What does "cease-fire" mean at your range

[stix213]

I've never experienced a cease fire at the local indoor range.

At the outdoor range it means clear weapons and open actions, then step away from the benches, though the RSO gives additional commands to do so. Don't approach the benches or handle any weapons that may be away from the benches. After the RSO checks the chambers on all benched weapons you're given the clear to walk down range to your targets, which makes you walk past the benches, but you still can't touch anything on the benches or spend anymore time next to a bench longer than it takes to walk past it. Range is declared hot when everyone is confirmed back from their targets and several feet behind the benches. You can go through your bags as long as they are back away from the benches, load mags, etc, just don't touch any weapons during this time or stand near the benches. Picking up brass would be a no no unless somehow it ejected several feet behind the benches.

[ifilef]

Usually means stay completely away from the benches, behind the safety line or along the back wall.

If the notebook was near the shooting bench or the brass sweeper blocked the RSO's view down the line, makes sense to me.

At most ranges it mandates that you are to clear your weapon, also, I think.

[Twystd1]

SO did the right thing.

-T

[dyson]

Means dont screw around when people are down range

[Tovarish]

I'm an RO and I would be annoyed by the sweeping of brass or any significant movement or noise during cease fire. Just step back. It's not going to take long.

[Tovarish]

Oh. And no, I would not call a cease fire to repair a hanger unless it was a safety threat.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

Coming from a background of .mil and then LE, I fully appreciate the need for order and safe handling rules in any type of live fire environment. With that said, I find the "RSO"s at some private ranges to be obnoxious tools. I can't recall the number of old men in red hats I've seen parading back and forth on firing lines talking down to all the shooters as if they are all idiots.

Any sort of safety violation would warrant the wrath of the range staff, I give you that. But if I am safe and attentive to all of the "golden rules" of safe gun handling, I do not to get barked at by some retired guy in a ball cap with a bullhorn. Leave me alone. And don't touch my guns or equipment. And don't engage me in chit chat about how you used to shoot deer and kill stuff when you were younger. I don't really care. I just want to shoot and be left alone.

[dozer wright]

[QUOTE=Merc1138;16748863]I think Chabot is the worst for that. You can show up, and have the guy to your left get yelled at for screwing around at the bench while everyone is downrange. Then during the next target change period the guy on your right, who was there the whole time, is getting yelled at for screwing around at the bench. A while back I saw a guy who had been there for a bit already, screwing around at the bench while everyone else was downrange after he had heard people get yelled at for doing that on the 4 previous target change periods. I'm sure some of those idiots are the same people who whine about how mean the range staff at Chabot is(at least they keep an eye on people).

What I don't understand, is how Metcalf, Sunnyvale, and Livermore don't have the same problems constantly. It's as if idiots are attracted to Chabot, kind of like TM.

The reason Chabot has the screwing around at the bench problem,Is because people walk bettween the benches to go down range. And often grab or touch things on the bench. Or even if they look like they may reach for the bench the R.o. Alarm goes off.

[ijustdontknow]

Is the bolded part a guess or were you there?



Because it sure sounded like these two people were not shooting, at the firing line, or handling firearms. So what other commands did the RSO give?

Exactly.

I guess based on everyone's comments (1) different policies for different ranges and (2) although RSO has an important job, this particular one was a bit over zealous.

One other small detail. This cease fire was done quickly almost as if there was an emergency. The urgency was not only unnecessary but they did not give everyone time to fully clear their weapons so one guy ran up and down the line like his hair was on fire checking weapons. The entire situation was a bit unsettling. Even more so based on other comments here.

[ditchdigger]

Is the bolded part a guess or were you there?

Because it sure sounded like these two people were not shooting, at the firing line, or handling firearms. So what other commands did the RSO give?

In the OP, they were instructed to stay along the back wall.

They were not told to sweep range brass or get things out of their range bag.

[Junkie]

In the OP, they were instructed to stay along the back wall.

They were not told to sweep range brass or get things out of their range bag.

They also weren't told not to sweep brass or get things out. They aren't told to talk to their friends either, does that mean they should stand silently until the RSO is done?

[Jimi Jah]

Time for a rest room break.

[Junkie]

Time for a rest room break.

The RSO didn't say you could leave.

[9mmepiphany]

One other small detail. This cease fire was done quickly almost as if there was an emergency. The urgency was not only unnecessary but they did not give everyone time to fully clear their weapons so one guy ran up and down the line like his hair was on fire checking weapons. The entire situation was a bit unsettling. Even more so based on other comments here.

This added detail makes it sounds as if there was something going on that you might have been unaware of

[IVC]

At my local private range we don't have a dedicated RSO, so we don't get "cease fire" unless there is an emergency.

Otherwise, we decide to go cold by letting everyone know we are going cold, letting them finish the shot, then removing magazines and having all chambers/cylinders open and visible. Everyone has to move behind the white line, we check all the firearms on the benches, check all the people to be behind the line and call "we are cold." Once we are cold, nobody can cross the line, not even to pick up something from the bench. However, people can load their magazines or pack their guns behind the white line as they would do if they were leaving.

A dedicated RSO yelling at people for moving about behind the line sounds strange and an overreaction. Standard procedure is to "stand behind the line." If that wasn't sufficient, the RSO should have emptied the range instead of inventing the new rule on the spot. Arbitrary changes in the rules, even when well intentioned, are a recipe for disaster.