Friday night the range was extremely busy. There’s a huge gun show in town and that means lots of first time shooters dropping by the NRA hoping to become the next Top Shot champion overnight. Most of them have no training and except for reading it on their range safety test have no idea what the Cardinal Rules are about. Muzzles get pointed where they shouldn’t, fingers are on triggers constantly, etc.
But they’re not the worst. They’re new. They’re learning. Most of them take it in stride when you point out that, say, your chest is an inappropriate place for them to point a gun. They’re polite. They’re apologetic. They don’t do it again.
No, the worst shooter at the range tonight was the moron on Lane 11. First, to show off his cool pistol mounted flashlight to a buddy, he pointed it sideways across the shooting booths and lit up the wall. I popped my head around the barrier and said, “Sir… please make sure you keep your muzzle downrange at all times.” His response was to yell at me that he already was pointing it down range and had never done otherwise! I guess he has one of those special flashlights that projects sideways so it’s easier to move around corners on your left. OK…
A few minutes later, Worst Shooter is admiring something on the side of his (loaded) gun and as such is completely oblivious to the fact that he’s pointing it straight at me. So again, I pop around the barricade, and this time a little more forcefully suggested he keep his muzzle pointed down range. Again, he says he did nothing wrong. I point out that he just pointed the gun right at me as evidenced by the big dark hole I saw at the end of the barrel. He gets angry. I find an RO, explain the situation, and Worst Shooter gets a babysitter for the rest of his range session.
It’s one thing to make a mistake. Everyone does it. I got DQ’d from one of the first IPSC matches I ever shot because during an El Presidente I got that whole “turn, then draw” thing out of order. Yup, I swept the entire crowd: RO, scorekeeper, other competitors, spectators. For those unfamiliar with IPSC, that’s generally considered bad. The RO was a buddy and was actually willing to let it slide, but I insisted on the DQ. It’s not like I reloaded with my finger on the trigger, I actually pointed my loaded gun at people. To repeat for those who may have missed it: that’s bad.
Mistakes are learning opportunities. But when a shooter blindly insists he could not possibly have made a mistake, he’s saying that his ego is more important than range safety. And that’s the worst possible kind of shooter.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
(bonus points if you get the photo reference)
I work for a shop and we get those kind all the time, I think some of them think since its not loaded its ok. I also teach the permit classes at the shop and I can’t believe no matter how we say it, no matter how many times we say it and point out what they do I still get a 1/2 dozen loaded guns pointed at me in any given class.
The first “step” in a twelve step” program is to recognize you have a problem.
Maybe there should such a program for gun “morons”
Well put, mistakes can be teachable moments espec to ourselves. As a much younger guy I had a couple of acquaintances who liked to ‘fool around’ with unloaded guns in my presence. I stopped associating with them quickly. Safety first at all times
I went to a new gun store that had opened nearby a couple of years ago. There was a kid there with his parents. They were looking at one of those GSG .22 MP5 clones. The kid was swinging that gun around and pointing it at everyone. Neither the parents nor the clerk corrected him. I left quickly and have never returned.
It was a teachable moment and the clerk only wanted a sale.
Here in TN there are public ranges that are “shoot at your own risk”. There is no RO. So when some wannabe gansta starts shooting his pistol sideways WHILE I’M DOWNRANGE there’s only me to tell him to stop. Most shooters are nice and safety aware but there’s always a few that are idiots.
The worst I’ve seen there was a sheriff’s deputy who though it was perfectly ok to fire a mosin m44 at the 25 yard lane while my brother was hanging new targets at the 50 yard lane. He ignored me yelling to cease fire and only stopped when I threw a 30-06 brass at him and yelled more. He stopped firing and his response was simply an angry: “He’s way over there!”
Crazy. But a trained LEO can’t possibly be wrong.
Now I wear a ballistic vest and always bring my IFAK.
I’m very surprised that there’s never been anyone hurt there. (that I’ve heard of)
Safety Last!
I am a LEO. I work in a mobile range (trailer). During one session, a ‘ghetto gun-slinger’ (read Gang Officer) came in and pointed his handgun directly at my chest, while I was seated. He was hold it, and two magazines in the same hand.
I politely (really) tried to inform him to ‘please don’t point your weapon at me.’ He became indignant; “My gun is unloaded!” he yelled and he racked the slide to jam it in my face to show me.
I try my best to inform new students, but when someone who should know better gets offended and rude, well, it’s just wrong.
BTW, he shot like a myopic Parkinson’s patient (no offense to Parkinson’s patients).
Remember, we were all gun idiots at some time. And all of us are still gun idiots some of the time. The more familiar we are with the firearm the more we are likely to have an idiot moment. They way I explain it-make safety a habit. Without it ingrained as a habit-the more we shoot and handle firearms the more chance of an idiot moment. Do things the same way each time regardless of where you are.
Remember, how you scold/chastise/inform a gun idiot may determine if he/she will enter the “fold” of gun aware/gun safe/gun competent club. Think of it as the “Amway” approach. You get a bonus to keep each gun idiot alive, still shooting, not shooting others, until he or she gets the safety concept. Other the other hand, if it is a hopeless situation, and he or she is inevitably doomed to make all gun owners look like idiots, then set them on fire and roast marshmallows.
I ask nicely the first time if they are what I think is a new shooter.
They get told in no uncertain terms after that.
Here we have to deal with qualifications on armed security guards. These folks are typically not shooters and could care less, they just want to qual for the year and run. Have some of the worst safety and gun handling skills I have ever seen.
Any safety violation is dealt with strctly. I have banned some form our range due to being incompetent, and told their jobs they were NFE. This makes the half assed folks pay better attention when they realize that standards are going to be enforced.
I am not in the least bullshitting or chest thumping when I say that I have met people that I have had to threaten with arrest, or shooting, if they pointed their gun at me one more time.
As an active instructor and former full-time range officer, it’s amazing how little people actually practice “The Rules” and safe gun handling. I’ve been on the other side of the loaded gun, gone hands-on with people who step out an flag the range, and web had to eject a shooter for crawling around downrange in search of brass.
I respectfully disagree with the “watch how you scold” mentality. This is a hobby / sport / pastime / lifestyle where one seemingly innocent mistake can (and has) kill(ed). As instructors and ROs, there are rules which merit discussion and rules that merit swift and decisive authority-driven action. Looking down the Big Black Hole (and a .22/.223 muzzle looks pretty damn big at times) is one of those cases where decorum comes second.
The only thing I would (and have) done differently is to have left the range. I’m not so proud that I’m willing to risk getting shot to finish a practice session. If it happens during a class and we can’t leave, you can bet we’ll be vocal and/or physical as necessary.
Someone goes to a range, unbags the gun not on the line and carries it to the firing line while sweeping others at the range.
A. Embarrass, chastise, and scold.
B. Take aside and explain the proper way to unbag (on the line) and why. After the shooter is on the line-but before they load. “Hey, could I speak with you for a moment please.” “My name is xxx and extend your hand.” Explain the proper way to do things and why. Of course, if the shooter blows you off or is rude, then as I explained in my comment, set them on fire.
Route B accomplishes more than A. But guys like BEN choose Route A-why?
Keep in mind the behavior of unbaging the gun and walking to the firing line sweeping others was acceptable and expected behavior not so long ago-“hey it is not loaded.”
I agree with Glockshooter, B creates less conflict most of the time. And still allows you to go ballistic when the guy smarts off back.
Or you could do what some of our guys did when one of our SWAT guys muzzled them while loading up his MP5… Fall to the ground screamming GUN and pointing at him. He got the point and was more careful the next time. In this day and age with all the safety needs, there should be no acceptance for “accidentally” muzzling someone. It must be addressed when it happens.
I bookmarked this in the “Read with Family” folder. My most important folder.
Yours,
Tom
I try to keep my distance from those trigger-happy types, as you never know if there’s a bullet hiding in the chamber.