Multiple guns on the shooting bench, not good?

I always have multiple guns with me at the range. Of course I don't have a .40, I do have a 9 mm. .32, .22, .357, .44, 20 gauge, 12 gauge, and a .308. Nope, no problems mixing anything up there. Common sense people. 1) The child should have been better supervised. 2) Pop should have set up the reloading to exclude problems(only one caliber/weapon open and in use at a time). This is self evident in this situation, and doesn't require a rule.
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I like to be organized when I go to the range, so only the weapon and ammo I am using is on top of the bench. Everything else is in my bag, case, etc. When I want to change weapons, I box up everything, then take out what I want to shoot next.

This was not the first time this has happened. I'm seeing a new rule being implemented on the pistol range, ONE GUN AT A TIME!
If I have 2 pistols out, it's usually a .22 and a centerfire. Most times it's one gun. I hate a cluttered bench.

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Speaking as someone who only usually takes one or two guns to the range at a time, I think your proposed rule is silly.

It creates a lot of inconvenience for the membership in order to address the fairly unlikely occurrence of an ignorant person loading the wrong sort of ammunition into a gun.

Ditto with Justin's comment. If anything maybe add additional content to your safety vids/docs (assuming you have one for new shooters).

I think it is safer to have the firearms out on the table than having folks pulling guns in and out of bags or walking around different tables to get firearms. I frequently have multiple firearms out and have never had a problem. It is very common in our range too.

That being said, generally the large the membership the larger the number of NDs/ADs, etc. You said you are seeing it more frequently, is it a rise in frequency with the number of shooters or an increase in the actual issues per shooters?

When I bring new shooters I always tell them to clear both ammo and gun out of your firing area/bench before moving to the next gun. Should it be a rule? No, but a requirement to keep ammo seperate would be reasonable. Fortunately I shoot .22lr, 9mm, and .30-06 so I don't have any issues.

Last year at the range I was looking around the bench at the empties scattered on the ground. Someone had fired not one, not two, but 20 .300 Winchester mags in a .300 Wby. Fireformed nicely by the way, but the neck was about a tenth of a inch long.
Is the range master supposed to catch some thing like thjs?

I don't think thise rule is a good idea. Let the users be accountable, sign in on the basic set of range rules with a catch all at the bottom, "Exercise due caution in the handling of any firearm or ammunition." That's all.
Was this proposed rule coming from an attorney? If so find another range - lawyers wreck everything.
I also wouldn't go back and forth to my car for firearms - ones I am not using are in the range bag/cased.

Just post a sign recommending you keep only one gun on the bench at a time.

Not a rule, friendly suggestion.

When I go I usually have a 9mm and a .45. I have never mixed them up.

Nah I don't care for that one gun at a time rule. However when I'm @ the range I'll usually have only one gun on the bench, or I'll make sure any that aren't being shot are in some kind of case. For me it's not so much a safety thing as it is the possibility that I might drop something on a gun, like a mag or another gun.

If people want to dump rounds at the speed of light, that's their business. I shoot quite a bit faster than most regulars at my range and I've been "lectured" about it. When I explain that I'm doing double-taps to stay sharp for my line of work, they clam up about it. Sure, Joe Snuffy may have his brand new Glock and he may be dumping 500 rounds in 15 minutes... or Joe Snuffy might be private security and is brushing up on his engagements. You never know.

My private range has a rule where you have to cease fire when you want to bring a firearm to and from the firing line. No thanks, I'll just bring my bag and all the firearms I brought today, where I can use them without bothering everyone else AND keep an eye on them.

Now, a well-meaning piece of advice to only keep one type of ammo on the table and one firearm at a time, that's okay, I don't mind that. Or do what I do; bring a .22 and a .45ACP. You CAN'T mix those up.

I've made it a point to only have one calibre of ammo out at a time since I absentmindedly picked up an 8mm Mauser round out of a Remington Green Box and tried to load it into a .30-06, whose Green Box looked identical, except for the calibre stamp on the endflap. Luckily, it didn't fit, but it's a good thing I didn't try it the other way, as the bolt would probably have closed on the .30-06 in the Mauser.

Hmm, we were shooting Saturday. 4x 9mm, 3x .45, 2x .38, 2x .380, 3x .22, 1x .223, 1x .308, and 2x 12ga. Oh, and one 10mm. I liked that one.

It was busy and our group kept to a single table on the end of the range (6 tables total). With 5 adults, my 16yo brother, and all those guns, no issues whatsoever.

Actually, the only issue came when the lady at the table next to us started shooting our targets because she liked that she could see the dots show up on the target with her .22 rifle...she got a scolding from her husband but found it hilarious. I proceeded to run some Nitro Turkey loads through my 12ga and she said they were too loud and left.

Yet another rule addressing the problems of (with all due respect) the problem of an individual?

Okay, so I have a 12 ga, two .22LR, and a 7.62X54R, not much chance of mixing them up, but still, that would do more to annoy people than actually fix anything.

I usually have a 9mm and a .45. I have never mixed them up.

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I have in the tumbler.... oh boy... not good....

Only time I go to the a real club is when a match is going on, and there are very specific rules about ammo being around guns.

You could consider arranging some Gun Club 101 classes for new shooters... encourage them to come to meetings and teach them some safety... education is contagious.

Never had much of an issue until recently, my two closest lookalike cartridges are 30-30 and 7.62x54R, though with closer inspection it's easy to tell them apart. I like having all my firearms out on a nearby bench (provided there is enough space for the other shooters) but I've never confused ammo.

i shoot at my home range. I only have 3 pistols. 2x .45 acp and 1x .38 special (which is really the wifes). I shoot my SKS and my .308 as well. I generally keep one gun out at a time as i am in no hurry since my range is in the backyard.

I often have two guns on a bench. But - it is usually a centerfire, and a rimfire. I'll plink with the rimfire when I'm waiting for the centerfire to cool between shots.

If I was shooting two similar guns (like a .222 and a .223) I'd probably not do that.

As long as people are safe about it (gun on safe, chamber open, pointed downrange), I have no problem with it. IMHO, the people that will put a 9 in a .40 probably would do that even with one gun on the bench.

I prefer the local ranges that mandate only one firearm at the table. It won't solve all of the problems, but it will help a little bit. I would like to say that you don't need this, but I've seen enough things happen where you really need to have rules that apply to the least common denominator (i.e. unsafe people).

I sometimes have 3 or 4 rifles on the bench at one time and switch them out to keep the barrels cool. I only have ammo for the rifle I'm shooting out on the bench unless I'm working with rifles of the same caliber. Even then I usually have only one box of a particular powder and bullet combo. That helps me keep what I am testing in order and the rifles are out in the open where cooling is more efficient. When a rifle isn't being used the action is open for safety.

Pistols I do a little differently. I may carry several, usually in the same case, to the bench. They are removed from the case one at a time and then returned to the case before I remove another. Same thing with ammo.

This method has worked well for me over the years. Personally I wouldn't endorse a rule of one gun at a time.

Put the gun in box, pile it over the other box, and keep the ammo covered so it does not go off if a loose case lands on the primer.

22 LR in 17 HMR

Compliments of one of my illustrious co-workers.

"Some one" loaded a .22 LR round in his Mossberg .17 HMR. Luckily no one was injured & the round didn't make it far. I tapped it out with a cleaning rod for him. He told me to just keep the rifle.

An unfired mini mag is shown on the left for comparison.

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x119/KingTiger_photo/22In17048-Copy.jpg

I usually only keep 1 gun out on the bench at a time but, when I have 2 of the same gun then I may have them both on the bench ... same caliber, same mag's one is blue & one is stainless.

No chance of mixup and no reason not to have them both out.

Still I say no more rules ... I hate having to live by rules made for the lowest common denominator.

I think the next new rule should be no more new rules for the next ten years. lol

Reading this makes me so happy that I'm fortunate enough to live somewhere that I can shoot without going to a range.

I never take just one gun shooting.

+100 no need for more rules. Dad paying more attention to his kid, yes.