Scary Range Stories

Someone mentioned body armor, I'd like to mention I wear a IIA to the range. I'll put it over my shirt next time to increase awareness. A IIA can be had for less than $300.
 
I'm thinking a three sided bullet proof shield might be just right.
Like having one's own portable bunker.
It could even have a built in heater for those cold winter days.
And fans for summer.
 
I have a few.

Two incidents from one individual, (who also did the DB move of trying to help shoot my ammo), on a cold range, picked up a pistol and loaded it up to start shooting, while shooters were downrange. A few minutes later, on a hot range, he tried to run downrange to put up a fresh target. That guy was Dee You Mmm, Dumb!

Another time, not long before fall hunting season, a shooter brought his dog to the range, to get the dog used to being around gunfire. Unleashed, and not under voice command either as the dog made a beeline downrange while it was hot.

Another time, a family came out to shoot, with a little toddler, probably 2 years old. That proceeded to run past the firing line on a hot range. That was the only time I've called a Cease Fire, and all the shooters thankfully cleared their guns in such a haste, without question or hesitation.

A Range volunteer, wanted to show off his 'race gun' he customized in his garage. had a fancy little trigger boot on the face of the trigger, that loosened up, and fell off. So he attempts to put it back on, on his super light trigger, of his loaded pistol. His ND destroyed my stapler that was on the bench.

The ironic thing is, all those incidents happened at the range that everyone here in Anchorage seems to hate because of all the rules the range has. And that they dont like when Range personnel bark at them for violating these rules. When in fact, the rules are NOT so super strict that you can't enjoy shooting.

Nowadays, if I do go to the range, i try and choose a day thats not so busy so I can enjoy my trigger therapy.
 
Scary For Sure

Shooting with a group that rented a bay at a local range. A guy had his full-auto run away on him. He fell but happily kept enough control of the run away. Surely some rounds went out of the range but not down the firing line.
 
Store/firing range.

I once brought a friend to an indoor combination store/shooting range.

We were shooting the breeze with a gun store employee about something and he took out a pocket pistol and demonstrates its laser. By shining it on my friend's abdomen. I may have said something like "Whoa there, let's watch where we're pointing!". And then he sweeps it towards the firing line on the other side of a plexiglass window. Bet the shooters didn't know they all just got muzzle swept from behind.
 
When I took my first handgun course, if you didn't have gun, they rented you a 3rd Gen SW semi in 9mm. But one guy in the class brought his custom Bang-o-matic. It was an indoor range. The guy goes up and shoots - SPRANG - the cable parts and the target setup falls to the floor. He says that that he reloaded the ammo and must have had a curved round (:eek:) so it went up from the barrel to the cable. That must be true.
 
Time for a comment along the lines of "Usually only see that in animated cartoons."

Oh well. Maybe the Taurus 'Curve' could have helped him get back on target. I'm sure he would have held it sideways 'gangsta' style which should have worked...unless he were left handed...are we off topic yet?
 
What was that ridiculous movie where the actors were supposedly throwing curve balls with their guns and bullets?
Ya' just know that somewhere, someone is going to try it.
 
I believe it was Assassin or something like that with Angelina Jolie. Mythbustrs tried and tried to get a bullet to curve, but imagine that it never worked.
 
I don't enjoy shooting at public ranges any more because I see so many safety violations that are scary. When I instruct, I have little choice as to what range I can use. My private club range does not authorize instruction to non-members. Back at the public range, the most common thing I see is magazines being inserted into pistols while the gun (for the right handed shooter) is pointing directly to his left while the magazine is being inserted. The other thing I see regularly is a shooter, recognizing that he has a malfunction, will pull the gun into himself to get a better look but the gun will be pointing directly to the guy in the next lane. Very scary.

I have shot at outdoor ranges where there is a RSO for every 6 to 10 shooters. Yet, in the indoor ranges, the only time a RSO appears is to sweep the expended brass away for the active shooters.
 
This will no doubt run against the grain but maybe it's time for gun shops and ranges to take a page from the scuba diving playbook.
With providing some training that goes along with gun purchases and range membership.
Modified, of course, to our unique situation.
 
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Mandatory Range training? - yes lots would object. But offers of free training + range time would be a great idea with pistol purchases.

I could also see, however, just a cursory checklist witnessed by the RO for every new range goer to demonstrate safe gun handling. Almost like starting/finishing commands before an IDPA shoot. Then expound verbally on just a couple of choice situations or trouble spots. Wouldn't take 5 minutes. Still wouldn't be popular though.
 
At my club we must re certify and go over the range safety rules every 3 years and the club by laws line by line no exceptions. In my years there I have not witnessed any flagrant safety issues on the ranges. When we have public range days for deer rifle sight in s and youth days etc we have a club member at every bench.

Mwal
 
Generally, the type of folks that are willing to pony up for a club membership are farther along in their training than someone looking to rent and shoot once.
Perhaps memberships would "weed out" unsafe range goers, but then that makes shooting less accessible in general, more exclusive. And the range wouldn't make as much money to sustain itself. I sure was glad there was somewhere to shoot when I first started.
 
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