I have a Gun club etiquette question. First off it has been years since I belonged to a club. And times have changed. It used to be at the right time when everyone was done shooting or another member came in all clear was called and you left your unloaded weapon at the table and went down range to change/collect your targets. Now days I am not so sure of the wisdom of leaving weapons and walking away from them. I don’t want to sound like I wear tinfoil hats but it just does not thrill me to leave a weapon at a table where others could take or shoot the weapon. I do remember a situation years ago when a member thought it was ok to fire because he was “way left of us and couldn’t have hit us. He got kicked out quick.
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Gun club etiquette
- Thread starter durmax
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Nick Fury
NES Member
Sounds like I wouldn't fit in at a gun club. I don't trust anyone I don't have a good strong history with so leaving my steel behind is a deal breaker. When I used to shoot at sand pits I would tie my dog up near the entrance to keep me posted. Worked quite well.
If I am the last one left shooting at the MRA, I clean all the casings before I leave. I normally go late at night, so I usually have other people's casings to clean up as well, but it doesn't bother me.
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was there a question in there? Are you trying to propose something?
I leave them, and head down range to do whatever I need to do.
If its just me and someone I know at the range (and I'm sure its just me and people I may know) I don't have an issue leaving my gun at the table. If there is a lot of people around, I would holster it and take it with me, or lock it and leave it in plain view.
That is not an etiquette question, that is a range rules question, and it varies from club to club.
One club that I'm a member of allows you to sling your long gun and carry it with you to change your target. You can holster your handgun. And it also allows you to carry concealed at all times.
One club that I'm a member of allows you to sling your long gun and carry it with you to change your target. You can holster your handgun. And it also allows you to carry concealed at all times.
LittleCalm
NES Member
I think OP is asking whether he should take his firearm with him downrange? There was a recent thread on this. My range doesn't allow for that, other than if you have a holstered handgun I believe you can keep it holstered while going downrange. As for rifles, it depends on how crowded the range is. Since it is rarely crowded and it's generally 100 yards, I don't worry about it. If more crowded, I take my bolt with me so at least the rifle is not operative. But from a theft standpoint, it's just not practical to lug a long gun downrange even if I was permitted to do so.
I've done it quite often.
I guess this question needs to be asked...
What ranges are you folks attending that you feel the need to take your firearms with you down range so they don't get stolen or handled (resulting in injury of some sort).
I sort of thought that gun owners were a bit more responsible than that and respective of others property. I personally wouldn't touch a firearm I didn't own unless instructed to by the owner or I saw some sort of safety issue with it.
What ranges are you folks attending that you feel the need to take your firearms with you down range so they don't get stolen or handled (resulting in injury of some sort).
I sort of thought that gun owners were a bit more responsible than that and respective of others property. I personally wouldn't touch a firearm I didn't own unless instructed to by the owner or I saw some sort of safety issue with it.
Golddiggie
NES Member
You have light rifles...![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
They have this wonderful invention called a sling. You can use it to easily carry your rifle with you.
I wouldn't respect a club that didn't allow me to wear a holstered pistol.
If I felt the people next to me shouldn't be trusted to be alone with my rifle I will bring it with me ,slung , action open. Some rules are more like suggestions to me.
If I felt the people next to me shouldn't be trusted to be alone with my rifle I will bring it with me ,slung , action open. Some rules are more like suggestions to me.
LittleCalm
NES Member
I think it's just a personal security/theft issue. Many feel better not leaving a firearm completely unattended for either safety or theft reasons. Personally, I don't worry and like I said if the range is crowded I may take the bolt with me at most. But generally I am in the camp that does not worry about it.
E.g., I may have multiple rifles with me and am not lugging them all downrange every time I go out to mess with the target. All things being equal, it's less work to just leave everything at the bench/ground. YMMV.
Which is fine for my AR. I don't have slings on my other various rifles b/c I don't otherwise need one.
E.g., I may have multiple rifles with me and am not lugging them all downrange every time I go out to mess with the target. All things being equal, it's less work to just leave everything at the bench/ground. YMMV.
Which is fine for my AR. I don't have slings on my other various rifles b/c I don't otherwise need one.
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If you have a gun that can be disabled, disable it. Otherwise, not much else you can do except leave an armed friend watching your back.
i sling my firearms and approach my targets--tactically. any commotion behind me and i jack in a fresh mag and pop off a few rounds into the dirt. works every time. no one is ever at the range when i am around anymore.
You have light rifles...
Define light.
Oh pish. The other people steer clear of you and your guns because they don't want to get covered with sticky fruit guts not because of your tacticoolness.
Oh pish. The other people steer clear of you and your guns because they don't want to get covered with sticky fruit guts not because of your tacticoolness.
actually both these are surprisingly true.
George D
NES Member
I end up taking a long look around and constantly looking back over my shoulder if I am at the range by myself. Realistically, if someone wanted to grab my gear and run to the parking lot, I couldn't run through 100 yards of snow to catch them.
there was a theft @ MRA of a gun left on the firing line. the perp was a cop.
there was ONE other recently but i can't remember what club. this i'd say the chances of getting your gat stolen are pretty slim, assuming you're in MA.
for physical harm, i haven't heard of any murders or shootings, just suicides in MA.
any other states want to chime in on thefts / shootings / suicides at the ranges? sounds like you just have trust issues, which is fine... bring a friend. have him pull guard duty and you change the targets... again, usually when the line goes cold, the majority of the people walk down range together anyway.![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
there was ONE other recently but i can't remember what club. this i'd say the chances of getting your gat stolen are pretty slim, assuming you're in MA.
for physical harm, i haven't heard of any murders or shootings, just suicides in MA.
any other states want to chime in on thefts / shootings / suicides at the ranges? sounds like you just have trust issues, which is fine... bring a friend. have him pull guard duty and you change the targets... again, usually when the line goes cold, the majority of the people walk down range together anyway.
I'm often alone when visting the rifle range. I leave my long guns locked up while I setup my targets. If I reset them, I sling the rifle. If I'm taking the targets down, I lock up my gear beforehand. For handgun, it's holstered when not firing.
And when I'm out there alone, I sometimes recall this story:
Peake to spend life in prison for 2010 shooting (VIDEO)
but what if someone/the government comes to take it?!
ProGun
NES Member
In our wonderful state, you have to wonder if a gun owner might be charged for improper "storage" if the unattended gun was stolen or used by an unauthorized person...there goes your LTC...
IIRC there was a story not to long ago of a couple of off duty NYC cops(I think) that killed a shooter at a Tennessee gun range? They killed him with his own AR when he went down range. I think when they caught up with them, they had a storage container full of guns stolen in a similar way?
Tried searching for the story but all that comes up on Google is stuff about Newtown.
Tried searching for the story but all that comes up on Google is stuff about Newtown.
Things one doesn't have to break down in order to fit them in the pick up?
Carrying an M2 and its tripod down range would not be feasible. But then it is crew served weapon and isn't changing targets the assistant gunner's duty anyways?
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
