Scituate R&G Club closed temporarily due to safety concerns

[drgrant]

A quite plausible scenario. Any sand pits or the like where the local yokels go to "spray - n - pray?"

I doubt that John Rosenthal has the market cornered on "Gun Quislings" if you catch my drift. It wouldn't surprise me at all if some NIMBY wahoo did this on purpose. It's way too easy for them to get away with it... while likely improbable, it's certainly not beyond the realm of possibility.

-Mike

 

[terraformer]

I doubt that John Rosenthal has the market cornered on "Gun Quislings" if you catch my drift. It wouldn't surprise me at all if some NIMBY wahoo did this on purpose. It's way too easy for them to get away with it... while likely improbable, it's certainly not beyond the realm of possibility.

-Mike

Oh, I really hope this gets investigated competently. It is way to easy to catch them if they did do this but it requires competent investigators.

 

[M1911]

After loosing kinetic energy from a deflection???

How do you know it was a deflection and not simply a shot over the berm?

 

[terraformer]

How do you know it was a deflection and not simply a shot over the berm?

I don't, but due to the stupidity of the club president, that is now the operational theory because he said it was the pin range that is likely to blame and it was a ricochet. I don't know if he has any facts to support this theory but since he is the club president, he definitely has more access to facts than any of us do.

 

[Cledus J. Crabb]

.......and I just sent my dues in, too.

 

[Scrivener]

.......and I just sent my dues in, too.

Consider it a donation to the club's legal defense fund.

 

[doobie]

How do you know it was a deflection and not simply a shot over the berm?

I was shooting my Beretta Cx4 Storm at 25 yards. I moved to 100 yards without adjusting the sites and was hitting the ground about 5 yards in front of the target.

For it to travel far, the round has to have been shot upwards or ricocheted off something and kept much of it's velocity.

 

[M1911]

I don't, but due to the stupidity of the club president, that is now the operational theory because he said it was the pin range that is likely to blame and it was a ricochet. I don't know if he has any facts to support this theory but since he is the club president, he definitely has more access to facts than any of us do.

I'm skeptical of his theory.

 

[Patriot]

Someone from the NRA is planning to come out to do something similar to a site survey to put in more safety precautions so that the Rod and Gun Club can remain a firing range and local residents can feel safe in their homes.

Expect the club to be closed the better part of a year at least. Between the NRA taking their
sweet ass time doing a site survey, and making the improvements, SR&G members ought to
figure out some alternatives if they want to get in some shooting because it is painfully long
to get this done.

 

[Riverside]

I don't, but due to the stupidity of the club president, that is now the operational theory because he said it was the pin range that is likely to blame and it was a ricochet. I don't know if he has any facts to support this theory but since he is the club president, he definitely has more access to facts than any of us do.

I saw the Channel 5 story with all it's frightening spin. Several other homes in the neighborhood have alleged bullet damage as well. I could not believe my ears were listening to a gun club president commenting as he did.
"Silence is golden." The most he should have said is something to the effect: "We're investigating. We're bringing in specialists to determine if this round came from our property. We're closing the range until the investigation is completed."
I would not be surprised if the bullets are coming from guns shot outside of the range. I suspect that is the case at a club north of Scituate as well.
Best regards.

 

[Knob Creek]

The assumption by the public and the apparent admission of the club that it came from their range will not work in our favor.

A 9 mm round travels 1/2 mile through the woods and has the impact to break a double pane window and lodge into furniture?

I remember years ago at Woodcock Rd Gun Range in North Dartmouth that a neighbor complained that bullets from the range were hitting his property and produced evidence with spent bullets. The truth of that matter was discovered that he had gone to the range and recovered some bullets and "salted" his back yard.
Now that's not the case here but it shows how people can jump to a conclusion.

 

[Scrivener]

I remember years ago at Woodcock Rd Gun Range in North Dartmouth that a neighbor complained that bullets from the range were hitting his property and produced evidence with spent bullets. The truth of that matter was discovered that he had gone to the range and recovered some bullets and "salted" his back yard.
Now that's not the case here but it shows how people can jump to a conclusion.

I suspect an abutter of having done that in a case I was involved in, and have heard of it being done elsewhere (the moron was exposed by his own stupidity; using unfired bullets as his "evidence").

Random thought: Could the "9mm" bullet actually be from an M1 carbine? Very similar shape and weight.

 

[the_doctor]

I just saw this, Hopefully they can get it all straightened out and open back up.

AFAIK I know these houses were not there prior to the range opening up.

Why would anyone buy a house behind a range?

bill

 

[M1911]

AFAIK I know these houses were not there prior to the range opening up.

Why would anyone buy a house behind a range?

They may not have known it was there. A few years back a woman put down a deposit on a house adjacent to our club. She then drove around the neighborhood and found our club. She stopped at the clubhouse to talk to us. She was almost hyperventilating. It was priceless.

The fact that there was a 70' tall, 300 yard thick hill between our backstop and the house in question did not mollify her. She was apoplectic; completely overcome by fear and emotion.

 

[clinotus]

AFAIK I know these houses were not there prior to the range opening up.

Why would anyone buy a house behind a range?

bill

Its simple really, they purchase the land ajoining the range as it has no development nearby and likely lower in value due to its proximity to the range. Later another person does the same, and another. Then suddenly the issue arises and the club is shut down.

The other side of that, is honestly, people are just idiots.

 

[Scrivener]

They may not have known it was there. A few years back a woman put down a deposit on a house adjacent to our club. She then drove around the neighborhood and found our club. She stopped at the clubhouse to talk to us. She was almost hyperventilating. It was priceless.

These days, Google Earth would allow that to be done from the comfort of your own home.

 

[M1911]

These days, Google Earth would allow that to be done from the comfort of your own home.

Won't help much at our club. All you'll see from Google Earth is what looks like a large home. The range itself just looks like a long clearing.

 

[the_doctor]

Its simple really, they purchase the land ajoining the range as it has no development nearby and likely lower in value due to its proximity to the range. Later another person does the same, and another. Then suddenly the issue arises and the club is shut down.

The other side of that, is honestly, people are just idiots.

I can not wait to find out how the heck the whole thing works out.

This is kind of hilly terrain. Most of these houses were built on new cul de sacs off this road in the area that had only a few houses running along with it. It is a twisted road headed principally towards the back entrance to the old AMMO DUMP in Hingham/Norwell. There never was much over in the area. It is an up and down terrain which has a heavy amount of foilage.

I ride through the area on most Sundays on my bicycle. THERE IS SO LITTLE TRAFFIC.

I just started looking at the map on the internet. I looked a the orientation of the range. I drew a straight line from there. It does seem that there is only a dip between the two locations and there are no blocking hills albeit there is a street in between the two points. It is almost a mile. I still have many doubts.

Bill

 

[terraformer]

I remember years ago at Woodcock Rd Gun Range in North Dartmouth that a neighbor complained that bullets from the range were hitting his property and produced evidence with spent bullets. The truth of that matter was discovered that he had gone to the range and recovered some bullets and "salted" his back yard.
Now that's not the case here but it shows how people can jump to a conclusion.

These people will do anything to get rid of something they knew about when they moved in so it would not surprise me. To the tune of punching the hole through the glass and potentially using a cattle ...thingy (it kills them with a bolt through the skull) or something similar to make the entrance hole and then stuff a bullet in there. I can actually think of 6 different ways to dummy up bullet damage. But again, a good investigator will pick up on this stuff. Especially when everyone in the neighborhood starts finding bullets, this stuff starts to get unbelievable PDQ. But you are right, he shot his mouth off and he is now going to be playing defense permanently.

 

[terraformer]

I suspect an abutter of having done that in a case I was involved in, and have heard of it being done elsewhere (the moron was exposed by his own stupidity; using unfired bullets as his "evidence").

Random thought: Could the "9mm" bullet actually be from an M1 carbine? Very similar shape and weight.

Was the abutter caught or did it end badly for the club (or if still pending we understand)?

 

[Chuck Would]

You might want to watch your mouth.....

I don't, but due to the stupidity of the club president, that is now the operational theory because he said it was the pin range that is likely to blame and it was a ricochet. I don't know if he has any facts to support this theory but since he is the club president, he definitely has more access to facts than any of us do.

I've known and shot with Ron Rice as a guest at that Club for many years. Last thing I'd call him is stupid.

 

[Scrivener]

I've known and shot with Ron Rice as a guest at that Club for many years. Last thing I'd call him is stupid.

Naive?

 

[M1911]

Naive?

Perhaps just inexperienced in dealing with the press.

 

[jcr]

I'm skeptical that this incident happened the way it was reported.

I only caught a glimpse of the the window, but to me it looked like the hole was round and the size of a baseball. A bullet does not make a hole like that. Did I see wrong? Did I perceive the scale incorrectly?

If there is an ongoing anti-gunclub thing happening in the neighborhood it is easy to stage something that makes the club appear to be liable. The media assumption is tha the club is guilty and the home owner innocent, but the home owner is the only witness and her evididence is sketchy.

 

[MFP4073]

This story should be posted on the bulletin board of every gun club. This is just the reason some clubs like MRA have strict and seemingly opressive rules on their outdoor ranges. The rules really make an attempt at preserving our places to shoot.

One bullet gets out due to an accident, carelessness, or just plain stupidity and we can kiss our gun clubs good bye. Nevermind someone actually getting hurt or killed.

These are avoidable shit-storms we do not need.

 

[M1911]

One bullet gets out due to an accident, carelessness, or just plain stupidity and we can kiss our gun clubs good bye. Nevermind someone actually getting hurt or killed.

Yup. All it takes is one round to escape the range.

 

[terraformer]

I've known and shot with Ron Rice as a guest at that Club for many years. Last thing I'd call him is stupid.

Well, call it what you would like, but that was a really dumb thing to do. And if you are going to scold me like I am a 3 yr old, please make it for something I actually did and not something you perceived. I never called him stupid, I said "...due to the stupidity of the club president..." and not "Ron Rice is a stupid moron". Smart people do stupid things. And I will take your word for it that Ron is a smart person who did a stupid thing.

 

[M1911]

terraformer, I think your response is a bit over the top. There is nothing in Chuck's response that was scolding you "like a 3 yr old".

One other thing we should all realize is that the press is having a good day when they spell your name correctly. We don't actually know what Mr. Rice said. I've had a senior New York Times reporter make up quotes out of whole cloth and attribute them to me.

 

[terraformer]

terraformer, I think your response is a bit over the top. There is nothing in Chuck's response that was scolding you "like a 3 yr old".

One other thing we should all realize is that the press is having a good day when they spell your name correctly. We don't actually know what Mr. Rice said. I've had a senior New York Times reporter make up quotes out of whole cloth and attribute them to me.

It was in the title:

You might want to watch your mouth.....

That is something you say to a child, at least in my book.

And I heard the club president with my own two ears. I actually have not read a single thing about this online. It was all from the evening news where I saw him say this.
Funny story, my GF was next to me when the story played and she immediately went into a tirade about this and went on about how dangerous this must be. I informed her about people who set up the gun clubs and why and she stated how dumb people could be for moving in near a gun range. I then pointed out the location of Reading to our house in the apple orchards in Lynnfield...

 

[M1911]

It was in the title:

Ah, I missed that. Sorry. I retract my comments.