I get the jitters when I visit the range now...

[english kanigit]

or, how I almost got the boys shot off!

For those who don't know, I work at a sandwich deli as a delivery driver. On most days, I will work a morning-afternoon shift and then the night shift. I (usualy) get a two hour break between 'em and during that time, I'll be down at the range. On thursday i was shooting my handy little .22 ruger when I had the urge to remount my rear sight. To make this short, I was at the counter getting a hand with my sights when an older lady, whom we will call "Jane Doe", walked in. Jane Doe had a gimp all down her right side, kinda like a polio victim or a person who's had a stroke, her arm and leg just wouldn't work quite right. As I'm fiddling with my piece I listen to her ask to rent a handgun. The other counter clerk tried to convince her to use the revolver that she had last time but she would have none of it. She eventually settled on a ruger mark II.

Over the next ten minutes, the fellow at the counter slowly, clearly and carefully explained the operation of the pistol, multiple times. At this point, I reassembled my piece and returned to the vacant pistol range. Several targets later I hear the door to the pistol area open and close. "No biggy" I think, she will just pick a range and maybe get tired of loading those blasted thumb-operated magazines. No such luck. Of all the open lanes, Jane Doe picked the one right next to me. After a while I hear her begin to take shots at her Q target which is all of 10 feet away, still I'm thinking "no biggy", but in a slightly nervous fashion. I hear her go through about two mags, and by this time the black dot is beckoning me for some attention. I hear Ms. Doe start on her third magazine and after about three shots she stops firing. I hear this small voice from behind saying, "excuse me." I safe my pistol and lay it on the bench and then turn around. What I saw was this 4'5" frail woman pointing that mark II at my hip/genitals and pulling the trigger repeatedly whilst saying, "it won't fire." ***!?!?!? I immidiately grab the gun and turn it to the side and down at the floor. Once I get her hands off it I start to eject the mag and , the -ing mag release isn't in the same place as my 22/45. I don't want to dick with a system I don't know so I eject the dud, safe the pistol and wait for the guy from the counter who was by this time, running to the pistol range.

I hadn't been having all that much luck with my still FUBAR sights so this was as good a reason as any to pack up...in the end they comped my range time but I still want to go back and speak with the owner. Any ideas on what to do guys? I'm really at a loss here...

 

[Parallax]

I hope they kicked her out. Maybe you should wear a bulletproof cup next time I'm glad you're alright. You really lucked out on that one.

 

[71Commander]

*** I hope she got a forever and ever ban from the range. If my wife read that tale, she would never shoot at a public range again.

 

[iamhistory]

Holy Crap!

That is almost unbelievable. I say almost b/c just when you think something that stupid isn't possible, a fellow human being proves you wrong.

I would ask that she be banned from the range until she successfully completes some training courses. I would also try to make sure that the range notified the other ranges in the area in case she just shifted her stupidity to another location.

She is a tragedy waiting to happen and you should have been it. You were just being looked after that day.

I hope you at least made it quite clear what she did was way out of line.

So what did the Range Officer(s) do about what happened. The one
guy obviously sensed urgency in the situation if he was running to stop her.

Glad that you are ok.....thankfully.

 

[41mag]

I too am happy for you that it was just a dud.

I rather hope that the woman was given a stern talking to about everything that she did wrong.& ,of course,what the consequences could have been.

& then I'd like to have seen her return to the range.Hopefully a little wiser.

 

[mattf7184]

It is only a .22, those bounce right off

Seriously I'd be pretty pissed too...sounded like an old lady to me (am I correct?). Do the people renting the guns out not instruct the renters on firearm safety as well?

 

[english kanigit]

I packed my junk up quickly and got outa there while I still could. The range guy showed her what to do if she had another dud and she kept shooting. About 5 minutes later she starting shooting as fast as she could pull the trigger, I would usually hear wood crunch on the last two or three shots from each mag (ceiling maybe?). From talking to the staff, she is a semiregular but random customer, they dread the days that they see her... :banghead:


I'm headed to work, I'll check this post again as soon as I can.

 

[HighVelocity]

Holy Cow! I'm glad to hear nobody got hurt. I read somewhere that more people are killed each year with a .22 than anything else.
Some people simply do not comprehend the lethal seriousness of what they have in their hands. If that was my range she would be banned for life.

 

[duckslayer]

:banghead:

I don't know what to say. She should definately be on a list now that whenever (if she is allowed back) she comes to the range, an RO had better accompany her until she has learned the rules and demonstrated them well.

It won't do much good to banish her, because obviously she needs some training as to the safety rules. She could go to another range and do the same thing if she doesn't know any better.

 

[MikeJ]

As far as I am concerned she should be banned from ever coming back. To inadvertantly point the muzzle in the wrong direction while examining a gun in a store is bad enough but to pull the trigger while pointing it at someone is reason enough, in my book, to rescind the right to have a firearm. Sorry if that sounds extreme to some of you but I am a safety fanatic and can't stand idiots that don't grasp the very basics of safe gun handling.

I will pass along to you what was told to me the first time I was introduced to guns and it made quite an impression. I was introduced to firearms by a good friend that had been into guns since he was a child, my interest began at age 34, and he was an ex marine. He could see that I was quite fascinated and enthusiastic about this new hobby and told me, "guns can be a lot of fun to shoot, collect, admire etc. but always remember the reason guns were invented was to kill." That statement has always stuck with me and helps keep me focused on the basic rules of gun safety. Now I will gently step down from my soap box.

 

[RavenVT100]

I hope your range realizes that this woman is a liability to them, and that deciding not to eject her could be a decision which eventually puts them out of business when she ends up killing or injuring someone. Worse, it sets a bad example for others at the range who might be newbies and not know that irresponsible rapid fire and other safety violations are inappropriate.

The range I go to loses no sleep over revoking its memberships over things like this. Pointing a loaded gun at someone will get you kicked out permanently, with no exceptions.

 

[geekWithA.45]

Holy Carp.

Glad it turned out ok.

If I were the range owner, I'd ban her till she came back with a recognized safety training certificate, and even then, she'd be on lifetime probation.

 

[Victor Romen]

Good thing she wasn't using the revolver.

 

[orangeninja]

Okay boys lets not get carried away here....banned forever?!?!? come on. She is obviously ignorant of the firearms safety rules so how about this for starters.

Okay your nuts were threatened. Jeez, I'm real sorry. Is this the first time a pistol has been pointed at you? Been there and yes, it is an un-nerving experience and I empathize with you.

so how about this for starters:

1.) Don't freak out. When you freak out, the person with the gun freaks out, then everybody freaks out. Calmness is difficult but it is the main thing you can do to keep from getting shot, save holding the gun yourself.

2.) Try explaining or training firearm safety rules to her or if you are too shaken up (understandable) suggest *ahem* to the range officer that it would be to his benefit to instruct her...especially since she will be back.

3.) Remember safety is EVERYONES responsibility....including yours and mine. If you see unsafe practices at the range....say somthing to either them or the range officer. In this case, it looks like the problem came to you.

4.) Try to always keep yourself aware of everyone else around you at the range. I always step back between mags and observe everyone else for a minute...when I see bone headed stuff, which is about once a month, I ask them if they would be up for some suggestions....you know what? Nobody has ever declined advice. In fact usually they are very grateful someone took the time to show them somthing. We all have to learn somehow, sometime and if you didn't grow up with firearms...it can be embarassing and overwhelming. Believe it or not, gunshop owners and shooters can be a little harsh on newbies...I was a newbie, and I remember. (If you are a RKBA activist then you should embrace new shooters, a foreign concept to many gunshop commandos).

5.) I would talk to the owner. The range guys know that this woman comes in, they should know what she is capable of handling...if the guy knew she couldn't use a semi...then he should either accompany her to shooting it, or refuse to let her use it and explain why. They share liability.

Hope I didn't ruin the witch hunt.

 

[JamisJockey]

http://www.interamer.net/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=36

Oh, and I would say you boys should drop your rope, and instead extend the olive branch. This woman needs proper learnin'.
Help her get into an NRA basics course.
For all you know she's afraid for her life because some thug ex bf wants her dead.

 

[OEF_VET]

It sounds to me like the range needs to eject that dud, for life!

You are definitly a lucky man. If that round had gone off and hit you in the femoral artery, there's a good possibility you could have bled out before the paramedics arrived.

You should explain to the range owner that you'd hate to see the range owned by the anti-gun mother of a customer who was negligently killed by an unsafe customer of theirs.

 

[Freedomv]

Little old lady or not, I believe that you should have taken the opportunity to verbally down load some much needed information.(Chew a$$) This person needed an immiedate verbal reprimand followed by firm but kindly instructions on firearms handling and safty.

Simple packing it up and leaving does nothing to pevent this from happening again with possible dire results.

I think that it is our duty as responsible gun owners and citizens to protect our own and the public.

If an accident does a happen it will be another stat for the antis to use.

I mean no offence to you. I realize hind sight is 20/20 and when I get in situations such as yours I don't always respond in the most favorible way and usually think of something that I wish I had done or said differantly. (would of, could of, should of)

Just my thoughts and feelings on the subject. In case that there is a "next time."

Vern

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I disagree with Alduro. This is more than just being swept by the muzzle. The old bag was pointing the gun at our hero and PULLING THE TRIGGER.

She should be banned from the range, and every other public range within a 1-hour driving radius should be sent a warning, explaining exactly what happened and why she was banned. (By the range, not by our hero.)

 

[JamisJockey]

She should be banned from the range, and every other public range within a 1-hour driving radius

Run a red light, you don't get banned from driving. You can cause more deaths behind the wheel of a car then with a firearm.
Training, training, training. I stand by my opinion. She is ignorant of firearms, and needs help. Instead, you guys want to turn her away for one mistake (albeit a crucial one).
How many of you learned to shoot without spending time with a helpful instructor showing you the ropes? How many of you would make the same mistake if you didn't know any better?
:banghead:

 

[MICHAEL T]

Don't band her ,teach her. There might be a reason for her wanting to learn to shoot, maybe her life in in danger. The range should have stayed with her on line till they saw she was ok. I don't blame her as much as I blame the range people,for not properly supervising her. Would you show a 10 year old how to load and shoot give them weapon and ammo and walk away? Thats what they did .She may have been a adult but she has no more sense than a 10 year old first time out.

 

[R.H. Lee]

THAT would have really freaked me out. Sometimes our range is very busy with more than a few new shooters, which always makes me nervous. Our RO is great. He's very watchful and will not hesitate to correct any misbehavior. The pistol side of the range can be the most worrisome when busy, and I'm always looking around to make sure I'm not being covered with a muzzle.

 

[Taurus 66]

I safe my pistol and lay it on the bench and then turn around. What I saw was this 4'5" frail woman pointing that mark II at my hip/genitals and pulling the trigger repeatedly whilst saying, "it won't fire."

You should of just calmly took it from her hands, fixed the problem, pointed it at her in the same region, and pulled the trigger repeatedly. Then tell her, "Problem fixed."

 

[confinedbythecurtain]

UNREAL! You handled yourself very well. Most people wouldnt be so cool with a loaded pistol pointed at them (while the trigger is being pulled repeatedly!) I guess not every one abides by the rules.

 

[confinedbythecurtain]

RileyMC- Do you go to Hogue Action Range? If the RO you are talking about is Robert then you are correct. He rules that range like a champ! Really cool guy.

 

[R.H. Lee]

The Hogue range is where they do IDPA once a month. Ian is the rangemaster for that and the SLOSA range next door. Ian runs a tight ship but he's a real gentleman. There's also a Cowboy Action range, but I've never been to that one.