a rifle etiquette question.

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I've visited a range where they required you to have all rifles in a case. You had to place the cased rifle on the bench and open the case with the muzzle pointed downrange. At all times the muzzle was pointed downrange until you finished shooting. To remove the rifle from the bench you had to lay the case on the bench, place the rifle in the case, and close it before removing it.

Thats exactly how all our local ranges are.

 

[someguy2800]

Bright colored zip tie between the barrel and bolt

 

[jar]

Generally, whichever orifice you load it through gets a flag. If there are options, whichever orifice most obviously blocks the action from closing is best.

Even muzzle loaders have an orifice. . .

If you mean the chamber then I still see no way to do that on those rifles such that it would be visible.

 

[Idahou]

Kinda same here and i generally try to handle weapons as safe and considerately as possible.
Why?
Well, my father always said "always act as you want others act towards you" and i really dont like when im on range, focused on target/my gun and hear clicking and gun manipulation behind my back or see wild muzzle movements

Thats why i was quite shocked when on one range, keeper (who was trying to help us zero LPVO) left loaded in chamber, unsafe Bren 2 in shooting bench and went into firing lane to adjust target in front of muzzle of said Bren and two strangers (me and my friend) behind it - sure, he was last person on that gun and mayabe i just didnt see him flick that safety on, but still... i did two steps back from that gun and for sure wouldnt go in front that gun before emptying chamber

Not sure if he just didnt realize it or trust us, but he is nice fellow

 

[edwardware]

If you mean the chamber. . .

I don't, which is why I didn't write "chamber".

Every arm has at least one orifice that is involved in loading. . . stick the pointy end of the flag in there, and you're well on your way.

 

[AK Hunter]

My club range requires actions open until in firing position and range clear.
No mags or ammo in the gun until ready to fire.

What kind of shotgun or rifle can you not lock the action open?

My range requires the same actions open, mags out, guns laying flat barrels pointed down range with chamber flags in & don't touch them while range is cold.
Most AKs don't have a bolt hold open unless it's in the mag & with mags out the bolt will close.
I carry an old spent mashed 20ga shotgun shell between the bolt & barrel of my AKs as a chamber flag.
It works great, it's cheap & easy to find.

 

[jar]

I don't, which is why I didn't write "chamber".

Every arm has at least one orifice that is involved in loading. . . stick the pointy end of the flag in there, and you're well on your way.

Not really. I could pull the rod out of any of my tubular magazine rifles but that does not indicate that there is not a round in the chamber.

 

[jar]

g

My range requires the same actions open, mags out, guns laying flat barrels pointed down range with chamber flags in & don't touch them while range is cold.
Most AKs don't have a bolt hold open unless it's in the mag & with mags out the bolt will close.
I carry an old spent mashed 20ga shotgun shell between the bolt & barrel of my AKs as a chamber flag.
It works great, it's cheap & easy to find.

I like that idea, simple and effective and since my shotguns are all 20 gauges I just may be able to find a dead one. That would likely sooth folks concerns (although as I mentioned the subject has never even come up yet) and it would indicate that until the carcass was removed the gun was incapable of being fired.

That might even work on the 241.

 

[Zerodefect]

I just wouldn't take weirdo rifles like that, to a public range, ever. If they cant be held open, they just arent a proper design for such use.

I use a fuel line in the ejection port of my shotgun or FN P90. Doesnt have to be long and hang out the barrel. Just has to be wide enough to keep it out of battery.

AR's need nothing, just lock them open.

My AR's bolt lock failed once, I used a live round as a chamber flag that day. Brass is fine to. Just make sure it isnt filled with mud

 

[someguy2800]

Not really. I could pull the rod out of any of my tubular magazine rifles but that does not indicate that there is not a round in the chamber.

Don't your tubular magazine rifle have an ejection port? Pull the bolt back, stick your colorful object of choice in, let bolt close against it.

 

[jar]

Don't your tubular magazine rifle have an ejection port? Pull the bolt back, stick your colorful object of choice in, let bolt close against it.

As mentioned above, on the 241 as an example the ejection port is at the bottom rather than a side and so not where most folk look.

 

[entropy]

One favorite example is my Remington 241 and another is my JC Higgins (made by High Standard) Model 28. Neither has a way to hold the action open. I could pull the feed rod but there could still be a cartridge in the chamber.

View attachment 1078419 View attachment 1078420 View attachment 1078421

There are ways to do so.

What about when there is no way to flag the action?

See below.

Could be a problem in a muzzleloader.

Cap off the action for percussion, frizzen open and empty, on flintlock & wheel lock, Match out of and no where near serpentine on matchlock, glowing iron rod nowhere near touch hole on more primitive 'handgonne' .

Bright colored zip tie between the barrel and bolt


View attachment 1078450

Ding Ding Ding. We have a winner!
jar, just use the method of charging to open the chamber on the rifle, and slide about half of the tie in and you'll have the back half with the block sticking out for all to see.

 

[RainDodger]

I am an NRA Range Safety Officer. When I see a rifle that cannot lock the bolt back, I ask that the shooter place an empty cartridge case sticking out of the ejection port.

 

[someguy2800]

As mentioned above, on the 241 as an example the ejection port is at the bottom rather than a side and so not where most folk look.

The lack of a hole in the side of the receiver will probably tip them off to look elsewhere.

 

[jar]

I am an NRA Range Safety Officer. When I see a rifle that cannot lock the bolt back, I ask that the shooter place an empty cartridge case sticking out of the ejection port.

That was mentioned above and I like the idea of using an old empty 20 Gauge cartridge.

 

[kmw1954]

Maybe on the 28 but the 241 is a bottom eject and not sure a flag would be noticeable. Back when either of these were made it just didn't seem necessary to provide a way to hold an action open.

I need to see if there is a flag made for the modern Browning 22.

As a RO my response would be if it cannot be shown with a chamber flag in place then keep a case on the bench and during a cease fire case it.
Our range rules that no one goes down range until a safety check has been made and all firearms are secured with a chamber flag if left open on the bench.

 

[SwampWolf]

One favorite example is my Remington 241 and another is my JC Higgins (made by High Standard) Model 28.

Really nice rifles, jar.

 

[jar]

Really nice rifles, jar.

Thanks. I'm old and I've downsized my rifles to just my 22s. A couple are fairly new, a Ruger 10/22 Takedown and a Rossi RB22 bolt action but the rest are all at least a half century experienced. The other semi-automatics have a way to hold the bolt open for easy inspection. I'm planning on using a spent 20 gauge shell as a chamber flag on the two in the OP. Don't know why I didn't think of that myself.

El Stupido as I have been titled in the past.

 

[792mauser]

A 12" long piece of neon weedwhacker line and a flag made outta ductape and a red "remove before flight" tag are what I use regardless of whether the action locks open.

That way like stated above there is no question of the chamber being empty.

 

[PWC]

Could be a problem in a muzzleloader.

At the cease fire call, any loaded muzzle loader shooters raise their hand, line safety officer verifies, range safety officer allows the shot. Then the LSOs verify lone is safe to the RSO, who calls the line safe. No one is allowed between the yellow line (the back of the firing line) and the red line (front of the firing line) except to pass thru to the targets. The shooting benches are between the red and yellow lines. All must remain behind the yellow during the cease fire.

 

[courtgreene]

At the cease fire call, any loaded muzzle loader shooters raise their hand, line safety officer verifies, range safety officer allows the shot. Then the LSOs verify lone is safe to the RSO, who calls the line safe. No one is allowed between the yellow line (the back of the firing line) and the red line (front of the firing line) except to pass thru to the targets. The shooting benches are between the red and yellow lines. All must remain behind the yellow during the cease fire.

Thanks!!