Range safety scenario

[matthias]

CONTEXT - very important.

I hope none of us have to deal with this. But I will always try to de-escalate first.

 

[jelenko]

So how would you react if you looked at the next bench and saw a rifle or pistol pointed at you? Ignore it? Walk away?

I'm not a cowboy, but I would like my body to maintain the number of orifices it currently has.

First, get out of the direction of the muzzle,
If there are no designated range safety officer, then walk over and ask the person to remember to keep their muzzle pointing in a safe direction and to move it now.
If there are range safety officers, report it to them.

 

[K22]

It's tough to walk away faster than a bullet...

I don't think the scenario described was a shoot out, i.e. bullets flying

The idea is not to get physically aggressive with a fellow shooter to provoke a shoot out. Taking possession of someone else's property is about as confrontational as I can imagine. Attempting to take possession of someone's firearm is insane at best. Do I really have explain that?

But let me say, I don't believe this story is true but that's just my opinion. Crazier things have happened so anything is possible.

 

[divingin]

I don't think the scenario described was a shoot out, i.e. bullets flying

The idea is not to get physically aggressive with a fellow shooter to provoke a shoot out. Taking possession of someone else's property is about as confrontational as I can imagine. Attempting to take possession of someone's firearm is insane at best. Do I really have explain that?

But let me say, I don't believe this story is true but that's just my opinion. Crazier things have happened so anything is possible.

I was not talking about a shootout. I was talking about an inexperienced (or careless) shooter not paying attention to where their muzzle is pointing. I also said nothing about taking possession of their firearm. I will, however, direct the muzzle of a firearm within reach away from me.

 

[Ccrider]

First, get out of the direction of the muzzle,
If there are no designated range safety officer, then walk over and ask the person to remember to keep their muzzle pointing in a safe direction and to move it now.
If there are range safety officers, report it to them.

The problem is, you have no idea of how the confrontation is going to go; or more importantly, what that untrained or lackadaisical person is going to do wrong next. You may not get a mulligan on the next screw up.

 

[AICS308]

Some things you do not touch. My child, my wife, my dog, my truck or me. Also my guns without prior permission.

In this situation I would step out away from the muzzle while in a very loud and authoritive voice shout MUZZLE until the person realized what they did. Then ask them in a non-combative voice to please pay attention so no one gets killed.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

Well , Well, Well. Here is a case of recklessness by two folks at the same time. Has anyone given thought to the results of grabbing someone's gun while the shooter if waving it around and he might have his finger on the trigger. Imagine someone with a semi-auto waving his rifle and someone suddenly grabs it. He could spray the whole line.

Shouting and making a big fuss is only going to cause angst. Better to calmly talk to the guy. Remember, unless it is his intent to go postal at the range, he is completely unaware he is acting stupidly. Embarrassing him serves no purpose.

 

[300_whisper]

Shouting and making a big fuss is only going to cause angst. Better to calmly talk to the guy. Remember, unless it is his intent to go postal at the range, he is completely unaware he is acting stupidly. Embarrassing him serves no purpose.

Exactly.

 

[AICS308]

Shouting and making a big fuss is only going to cause angst. Better to calmly talk to the guy. Remember, unless it is his intent to go postal at the range, he is completely unaware he is acting stupidly. Embarrassing him serves no purpose.

The act of shouting is not to embarrass anyone, only to get their attention as soon as possible. Then in a non-combative voice talk to the shooter.

If I am doing something like sweeping another shooter It would take a loud voice to get my attention. I always use double hearing protection. Couple that with my hearing loss and I can't hear a person next to me talking.

 

[rr2030]

Analyzing the video from the comfort of my office chair there are many things to pick apart and ponder. In the end, I feel the RSO acted properly. One of our primary firearm safety rules is; do not point a firearm at anything you don't intend to shoot, clearly this was violated. How is the RSO to know this guy was just playing around? To be the Devils advocate, this could have been the beginning of a murder suicide. Or unintentional shooting. As far as the gun going off when the RSO grabbed it, nonsense the trigger would have had to be near dropping the hammer which clearly in the forward position in the video. I doubt the RSO noticed that though. The RSO redirected the line of fire, took control of the weapon, dropped what appeared to be an empty magazine and cleared what appeared to be an empty chamber.

Not only was it appropriate to ban these knuckle heads from that range, for life, they should be banned from owning firearms also. This is part of what we are fighting against. Idiots like this, who in the past 30 years have become all too common and WE are associated with them by the gun fearing public. Anti gunners will use this to their advantage and tell people this is the typical gun owner.

Good job RSO !

 

[Grimstod]

To give further context to the story. The fella was explaining to me why he was pro gun control and that most people should not be allowed to own one. And if they do they should have to register them and take a safety course yearly.

 

[300_whisper]

To give further context to the story. The fella was explaining to me why he was pro gun control and that most people should not be allowed to own one. And if they do they should have to register them and take a safety course yearly.

no...this is just getting silly. There’s no way this story is true. Usually when I meet a pro gun control gun owner, they own a gun. They can’t tell you what type of gun, what caliber, or how to handle it, but they do own one.

 

[rr2030]

I took another look at the video. The time from when the pistol is turned toward the guy on the left and when the RSO has control of the pistol and its pointed in a safe direction is 2 seconds.

This is exceptional awareness by the RSO. I have a feeling he had his suspicions about these two clowns and remained vigilant. It paid dividends.

 

[jelenko]

I have a feeling he had his suspicions about these two clowns and remained vigilant. It paid dividends.

Exactly.

 

[jelenko]

This is part of what we are fighting against. Idiots like this, who in the past 30 years have become all too common and WE are associated with them by the gun fearing public. Anti gunners will use this to their advantage and tell people this is the typical gun owner.

100%!

 

[truman]

several years ago i was shooting the garand match at Camp Perry when nra was providing the rso's. i was in prone getting ready for sighters and just happened to be watching the shooter to my left. i guessed what was going to transpire and sure enough it did. gentleman was setting his timer up so he could see it in standing. he knocked it off. in slo-mo he turned in front of stand to pick it up. i was then looking down the barrell of an M1 with no safety flag during prep. called it to the attention of rso. he comment was, " i didn't see it. oh well. what do you want me to do? my comment was to take him to centerline and give him another safety brief. didn't happen. wrote several letters to nra about it. finally got a reply from a nra employee that i knew. he took me aside at a coaches meeting and told me i was correct in being concerned. bottom line is not all rso's are really trained and ready. don't depend on them!

 

[Grimstod]

Weather his story it true or not does not matter. The fact is it seems like what his response was, was in fact not so safe.
Also are there legal issues here? Forcefully acquiring a gun? Seams fishy to me.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I dont know about legal issues, but you may get hurt pretty bad if you go around grabbing guns out of guys hands. In my circle that may be considered assault and most guys may feel like you may be trying to use their gun against them. If a guy is wrestling my gun from me and i shoot him i wonder if that would be justified? I dont know what his intentions are. I do know he would have a different story to tell if it was down in the south. “Well i tried to take a gun away from a guy at the range- thats how i lost these teeth.”

 

[JaoeyP]

I was in a discussion about weapons with someone and he told me a story about how someone at the range painted him with a firearm. So he grabbed the gun away from him disassembled it and put it on the bench.

Now this seams to me like an unsafe thing to do. What if the person having the firearm taken form him kept a tight grasp of his weapon. It could have escalated into a wresting match. And some one could have been shot. Would it not have been better to confront a fella verbally about where your firearm muzzle is pointed rather than attempting to take it from them by force without saying anything first?

Also seams like something legal to me. If someone at the range walked up to me and just tried to take my gun, how do I know they are legally allowed to posses such a weapon? Regardless of whether or not they have one with them.

Your buddy who did the disarming, he doesn't also by chance work security at a mall, does he?

 

[LHSmith]

This is the guy: