Why is there such insularity in the gun community?

[BullfrogKen]

Is it a private range, and are the guys "escorting him off" administrators with the legal right to do so? If not, I think he does have the right to refuse.

It depends on the by-laws of the range. The by-laws are a product of the membership. If they don't want a certain group or contingency of people within the membership ranks, they can use whatever criteria they chose to admit members.

It's not uncommon for a private club to have standards of acceptable behavior defined, and to have the memberships empowered to escort those who violate it to leave. What usually happens is the member or guest engaging in some unwanted behavior is removed from the property, then the Board Directors and Officers become involved.

If it is private, and the guy doesn't have a membership, he doesn't have the right to be there... but if he does... he does. Should've screened him out during the application process.

Not exactly. And the screening process cannot catch everything. Just like an employer cannot be assured a new employee is who he says he is, or that he doesn't change some years after being hired. Memberships clubs are voluntary bonds of association, and they can chose to sever those bonds. The by-laws lamost always have a process spelled out about how that occurs, but most by-laws usually have something in it about how a member engaging in behavior that community doesn't want to tolerate is dealt with in the immediacy.



I've seen some jerks at our club. Some people are just jerks. But for every jerk, I have 20 members who are pleasant people and want to make a new shooter feel welcome. I have had many, many more positive experiences at my club than I have negative.

 

[jhco50]

I have noticed this exclusionary attitude amongst the different gunshops and ranges myself. Of couse if you flash enough money they will welcome you with open arms.

 

[jhco50]

sorry, double post

 

[LiveLife]

At least in central California, I have not seen this. All the local ranges I have been to (5 indoor/outdoor) past 15+ years have been very open with no exclusiveness. They were all open to anyone who paid the monthly/annual membership fees, very family oriented and friendly to new shooters.

When I lived in two northern California towns, they were very pro gun and I did not have problem at local ranges.

 

[Werewolf]

I've noticed insularity even within the gun community.

Every year at the range my gun club owns right before deer season the hunters show up.

They spend an hour or so zeroing their rifles and they're gone. They stick to themselves, are difficult to draw into any type of conversation and most absolutely will not accept any advice or suggestions regarding the zeroing techniques they're using.

They're all members of the club. Got to be to use the range. You never see them at the monthly meetings.

One wonders why they even bothered to join...

 

[Toaster]

Are other intensive sports any different before you draw broad conclusions?

I don't remember any cuddlies at the golf course (boring).

Good point. I seen "elitism" at the shooting range, but also at paintball fields, while boating and /or fishing , and even pinochle tournaments. Some people will always make it a point to look down their nose at others.
But my overall experiences as a gun owner and hobbyist have been good and I've made some great friends.
In terms of being paranoid where the government is concerned. I live in Illinois, where two handguns are considered a "major weapons cache" and two rounds of ammo is a "major stockpile." Go figure.

 

[Officers'Wife]

Part of my training is to look at a premise then turn it inside out and reexamine it. Just to throw in a random thought here... Could it be the nature of the sport itself? On the firing line or the tree stand there is no team, just a person 'hopefully' skilled in the use of a specific machine. There may be hunting partners or other team members but with the pin hits the primer it all comes down to you, your machine and your target.

Perhaps what the poster is noting is not insularity but a basic air of independence. Perhaps we as a culture have been so infused with the idea that people are interdependent with each other, the classical independent citizen is somehow seen as 'out of place' and 'stand offish.'

 

[LiveLife]

At least the shooters I shoot matches with/new shooters I have run into and various range staff the past 15+ years, even here in central California, mostly hold to the notion of citizen soldiers coming together for the good of the people if/when situation arises. Many range staff fostered this notion as well. Many of our local ranges have law enforcement/military staff involvement, and perhaps this helps.

I have seen some "distance and solitude" from the bench rest/rifle shooters but heck, you need to concentrate when you are trying to make those small shot groups at 100/300/500 yards (these guys are out on the firing line 4-5 AM - geeze). What I have experienced is when they are off the firing line, they are approachable and willing to share their knowledge and experience and we have them shoot our pistols in the pistol range. Also, everyone is happier after lunch BBQ break.

The past 15 years at various ranges, the bulk of discussions among known and new shooters alike (pistol/rifle/shot gun shooters) have been the deterioration of gun rights and escalation of anti-gun laws. Maybe this has united all shooters regardless of back ground here (even the young "rambo" type shooters in 20's will join in on the discussions and they are all concerned like us "more mature" folks).

The various range owners and staff have absolutely tried to get as many people involved in the shooting sports and Second Amendment activism efforts the past decade since the assault weapons ban. What they found is that most people, once they shoot some rounds in any firearm, are hooked the first time. We have run many promotional drives and match invitations for the public to come and watch/participate. No insularity here that I have seen.

For some of us, shooting is not just a sport, but a dependent way of life to defend ourselves from daily crime/home invasion robberies that occur in our cities. Sheriff deputies I shoot with tell us 911 will get the officers to our house in time to put us in the body bags. They tell us we MUST be able to defend ourselves and the house until the police arrives. Maybe this urgency has put the insularity issue to the side for us.

 

[tack]

My experience is that shooters are eager to share their enthusiasm and show off their skills and toys. Examples include a company pistol club in Connecticut, but that was years ago. I've had great experiences in the last year with two gun stores, the local NRA chapter, and the local tactical pistol clubs here in southern California.

Be persistent. Give them time and attention.

Tack

 

[SwordRapier]

You can tell the ones who only have autos when you let loose with a .44 Mag. If they turn around with the *** look with their jaws open, all they ever shoot or see is autos.

Insular......hmmmm

Kind of a loner some days, and real friendly other days. Just depends.

Most gun folks are real inclusive if you don't act like a fool who might shoot them between the eyes.

No tolerance for carelessness by most gun owners. Wouldn't call that insular.

I get those looks well I'm shooting my .327

Small gun, big bark.

 

[benEzra]

I have noticed other folks from NC having difficulty finding a range, so I guess in a large part it depends on where you're located as driving several hours to shoot is not a practical option in my opinion.

This is partly because, unlike many other states, NC seems to spend every bit of its Pittman-Robertson funds on hunting and wildlife related stuff, and not a dime on shooting ranges. In Florida, where I lived for a decade, a certain percentage of Pittman-Robertson funds are set aside for ranges, which makes sense since it is nonhunters that pay most of the taxes. In NC, shooters subsidize wildlife management and no-guns-allowed* game lands, possibly some hunter education materials, and not a whole lot else. As a result, ranges are less common.


*Except for .22LR pistols and revolvers with barrels shorter than (IIRC) 7 inches. The theory being, if I carry my 9mm CCW while taking my kids out stargazing on lands so designated, I might be overcome with temptation to poach a deer with it, but .22LR's emanate no such seductive vibes and are therefore allowed.