"NO RELOADS!" at new gun range... really?

SEE IT LIKE A NATIVE said:

Warp ! You obviously missed the point of a "shall issue " law ! Florida is a shall issue State and we don't have very many permit holders accidently shooting anyone at the grocery store ! Over 1 million permits issued ! Kevin

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Go back and read it again. You plainly missed the point about freedom and gun control.

I have an indoor range near me that’s only a max 15 yards and handguns only, any caliber. The only restriction on ammo is some specific type of hollow points (I don’t know which) in heavy calibers. The RO checks if you’re shooting the heavies and said that certain HP ammo was tearing up the back stop. Doesn’t affect me since I cast 90% of what I shoot. If a range prohibited reloads, I wouldn’t have anything to shoot since the only factory ammo I have is Russian surplus 7.62x39.

They do have a quasi-policy about picking up brass. Sort of “You can pick up your own, but any other brass on the floor is “Considered stealing.” At one point I commented that was why I only shoot revolver there, they lost my business when I shoot a semi. According to the RO, that policy was started because they had guys scraping up every piece of brass on the range including taking it out of the fired brass bucket. Kind of makes sense, but I’ll be darned if I’m going to stand there and try to sort my brass out from all the other stuff on the floor.

Trent said:

"This here is factory ammunition, chief, and I own the factory."

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Hah! Stick it to the Man!

"I have a dream, that everyone would follow the rules."
-My son, as part of the unit on MLK, Jr. in 2nd Grade

"You are technically correct; the best kind of correct."
-Bureaucrat #1.0, Futurama S2E14

Hmmm... first of all, how will they know if you are firing reloads? Are they standing over your shoulder, inspecting your ammo?

Secondly, it's their range and their rules, so you should respect it. Perhaps they rely on your brass on the ground as a source of revenue to subsidize the cost of the range - rather than hiking up the price by $5 or $10 or whatever. Same with selling you their ammo.

It may limit liability or be a requirement for their insurer.

Trent said:

OK, so some of you say bringing reloads anyway is "low road" and doesn't solve the underlying problem.

So being the creative fool that I am, I present to you... a workaround.

https://www.atf.gov/files/forms/download/atf-f-5310-12.pdf

$30 for 3 years, buys you your very own Ammo Manufacturing FFL.

You don't have to SELL anything. But if you're challenged about "shooting reloads" you can show them your Ammo Manufacturing FFL and tell them to stick their rules where the sun don't shine.

"This here is factory ammunition, chief, and I own the factory."

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Check you out, you sly dog.

Welding Rod wrote:Bah, who wants to shoot a gun indoors anyhow?

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That's me, too Welding Rod. I'd rather spend 20 more minutes to drive to my outdoor DNR Range than spend time in indoors/bad artificial lighting/confined quarters

Trent said:

OK, so some of you say bringing reloads anyway is "low road" and doesn't solve the underlying problem.

So being the creative fool that I am, I present to you... a workaround.

https://www.atf.gov/files/forms/download/atf-f-5310-12.pdf

$30 for 3 years, buys you your very own Ammo Manufacturing FFL.

You don't have to SELL anything. But if you're challenged about "shooting reloads" you can show them your Ammo Manufacturing FFL and tell them to stick their rules where the sun don't shine.

"This here is factory ammunition, chief, and I own the factory."

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I like the way you think.

Unfortunately, the rule in question is about reloads, not factory vs personal loads and once you use once-fired brass, it is a reload regardless if it's commercial, factory, personal...
Now, if the rule specifically says 'Personal reloads', your solution is golden.

I know a guy that got the manufacturing FFL and was making and selling ammo to the LGSs. Then he got a bill for $2500 from the State Department over some ammo producing treaty the UN was involved in. He shut down rather than pay it. Nothing is as simple as it seems any more.

I asked the RO once why they had the policy of "If it hits the floor it belongs to the store" rule at the indoor range in Hoover. He spouted off something about people were going in front of the firing line to retrieve brass. When I asked couldn't they just put a wall section under the shooting bench to stop people going forward of the line but still allow the brass to be swept forward, he got rather ill with me. Expletives included. I let my membership at that range lapse and encourage anyone I meet to visit their competitors.

herrwalther said:

I asked the RO once why they had the policy of "If it hits the floor it belongs to the store" rule at the indoor range in Hoover. He spouted off something about people were going in front of the firing line to retrieve brass. When I asked couldn't they just put a wall section under the shooting bench to stop people going forward of the line but still allow the brass to be swept forward, he got rather ill with me. Expletives included. I let my membership at that range lapse and discourage anyone I meet to visit their competitors.

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I think you mean to say that you encourage anyone you meet to visit their competitors. ;0)

I think you mean to say that you encourage anyone you meet to visit their competitors. ;0)

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Yup. Fingers were moving faster than the driver.

It goes without saying, if they won't allow reloads on their range, but you must buy the ammo they sell is ridiculous, one range that I know off doesn't allow your reloads but insists that you buy theirs. I would have to be out of my mind to shoot someone else's reloads in my guns. I asked, what if their ammo damages my gun, they responded by saying its not their responsibility if my gun was damaged, total BS here! As you suspected, I will never shoot there (Wallingford, CT).

Another place is a large gun store (Newington, CT) which has an indoor range, pretty much the same deal here, but they mandate that you buy your ammo from them to shoot there, all ammo is factory of course, so not a big deal you would say, ok, so I pay for a point to shoot from and go into the store to get the ammo I will need. Today I will using a 45LC, 44 Special and my 32 H&R Magnum, so I ask for a box of each to see what they have in these calibers, they said they were all out of all these right now.

I told them I just paid for a shooting point and now your telling you don't have the ammo I need, incredible, so I asked for my money back (21 dollars/hour) I paid for 2 hours, I was told they don't give refunds but was offered store credit, I said, for what, you don't have what I need to shoot here. To avoid a confrontation I offered to call the Local PD, got my money back right there on the spot, this place is definitely off my list as well

all my ammo goes in plastic ammo boxes, reloads and bulk factory , so now what ?? I get a bulk box of Remington UMC in the 250 round box, open the box and find that it is 5 trays of 50 and put them in plastic reload boxes so they don't spill out in my range bag , get to the rang and get told "those look like reloads" "go home " ..... that's one range I'd never go back to !! sound like just bad business to me , and FWIW I had some bulk 9mm years ago that went bang, bang, bang, pop ........ had to beat a bullet out of the barrel of my UZI , it only went about 4" and stopped ! stuff happens...

Quote:
Originally Posted by bangswitch View Post
I would agree with that insofar as I am against any regulation of carry, whether concealed or open, but it ("shall issue") sure beats "may issue" , which is the only alternative other than outright prohibition of carry.

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It absolutely is NOT the only alternative

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Well, yeah -- there is also "discretionary carry" where only the rich and powerful can get a permit.

k9kev88 said:

We here in NC have been awaiting a new state-of-the-art gun range to open, only to find out that #10 on their application says "NO RELOADS!" (in caps...)

This is a huge bummer to say the least - it also sets the tone for what this place will be like - not in touch with true firearm enthusiasts. Reminds me of a similar place in Birmingham, AL that had a large sign on the wall: "If it hits the floor, it belongs to the store!" - sorry, but I don't feel that anyone has the right to say I can't recover my brass.

The place is Triangle Shooting Academy.

Anyone else having to put up with this crap at your local ranges??

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If I went to a place with either rule, I would never come back and tell them why.

A range where I live did not allow reloads when I went there so I said ok I need 32 shorts, 41 mag and 38-40. We don't have them was the response I asked what now the manager let me shoot my reloads. Said if I am reloading those calibers in those guns I will be ok. He had now clue I I just started reloading or not but I was able to shoot. Something to try where you are
Bobby

Vern Humphrey said:

Well, yeah -- there is also "discretionary carry" where only the rich and powerful can get a permit.

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NO.

Please stop being wrong on purpose.

I know a guy with 16,000 posts on THR is aware that you can have lawful open and concealed carry without any licenses or permits.

There is an indoor range in my area that you must use ammo purchased from them. Most shooters I know have never shot there because of that rule. The local sportmans club has an indoor range that is lead bullet only no magnum loads. Its in an old barn and suites me just fine

.22LR is about the only stuff I do not reload. I have no factory ammo except what I carry. Yes, I shoot a couple of boxes of that thru the year but way more of my reloads. I wouldn't bother joining a range/club and only shoot factory because it would make no economic sense.

Why would anyone want to shoot indoors, you ask?

I used to be a member of a club fairly close to my house when I lived in Virginia. My wife is a nurse, and worked the night shift.

I would go to the indoor range at night -- when no one else was there -- and shoot. And then crawl around and look in every nook and cranny for ejected .45 ACP brass.

I now have about 6,000 pieces of brass. And all free!

Bah, who wants to shoot a gun indoors anyhow?

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A large number of us live where there is weather...a phenomenon where the temperature may be zero, or many degrees below zero during a significant portion of the year.

Or, over 100 degrees every day, for many months on end.

If you are 19 years old, you may find this to be "a challenge". I remember those days.

Some of us who are 50-60+ years old, and who have been experiencing these phenomena for most/all of our lives, find it to be "a pain in the ass".

Enjoy it while you can, and....get back to me in 30 or 40 years.

My local indoor membership range has ballistic dividers between each shooting lane. In the last year I have seen two lanes that had fractures of the dividers and asked what happened. Both were fractured with reloaded rifle rounds from two different members who have both been kicked to the curb. Both guns blew up and one had a fractured finger as the result. There is not a ban on shooting reloads at my range, but if you blow up, you are out to the street. Thanks for good safety for the rest of us members! If you want to keep your brass tell the RO and he will rake your empties inside of your lane for you to collect. If not he will push them out to the range for collection after the range closes.

scrounge some old factory ammo boxes from the trash, only bring your reloads ( fmj or JHP ) in those boxes.... they will never know the difference

or be a requirement for their insurer.

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That might be the BS excuse they use so you don't get mad at them. Make the insurance company the bogeyman. Any sucker would believe that line, because everyone hates insurance companies.

One reason they may ban reloads....well, you ever load lead bullets using TiteGroup? Almost as smokey as shooting black powder.

"Come January when it is -10 F. I want to shoot indoors.

Ron"

So what are you going to do when the SHTF and you are involved in a potential shooting and it's -10? Hit the pause button and ask your assailant to come back when it's warmer?