Twice in a million

[Fast14riot]

Why are all these range stories in CA?! Well, as a citizen if PRK, I have many of my own, lol! A year and a half ago I was at a local public range doing a little fire forming and load testing. A gentleman many years my senior (octogenarian at least) had a shiny new 700 in .223 dutifully strapped down to a lead sled like he was towing it cross country. I didn't pay much attention to him, I always spend the first 20-30 minutes at this range watching others targets to get an idea of potential issues and how they're shooting. Showing up with a fancy F/class gun, rest, chrony, data book, arbor press and tool kit usually will attract the unsure/new shooters to your bench.

This guy was shooting maybe 3/4-1 moa pretty reliably through at least 100 rounds. I mean he was out just to burn ammo. Then all of a sudden I hear a different BANG! RSO calls the line safe, he's hammering on his bolt to try and get it open. I offer a hand, he accepts, we get the bolt lifted, then work on extraction. Got it out and removed bolt with a very over pressure 5.56 case expanded to fill the entire bolt face and luckily not separate! Took 20 minutes with Leatherman pliers to get that case out of the bolt, but managed to save the extractor. I gave my inspection followed by my legal advice of "I'm not a gunsmith" and he shrugged, took his bolt, loaded more ammo and went about his way.

I asked him later, he said he throws all charges, couldn't remember what powder he used or what the charge was but knew it was a 62gr bullet!

Never mind the home built 2lb AR trigger i fixed that day (went full auto on a full mag) or the 25 year old "ghetto cowboy" shooting his new Marlin lever action from the hip standing up at 100 yards that day. Last time I ever went there on a Saturday.

 

[Ned Ludd]

Just think...Darwin spent five years aboard the HMS Beagle refining his theory of natural selection. He could have wrapped it all up in a single afternoon at some of the gun ranges described in this thread.

 

[AccelR8]

We need to revise the rules of gun safety to add, somewhere near the top, be sure that the ammunition you are using in the gun is correct for the gun. When you're teaching someone, stress that point and make sure it's understood.

Seriously, I mean that, with all the new shooters these days. A guy behind the counter in a gun shop was explaining to me that many new buyers seem to think of “ammunition” sort of like the “gas” they put in their cars. Like ammo is the fuel that makes the gun operate, and don't think beyond that.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

I witnessed a guy fire a 9mm cartridge in a 10 mm pistol - the round discharged but belled the case so badly that it jam the pistol.

Be on high alert at the range.

Whats 1mm... Seen a lady do the very same at a range. She wanted to go shoot so her husband sent her out with a 10mm and 9mm ammo, she only got off the one shot. The range officer sent her packing right quick.

 

[FNSafari]

when I was a kid a friends father went deer hunting with a 32 Special M94 but had 30-30 ammo. He did manage to shoot a deer at about 20 yards!

You would think people who own firearms long term or new owners would simply read about their purchase. A book, online, anywhere but familiarize yourself with your equipment and its needs. The excuse of being a "new shooter" to me is NOT an excuse for doing some of the things mentioned in this thread. jmo.

 

[68W40 Retired]

Q: Do you have to take a class or be licensed to drive a car?
A: Yes (mostly)
Q: Do expectant mothers have to take a class before they deliver a child?
A: Yes (mostly)
Q: Does anyone have to take any classes or is a license required to own and operate a firearm?
A: No (mostly)

I despise public shooting ranges and have found them to be more dangerous than most combat zones. At least in combat most people have been trained or have experience handling firearms.

68W40

 

[Bully]

Q: Do you have to take a class or be licensed to drive a car?
A: Yes (mostly)

Not a right

Q: Do expectant mothers have to take a class before they deliver a child?
A: Yes (mostly)

Not a right

Q: Does anyone have to take any classes or is a license required to own and operate a firearm?
A: No (mostly)

A right

I despise public shooting ranges and have found them to be more dangerous than most combat zones. At least in combat most people have been trained or have experience handling firearms.

68W40

I agree and never go to the range (private/membership) on a weekend. I did twice and getting swept multiple times was more than enough for me.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

Weekend shooting is a death wish in most circumstances.

 

[1K6BRA]

Heck, a lot people I run into during the day don’t even look like they remember or know how to comb their hair in the morning let alone know what kind of ammunition to put in their shootin irons!!!

 

[ChrisA]

So grateful I live on 190 acres and have a 300 yard berm out my back door.

Chris

 

[divingin]

Why are all these range stories in CA?!

Probably because we have very large urban areas with very few ranges. Large numbers of shooters concentrated in very few ranges. Though to be fair, we also have a lot of idiots.

 

[SGK]

So glad I learnt to shoot in a place where you do indeed need to be taught safety and shooting basics (and pass muster with the instructors) before being allowed to buy a firearm.

 

[NateHaler]

I despise public shooting ranges and have found them to be more dangerous than most combat zones.

This might be the worst exaggeration I have ever read on this Forum, unless the post is implying that Q-Zar, Paintball, and AirSoft are combat zones.

 

[DNorton]

There’s hardly ever anybody at our local range

 

[Old Tanker]

Not a right

Not a right

A right

I agree and never go to the range (private/membership) on a weekend. I did twice and getting swept multiple times was more than enough for me.

With every constitutional right comes a constitutional responsibility. You do not have a right to endanger innocent by standers.

 

[jelenko]

With every constitutional right comes a constitutional responsibility. You do not have a right to endanger innocent by standers.

While I completely agree with this, how do we not infringe on the right to bear arms if a person, who otherwise is legally allow to own firearms, fails the mandatory training?

 

[Old Tanker]

While I completely agree with this, how do we not infringe on the right to bear arms if a person, who otherwise is legally allow to own firearms, fails the mandatory training?

I think if you can’t responsibly exercise your rights, you should abdicate them. If we, as shooters, can’t come to grips with this concept, we stand to lose everything. The bullet hole in the side of my house leads me to believe there are lots of folks who don’t even understand the concept of know your backstop and what’s beyond it. You have freedom of speech until you libel or slander someone, then you are punished. Yes, we are required training to exercise our freedom of speech. It’s called school. Fail to educate your children; public, private or home school and see how quickly child protective services knocks on your door.

 

[matthias]

There are people out there that should not have sharp sticks. But taking sharp sticks away or requiring training for them or better yet requiring a registry is only a way to give power to those that want it. And as history tells us giving power to those that want it rarely works out for the people.

 

[68W40 Retired]

There are better solutions than making training requirements. Become a mentor! Just a few days I had a lengthy conversation with a new gun owner who wants to start reloading. In the end I was thanked for sharing my knowledge and experiences. He even said there are few people willing to share like I did. That's sad! We need to be better as a community and embrace the fact we were new shooters too and learned from someone.

68W40

 

[jwink]

I run into the same thing with new "kayakers" (I use the term loosely)
It would seem the new norm is covid turned everyone into an expert in everything over night. And even when people die doing stupid sh!t, they make an excuse for themselves.

you are so right about the kayakers, I remember when I could float and fish the local creek all day and never see more than 1 or 2 other guys floating and fishing. Now it is a demolition derby out there and they are all experts after watching a youtube video. lol