[DevX]

The range I shoot at is very open. There is no gate and pretty much anyone can wonder in. I am a little uneasy being out there knowing anyone can just walk in and grab something out of the arsenal on the range table. Most of the time I am there alone or with a guest. I have gone every Saturday and Sunday for the last month and have never seen anyone else come and shoot. Am I alone at CCW at the range? Or am I just paranoid?

Discuss.

 

[Ducman]

last week when I was at the range. I was shooting alone, I heard people sneaking around the woods behind me. I kept a loaded revolver on me the whole time. It turns out they were doing a property survey

Most of the time I shoot with others so its not an issue

 

[only mortal]

Read through the FBI report on the '86 Miami shootout that Janq posted not too long ago, the two indiviuals involved would go to the local gravel pit and pick off someone who was shooting alone, stash their body nearby, and make off with their weapons and car. So I think if shooting alone in the middle of bfe, having a ccw at the ready is a smart idear.

though at the places I go, there are at least half a dozen armed range officers, so this is not necessary. but I still keep my eyes open & my ass covered. if u can, bring a buddy with u. its mo fun in addition to having four eyes and two heads.

 

[jamz]

You should always carry at the range. I don't go downrange at all without something charged and ready on my hip.

I also always keep a full mag and gun combo near, I never shoot everything empty then reload.

My MA range does not allow CCW on the range. However, concealed *is* concealed. It's more important at informal gravel pits or open or public ranges than it is with tight rnages with security, rangemasters and cameras about though. I don't sweat it so much at my MA range, with cameras facing all shooting stations, and dongle- access to all ranges. Nor would I care at like the Smith and Wesson range because everyone is more or less signed in and out and you can't go downrange anyway.

 

[Janq]

I'm with Jamz on this.

Think what you want, I don't trust people strange to me and nor do most range officers I've seen working civilian facilities or ELO. I've never shot at a military range.
I walk in carrying and walk out carrying since becoming CCW legal.
Crazy people have killed themselves with purpose at every facility I've been member of including even the S&W range 2 years ago as I was being told about as much recently by an RO who was on duty during the incident.
He and all the other ROs carry open or concealed and they have a vest assigned for lane monitoring use when working. Mosr everyone else does same including the ROs at the NRA HdQ range whihc itself is pretty darn safe. One just never knows when some fool might come in off his meds or after having had a spat with his wife/boss/neighbor/internet enemy and be mentally off center.
Like Jamz I try to get the further most outer lanes away from others if at all possible. If not I watch my left, right and rear with regularity. People do stupid shit.

If I were at a range alone and/or just me and some other shooter(s) strange to me that could be damn near anybody I'd definitely go in and leave charged as Jamz mentioned.

- Janq

 

[ldivinag]

just go find a relative who's the RO of his dept's private range... :evil smiley:

that way, when you are invited to shoot with him, you can carry til yuo're blue in the head from carrying everything, plus shooting some of his spare "department" ammo... :double evil smiley:....

 

[jamz]

Janq, someone shot themselves at the S&W range?

I am amazed that MA, being as anti gun as it is, hasn't come up with a law banning these places.

I'm pretty sure in CA you often can't go into a public range without a buddy to stop that kind of thing from happening, for instance.

 

[DevX]

I am amazed that MA, being as anti gun as it is, hasn't come up with a law banning these places.

I believe there was legislation at one time or the other about "noise" or some bull.

 

[Janq]

Janq, someone shot themselves at the S&W range?

Yep.

Remember dude that helped us at the front counter that I know.
He was telling me about this event just a few days before you and I were there. He said it happened just about 2 yrs ago, a suicide, and that fools do/have come in off the street for rentals and gone into the range with attitude. He said that if they at the counter sense somethign off about a person or they just don't have a good vibe for them they will refuse rental and range entry.

The range I used to shoot at that was dwon the street from my house in Chantilly, VA, Blue Ridge Arsenal, just last year had a guy go in and commit suicide. Another range I used to shoot at in Woodbridge, VA, Shooters Paradies, last year had a LEO make an ND into his own leg with his duty arm. I posted about both in OT when theyr were new news.

BTW off topic a bit but the same occurs at paintball fields too.
I've learned the hardway to trust nobody I don't know and to keep my goggles on even in the safe/tech area untill I'm well away from idiots.

- Janq

 

[ORCA]

Our local indoor shooting range about a block away from my shop, The Firing Line used to average 2-3 suicides in the range per year. These people would come in by themselves, rent a gun and go to the farthest part of the range. They now have a buddy policy. No single person can go out with a rental if they don't actually know the person.

BUT back on topic. At our old outdoor range Bluejay up Ortega Highway, you would need to carry. Right before it closed, the place was full of gang members (Having their underlings run out on the range to place targets) totig AK's with bent sear pins... and Ferraris and Porsches driving up and down the dirt entrance road. Friggin sureal.... They closed it due to peoples stupidity.

 

[fatcat]

Yep there have been two at our indoor range as well. as well as one AD 3 feet from my foot with a .45 by some moron.