Range rules

[pepperbelly]

Here are the rules at my range. They are not bp specific.
Jim


Range Safety Rules

1. The Range Officer is in complete charge of the range. He or she is responsible for insuring that the club rules are followed. The Range Officer has the authority to remove anyone for failure to comply with the club rules and safety standards.
2. Firearms on the range are to be treated/handled as being loaded at all times and pointed in a safe direction.
3. No intoxicating beverages or controlled substances are permitted on the range at any time. No one under the slightest influence of these shall be permitted to enter or remain on the range.
4. Firearms to be used on this 'range shall be unloaded while entering or leaving. Uncased firearms must have the action open and muzzle pointed upward.
5. All unattended firearms shah be made safe. Firearms are considered attended while in the shooters grasp.
Never leave a loaded firearm unattended.
6. Prior to cease-fire lights being turned on, all firearms shall be made safe.
* Rifles shall be unloaded, have the actions kept open, magazines emptied or removed, if removable. Rifles shall be placed in the racks provided or may be left on bench with a yellow open bolt indicator installed.
* Pistols shall be unloaded and left lying on the bench with actions open, magazines emptied or removed, if removable, cylinder open or loading gate open (depending on the type) and a yellow open bolt indicator installed. Unloaded pistols may be cased.
* Guns are not to be handled during cease-fires.
* Everyone remaining on the firing line is to stay behind the red line during cease-fires.
7. It is strictly prohibited to fire at rocks, bottles, cans, animals, aerial targets, human or tombstone representations or anything other than a paper target on a proper frame. Informal practice for metallic matches will be at paper targets. Practice on metallic targets shall be as scheduled by the Board of Directors. Official CHL targets may be used on the short range only.
8. Eye and hearing protection must be worn while on the premises, when firing takes place.
9. Firearm and ammunition restrictions.
* No fully automatic firearms.
* No fanning or shooting from the hip.
* Loading of semi-automatic shotguns or semi-automatic center-fire rifles is limited to no more than 5 rounds.
* Tracer, incendiary or armor piercing ammunition is prohibited.
* Rifles chambered for the .50 Browning machine gun cartridge or larger are not permitted, except black powder muzzle loading rifles and pistols.
10. All firing will cease when construction activity begins. The range is to be made safe and cease-fire status posted.
11. No one is permitted to draw from a holster (or other means of carry or concealment) and fire.
12. Firearms shall not be worn in public view. Law enforcement officers in uniform or on official business are exempt from this rule.
13. All loading and shooting shall be forward of the red line.

 

[Maestro]

it's that other 5% that will turn around to talk to a friend and point a loaded gun right at you.

I know I've seen that, too :shake:...
... but those rules are UNBELIEVABLE! :what: Are they trying to discourage people from using the range?

 

[weirdjack]

it's that other 5% that will turn around to talk to a friend and point a loaded gun right at you.

YEP! I once almost had my foot shot off by a guy at the club who had forgotten he'd loaded his rifle, popped a cap at the bench to "clear the nipple", and the .54 ball hit the dirt 1" from my left foot...killing the dirt but sparing my foot!!!
Luckily, our club is now a little more strict. No popping a cap at the bench, and guns pointed up from bench to firing line.
There is nothing wrong with a good solid set of rules that are enforced. Mostly, because the rules are just good damn common sense things everyone should always do all the time anyway! The way I view it is that if you think the rules may be too harsh, you're probably one of the people they were written for! ::
Unfortunately, the rules must be there to try and keep that 5% dumbass factor from shooting my foot off!!!
Jack

 

[CrackStock]

<<<4. During cease fire, weapons should be laid down, at half cock, uncapped or frizzen open. >>>

Actually, we use racks to avoid laying the guns down since laying them down likely points them towards someone. We believe this to be a safer answer.

If you have no racks, then you have little choice.

CS

 

[roundball]

<<<4. During cease fire, weapons should be laid down, at half cock, uncapped or frizzen open. >>>

Actually, we use racks to avoid laying the guns down since laying them down likely points them towards someone. We believe this to be a safer answer.
If you have no racks, then you have little choice.
CS

I completely agree...ranges I've belonged to went to various lengths of having the Red Line painted on the concrete 3' back from the shooting benchs and everybody had to make safe, then lay firearms muzzles downrange, everybody steps back safely behind the Red Line.........THEN........everybody goes walking out right in front of all those muzzles to change targets...completely against the grain of a basic commandent of gun / muzzle safety.

The best I've seen was a long concrete floored, roofed shooting area 50'-100' long by 10' wide.
Continueous builtin shooting table design the full length of the target side, and a matching continueous table on the back side, with square rifle notches cut into the edge of the table every few feet.

Lay out your gear on the back table...wipe, lube, charge & load back there...step forward with muzzle up to the shooting table...prime and fire...reverse/repeat the cycle.

During cease-fires, ensure you're unloaded, step to the rear muzzle up, and stand your rifle in a rifle notch on the rear bench.

Simple, practical, safe, etc

 

[CG6018]

Swampfox, You have a great set of range rules here. Perhaps some would consider them excessive, but more is better than less as far as I am concerned. The one about blowing down the muzzle has always struck me as a bit bewildering. The very act of placing one's mouth over the muzzle of a gun seems like a no-brainer, but that is just my opinion. I always felt that someone did this for one reason, and one reason only. My son and my grand son wouldn't even consider doing this in my presence knowing that the wrath of the "old man" would decend upon them. Likewise, the act of leaning on the muzzle as a "cool-looking" pose in the hope that someone is searching for a photo opportunity, is equally absurd, again, in my opinion. :m2c: :thumbsup:

 

[TexiKan]

I agree with the KISS concept but like those who say "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", they need to consider "If it ain't broke, someone will break it!" It seems more rules are added after someone tries to find a way around them or something becomes an annoyance.

When I was Range Master, the "blowing down the barrel" issue came up during my tenure. Prior to me, no one moaned and groaned about it, but during my watch, it became the hot topic. Now, I've been shooting BP since 1974 and when I went to our range, EVERYONE blew down the barrel! It was part of the "routine". As I recall, the reason was to assure there was no spark down in the barrel prior to pouring black powder down it. Well, after it was determined this practice was not desirable, the rule was made to prohibit blowing down the barrel. The habit of the routine was hard for some to break. Now the manure hit the fan when someone did it.

I agree that the majority of the rules have been made because of the reckless few. At many events, I have seen "Club rules and MNLRA rules apply." OK. I have our club rules AND a copy of the NMLRA rules. There's a lot of rules!!! Now, go to another club and see if you know THEIR rules! I can't recall seeing a visitor automatically checking, studying and reading all of the rules prior to shooting!

I found the most common infractions tended to be lack of hearing and eye protection. (Well heck, ........real mountain men never had no dad gum hearing and eye protection!) I had to approach more folks on those two points. The next concern was inattention to keeping the muzzle up and down range. Another problem developed when someone had a misfire and then made all kinds of unsafe attempts to make the gun go "boom."

Finding just the right amount of rules to keep them from becoming restrictive, complicated and a pain in the butt is the objective. We want the hobby to be fun and safe.

TexiKan
_______________

If you continue to do what you've always done, you will always get what you've always got.

 

[hobbles]

Swampfox,,
Why do you say not to blow down the barrel ?? I don't put my mouth over it, I just cup my hand on it and blow bout 3" from my hand into my hand and watch the smoke come out,, I don't think I will ever stop doin it but would like to know why some say not to,, Just tryin to learn,,,,

 

[roundball]

Swampfox,,
Why do you say not to blow down the barrel ?? I don't put my mouth over it, I just cup my hand on it and blow bout 3" from my hand into my hand and watch the smoke come out,, I don't think I will ever stop doin it but would like to know why some say not to,, Just tryin to learn,,,,

My understanding is it's based upon the same principle used by cannoneers...they plug the vent hole when ramming a charge down to prevent a stream of potentially smoldering particles from being forced out into fresh air, igniting, and following the stream back down into the bore, igniting the fresh charge while the loader still has body parts in front of the muzzle.

As remote a possibility that it is with a muzzleloader, I worry enough about it that I want no part of my head over a muzzle under any circumstances...I also intentionally ensure that my range rods all have large round wooden balls on them in hopes that if any unplanned ignition occurred while loading a muzzleloader, that the smooth round ball would help push my hand & fingers aside some as the ramrod went up through the roof...a T-handle might rip them right off.

:shocking:

 

[hobbles]

roundball,, I can understand that, I seen on tv a kid loadin a cannon and it went off,, did not look good for him, It blew him a ways from the cannon,

 

[weirdjack]

we use racks to avoid laying the guns down since laying them down likely points them towards someone.

At our club, each loading bench has notches cut into both sides of their tops, where you can stand your gun up in. There are carpet squares available so the butt of your gun is all comfy-cozy too. It's a nice arrangement that keeps muzzles pointing upward at all times until on the firing line.
I suppose that some day, someone will blast a hole into the roof of these covered loading areas....but better a hole in the roof than a hole in me.
Jack