Range accident today (not me)

C

cwhit23

Inactive
I went to test out and eagerly fire a couple hundred rounds through my new XD-9mm today. I went to the range and fired my shots and was packing up and ready to go. (XD rocks btw) I was at the check out register to pay for my lane rental and some extra ammo when all the sudden BANG....

Some freaking idiot accidentally discharged his firearm in the lobby of the range. He was apparently taking it out of it's case and fired it. I'm not sure where the bullet went but I think it ricocheted off the floor and up through the ceiling as dust was falling from the ceiling tiles after the discharge. This really just made me boil over with anger. At first I was shocked and a little shaken making sure no one was hit. then I just got angry.
1st off , one the main rules in gun handling/ownership is never touch the trigger until you are ready to fire. So why was this numb nuts having his hand near the trigger? Why was this guy unpacking his guns in the lobby instead of the firing lane? People need to think before they act when they are in possession of a deadly weapon. smh.. it just boils me over people's lack of respect and negligence.. .. there were kids at the range, families, etc. Thank God no one was hurt. A lady got a little shrapnel in her leg but no one was directly hit or seriously injured.

This is just a reminder that no matter how comfortable you are or laxed you become with a weapon. Safety is still a priority and should be taken seriously. The guy at the range said they had been there for 5 years and it's never happened. However, that's not good enough. It should not happen.

Do ranges you guys go to have rules set in place to keep this sort of thing from happening?

Sorry if this is the wrong section, but appeared to be the best section for this content.
 
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Do ranges you guys go to have rules set in place to keep this sort of thing from happening?
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At our range, all weapons have to be unloaded and remain cased until you're on the firing line if you're on your way in, or until you've left the building if you're on your way out.
 
I stay faaaarrrrr away from ranges during panic times. Lots of new shooters that don't have any training or experience. It really is putting your life in other's hands in that situation.
 
People make mistakes...there have been more people killed by mistakes in automobiles than will ever be killed by mistakes with guns. With that said, this incident just drives home the fact that we can never be too careful when handling guns...just like driving cars.
 
Maybe I'm naive but you said he was taking out of its case, if it was in a case, why was it loaded? Why was he transporting a loaded weapon? I'm guessing it wasn't his carry gun, since it was in a case. Maybe I'm wrong but either way, he should have removed the round in the chamber. The whole "I forgot it was loaded" nonsense has never worked with me. First rule of firearms: "treat every firearm as if it is loaded!" Therefore, there is never a reason to "forget it was loaded."

I agree with the OP, its frustrating when owners of firearms get careless and stop respecting their firearms. It makes us all look bad, especially now.
 
There's no safety switch for idiots around you.

A lil shrapnel is definitely a better outcome than what could've been esp if its as crowded as a lot of these places have been.



Every gun within reach in my house is loaded, when I load up to go to the range the guns I take are all unloaded except of course my edc.
 
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There's a range a few miles from my house that instituted a rule some years ago after they acquired one too many bullet holes in the range lobby.

Nobody is allowed to bring ANYTHING into the range lobby. You leave your cases in the car, come in and pay and then take your cases/guns directly to the line.
 
GLAD I go to private propery to shoot,, Much more safer for me and my family/Freinds.. Though there are NO Rules broke when I'm there ; ) PS Stay Safe & follow rules!!

Y/D
 
I used to be an instructor at our range. We get many new shooters from the Phoenix area. It is unbelievable what people will do. I have seen shells loaded backwards, but my favorite is when they turn to talk to you with a loaded gun pointed AT you, if you are not close enough to stop it, which I always try to be.:mad:
 
Range I shoot at:
No guns out of case or holster in the lobby.
Guns out only when on shooting lane.
No changing of lanes without placing gun in case prior to move.
 
cwhit23 said:
Do ranges you guys go to have rules set in place to keep this sort of thing from happening?
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Rules? We don't need no steenkin' rules.

Asking about rules "to prevent this sort of thing from happening" is a lot like passing laws against guns in schools to prevent another Columbine or Sandy Hook. Rules are useless if stupid people think they're so smart that the rules don't apply to them.

My range has the rule: Take your gun out of the case only at the firing station, unload it and put it back in the bag before leaving the line. But if the shop is crowded and some doofus pulls a LOADED pistol out of a range bag in the shop area -- how's a rule going to prevent that?
 
Yeah, I know people make mistakes and to err is human. However this shouldn't be an issue. I don't think I have enough post yet but I wish I could quote because a lot of you guys made good points I'd like to comment on.

Number 1 was why was it loaded in a case? It should not have been. It tells you that even in the owners manual.

secondly was people referring to the guns having to be unloaded until entering the range. I have already emailed the owners of the range expressing my concern and heavily suggesting this idea become law of the range rather than just a good idea.

lastly was about panic times and new shooters. I am one of those new shooters, but in my defense I did take a safety class , carry permit class before I even bought my first gun. Safety was beaten into my head as it should have been.
I know that's not the end all/ be all but it is better than walking in and not knowing a dang thing and causing accidents to occur.


The range did email me back and said they were investigating the incident and would keep me informed.
 
You are correct about rules not always being followed and there will always be someone that breaks the rules. And a rule itself will never prevent some from breaking it.

I am new to the scene so forgive my ignorance. I just wondered if in some ranges there was actually faculty that watched for this type of stuff and enforced the rules at hand.

I am smart enough to know that you can't be everywhere at once and they'll be some goober that's going to do something stupid. I guess I was more curious as a newb other ranges are really strict and have something in place to make sure weapons are unloaded until the firing line and unloaded before leaving the firing line.
 
Every range I have been to has had a rule that guns are to remain cased/holstered until on the line.

The range I go to downtown is run by ex-cops and I do believe they would of drawn and possibly fired at some idiot taking his gun out in the lobby.

A person only has 2 reasons for taking a firearm out in the lobby of a store/range:

A) they are planning to rob the place

B) they are a moron

Even if the gun is unloaded no one around you knows that. I do hope they at least kicked the guy out right?
 
My range has the rule: Take your gun out of the case only at the firing station, unload it and put it back in the bag before leaving the line. But if the shop is crowded and some doofus pulls a LOADED pistol out of a range bag in the shop area -- how's a rule going to prevent that?
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This ^!

And Aguila Blanca is right. We, more than any other group should understand that 'rules' (or laws) will NOT keep something from happening.
 
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