Manatee Gun Club MG Problem

[Canuckienns]

What kind of fools are running the Manatee Gun Club??
During a countywide burn ban with a high fire hazard.
This was allowed to happen.

The damage to the 600 yard berm. On Friday, February 20th, the Coast Guard set up 4 machine guns at 200 and started shooting. I heard they fired around 25,000 rounds which included tracers at the berm. I also heard the club was paid $15,000. Not long after they started shooting, the berm caught fire burning the front back to the conex container on the left and to the opening on the right side.

The fire department was standing by as this happened. They were able to put the fire out, luckily, before it burned the whole range down and Dewitt Park with it. We are are in an extremely dry right now. There are burn bans in effect, yet they allowed this to happen.

Look at the holes gouged out of the rear berm. One person said they actually punched a hole through the berm. Anybody guess how many 50 cal rounds left the range?

What I'm asking you is, if you are a club member, you need to vote these guys out or risk losing our range altogether due to stupid stints like this.

I might add, the large area behind the 600 yard Bern is called Dewitt Park where there are many hikers and riders on horseback using the park.
The public was put a rick, with machine gun fire and tracers by an executive that was willing to take the money and ignore the fire and safety hazard.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Maybe we should hear both sides of this story.

 

[K22]

A few years ago, we had a major fire at one of the Clubs I belong to when tracer rounds were fired into the backstop. Since then, they have been banded.

 

[jghoghunter]

A few years ago, we had a major fire at one of the Clubs I belong to when tracer rounds were fired into the backstop. Since then, they have been banded.

Problem is not all people read signs or in our case it's a requirement to read and understand all rules, by laws etc when you sign for your membership.
It's very hard to protect from stupid people!!

 

[Canuckienns]

Maybe we should hear both sides of this story.

What side of a no burn county fire hazard, no tracer rule, and safety hazard to people using the park is not to understand.??

 

[Chaotik]

Maybe we should hear both sides of this story.

The group that is "running the club" is not the same group in control prior to November 2023.

I am told there is an ongoing legal battle in the court system.

Elections are scheduled for March 21, 2026.

 

[Big Mc]

What kind of fools are running the Manatee Gun Club??
During a countywide burn ban with a high fire hazard.
This was allowed to happen.

The damage to the 600 yard berm. On Friday, February 20th, the Coast Guard set up 4 machine guns at 200 and started shooting. I heard they fired around 25,000 rounds which included tracers at the berm. I also heard the club was paid $15,000. Not long after they started shooting, the berm caught fire burning the front back to the conex container on the left and to the opening on the right side.

The fire department was standing by as this happened. They were able to put the fire out, luckily, before it burned the whole range down and Dewitt Park with it. We are are in an extremely dry right now. There are burn bans in effect, yet they allowed this to happen.

Look at the holes gouged out of the rear berm. One person said they actually punched a hole through the berm. Anybody guess how many 50 cal rounds left the range?

What I'm asking you is, if you are a club member, you need to vote these guys out or risk losing our range altogether due to stupid stints like this.

I might add, the large area behind the 600 yard Bern is called Dewitt Park where there are many hikers and riders on horseback using the park.
The public was put a rick, with machine gun fire and tracers by an executive that was willing to take the money and ignore the fire and safety hazard.

Sounds like a standard fool too me.. Tomy M

 

[Kracken McGraw]

What side of a no burn county fire hazard, no tracer rule, and safety hazard to people using the park is not to understand.??

Yes Sir, I just thought maybe the ones that made the deal might offer their opinion on what took place. The Coast Guard should have paid attention to the no tracer being fired rule.

 

[Canuckienns]

I did firing exercises on two different military bases. Tracer was allowed (obviously) and in one instance we set a big pine forest on fire and had to call out the base fire fighting units. Huge eight wheeled machines like the ones you see at airports. The areas behind the butts had restricted no access.
But the clowns at Manatee allowed 50 Cal and trace to go into a public park during a fire hazard no burn restriction. There should have been no access to the public county park behind the range.

 

[gdbleb]

Interested in hearing both sides of this. But ....
1) I would think the Coast Guard could use USA military facilities for this heavy caliber training.
2) 15K is a nice usage fee. Hopefully it isn't used for Gucci suits.
3) Hopefully the repair costs are less than 15K.
4) Hopefully their insurance company doesn't hear about this incident otherwise 15K is peanuts.
5) Hopefully the county that runs the park downrange is understanding otherwise its sayonara gun range.
6) Hopefully the Coast Guard CO/RO that allowed this to commence/continue given the degradation of the berm is disciplined.

 

[Canuckienns]

Interested in hearing both sides of this. But ....
1) I would think the Coast Guard could use USA military facilities for this heavy caliber training.
2) 15K is a nice usage fee. Hopefully it isn't used for Gucci suits.
3) Hopefully the repair costs are less than 15K.
4) Hopefully their insurance company doesn't hear about this incident otherwise 15K is peanuts.
5) Hopefully the county that runs the park downrange is understanding otherwise its sayonara gun range.
6) Hopefully the Coast Guard CO/RO that allowed this to commence/continue given the degradation of the berm is disciplined.

Good points. With the current managements only the money counts, but the coast guard should have obeyed the rules and had the county lock down the park behind the range.

 

[mtncwru]

1) I would think the Coast Guard could use USA military facilities for this heavy caliber training.

Maybe, but on-base range space tends to be extremely limited and often fully booked. Definitely not uncommon, even here in San Diego where we're (relatively) flush with heavy-duty ranges, for units to rent time at local ranges for training/qual days.

 

[Xerothermic]

Interested in hearing both sides of this. But ....
1) I would think the Coast Guard could use USA military facilities for this heavy caliber training.
2) 15K is a nice usage fee. Hopefully it isn't used for Gucci suits.
3) Hopefully the repair costs are less than 15K.
4) Hopefully their insurance company doesn't hear about this incident otherwise 15K is peanuts.
5) Hopefully the county that runs the park downrange is understanding otherwise its sayonara gun range.
6) Hopefully the Coast Guard CO/RO that allowed this to commence/continue given the degradation of the berm is disciplined.

MY riding/ shooting Bud was a cook and gunner (50 cal.) back in the day. Nineteen seventies. There was a big ocean and plenty of empty 55 gal. drums for practice. Last I checked, the oceans are still there.

All this could have been avoided and on the cheap too.