Range courtesy

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davlandrum

New member
I have never had a situation where others at the range wanted to try my guns, until I started shooting my .460 SW.

I was just curious how other feel about this and handle it. I will say everyone who has asked has been more than polite and would have accepted a refusal no problem. I had one guy shove $2 in my shirt pocket to cover the one round he shot. Other guy let me try out his TC in 30-30 in exchange.

I always hover and coach to make sure they are safe (cylinder gap, etc).

Just curious.

Thanks all
 
I've never been a fan of other people shooting my pistols. I had a guy plant a .357 slug in the ceiling at the range one time because he said he wasn't aware that it had a "hair trigger".

I told him to keep his finger off the trigger until he was ready for it to go off.:eek:
 
Don't think that there has ever been a time that I have gone to the range and not shared something. I may ask permission to hold a firearm to see how it handles but I never ask if I can shoot it. There are times when it is offered and I may accept or decline. However, I have never had anyone ask if they can shoot what I have. If someone shows and interest, I may offer it to them on a limited basis. Today, I introduced two guys to shooting one of my side cockers. They had a great time. One important point that I have learned the hard way, is never to loan a gun to anyone.

Be Safe
 
I've had people offer to let me shoot their guns and have accepted on occasion. And I don't have anything that is so dear to me I wouldn't let someone else try it out, as long as they demonstrate competence.

I've met some real nice folks who, after chatting a few moments, offer up their gun and ammo and say shoot away! The last time was a couple of young guys (early twenties) who looked a bit on the rough side. I watched them shoot for a bit. We started started talking and one of them hands me his P-22 and a box with 800 rounds in it. He said, please shoot these up, I have too much of this stuff! Turned out to be a couple real nice kids.

I was able to shoot a couple hundred rounds of his .22 and let him shoot a .357; something he'd never done before. That made his day!

I think sharing is a good thing!
 
I always bring a stack of IDPA practice targets with me since they are cheaper than what they sell at my indoor range and they don't offer IDPA style silhouettes anyway. So a few weeks ago a kid walks right up to my bench and takes one. I didn't say anything I just let him have it. A few minutes later he walks up and takes another one. I said, "Look, I don't mind you taking a few targets but these things are my personal targets and aren't free." He said, "Oh, well how much are they?" I gave him a roll of pasties and said don't worry about it but paste up your holes with the tape.

I have a few unique weapons (HK P7, suppressed USP .45 compact) and a unique practice style so I always get visitors to my booth. I don't mind offering a mag of ammo but any more than that and they need to get their own.
 
This thread amused me :) I deal with a ton of people at work and it never ceases to maze me ... the nerve some people have. To take your targets off of your bench, to just pick up your weapon (unacceptable), etc …
 
I dont shoot at public ranges but its pretty common for members of the sheriffs dept to shoot out back with me. almost always swap guns at some point.
Not sure how i would feel about a stranger, but i dont think it would be a problem if they had something i wanted to shoot in exchange.
tom
 
I've never shot at a public range so my experiences are different. I would find it totally unacceptable if someone I didn't know just picked up one of my weapons at our range. I've had guys come over to the bench and inquire about a weapon or 2 I may have with me that day. After a little conversation I may offer to let someone shoot one but have only had 1 person take me up on it.

When someone shows up and has something I am interested in I'll look but wouldn't think about picking it up.
 
i have a few glocks w/ internal laser sights and i hardly use the lasers inside the range, but when i shoot with the lasers it always brings someone over behind me. i disassemble the handgun and let people see what it is and how it operates, i've let a couple people pop a few rounds through the handguns, and most of the time they usually offer something up in return. i shot my first MK 23 in return for letting some guy shoot a glock 17 w/ internal laser. just make sure they know their range safety and i always hover over my weapons to make sure they don't do anything stupid with them.
 
I have never had a problem letting a female shoot one of my guns.
If mom or dad approves, a kid can shoot my guns.
If you're a guy and we've gone to the range together and I know you, sure, but you buy your own ammo,

If you're a guy I don't know, sorry.

AFS
 
I always talk to other shooters at the range. If they are shooting something interesting, I ask, listen, comment, ask how they did this or that, and if they offer to let me try a shot I will gladly accept. If not, I chat for a while, then go back to my own guns. I would never go ask a shooter if I could shoot his weapon. Never! This isn't grade school where sharing is required, it's a shooting range, and many of the shooters are practicing for matches, testing loads, verifying sight settings, etc. Some folks are a understandably little tense about letting others handle their firearms. That is their right since the gun is their property. If you go to a range, you are there to shoot your guns, so remember your manners and enjoy the experience.
 
I will never ask to shoot someone elses guns but if we are talking and they offer I never turn them down. Then I offer to let them shoot mine. It does not bother me. most of the guys I talk to I watch them shoot for a while before talking to them.
 
Thanks all for your feedback.

I think it is kind of a case-by-case situation. I like to shoot new things, so I can understand wanting to try something (although I am with Scorch - I don't go around asking).

Obviously, if someone was being a knucklehead, that would be an automatic No.

The guy who gave me money surprised me. I wouldn't have let him shoot if I was worried about the money for one round.
 
If someone comments about what I'm shooting I'll offer a few rounds. Most of the people that I run into at the range are polite and friendly so I don't mind. Sometimes it will make somebodies day and more happy shooters are good for us I think.
 
I'm not one to ask to shoot someone else's firearms, but I will gladly let anyone try mine, especially kids or new shooters. I have accepted a few people's invites to try theirs, and return the offer myself. Probably the 2 most interesting ones I have gotten to try this way was an old Ballard rifle in I forget what caliber, and a double rifle in .416/500 (I believe that's the right nomenclature for a 500NE necked down) which was quite impressive, but surprisingly enough not overly punishing.

Eric
 
I have shared my firearms with people at my gun club but never at a public range. I usually go with my buddies though so we share with each other. We don't pay each other for ammo since I shot yours you shoot mine. Of course at the time we all had 9mms. Now that I have my 1911 I haven't taken anybody to the range with me.

So if you see me at the range ask me and I will share that is how I was raised.

starshooter231
 
I have a few NFA toys, so when I'm ripping through mags on FA or playing with my SBR it draws LOTS of attention.

If I'm shooting 9mm, 5.56 or 12 guage I don't mind if folks shoot their own through it, but if I've got the 22 kit, I'll let them rip through a mag of my ammo just to see the look on their faces.

Tpyically I'll let people shoot my toys,so they'll let me shoot theirs.

I've never had anyone pickup my toys at the range and start playing with them, but I'd sh*t a massive brick if they did.

My biggest problem at the range was a few weeks ago, when during a ceasefire some dumbass (from a country, far, far, way) walked up and just started cranking rounds downrange with people still down hanging targets. :eek:
 
I've been approached more than once about shooting THEIR firearms...as they think theres something wrong with them:cool:

turns out its the shooter, I give a few quick tips...stance, slow steady squeeze, front sight post, etc. and they are more than happy when they are on target.

I've asked to handle a few firearms that I'm interested in most the time if they offer I'll take them up on it.

9x out of 10 when I go to the range I strike up a convo with someone who's new to shooting (hell im only 20 but it aint new) and try and help them out, if someone didn't would they come back?:confused:

Chad
 
I remember a few years ago I was at a public range and right beside me was a little boy and his dad shooting a bolt .22. He was pretty good and he kept looking at my pistols I had ( not touching them but just looking).

I asked him if he ever shot a pistol and he told me he hasn't, so I showed him the proper way to handle one and asked his dad if it was ok. I loaded up my Phoneix arms .22 and let him try it out.

After he was done he was grinning from ear to ear all the time they were there. I think I made his day.


Another time I was at the same range shooting my M44 and one guy commented on how loud it was and the fireball coming from the muzzle (he thought it was cool). I offered him the chance to fire a few rounds and he took one look at the steel butt plate and declined. LOL.
 
I once had a very nice guy offer to let me shoot his Barrett .50 , I took him up on that one:D
 
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