another crazy day at the range

[redneckshootist]

I went to Yolo Sportman Assoiation again today, only cause I didn't have time to go anywhere else. I was going to go to Sac Valley cause of the Calguns meet was there but I needed to be home by 1:00pm and Sac Valley is an 1 1/2 hours away from where I live. Anyway me and my buddy took about 6 guns to the range, we took the 54cal musket, the 45cal Knight disk in-line, the mini 30, the ruger redhawk in 44mag, the pt140, and my new rifle the model 70 in 30-06. We get all the way there and I realized I didn't bring any black powder or my powder measure so my buddy went back to get some powder I sighted in my model 70. When he got back I started shootin the muzzel loaders he started on the mini-30 after shootin for awile, we decided to go check targets and waited for everyone else to finish the range cleared we went down, came back and were waiten for the shoot'em up command when the range officer decided that cause the mini-30 action was closed he open it and found a live round in the chamber I felt bad cause it was my gun even though I wasn't shootin it luckly my buddy just got yelled at and we finished shootin the rest of the day went ok, my buddy shoots alot so I didn't think he needed to be babysat

[triggerhappy]

And THAT is why I am neurotic about checking the action! Seems as if the moment we get complacent, things like this occur. I'm glad it was ,merely a disappointment for you, instead of a tragedy, ya know?

[Prc329]

man, I thought it was a little anal to make me keep my charging handle back on my AR even though you can look threw the ejector and see it is clear. I now understand why.

[slick_711]

man, I thought it was a little anal to make me keep my charging handle back on my AR even though you can look threw the ejector and see it is clear. I now understand why.

I'm glad it only took a story and not an accident for you to understand.

Redneckshootist I'm glad to hear you guys had a nice day at the range and that was your only issue, it's one I'm sure you've already remedied via a little chat with your buddy.

I'm very confident in my ability to handle most any firearm, nonetheless my bolt/action is always open when I'm not shooting or am off the line. Most times I drive that thought home with a chamber flag, but that's more for others than for me. It's something that takes some discipline, but if you've seen negligent or accidental discharges it's something you take to heart.

I get loaded guns pointed at me regularly at work (indoor range), and it drives me crazy, but the everyday-joe-only-shoots-once-a-year types often don't know or follow the same rules we do. Shoot safe and you'll be around to enjoy shooting longer, whether that around means outside a cell or above ground.

[ocabj]

I feel ranges should adopt the use of empty chamber indicators for any firearm on the firing line.

[sammy]

The same thing happened to me a few weeks back. My buddy was shooting crappy reloads in my AR when a sease fire was called. At the time I was shooting my 10/22 but I noticed he was having a problem getting out a live round clearing the rifle. I tried to eject the live round from the chamber but the charging handle would not budge. I worked on it untill the range master came by and using brute force we got it removed. He looks at the 10/22 which has the bolt closed. S**t, in all the excitement I forgot to clear the very rifle I was shooting.

[redneckshootist]

I feel ranges should adopt the use of empty chamber indicators for any firearm on the firing line.

or just make shure the action is open.
when we were there my buddy was 6 lanes down from me which is why I didn't see the action closed I didn't even know what was going on untill I saw the range master grab the gun and the first thing I thought was that we will start packin. But the range officer and me are good friends which is why he gave him a second chance.

I remeber right after I got my keltec we(the same buddy that went with me to the range yesterday) decided to go shoot it for the first time, I fired a mag though and let him shoot it while he was shootin it had the same problem that most keltecs have and that is the FTE and insted of telling me about it he just set it in the truck (we were on blm land) he went to shootin a different gun I yelled at him over that one to cause the mag still had a couple of round left and it was all jammed up

I am startin to think he shouldn't be shooting my gun if he cant be safe with them

[redneckshootist]

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[PanzerAce]

This kind of story makes me happy that I never go down range at my local, private range unless all the guns on the line have their actions open, or, if that isnt possible for that rifle, then I double check the chamber first. Its a small range, so everybody kind of knows each other.

[ocabj]

or just make shure [sic] the action is open.

Action open doesn't necessarily mean a safe firearm.

Open bolt does not equal empty chamber. That's why they are called Empty Chamber Indicators and not Open Bolt Indicators.

You could still have a round in the chamber with an open action. While you would think this is safe because the round can't be fired, having a round in a chamber is still unsafe by definition, even with an open action/bolt.

You could have rounds in the magazine with an open action. This would be considered unsafe by definition for a firearm on a 'safed' line (cease fire).

For example, let's say a Garand, M14, or AR15 had a bolt that was improperly locked back with a round in the chamber or a round in the magazine (with empty chamber) and in some weird case, the bolt slammed closed resulting in a slam fire. Yes, it's a long shot, but possible.

The arguement can be made that an open bolt indicates the firearm is clear and is safe, but to everyone else who didn't personally drop/empty the magazine, clear the chamber, and visually verify that the firearm is empty and cleared off all rounds, the firearm is not safe. That's why the range master, range officer, range safety officer, match coordinator, match director, competitors, and fellow shooters like to see an Empty Chamber Indicator in the firearm on the line so that the know the firearm has been safed.

[triggerhappy]

My local range (Laguna Seca) has a little yellow flag that goes in the action. The rangemasters check all guns on the firing line before anyone goes downrange. It's annoying, but since not everyone "gets it" I don't complain. I'd much rather have to wait to get the go-ahead from the rangemaster than see a surgeon...