Range gun, definition

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O6nop

New member
I've read posts here and talked to some people who say that my Kahr CW9 is "not a range gun". I've heard other guns refered in this way as well. What does that mean?
Is it because it is a defense gun, won't shoot well at long distances or is susceptible to damage?
What IS a range gun and what would be it's attracion?
 
I think of a "range gun" as a gun that you play with on the range but don't use for any purpose off the range. You wouldn't take it hunting or use it for carry because you wouldn't want to get it dirty or scratched up. By this definition a "range gun" would be a "safe queen" that you take to the range and shoot but don't use for anything else.

It could also refer to a gun that is too unreliable to depend on for carry or if you were going on an expensive hunting trip where the gun failing to work would be a big problem or disappointment.

Other people may have different definitions.

ETA that as far as the attraction of having a range gun, I guess different people might have different reasons. One of those .22LR caliber MP5 lookalikes might be lots of fun to blast with on the range and to plink with but if you lived in a state that didn't allow hicap mags for hunting small game or varmints, well, what other use would you put it to?

You might have a really nice handgun or rifle that you enjoy shooting but you don't want to ding it up. Maybe a $3K+ Wilson Combat 1911. It would make a nice range gun, especially if you have a less expensive 1911 for your carry gun. If you have a reliable Springfield 1911 to carry then why would you carry the Wilson and get all that wear on it from carrying?

Maybe you have a gun that doesn't really serve any purpose but you still like it. For example a .500 Nitro Express double rifle. If you aren't going to hunt dangerous game with it then you would probably only use it on the range.
 
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Interesting.

When I refer to a "range gun" it's usually because there is something that would preclude me from using that gun for other purposes.

For example, my CZ-52 is a great gun but I don't trust the safety mechanism any further than I could throw my car so I would never EVER carry it as a loaded self defense weapon even though it's fine for the controlled environment of the range where you load, shoot, and unload.

I also have a couple of competition type precision shooters that I would never bang around in the field or as a carry gun as they are far too delicate for that sort of thing. Again they are "range only" firearms for me.

So when I say it's "not a range gun" I'm almost always saying that the firearm in question is a tough, workhorse, type of firearm.
 
This terminology confused me at first, too. I've been shooting 40 years and did very little of it on 'ranges' per se; all my guns were otherwise dedicated, or I wouldn't have owned them.

I mentioned this in an internet discussion awhile back and none other than John Taffin chimed in with a rational explanation. Despite the collective experience of those of us who have hunted, woods-bummed and used firearms in serious applications for decades- the urbanization of America has brought us a generation of shooters who have never done these things. Their experience with firearms has centered around public ranges. They might have a house gun, a carry gun or a gun they hunt with; but they've probably also got a 'range gun' which is generally interchangeable with what us old buzzards would call a woods gun, target gun or a plinker.

I'll admit that I still only sort of 'get it'. I do know that we will eventually pass the torch to these new folks and that if we'd like for our grandchildren to enjoy the freedoms we have known, we had better accommodate them.

So kids, call them whatever you want. Just keep buying them, shooting them, and voting like you intend to keep them.
 
A "range gun" for is is one that I only would ever plan to utilize on at the range. This could be because its too big, I'm not comfortable/confident in it, too delicate, I'm afraid of damaging it, or simply that I have other choices which would be taken first for any other activity.

In short, any gun which I have simply to shoot for fun is a "range gun."
 
A range gun is one that you shoot only at the range:

1)because you don't trust it to be reliable but you enjoy shooting it
2)because it is not powerful enough for you to trust for SD
3)because it's too pretty (or sentimental) to be carried
4)because it's designed to be a range gun (free pistols, etc.)
 
While the bullseye 1911s I have would work well for SD, they are not intended for this use.

They have been accurized for a single special purpose, punching tight groups on the range.
You get an alibi there is something goes wrong.

My carry guns are not as accurate (while remaining more than adequate for SD use) but fire every time, all the time.

You would not us a bench rest rifle for deer hunting and more than you would bother with a factory Rem 700 .308 in a bench rest match.

You might get away with using the bench rest rifle on a deer, but entering a bench rest match with a factory .308 would be a joke.
 
A gun that you fire only at the range.

:D

Phew!

I'm exhausted.:D

And the attraction is that it requires something from you to shoot well.

A self skill test as it were.

Usually range only guns have adjustable sights,longer barrels and are large guns,not concealed carried that much.

Many also have spectacular finishes on them or are in almost brand new shape from not being carried and scratched up.
 
I've read posts here and talked to some people who say that my Kahr CW9 is "not a range gun". I've heard other guns refered in this way as well. What does that mean?
Is it because it is a defense gun, won't shoot well at long distances or is susceptible to damage?
What IS a range gun and what would be it's attracion?
Click to expand...

On your question of things being "not a range gun" I think the general meaning is a gun that is not all that fun or comfortable to shoot. Not the gun that you want to use to burn through 200 rounds per trip. These are usually handguns that are very small and in powerful calibers. The type of guns that make good CCW's. The Ruger GP100 is a fun gun to shoot all day at the range with any ammo. The S&W 340 (12oz .357) not so much.
 
To me a "range gun" shoots well, shoots comfortably for long periods of time, and shoots (relatively) cheaply. Hence most full size 9mm and almost any 22LR will probably fit the bill for just about anyone as "a range gun".

Contrary to other statements above, I don't think a "safe queen" can ever be a "range gun". To me a "safe queen" isn't just something that isn't carried, it's something that is rarely used -- the point being to maintain it's value through little use.

My Browning Buck Mark (22LR) and Sig P226 (9mm) are my "range guns"; those are the guns I'll routinely shoot 100-150 rounds through every trip out to shoot (I only shoot for 60-90 minutes per session). Both are very comfortable for extended sessions and the ammo cost is on the low end (compared to other ammo types).

My Walther PPS (9mm) is NOT a "range gun" to me. It will get it's share of sessions (to keep me fresh with it), but not nearly the same number of rounds as the P226. It's fun to shoot, but a little more wearing on my hand. My S&W500 is the same... it'll be brought out here and there, but it isn't something that makes it every trip as the ammo's just way too expensive.

I don't happen to have any "safe queens" as of yet.
 
A range gun for me is one that I will not carry, because of it's size and or weight. It will be 100 percent reliable, fun to shoot and I will use it for home defense. I just got one today, Springfield TRP, thanks Sturmgeweher for your reviews and pictures.
 
as far as i'm concerned, if all of your guns have a specific purpose, then you either have too much on your plate or not enough guns.

a range gun to me is a gun that is not used for any specific purpose, but which is accurate enough to shoot tight groups at the range and provide hours of entertainment doing so.
so despite not needing to train with the weapon, it still gets equal or preferential time on the line.
then, after a good cleaning, it goes back into the safe until your next trip to the range
 
When I say a gun is a range gun I mean it's primarily a toy. It's something I take to the range for fun but probably wouldn't rely on for self-defense.

That can either be because it's been modified, because it's in a caliber not particularly suitable for self-defense, because I have questions about its reliability or perhaps because I bought it primarily to shoot for fun.
 
" range gun " is this like politically correct speech ?
I do not know about a range gun . There are guns I take to the range to shoot ( each of them at one time or another ). Than there are guns I use to hunt ( state laws apply ). Tryed than " safe gun " ... Shot I bought it I'm gona shoot it.
 
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