Accidents at the range?

[Inkman]

Just curious if anybody has or knows of some hard figures on accidental shootings at the range.

Reason i ask is that i see alot of new shooters out there (have brought a few myself, including myself) and have received great tips and info from other range veterans, but still see people making mistakes as far as not keeping the gun always pointed downrange and approaching the line during the target check. Most common one i've seen and corrected the user on was when there was any kind of jam on the handgun and they hold it left or right trying to unjam it. Not often, but once is one time too many. Yet...most accidents with guns you hear about are in the hands of the uninstructed and at home, not the range.

Thoughts? Data?

Thanks!!

Al

[Ericthenorse]

I would think that at home, they can continue to use bad habits with no hinderance, so after a few days of playing around with the new "gat" they might accidentally shoot themselves or someone else. How long can they wave their gun around at the range before someone says "hey..." Someone will probably teach theem the error of their ways in a few minutes at a range, where at home, lessons are accompanied with a loud report...

[bu-bye]

I've heard a few stories about someone shooting another but never any data. This one time I asked to see a pistol that was in the case. Clerk takes it out, pulls the mag and locks back the slide and checked for a round in the chamber finding nothing. He hands it over to me sideways with the barrel pointing between us at a downward angle. An older guy in the direction of the barrel 10 feet away drops to the floor and start yelling at ME!!! "You kids have no gun safety.....in my day.....If I was your dad...." I finaly told him to shut up. Clerk kindly asked him to leave if he was not comfortable around firearms. He muttered a few things and went to another part of the shop. I love the self proclaimed range nazi's

[sa champion]

once

I was at Jackson Arms shooting on the right side of the range (lanes 6 -10). Some guy was shooting on the left side (lanes 1 - 5) with his son. His son walked behind him with a 22 and shot him in the ***. Glad I wasn't shooting on the same side.

[chickenfried]

But........was it an accident?

I was at Jackson Arms shooting on the right side of the range (lanes 6 -10). Some guy was shooting on the left side (lanes 1 - 5) with his son. His son walked behind him with a 22 and shot him in the ***. Glad I wasn't shooting on the same side.

[Henry47]

I was at Jackson Arms shooting on the right side of the range (lanes 6 -10). Some guy was shooting on the left side (lanes 1 - 5) with his son. His son walked behind him with a 22 and shot him in the ***. Glad I wasn't shooting on the same side.

did the bullet penetrate his....behind?

[PanzerAce]

well, luckily for me the biggest range accident I have seen is when the ejected brass from a .45 kimber I was shooting was going OVER the land deviders, and hitting my friend in the head

course, I managed to hit myself in a similar way. Kinda annoying.

[wayoutwest]

When I first took my girlfriend (wife) shooting with the 9mm one on the casing got caught on the bow of her glasses and burned her temple pretty good. She wasnt happy about that.

Not really an accident but a friend of my fathers had a heart attack and died in the parking lot at the range back in Wisc.

[MrTuffPaws]

I have witnessed horrid gun safety at ranges. The worst being Cordova Shooting Center. I think the only reason I don't see them at the other ranges I go to is that they have better dividers. Strangely enough, I have never seen any accidents other than getting burned by hot brass. Though there was some girl with a 1911 that was screaming profanities about someone breaking into her apartment. She kept hitting the ground before the target, so in her infinite wisdom, she would yell some more then wave her left hand in front of the barrel in an upwards motion. I was sure as heck that she was going to blow a finger off. I left rather quickly, so she may have, but I was not sticking around to find out.

[Inkman]

Interesting stories people. Never really thought much about the ranges with dividers, but after talking with a bud at the range, his opinion was that he wanted to see the people next to him and how they handled their weapons. Are the dividers made of steel? Or plywood? Or what? Kinda made me have second thoughts about not knowing who was next to me and how they handled themselves.

I had wondered too about the policy about renting only if you came with a bud or brought your own gun, now i know the reason.

Thanks.

Al

[saki302]

About the worst I've seen is when my old Steyr Hahn tossed a spent 9mm casing straight back into my collar- which held it against my neck for the duration of the 'range dance'. That one left a mark!

-Dave

[sa champion]

I don't think it went thru but sure paramedics came to fix his ***.