Billy Jim Bobs At The Range

[sacp81170a]

Is it permissible to be loading a detached magazine while people are futzing with their targets?

It may not seem like a big issue, but here's the problem: YOU know that you're only loading a magazine, but when the person downrange turns around to look back at the firing line, he or she has no idea what you're doing. Common courtesy dictates that you not scare the bejeezus out of others at the range, especially if they're strangers and have no idea of your qualifications and attitude towards safety.

I got called down on this once, and admitted that the other person was correct. I've politely asked others not to do so on the first occurrence and either left, asked them to leave, or taken it in stride, depending on their reaction. A second occurence gets a quick invitation to leave or I will leave in the interest of my own safety. If the other guys on the range are that rude or stupid, I don't want to be there while they are.

 

[Cliff47]

Loading an empty magazine is one activity, locking the loaded magazine into the rifle/carbine/etc. while someone is downrange is quite another. Take a few minutes and let everyone leave the range in the same condition they arrived, alive.

 

[Lupinus]

as said YOU know you are just loading the magazine. But to many idiots will then go on to put the mag into the firearm and he doesn't know you aren't one of said idiots.

 

[Nil]

I never knew that loading magazines was a big deal when the line was cold. When I do it I stand and step several feet back from the bench and make sure to not go anywhere near my guns (all with their actions open and mags dropped). I've never had someone call me on it, so I always figured it was fine.

 

[WayneConrad]

If the person is standing away from his benched weapons, loading of detached magazines doesn't make me the least bit nervous. What better time to do that activity than during the cease fire?

If the person is standing near his benched weapons, then I don't care that he's loading a magazine... I care that he's next to his weapons during the cease fire. I'd rather he stand back and load magazines or something

 

[AlaskaErik]

Is it permissible to be loading a detached magazine while people are futzing with their targets? I would never lay a hand on a firearm while someone was downrange, but I do sometimes load my empty mags. I had one person say something to me about it... in a rather abrupt manner. Fine, if it bothers him, then I won't do so, and I didn't for the duration of that outing... but still, I see nothing improper with this activity, and I was slightly peeved for the rudeness of his statement. Am I in the wrong here?

I certainly don't see anything wrong with it. But some ranges may go overboard and not allow it. But, their range, their rules.

 

[sacp81170a]

If the person is standing away from his benched weapons, loading of detached magazines doesn't make me the least bit nervous. What better time to do that activity than during the cease fire?

Bingo. As long as you are far enough away from the firing line that it's clear that you're not messing with your weapon(s). It still needs to be far enough away that the guys downrange can see clearly that you're not messing with a weapon. That's why I like ranges with yellow lines which clearly delineate the "non-shooting" area. If there's enough room to tell, no problem, although nobody ever had an ND from NOT handling equipment. I prefer not to, out of courtesy. I can wait 'til whoever's downrange gets done.

 

[BADUNAME13]

AWAY from the open weapons I'll load mags.

If someone is bothered by it... I won't.

 

[cheygriz]

When the line is "safe" I generally sit on a bench, and do not handle ANYTHING gun related until the rangemaster declares the line "hot."

This may seem to be an unneccessary extreme to some, but it's the way I was taught from childhood, and it certainly causes no harm.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I know this will p%43 a lot of people here off, but there are some shooters and gun owners that are just an accident waiting to happen- Shooting and gun ownership demands responsibility, and the number one responsibility is safety- It's my opinion that if you can't or will not handle a firearm safely, then you have no reason to, and should not, have one in your hands-

 

[ARperson]

We quit going to the local public range during deer season. It seems the people that only touch their firearms once per year forget the cardinal safety rules somewhere in between.

Have experienced it all,

Handling the guns with people downrange.
Walking downrange without calling clear
Muzzles pointed every direction with finger inside of trigger guard.

They are rebuilding to become a pay range, I am hoping the line is better controlled than it had been in the past. Hopefully the fees will keep some of the more dangerous out of there.

It is a long drive to the range, I hate leaving early because some bozo cannot be convinced that he is being dangerous.

 

[Onmilo]

I was at a local member range this weekend and the groundskeeper had to have the County Sheriffs Department come and remove some folks who were shooting there without membership.
Even though it is a locked gate range people just give their buddies the combination to the gate locks and tell them to try and not get caught.

There was a time when the range had no gates and people would steal the shooters equipment and guns when the guys had headed downrange to post targets and left their stuff on the benches.
200 meters is a long way to run when somebody sallies up to the benches and starts throwing your stuff into the back of a pick-up!

 

[glocktoberfest]

When I shoot at any isolated range, I always make sure to have a loaded weapon on my person.

that goes for traveling too , there are some lonely roads in Florida .

 

[Derby FALs]

What really scares the bejabbers out of me is that these people are BREEDING! Just makes chills do about three laps of the spine thinking about it.

Sonny could have at least asked, 'May I?'.

Should people like that really be allowed to own guns???

 

[2bigfeet]

Stupid stupid people do everything that they can to make bad things happen, then wonder why their lives are so hard.

Man, if you haven't hit the nail on the head. The scary thing is, statistically... there are more of them.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

what a moron!!! Luckily the range I shoot at has a lot of safety rules and spinning a pistol on your finger would get you thrown out in a heartbeat. You absolutely acted correctly by covering the gun and telling him that was a bad idea. Maybe he has learned something, but I doubt it.

 

[thirty-thirty]

There was a time when the range had no gates and people would steal the shooters equipment and guns when the guys had headed downrange to post targets and left their stuff on the benches.
200 meters is a long way to run when somebody sallies up to the benches and starts throwing your stuff into the back of a pick-up!

That's pretty daring. The man changing targets could possibly disable the thieves vehicle with a handgun (shoot the top of the front tire) and run for cover then use his cell phone to call police. Fools like that wind up in prison.

 

[Jacka L Ope]

Is it permissible to be loading a detached magazine while people are futzing with their targets?

Range rules should be clear on these issues. At my local range, the answer is:

All FIREARMS will remain in gun box/case or on bench with slide or cylinder or bolt open with all ammunition and magazines removed (SAFE CONDITION) when people are down range. GUNS or Ammo will NOT be touched for any reason and all personnel not down range will stand behind the ORANGE LINE until the line is ready to go hot.

As always, safety is paramount. At the end of the day, as someone else mentioned, everyone should make it back home in the condition in which they arrived - safe.

 

[WayneConrad]

That's pretty daring. The man changing targets could possibly disable the thieves vehicle with a handgun (shoot the top of the front tire) and run for cover then use his cell phone to call police. Fools like that wind up in prison.

Negative.

200 yards is well outside of handgun range. It's not worth the risk of killing the thief. Killing this thief may be illegal in your state. Risking killing this thief may also be illegal. Shooting out tires to stop a thief may be illegal in your state.

It could be that the shooter would be the fool that ended up in prison.

 

[thirty-thirty]

200 yards would be out of handgun range for me but some magnum shooters can do pretty well out there.

Yeah...some states have pretty stupid laws. I try to stay away from them.

 

[Derby FALs]

Negative.

200 yards is well outside of handgun range. .

BS. Are you confident enough of that statement to stand 200 yds away and let me shoot at you with the HG of your choosing, for say, $100. IIRC Elmer Keith had a similar proposition going. No takers survived that I am aware of...

 

[Axman]

You've got a purdy gun boy! I bet it'll make you squeal like a piggy!

Sorry, I couldn't resist the redneck reference!

 

[Wayne02]

We quit going to the local public range during deer season. It seems the people that only touch their firearms once per year forget the cardinal safety rules somewhere in between.

Isn't that the truth. The most dangerous time of year at my gun club is during hunter sight-in on the public rifle range. Some of these "hunters" have the most atrocious gun handling habits. Conversely, the kids (and adults) who come out of the hunter education classes almost always display excellent safe gun handling skills. I would rather shoot next to a 16 year old who has completed the hunter ed class than a grizzled, "I've been shooting for 40 years, don't tell me how to handle guns" "hunter".

 

[WayneConrad]

The fact remains that the law in your state would probably not support shooting at the thief's tires with a handgun from 200 yards away. I gave three reasons why it might be illegal. One of them is probably true for your state.

 

[Justin]

Taking 200 yard shots at the tire of a car with a handgun?

Cut it out, Starsky.