Range Rules

[RX8er]

Does anyone know why do some ranges have rules like no rapid fire and can't holster draw? I plan to ask one of employees next time I am at the range that has rules like this.

[bizarrenormality]

They're worried the type of customers they attract would shoot themselves, shoot somebody else, or shoot range property if they did those things.

[Wes]

Holster draw is very dangerous if you do not know what you are doing and as pointed out above, so is rapid fire. That said, the range by me allows both n their private lanes.

[canvasbck]

Does anyone know why do some ranges have rules like no rapid fire and can't holster draw? I plan to ask one of employees next time I am at the range that has rules like this.

If you pay attention to the folks shooting at the line, you wouldn't have to ask this. The average person is barely safe slow firing from a ready position.

[Piney]

Next time you're at an indoor range--Look up, down, side to side and at the counter immediately in front of your lane.....

I haven't seen any businesses' insurance policies, but its certainly possible there may be specific wording with those activities restricted.

[RX8er]

If you pay attention to the folks shooting at the line, you wouldn't have to ask this. The average person is barely safe slow firing from a ready position.

I'm sorry, are you asking me if I pay attention or do you know this? I pay attention to what I am doing, in my lane. The majority of time, I am in a private lane and holster draw and rapid fire are okay. I would think that if a person is, as you say, "barely safe slow firing" it would be the same case in a private lane and the range would not allow it.

I wasn't looking for some smart response such as this, as it is a valid question. I asked the owner at one range today and his response was that it is "distracting" to other patrons for the rapid fire and with the narrower lanes, more likely to hit another lanes target without proper control. On the holster draw, there is "too much" traffic behind the shooters to allow for the holster drawing and they don't want patrons bumping in to your sidearm or you.

Thank you to the other's for your responses.

[Stripes Dude]

Does anyone know why do some ranges have rules like no rapid fire and can't holster draw? I plan to ask one of employees next time I am at the range that has rules like this.

If you pay attention to the folks shooting at the line, you wouldn't have to ask this. The average person is barely safe slow firing from a ready position.

Ok, that was a rude response. Be nice. This is a legitimate question - CHL holders need to train on both of these skills.

I have some experience with full auto, and when i do rapid fire with semi auto (less than a second between shots), for me the faster the rate of fire, the more muzzle movement there is. With full auto being incredibly difficult to control. Ranges don't want uncontrolled muzzles.

Similar with holster draw - drawing and firing quickly can lead to aiming issues, and uncontrolled muzzles. It's not easy to achieve a good sight picture after drawing quickly, for many novice shooters.

[The Annoyed Man]

I am a member of the same private pistol club here in DFW that many other members belong to. One of the club's "dirty little secrets" is that we apparently have a couple of self-inflicted gunshot wounds every year BECAUSE people are training in rapid fire, from the holster............and these are people who are supposed to be cognizant of the general rules of firearm safety AND the range's rules. (This information was conveyed to me by one of the club's board members. I have personally seen nothing worse than someone get cut by a piece of splash-back from a steel plate.)

What I'm going to say next may not be politically correct from OUR viewpoint, but it is true none the less:

Guns by themselves are not dangerous. But a gun in the hand of even an experienced shooter can be dangerous if the shooter's attention strays for even a few seconds. BEFORE YOU JUMP ON ME, READ THIS STORY: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/02/n ... ng_022609/. If you prefer, I could restate it thusly: guns by themselves are not dangerous, but even the most experienced shooter can be dangerous if his attention strays while shooting a gun. Some increment of risk from that danger is also imparted to anyone who is standing nearby that shooter, or downrange from that shooter if he does not exercise good muzzle discipline.

When all safety factors are adhered to, shooting is a perfectly safe activity.....SO safe that we take our own precious little children to do it with proper supervision. In those situations, we're talking about slow, careful, aimed fire. But any time you "hurry up" the process, you're also increasing the possibility (not necessarily the certainty) that bad juju could happen. This principle is true for flying, driving, chewing your food, skateboarding, and answering nature's call too, so I'm not picking on shooting. But if we refuse to acknowledge the truth of this, then we frankly deserve whatever happens to us. But with shooting, the 2nd party victim who got hurt because of our refusal to recognize this NEVER deserves it.

Now, you or I may say "I NEVER let my attention stray, not even for a second," but the range owner doesn't know that to be true. Not only that, he has no way to compel you to pay attention........and neither does his insurance company.........EXCEPT by insisting that you do not do the things which up the risk profile.......meaning drawing from the holster or rapid fire.

I'm perfectly OK with ranges setting rules like that. It's their sandbox, and their money paying the insurance premiums. If they allow increased risk, then they pay higher insurance premiums.....which they will gladly pass on in the form of higher ranges fees. If you really want to do those things, then pony up the cost of joining a private club where such things are permitted, but also where there is no liability to the club for doing it because by joining, you have agreed to bear all the liability yourself.

[canvasbck]

It wasn't meant to be rude, my apologies for coming across that way, but I was being truthfull. There are people at the range who do not have a clue about what they are doing. I am in no way implying that the OP is one of these people. I have been in the SO booth at an indoor range where I am focused on what other shooters are doing, you see things from there that you will never see while you are in your lane. Even with the rules that ranges have in place, you will see muzzles sweeping other shooters, or even pointing uprange. I have seen attempts at rapid fire that wind up with rounds going into the ceiling, that would have been way over the berm at an outdoor range. I have seen ND's that struck the floor or walls of the bay.

From a liability perspective, I understand why many ranges do not allow rapid fire or drawing from the holster. There are people at the line who would be VERY dangerous if they were allowed to do these things. That being said, there are ranges that have a rules prohibiting these activities, but will waive it for shooters who will demonstrated safe gun handling and drawstroke for the RO/SO.

[WildBill]

A handgun pointed upwards Charlie's Angels-style and finger on the (single-action) trigger is the perfect shooting position for a nervous beginner - and the bigger the caliber, the better; she will really admire the fact that you are man enough to handle the enormous recoil and will want to have your children.

Pulling a trigger harder actually makes a bullet fly faster.

Closing your eyes prior to the bullet exiting the barrel will result in more accurate shooting.

[G26ster]

You left out my favorite: "I've been shooting and around guns all of my life." This obviously qualifies one as an "expert."

[K.Mooneyham]

AndyC, I truly hope all of those were over a LONG period of time. MOST of the people I've seen out at QC the times I've been there seem to follow the rules and try to be safe. Some occasionally slip and try to go to the bench during a ceasefire, etc, but back off when reminded (I've even done this a couple of times). But a few of them have worried me...one a big group of obviously low-knowledge folks that passed the firearm around kind of willy-nilly (Here, you try it, he he)...and one who seemed quite clueless despite the VERY expensive AR with optics, etc he had purchased probably VERY recently (couldn't even lock the bolt back, for instance)...but I have never seen the crazy stuff in your list...some real "winners" there, oh yeah.