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

[k9kev88]

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??

 

[Sergei Mosin]

You don't have to put up with it. Don't spend your money there, and let them know why.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Amen.

The most powerful weapon you have is the ability to say, "I'll take my business elsewhere."

 

[200Apples]

.

NO RELOADS

I wonder if they'll let you pick up your brass, then. Not to keep you from re-loading your own, but so that they can have all the once-fired.

Then again, I'm new around here. What do I know.

Hahrr.

 

[bannockburn]

Sounds like a bunch of horse hockey to me. There use to be a gun range that wouldn't let you use your own ammo if you weren't a member. You would have to buy their reloaded ammo, which wasn't cheap and varied greatly in quality (heard from others that it was pretty dirty too). Needless to say I didn't shoot there and never went back.

 

[happygeek]

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.

What if you accidentally drop your magazine?

I'm facing the prospect of moving for work later this year, I can only hope the next place they send me has a range like Paul Bunyan nearby (http://www.pbrsc.org/). I've been very lucky, I joined that place immediately after buying my first rifle in early 09. They have a 200 yard rifle range and a 50 yard pistol/22LR rifle range. For $96 a year you can shoot as much as you like from 07:00 - 22:00 7 days a week. All you have to do is check their calendar first to ensure there's not a meet going on (they use those to keep the membership fee low).

I'm really going to miss that place after I move. I can easily see myself dropping guns as a hobby if I can't find a similar range at my next location

 

[jimwill48]

Yup I live in Charlotte area too and of the 4 new indoor ranges that have opened in last couple of years all of the are No Reloads, No Lead Bullets ranges. The answer I got from one of these ranges was that it was a Air Safety and Regulation thing. For what they want to use these ranges, I will just say no. But of course one person saying they will not use the range because of ammo restriction is of no importance to them as they have a abundance of 1st time gun owner and non-reloading gun owners who agree to anything and any price to shoot.....

 

[k9kev88]

What if you accidentally drop your magazine?

Too funny - I would like to get the video of a range trying to take some gun owner's magazine because of that rule

 

[k9kev88]

No Reloads, No Lead Bullets ranges.

So what do you mean "No Lead"... really? they only allow copper bullets?

 

[tactikel]

Several ranges I have shot at now are now"no reload" ranges, you must buy their ammo or bring commercial loads. They said it was for liability. Another range only allows fully encapsulated bullets such as Raniers to control lead dust, they had an older air filtration system. I no longer go to either range.

 

[murf]

sounds like a new form of gun/people control brought to you by the insurance industry.

murf

 

[119er]

I have an indoor range near me that I took the CHL class at. As you stand at the firing line, you are standing on grating through which your brass falls for them to collect and presumably sell or scrap. Not sure if they reload them and frankly, I don't really care. Sure, they have mats you can place over the grating, but that just makes the brass run forward of the line where you can't retrieve it.

They also don't allow reloads, but I just put them in factory boxes to take the test. This was also near the height of the ammo frenzy, so none other was available anyway.

I suppose that there are plenty of happy customers that shoot there and accept their policies. After all, I grew up discarding brass with my father at indoor ranges. In my mind at the time it was just trash, similar to throwing away oil bottles after an oil change.

K9kev88: I believe he is referring to bullets that expose lead to the atmosphere or propellant gasses. Indoor ranges must adhere to strict regulations to airborne lead. I believe some is inevitable due to standard primers, but exposed lead bullets create too much lead vapor.

 

[Swede]

Even if I don't like it I can see why no reloads.

I was talking to the owner of a range once and he told me this. A customer was sighting in his rifle and couldn't get on the paper. The owner tried to help by moving him to a shorter range. Here they could see the bullets were coming apart.
After some discussion the customer told the owner, because the cases weren't full of powder he was taking the bullets out, filling the cases up the rest of the way, then reinstalling the bullets. The bullets were disintegrating before they hit the target.

So you may know what you are doing but the guy next to you may not, and there is no way to know the difference between you.

I don't like it any more than any one else but I can see their point.

 

[k9kev88]

So, do they really have the ability to tell if my reloads, re-packaged in a commercial box, are in fact "reloads"... I don't think we have to answer that question.

Now I imagine there will be a run on left-over ammo boxes at the range.

 

[rcmodel]

Surely you have some empty factory ammo boxes to put your reloads in don't you?

How would they know?

rc

 

[hovercat]

Last 2 replies are not good. Pretending to accept and doing an end around is dishonest and helps to keep those rules in place.

 

[Theohazard]

No Reloads, No Lead Bullets ranges.

So what do you mean "No Lead"... really? they only allow copper bullets?

That almost certainly means "no un-jacketed bullets". Many indoor ranges require at least partially-jacketed bullets to keep the airborne lead contamination down.

Surely you have some empty factory ammo boxes to put your reloads in don't you?

Bingo! If you feel like making a stand and not going to this range until they change their rule, go ahead. But if you like the range and want to use it, and the only thing stopping you is their "no-reloads" rule, then just put your reloads in an empty box of factory ammo. Problem solved.

 

[hso]

They're trying to prevent KABOOMs from happening so how can that be counter to anything near and dear to shooters? YOU may load carefully, but that other idget in the next lane may have half charged two and doubled the next two.

 

[Warp]

They're trying to prevent KABOOMs from happening so how can that be counter to anything near and dear to shooters? YOU may load carefully, but that other idget in the next lane may have half charged two and doubled the next two.

This is why Shall Issue carry laws are bad. That idget behind you in line at the grocery store might accidentally shoot you.

 

[Odd Job]

Our range allows handloads, but not if you are hiring a club gun. In that case you must buy the club ammunition.

 

[k9kev88]

Last 2 replies are not good. Pretending to accept and doing an end around is dishonest and helps to keep those rules in place.

I have to admit that in fact I would NOT sign an agreement and do something that violates it... just for the record, I do believe in being honest and acting with integrity, especially when it comes to firearms.

Having said that - like the other posts point out... no one can tell if your range neighbor is being honest and/or a good reloader. So this type of rule is just another example of a rule/law that can't be enforced and only has the impact of screening out and pissing off honest people and good reloaders.

 

[Jim Watson]

The newest indoor range in this area appears to have dropped their No Reloads limitation. At least I cannot now find it on their www. They said they were reviewing the restriction with their insuror, looks like it came back favorable.

I don't know what their position is on picking up empties. I am only likely to shoot there for an occasional wintertime "Tactical Tuesday" where the round count is not high enough to make brass loss a burden. If I worried about it, I would shoot my .45 ACP revolver and dare them to tell me I could not pick up my moon clipped empties.

 

[Theohazard]

Last 2 replies are not good. Pretending to accept and doing an end around is dishonest and helps to keep those rules in place.

On the moral dishonesty scale, it's pretty darn low in my opinion. If he brings his own reloads, who is he hurting? Nobody (except himself if he's a bad reloader ). To me, it's just like when I go to Starbuck while carrying concealed. Sure, I'm breaking their rules, but nobody knows and I'm not hurting anyone.

But you're right that doing that won't help change anything. But by taking a stand, he's not getting to use the range until they change the rule. So if they don't change the rule soon, then he's only hurting himself.

 

[deadin]

Might also have something to do with what kind of backstops they have.
My local indoor range uses an angle deflector plate as the backstop and have banned FMJ, all Magnums and hyper velocity stuff on the indoor range. We still get people that seem to think they know better and don't obey the rules. It doesn't take much of a dent or pock mark from one of the above to cause a vertical surface to be presented on the backstop and it's amazing just how far backsplash, jackets and other debris can come back down the range. Our maintenance man is constantly having to weld and grind down the damage to the plates.

 

[steelerdude99]

This is why Shall Issue carry laws are bad. That idget behind you in line at the grocery store might accidentally shoot you.

I thought this was a thread to about a new range not permitting reloads. Bashing "Shall Issue" Carry permits would be another topic (but why?).

chuck