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I was curious if any of you have had any trouble with carrying at your local range?

I went this weekend to a local range and was carrying my PX4 on my hip(concealed of course). I also had a large case containing my ammo, gear, and my Walther P22. I sign in at their registry, and one of the guys comes over and ASKS if he can take a look in the box. I say "I guess so." His response was "Well if you want to get passed me, you have to." Fine, whatever, I just want to shoot. He then asks if it's just the one... just the .22. I say no. He then asks to see the other one. I say "My carry?" "Yes, it has to be cleared."

Now at this point, I look at him with a 'you've got to be kidding, right' look on my face. He says "the signs at the door say all guns must be unloaded". And I say, well legally, you know that those signs don't apply to a CHL. Then he gets an attitude, and says "Well the owner is a CHL Instructor." I'm thinking "then he should know better", but I don't say it.
Fine! I was getting frustrated, and would have walked out right then, but I had my brother and a buddy with me who had never shot a gun and didn't want to disappoint them. So I conceded. Withdrew my weapon, dropped the mag and cleared the chamber.

Now, I am disarmed, he and the other guy behind the counter both have theirs visible, but they want me disarmed. I, as a CHL holder, who went through the course, background checks, and qualification, am now disarmed by a "CHL instructor" for reasons that don't really make sense to me.

Believe me, I understand that it is his business, and if that is how he wishes to treat a fellow CHL holder, then that's his bag, and that's fine. It's my choice to ever go back there or not.
But I have to know, am I reading too much into this?
Does your range do the same thing?
Would you go to one that does this?

Keep in mind, there was no 30.06 sign at all, and all the posters and banners inside said things like "It's your right to own a gun, it's your responsibility to know how to use it."
Am I wrong here?


Sorry for the long post, but it bugged me.

I tend to avoid places that restrict my right to carry.
Mostly safety is a concern (i.e. I won't go visit crowded places that are off limits or properly posted 30.06)

I'll often avoid posted (properly or improperly) places on general principle, but not all the time. I find that places that post properly or improperly, that might not be a safety concern usually give me other reasons to avoid them. Places that are posted usually already have a strike against them, and i'll be more likely to avoid them in the future should even a small problem arise.

Lute Riley Honda is a great example, after the scam they tried to pull on a friend of mine. Improperly posted, but after I went with her to look at cars, we walked out after the salesguy gave her the "Website prices are lies" as well as "Capital One Credit bounces checks, you have to finance here."

One public range that I go to regularly and one club that I belong to have this kind of rule: no loaded weapons except on the line.

I grudgingly accept their motivation. It takes just one stupid accident to bring on a ton of bad publicity, lawsuits, and possibly demands to close the range.

- Jim

At the range I frequent policy is you advise what you will be shooting. For your carry weapon you go to the line and draw your weapon and put it on the table. When leaving, reload and holster. However, other range's rules may be different depending on their comfort level with past issues and individuals, 30.06 or not.

Thanks for the responses so far guys. I knew I couldn't be the only one who thought this was strange.

This is a great reason to have more than one carry gun. I just switch out my carry, and keep all the guns I'll be shooting at the range unloaded in my range bag, and there are never any problems.

I think enough CHLs (not many perhaps, but enough) have proven that they're capable of NDs when trying to handle a loaded carry weapon that a range owner's nervousness about this action isn't entirely unreasonable.

Sure, *you* know that you're safe at handling your carry weapon, but how does a public range owner know the difference between you and the yahoos that regularly shoot themselves at gunshows? If it were me, I'd err on the safe side and reduce the chance that I'd have to clean up the mess too.

Clubs are different...You can hold the members to a higher standard. Public ranges however, well, personally I'd rather be slightly inconvenienced than raise the risk of being shot by the guy in the next lane any higher.

At the range I frequent, if you carry concealed it stays concealed. If you want to shoot your carry, unload at the firing line.

I may be off in opinion, but I believe if you are going to a range to shoot, and they want your "shooting" guns unloaded, they should be unloaded.
if you desire to carry a weapon on your person, I believe that it should staty there.

However, I don't have a problem with someone unholstering (obviously keeping the business end down and/or downrange) at the line, and then proceeding to fire it. (I wouldn't want to stand next to someone doing the ol' draw and fire, but I think ya'll get what I'm saying about unholstering as opposed to drawing)

I don't understand why EVERY SINGLE RANGE I have been to seems to teach CHL and what-not, but can't seem to address these issues.
make it plain as day as to their wishes.
maybe I'm the crazy one.

sidenote: KauBoy, would you mind PM'ing me which range this was?

By saying this I'm kind of supporting both points but here it goes.
In my life the only time I have ever felt the need to protect myself with a firearm was at a range.

A man new to firearms was shooting a few stalls down and I looked to my right and noticed that I was looking down his barrel, I backed out of the way and called the SO to the range to have a talk with the man.

After a few mins the SO left and I kept a real good eye to my right, Again I see him pointing in my direction. I walk down to him and asked him to put the firearm down on the bench. I then asked him to keep it pointed down range, he then picked up the gun and pointed it at me and said it keeps jamming. So I TOOK it from him cleared it and walked to the SO and gave him the firearm explained what happened.
I then (a bit rattled) left for the day

But when that man picked that gun up and pointed at me I had one hand on my carry and one deflecting his gun.

Needless to say a little scarry.

So these people think that you will shoot someone if you take out your carry gun on the line, but you won't shoot someone with one your remove from the bag and load at the line?

Xander wrote:This is a great reason to have more than one carry gun. I just switch out my carry, and keep all the guns I'll be shooting at the range unloaded in my range bag, and there are never any problems.

I think enough CHLs (not many perhaps, but enough) have proven that they're capable of NDs when trying to handle a loaded carry weapon that a range owner's nervousness about this action isn't entirely unreasonable.

Sure, *you* know that you're safe at handling your carry weapon, but how does a public range owner know the difference between you and the yahoos that regularly shoot themselves at gunshows? If it were me, I'd err on the safe side and reduce the chance that I'd have to clean up the mess too.

Clubs are different...You can hold the members to a higher standard. Public ranges however, well, personally I'd rather be slightly inconvenienced than raise the risk of being shot by the guy in the next lane any higher.

I am just wondering, are there ranges that will allow you to carry if you have your CHL. Every Range that I belong to or visit do not allow you to carry except when you are on the firing line. I would be interested to know what ranges will allow you to carry.
Animal Cop

Bullet Trap has never had an issue and I have asked
Garland Public Shooting Range, no issue and I have asked
Target Master, no issue and I have asked

These are all North Dallas area ranges

txinvestigator wrote:So these people think that you will shoot someone if you take out your carry gun on the line, but you won't shoot someone with one your remove from the bag and load at the line?

Yes. I'm not nearly as nervous about somebody fumbling with a gun pointed downrange, as one that somebody's trying to tug out of a cheap, ill-fitting SoB, cross-draw, or horizontal shoulder holster.

Certainly the holes in the walls and ceilings of any indoor range attest to the number of NDs that happen on the line, but those are more acceptable to me, from a safety standpoint, than letting anybody who walks in regularly sweep the entire range with a loaded gun as they try to draw it.

PSC Shooting Club, Inc.'s rules were changed to allow CHLs to carry concealed on the property. The club is over 40 years old and it had a "cold range" policy for many of those years. After the CHL bill passed, the issue of how to address CHLs was debated by the Board. It was ultimately decided to allow CHLs to carry loaded and concealed. If they want to shoot their carry gun, they go to the firing line and unload it. From then on, it's treated like every other gun on the range -- i.e. it's loaded only on the firing line when the line is hot. (This is also true for the pistol bays.) Also, if a CHL wants to take their carry gun off and holster something else, the carry gun has to be unloaded.

The only reasons CHLs are required to keep their carry guns concealed is 1) so people won't be handling loaded handguns behind other people on the line or in a pistol bay; and 2) so non-CHLs won't mistakenly think it's okay to have a loaded pistol holstered when they aren't on the line.

As a general statement, I believe we see better gun-handling skills on private ranges and clubs, but even there skill levels vary significantly.

Chas.