Why is it so hard to operate under the range safety rules?

[dwestfall]

...

[ocabj]

Yup, I see people uncase rifles in the same manner all the time at the Inland F&G range. People put their rifle cases behind the firing line, but within the firing area, parallel to the line, such that when they uncase their firearm, the muzzle is already pointing down the line and the muzzle is almost always swept in an unsafe direction to get down range.

Another time I was shooting prone with my Garand and I was getting up and unslung and some guy came walking to the bench to my right with his rifle in one hand at his side, ammo in the other, but the rifle was pointing straight ahead of him. I told him I would appreciate it if he didn't point his rifle at me, and he said it was unloaded and the bolt unopen, and I reiterated the point and how I didn't know it was unloaded and that rule #1 is to keep the rifle pointed in a safe direction. He said 'Whatever' and went about his business. Then his friend followed shortly and I overheard that guy telling his friend how I was being a dick about how he was pointing his rifle at me and then I immediately confronted him again and told him if he had a problem, we could both discuss the issue with the range officer and he just kept his mouth shut.

Then there's the issue where people are picking out benches before the range opens up for live fire (usually 0800 every day). Before 0800, the range should be cold, and there should be no firearms being handled on the line since at any given time, people will go out forward of the firing line to put out targets. Yet, people continue to bring uncased firearms to the firing area, or even to the line to put the firearms on the bench. One guy brought out a Mosin Nagant to a bench while I was walking back from putting out targets and I yelled at him to get away from his rifle while I'm walking back. Then he yells back that it's unloaded, but then he proceeds to operate the bolt and I was yelling back at him to get away from his rifle. Then he says it's fine, and he was just double checking to make sure it was unloaded. WTF? He tells me it was unloaded, yet he operates the action to make sure it is unloaded all while I'm in front of him in the target area during a completely cold range.

This is why I'm seriously debating getting a bulletproof vest to wear at the range when I'm not in my shooting coat.

[leelaw]

The worst violations I've seen were at USI..

Ugh..

Like the guy who, during the range safety orientation, muzzle swept everyone with a shotgun. He wasn't phased when the RSO yelled at him after that, and proceeded to muzzle sweet everyone with a Mili-14.

"I jess here to have fun and shoot, why you gotta be hatin'?" was apparently a valid excuse for this guy to act the jackass. Later, I saw him teaching his other friends how to shoot the Mini-14.

His demonstration:
Shoot
Cycle action
Shoot
cycle action
Shoot........

Oddly his magazines only held 5 rounds. I got some free .223 ammo that day.

[leelaw]

Mosin Nagant....

This is why I'm seriously debating getting a bulletproof vest to wear at the range when I'm not in my shooting coat.

I hope you get some ceramic plates for your vest.

[Prc329]

At Angeles they want you to uncase away from the firing line with the muzzle facing the parking lot.

[ocabj]

I hope you get some ceramic plates for your vest.

Yup. Or better yet, get some Dragon Skin armor.

[metalhead357]

One of the true-isms of life~

People see signs, warnings and rules....and they think it applies to everyone BUT them........

[1911su16b870]

Oddly his magazines only held 5 rounds. I got some free .223 ammo that day.

FWIW I have made it a personal rule not to bend over at the range with other people present to pick up brass or ammo. The risk is to great that when you bend over your noggin will be covered by one of these idiots who clearly do not know any of Cooper's four Laws.

I have had a similar thing happen to me with an idiot with a 12g at the range. He walks in, charges the pump behind me as I'm in the first stall and ends up covering anyone down the line. I saw him come in out of the corner of my eye, turned and saw him do it, all the while backing away from him. He goes and point plank shoots a taret that was left up in the fifth stall and then the knucklehead left. I spoke with the range officials who said just to let them know if I saw any safety issues again. I think this is the appropriate advise : If you see any thing, speak with a range official and they'll deal with it.

[Matt C]

For some reason I have noticed that no matter how clear you make the rules, and this applies anywhere, there is always some joker who wants to do his own thing. Never fails.

I could get in front of a hundred people in a room at a conference and say, "Ok, when you leave today don't use that back exit, they are working on the stairs and you will fall 50 feet to your death. Yet 6 hours later, if I don't wrap the door in cones, yellow tape and big nasty signs at least one person will walk through it, every single time.

This is the reason I want to be a lawyer, you will ALWAYS have business...

[Fjold]

It's because a large part of the population consists of opinionated know-it-alls and stupid people.

[leelaw]

It's because a large part of the population consists of opinionated know-it-alls and stupid people.

That's just your opinion.










Just kidding.

[triaged]

All guns are to be cased and uncased on the benches. The reason for this should be obvious, and the rule is easy to follow. And yet...

So what do you do if you don't have a case for your gun?

[scewper]

So what do you do if you don't have a case for your gun?

Carry it pointed upwards with the action open and magazines removed, unless they're fixed, if you're talking about rifles here. You should have a case for your pistols..

[xenophobe]

Most of the local ranges here do not have such a regulation. At Sunnyvale Rod & Gun I specifically uncase my firearms away from the firing line, then put them on the racks or move them to the tables.

[rorschach]

It's because a large part of the population consists of opinionated know-it-alls and stupid people.

Big +1

Like an unnamed comedian once said: "People are stupid and full of shlit, and it's not my fault."

Seems like theres been a lot of this going on at the ranges I frequent (BC, Insight, and La Puente) Or I am just getting older, grumpy and intolerant of kids 6 years my junior.

My favorite responses after the RO reaming include: "Who, me??", "I know the owner!", "I am training to go to the police academy/military", and "My dad/brother/best friend is a cop!"