Shotgun ranges and minimum barrel length?

[XDshooter]

Went to a local range and it was my first time shooting skeet and brought my new 870 Express to try out.

Shot 4 rounds with some buddies and a RO comes over and asks my friend, who is holding it while I release clays for another friend, what length the barrel is. I thought it was kinda strange, but I told him 18".

He says that is needs to be at least 24" barrel. I ask why. His response got me cracking up. I almost pee'd myself.

"This is a sporting club, not a tactical self defense club!"

I asked him if it the shotgun couldn't be black either.


I went and asked another RO and this guy says it's because an 18" barrel is easier to swing around, blah, blah, unsafe, blah, blah.

Seriously, if you can't be safe with a 18" barrel, or even shorter, whatever, then you shouldn't be out there with any firearm. PERIOD.



What's the deal? I shot 16-18 usually and this was my first shooting shotgun. Are they jealous or something that I can outshoot some of the guys there with $2000 26" O/U's with a $280 18" pump? I really don't see the big deal.



rant rant rant

[taloft]

Where was this at?

Run, don't walk, away from this range. Anyone who thinks that barrel length determines the safety level of a firearm is an idiot. I bet they wouldn't say anything if I showed up with a coach gun because it is a SxS.

[XDshooter]

Run, don't walk, away from this range. Anyone who thinks that barrel length determines the safety level of a firearm is an idiot. I bet they wouldn't say anything if I showed up with a coach gun because it is a SxS.

I think the real reason was the Sporting thing and that they want a certain appeal to their range. That other guy was an idiot.


This was at Oak Tree Gun Club in Valencia.

[WINGEDSWORD]

Range

I didn.t have to see the answer. As soon as I saw the first post, I knew what range it was. I first encountered that attitude there, over 25 years ago. I have never gone back and never will. They are idiots, snobs and anal orifaces.
I'll bet that if you wandered onto their range, carrying a Beretta Silver Snipe
with 18 inch barrels, they would not say a word. I normally support all shooters, but anyone who belongs to that club, endorses that attitude, if only by association and I find them beneath contempt!

[XDshooter]

Can anyone recommend any other socal skeet shooting ranges. I find skeet very fun and entertaining as opposed to trap which seamed rather boring to me.
I'm not bagging on trap, it just seamed boring to ME.

[cobra198]

Wow, thats lame. I shoot trap with my 18" 870 wingmaster all the time and have never had an issue. Def take ur business to a different range!

[edbon9]

most ranges in the bay area have a 26" barrel length limit due to noise.
some go as low as 20" but they are not close to neighborhoods. max
ammo load is 3 drams max again due to noise.

[ar15barrels]

I used to shoot skeet at my gun club and both the Shotgun Director and I would shoot a couple rounds with our short/black shotguns.
People with regular length skeet guns would chuckle and call us the "riot gun skeet shooters"
I was shooting 17 to 18 even with my 18.5" ghost ring sighted Benelli M1.
Station 8 rocks with the Benelli.

[XDshooter]

Supposedly a lot of trap, skeet and sporting clays clubs and ranges set their minimum length based on noise levels or the size of the pattern.

I hear ya on the noise concern, but this place is next to nothing, AND they are open until 10PM on Wed, Thurs, and Fri.

I don't think noise has anything to do with it.

[randy]

Sounds like they don't want people with 23" or shorter barrel shotguns to shoot trap or skeet there. Pretty simple it's their club and their rules. I'd be bummed if I drove out there and I couldn't shoot but "thems the breaks". Maybe Triple B will let you shoot your gun there.