure if you thought I disagreed with them wanting to do it because I do agree. My argument comment was we had people yelling in the meeting cause they didn't like the idea and it turned into an argument. I am a very by the book person and if the law states felons cannot have firearms then I agree with that. Should I guy who sold pot 20yrs ago and doesn't do it anymore be prohibited? No but the law is the law.
 
George Dickel said:
Has the club done background checks on all members of the club? How do you know that all the members are a pure as the driven snow? Only applicants are possible criminals I guess.
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This was just brought up and by someone whos been a club member for I would bet 15 plus years and based on comments and some shock factor everyone figured the initiation fee was used for background checks. From what I have seen most members are in some way related, work together, or been friends for 30yrs. They are more worried about the guy meeting a stranger that asks for an application and them getting in and no one knows anything about them.
 
ontarget said:
Now that might be an interesting exercise. Run checks on all of your current members too. I'm sure there would be more than one skeleton in a closet. May even have to drum the club president out for something he did as a teen.
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what was agreed would be a basic 7yr background check. I have nothing to hide and if they wanted current members to do it I would fork over $50 to get one done.
 
ohihunter2014 said:
I know the same and have no issues. I think what they are worried about is theft charges, rape, etc. I don't think they will get too crazy about it just making sure who they let in around kids, wives, etc are good to go. we do a lot of community stuff in which club members volunteer their time and most of its kids functions or woman functions and I know I wouldn't want someone with a sexual background around them.
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So someone convicted of statutory rape or petty theft shouldn’t be allowed in your gun club? I’m talking specifically about misdemeanor level crime where someone isn’t prohibited from gun ownership.

Who at your club would decide what crime rises to the level of not passing the check?

I also have nothing to hide; everything is a matter of public record here in WI, but if I’m a legal gun owner it seems pretty absurd a gun club would need to run a background check on me just to qualm their irrational fears I might be a thief, rapist, murderer, terrorist, etc.

How much of a problem does your club currently have with thievery, rape and child sexual assault? If you say none, then I really think it’s not logical to implement background checks to solve a nonexistent problem.
 
1948CJ2A said:
I'm not in a gun club but if the prospective member has a concealed handgun license, I would think this would suffice in place of an additional check.
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My gun club requires:
1. Nomination by two existing members
2. Participation in match activity
3. NRA membership
4. Background check
5. CCW

I'm okay with all these things.
 
Child molesters, rapists and thieves in many cases have been doing their thing for years before they are caught and some never are. How do you know that you don't have some of those types in the current membership? This sounds more to me like some member don't want any new people in the club or they have a real bad opinion of humanity in general.
 
My wife and I recenty joined a local club where the application asked if we are felons. We are not and are now members. I have no idea if they verify the truthfulness of the answer

This is the first shooting range/club where the question has been asked but, it's more or less who cares? We have to answer the same questions whenever we buy a gun.

As long as the range places a priority on gun safety, good to go.
 
Wisco said:
So someone convicted of statutory rape or petty theft shouldn’t be allowed in your gun club? I’m talking specifically about misdemeanor level crime where someone isn’t prohibited from gun ownership.

Who at your club would decide what crime rises to the level of not passing the check?

I also have nothing to hide; everything is a matter of public record here in WI, but if I’m a legal gun owner it seems pretty absurd a gun club would need to run a background check on me just to qualm their irrational fears I might be a thief, rapist, murderer, terrorist, etc.

How much of a problem does your club currently have with thievery, rape and child sexual assault? If you say none, then I really think it’s not logical to implement background checks to solve a nonexistent problem.
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Yup, kinda what I was thinking.
A solution looking for problem.
 
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