range issue class 3 stuff

[alvins]

So my coworker found out i own a silencer and wanted to go shoot it.He suggested a gun range ive never been to before.So we went this morning everything is cool and we are having fun.while im shooting one of the guys from the counter came up and tapped me on the shoulder. he said he needed to see my paper work for my silencer. I asked him under what authority. he said the range could lose their licens for not checking to make sure it was legal.so i proced to let the guy look at all my stuff. He walks off and go back to shooting.

About 5 minutes later he came back and said i had to come outside with him. the dude had called the police on me because he didnt think silencers were legal and it was registered under my trust and not to my name specifically.Their was 5 cops standing in the lobby and waiting to talk to me. the police looked over my paper work and said they didnt see anything illegal and asked me what happened.they even wanted to know why they were even called and said the range owner was wasting their time over an opinion.

What i would like to know other then just leaving; who can legally require me to show my paperwork? I dont think im required to show some gun range any paperwork. They arent checking to make sure its legal for people to own a gun firing on there range so I dont see a huge difference.out of all the times ive taken it to the range ive never had anyone even question me about it.usually people want to try it out instead of give me a hard time over it.

obviously i will never visit this place ever again.

[JALLEN]

That sounds almost like what happened, not quite routinely, at some ranges around here when somebody showed up with an ordinary EBR, which are banned here, of course, although some are grandfathered. It's just that to be grandfathered, you almost have to be a grandfather, since a 23 year old probably didn't own an EBR back in the '90's. It's much improved now since the invention of the bullet button which renders EBR's legal under a loophole.

You may be seeing the future if Senator DiFi has her way.

[Ericstac]

I would be upset.. Is it in the houston area?

[Stripes Dude]

Hard to believe. Was it a "range officer" who took the fictitious title of "officer" a little too far? My range has a few of those. Some are retired LEOs, and I think they are having trouble conceding that they aren't on duty anymore.

[PUCKER]

Alvins, I'd be pretty ticked if I had your experience, that does not sound like a good time at all..were the range folks at least apologetic for their stupidity/ignorance?

I have had at least one range want to verify that I had the Form 4 (a copy is kept in the tac bag pouch) for my full auto. This was before shooting though. I look at it this way, their range, their rules, as long as it is done in a respectful and courteous manner, which it seems your experience veered off that path.

[alvins]

yes i will only say the range was between beltway 8 and 610 around 59 west houston.lol

apologize?the guy was irritated hpd wouldnt arrest me.

[Charles L. Cotton]

You are correct that a range owner doesn't have the authority to demand that you show your NFA paperwork, but he can make that a condition for being able to shoot NFA firearms (or suppressor) on his range. You can refuse and he can ask you to leave.

Calling the police was way over the line.

Chas.

[Chemist45]

If this had happened to me I would be letting everyone know what range it happened at.
I would also contact the range owner and tell him that I was no longer a customer and everyone I knew would hear this story.
The employee in question should be fired.

[OldCannon]

he said he needed to see my paper work for my silencer. I asked him under what authority. ...

...obviously i will never visit this place ever again.

I'm sorry, but the RO and the range owner were completely within their rights to ask. Frankly, I'm stunned that others are voicing support for what you did. This is courtesy 101.

[OldCannon]

You are correct that a range owner doesn't have the authority to demand that you show your NFA paperwork, but he can make that a condition for being able to shoot NFA firearms (or suppressor) on his range. You can refuse and he can ask you to leave.

Calling the police was way over the line.

Chas.

Charles, I agree that calling the police was excessive. The owner should have simply asked him to leave.

This isn't a matter of "authority", this is a matter of simple range courtesy.

[alvins]

well if its such a big deal why arent they checking everyone who comes in the door to see if they are legally able to posses a hand gun.I bet if they did check lots of felons are going to gun ranges.

plus he made this big deal that he could have his "license" taken away.yea ok whatever.

anyway if they dont want silencers they should post a sign like everyone else saying no silencers,full auto, 50 cal........

they dont have to worry about me or any of my friends ever visiting their store again, which i reminded him people read internet reviews.lol

[Ericstac]

yes i will only say the range was between beltway 8 and 610 around 59 west houston.lol

apologize?the guy was irritated hpd wouldnt arrest me.

Lol gotcha

[Carry-a-Kimber]

he said he needed to see my paper work for my silencer. I asked him under what authority. ...

...obviously i will never visit this place ever again.

I'm sorry, but the RO and the range owner were completely within their rights to ask. Frankly, I'm stunned that others are voicing support for what you did. This is courtesy 101.

Completely within their rights to ask, yes. But they have absolutely no authority to see any of my tax documents. Like stated before, do they do a criminal back ground check on every Joe that wants to shoot there to make sure they aren't a felon? Showing a stamp that is in a trust doesn't prove ownership anyway, unless you have a copy of the trust with you.

[TheDude]

well if its such a big deal why arent they checking everyone who comes in the door to see if they are legally able to posses a hand gun.I bet if they did check lots of felons are going o gun ranges.

He should not have call the cops. If he knew they were legal he should have just asked you to leave if nothing else. Of course they aren't going to run NICS checks on everyone using their range but if they think you are have brought an illegal device into their range I can understand his concern. Same as if he thought you had a stolen gun. I have a Form 4 pending and I plan to always ask before shooting my suppresor at a range. In the end its a privately owned property and like OldCannon stated it's a courtesy issue.

[mrvmax]

I went with a friend to a range in Friendswood (it was not PSC), and the RO asked to see my paperwork for my suppressor. It was my first time there since normally I am at PSC so I never stopped to think about them having a policy on checking. It did not bother me, but they never called the cops on me either even though it was under by LLC's name and not mine. That probably would have perturbed me a bit.