it takes all kinds

[James T Thomas]

what is the most "extreme" occurence you have ever encountered at the shooting range or other?

For example: I saw a semi-auto pistol shooter encounter a misfire, and turn the gun around and peer down the barrel! Really. I had to turn away from watching.

Saw another shooter firing a snubby while standing behind his female friend's head; she was sitting a few feet in front, at the firing bench. She was wearing hearing protectors, but no military helmet. I guess he really didn't like her that much after all.

Then there was a man who resembled the exhibition wrestler "Stone Cold Austin" firing a short barreled 44 mgn with hot reloads. Every time it would buck back and the cylinder release would gouge his hand to the point where he was bleeding. All the time he kept yelling Yeah! Yeah!

Many times I witnessed shooters leaving a round in the chamber of probably what was a hot gun when cease fire had been called. Ever hear of a "cook off"?

And finally, poor GI Joe got a golden wound in his but while off loading a hovering helicopter, when the door gunner let his gun flop down on it's post just as the man was beneath. Watch where your muzzle points.

 

[Taurus 66]

The only "extreme" I ever saw was infact "Me" and a nasty Remington 597 with an excellent shell extractor if I may add. One of the hot brasses flliiinged out, up, then down, the back of my shirt. The collar cupped the cartridge. Onlookers later told me that was some fancy footwork and they haven't seen that kind of dancing since the early 80's breakdance era.

From extreme to disturbing: Once upon a time at a Creekside Gunshop in East Bloomfield not too far far away, there was a Saturday blackpowder tourney. The men came from near and far to compete. They even dressed up - some as Davey Crockett, one was George Washington, then there was this fella who was in leather chaps but had nothing underneath

I think it was the old fogies league. They were sure trying their damnest to make that one joke funny for us whipper snappers. They just kept it going and going.

Fogie 1: "Fire at Will!"

Fogie 2: We can't. Will hasn't shown up yet."

<chuckles from the men>

Lame!

 

[mbs357]

Today we went skeet shooting.
The little clip on the launcher that holds the birdie down got loose, and flew past me during a test fire...
Bout as close a call as I can think of...but then again, we don't go to ranges. =p

 

[CGofMP]

Was doing rangemaster duties at the college where we taught law enforcement students.... The lead instructor and I had just set out about a dozen new 686 revolvers in the firing rests, cyls open and walked down range to repair the target return wires.

The snap snap snap of a dry firing 686 echoing in an underground cement walled range is VERY loud when you are downrang on a ladder....

Equally loud were the IN STEREO words coming from the lead instructors mouth and mine telling the student who had walked in in between classes and decided to play with our new toys when we were down range.

He never shot on our range again.

In fact I dont remember him ever daring to show his face again....

---------------------

 

[CGofMP]

Another time was doing an advanced officer survival class on Treasure Island. The last examination for the class was to be a 'no win' situation where teams went into a warehouse full of 'suspects'. (We would all be armed with paintball guns).

My team consisted of myself and 2 officers from a federal government agency.

We decided that we were not gonna get 'killed' in this scenario.

The class had been allowed a 30 second look inside this large warehouse the day before the exam where we were all told we were gonna 'die' and nobody survived. (yea yea paintbal LE training but still).

The three of us drove back to TI and broke into the warehouse later that night so we could get a much better than 30 second look.

Well the older of these two who damned well should have known better drew his service revolver (note we had been using quadruple checked duty weapons all during the course for scenarios) and in his zeal to feel like he was clearing the warehouse was playing with a NON checked revolver.

He lined up the sights on his partner (could easily have been me instead) and pulled the trigger.

A second and a half after I heard the BANG I saw this guy throw his revolver across the room.

Thank God this guy was such a crappy shot.

His partner and I gently voiced our displeasure with him.

-----------------

The next day IAD interviewed us about the ND.

...oh yea. We did win in the Warehouse situation having 'shot' all of the suspects except for one who we took into custody.

Cheating the system got us through the paintball storm but it almost got a Fed killed !

 

[wolf_from_wv]

Two guys showed up to the range one day. A man and woman were shooting at the far right bench. I was 3-4 benches down.

The two guys walk down to the far side of the range and prepare their targets. Then...they walk out. We are still shooting. They get about 50 yards out when the guy beside of me sees them. I see them. The guy turns to his wife(?) and says, "Well, it's time to go." I leave shortly after.

 

[XLMiguel]

I was at a local indoor range when a mommy & daddy and 3 kids (aged 8-14, I'd guess) showed up. The range was pretty empty, with only 3-4 lanes in use. Mommy & daddy took one lane to play with their new Glock sub-compact, leaving the kids with a .22 rifle (10/22?, some sort of autoloader)a couple lanes over. Mommy & daddy quickly became engrossed with their new toy, ignoring the kids, who soon started arguing over whose turn it was. This quickly degenerated into physically fighting over the gun, one kid trying to grab it from another, sweeping one side of the range, then the other. I yelled at them to 'knock it off' (mommy & daddy still oblivious) and quickly split and told the range manager, who proceeded to do nothing, as one kid had control of the gun by the time she turned to look though the glass partition into the range area. I don't go there anymore.

 

[Camp David]

what is the most "extreme" occurence you have ever encountered at the shooting range or other?

A long while back, in upstate Vermont, I was in a crowded Hunter Safety class prior to fall Duck Season...we had completed the lecture and written part of the class and we moved down to the range. Several folks were ahead of me in line to fire their shotguns. One young guy stepped up to fire... His shotgun was a Browning Auto 5 12 gauge, three-inch magnum. The instructor told him to load one shell. He was holding the gun about waist high, barrel up, and his method of loading was to cradle the gun between his legs and put shell in tube and chamber it... as he did so shotgun chambered.... and fired shell in one slick movement! Luckily gun was pointed upward, but that was not problem... This guy fell down to the ground in a lump, like a bag of potatoes! It seems shotgun butt was resting on his groin when it accidently fired.... it took about six of us to help this guy away... I don't think he shot any ducks that fall!

 

[Correia]

James, just one point. Cook offs are very rare, and you have to get that gun HOT. (usually FA)

 

[Pilgrim]

I had a young man show up at the range with a .22 rifle still in the shipping carton it was packed in. During a cease fire some helpful shooters showed him how to put up his targets. He then loaded his rifle, prepared to fire, when his mother who was behind the line said, "Be careful, Jimmy." He didn't hear her and he turned to ask, "What?" In doing so he swung the rifle so that it was pointed right at my face.

Pilgrim

 

[Old Dog]

Military range, circa early '90s ... 12-gauge shotgun quals for base police department ... female shoots the overhead (we were starting from the covered stations on a 25-yard small-arms range) with a load of double-ought buckshot ... immediately taken down hard by Marine staff sergeant rangemaster ... I was about twelve feet to the left of her, she'd fired up and to the right over a couple other guys ... I believe she found a new career field in supply soon after ...

 

[scbair]

Well, the range officer at the Criminal Justice Academy back in the 70s might say I did it.

I was pursuing my law enforcement certification, and my class had progressed to the range work for firearms qualification. We were at the shotgun stage. A brand new range officer was going solo for the first time. The veteran trainer had been watching me, and quietly took me aside.

Him: "You shoot a good bit, don't you?"
Me: "Yessir."
Him: Ever use an Ithaca pump?"
Me: "I hunt with one, sir."
Him: "Good. Now, it's Jim's first time as range officer, and we like to break 'em in right. He'll instruct you to load 5 rounds; he'll then tell you to fire one round at target #3. After you've fired that round, he'll tell you to fire 2 rounds at another target, then the final 2 rounds at a third target.

"When he says 'Fire 1 round . . .,' I want you to point the shotgun at the nearest target, fire, hold the trigger, and rack the slide 4 times, just as fast as you can."

Me (grinning ear-to-ear): "YESSIR!"

In those bygone days, to save a buck or two (or maybe to avoid the pain the shotgun would inflict on untrained shooters when held improperly), the training was done with light field loads of birdshot, not full-house buck loads.

I proceeded to the line when my name was called, loaded 5 rounds per instructions, then . . .

"Fire 1 round . . ." BAMBAMBAMBAMBAM !!

I finished with the action open, and turned my head to look at the range officer. No range officer . . .

I turned further and saw him backpedaling away from the line, with a horrified look on his face. Behind him, the veteran trainers were holding their side and were in tears from laughter.

Ya know, having trained some really scary shooters since then, I sorta regret bein' a party to that goat ropin' exercise. But it sure was funny at the time!

 

[James T Thomas]

confirmation

No argument at all Correia; you are correct. I have seen the M60 machine gun so hot it glowed cherry red, and needed the barrel swapped. The assistant gunner used an asbestos mitten. That is hot!