[ED: Lots of lucky readers will have found something fun and shooty under the tree today. And a large number of them will be heading to a local range in the coming days to give that new gun a try. For those who may have just gotten their first gun from Santa, here are a few tips for that first range trip.]
By Nick Savery
When I first started shooting I began at a public indoor range. I wasn’t a member of a club and I didn’t have any guns of my own to shoot. I practiced with rented firearms, shooting in a lane alongside lots of other shooters.
While waiting for Massachusetts to process my paperwork and to convince my parents to let me store a gun or two in the house (I was a college student at the time) I spent a significant amount of time at the range. After I bought my first guns I continued to shoot at the public range out of convenience.
It was a nice facility and I enjoyed shooting there, except….
One thing you learn pretty quickly when you shoot at a public range: not everyone has a working knowledge of or respect for firearm safety. Most commercial ranges will rent a pistol to any schmuck who walks in off the street. Many of these customers have a better chance of reciting Star Trek’s opening monologue than the four safety rules.
I’ve seen more dubious examples of gun handling than I can remember. But here are a few that were particularly memorable . . .
- Turning a firearm and pointing it directly to the shooter’s side to clear a malfunction (muzzle pointed directly at his neighbor on the left)
- Turning 180 degrees with a loaded pistol in order to take a look at the sights in better light
- Returning a pistol to a retention holster by holding the flap open with the weak hand and sweeping that hand every time
- Shooters who show up, fire some shots with one hand, gangster style, and then get excited that they hit the backstop
- The macho guy demonstrating the functions of a revolver to his girlfriend while pointing it at me while I’m downrange changing targets when the line was supposed to be cold
When I look back at some of the things I’ve seen, I’m not only glad to have survived, I’m surprised I never soiled myself.
As I gained experience, I quickly realized if I wanted to enjoy my range time and leave without any extra holes, I needed to adopt some basic standard practices. Here’s how I stay alive at public ranges without really trying (much).
Bring a partner
Soon after I started shooting, I managed to get my girlfriend (now my wife) involved. She enjoyed outshooting me almost as much as I didn’t. Having another set of eyes and only one lane between us means that, at any given time, one of us can step back and keep an eye on those around us.
If I see something dubious happening I have three options: help the offender see the error of his or her ways, contact the range safety officer or just bug out.
Most people who make scary safety mistakes are brand new shooters. They usually appreciate it when more experienced shooters provide them with helpful suggestions on how not to shoot themselves and those around them (depending, of course, on how the information is presented).
When the advice doesn’t go over well or something about the offender tells me he sees the safety advice as confrontation, I either go talk to a RSO and have them sort it out or grab my wife and we get the hell off the range. To that end, it’s a good idea to make sure your shooting buddy understands that when either of you say it’s time to leave, it’s time to leave.
Be alert
Maintaining situational awareness is hardly ever a bad idea when people are holding and/or using firearms in your vicinity. When I first enter a public range, I try to size everyone up and try to get an idea of who is a safe shooter and who is most likely to ruin my day. Or my life.
I then keep my wits about me and my head on a swivel. I usually take a step back after each string. I use reloading as an opportunity to keep tabs on what the people in the stalls around me are doing. I can’t see them through the dividers when I’m on the line, but I can get a global view of any potential threats when I step back. If I perceive any safety issues, I exercise my binary approach.
Shoot during off-peak hours
Like Hunger Game contestants, keep the odds in your favor. The commercial range I use is always packed on weekend afternoons. If I show at peak times, I spend an hour waiting for range time. In a room. With strangers walking around with guns. When I finally get a spot on the line, there are already 11 other lanes full of people shooting. That’s at least 11 potentially unsafe shooters in close proximity.
If I show up during on a weekday morning, I might have the range to myself or share it with only a few other shooters. Shooting more-or-less alone is much safer than doing it with a bunch of potential knuckleheads.
Body armor
OK, I don’t wear one, but you hear plenty of stories about shooters wearing body armor at the range. I’ve seen some, particularly at outdoor public facilities. Some are pathetic mall ninjas living out their dreams and some are cops practicing with their duty gear. Some are RSOs.
Far be it for me to criticize people trying to increase their chances of getting home that day. Excrement can and does happen.
A public range is no place to be complacent about your surroundings. A little Spidey sense can go a long way to increasing your chances of walking out the front door when you’re finished shooting. If you can’t avoid public ranges, you can still make the experience as safe and rewarding as possible. Be careful out there.
My rules for range time:
1. Follow the house rules.
2. Follow the 4 rules for safe gun handling.
3. Do NOT go to the range on weekends, holidays, or evenings.
4. If I see unsafe gun handling, I report it and leave.
I know the days and times when only the experienced gun folk are at the Rod & Gun Club. That is when I go.
The Club is installing video monitoring of all the ranges. They intend to identify all the rule breakers and cancel their memberships based on hard video evidence. There have been too many complaints. Normally, I do not like this big brother environment, but on the range stupidity and carelessness can be deadly.
“4. If I see unsafe gun handling, I report it and leave.”
If at all possible, try and assess what the quality level of the other shooters are before you enter the range. Are there CCTV cameras running? Watch them for a few minutes if possible.
Try and find public ranges with hard concrete shooting lane dividers. Thin wood paneled ones give me the willies…
Four good rules to lie by. They even apply to your life outside the range.
From the article:
“Returning a pistol to a retention holster by holding the flap open with the weak hand and sweeping that hand every time”
One of my fellow participants in the required CCW (CA) training course identified herself as a LEO’s wife. Yet every time she returned her weapon to her (strap retention leather) holster, she did exactly this…using her support hand to hold the snap open while sweeping that same hand with her muzzle. I watched her do this several times and waited for any of the three instructors to correct her, but none of them were paying attention. When I finally pulled one aside and discretely told him to watch her during the next drill, he saw what she was doing and rushed over to her.
Never be a-feared to speak up.
Well I hate public ranges. I tried to instill my elderly best friend as a “safety nut” and he’s still careless. We generally go to Point Blank er Range USA in Merrillville,IN. The same range where someone got shot in the head last year. The best thing about them is you can shoot rifles n shotgun slugs. There are outdoor ranges a ways away in Indiana where there is no “supervision”. That’s where I’m headed(and they don’t care if you’re from ILLannoy).
{A public range local to FWW}
“The same range where someone got shot in the head last year.”
Why I vastly prefer shooting on rural private property of other gun owners. That’s where I feel safest shooting…
The Star Trek monologue? From memory?
Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. It’s five year* mission; to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man* has gone before.
The next generation replaces five year with continuing and no man with no one.
Still didn’t correct the split infinitive.
*It’s* is actually *its*.
*five year* is actually *five-year*.
The semi-colon after the word “mission” is actually a descriptor colon, and the commas are actually semi-colons:
*Its five-year mission: To explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before.*
FIFY. Grammar police…we exist. 🙂
But to your credit, I myself also noticed the change to “no one” upon TNG’s very first pilot episode way back in 1987.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFxo4uCFWhY
^ Thank you for that post.
Got me laugh on a Blue Christmas.
‘Specially liked “Wifey” portrayal.
As an instructor & RSO I’ve had to deal with all those personalities and more.
The interactions can be very trying at times, even though it’s never exactly the same.
At my range ALL new shooters and visitors (and also ALL juniors) are supervised. Some supervision has been less than stellar. My son is supervised by me because of state law. But he appreciates the second pair of eyes. He passed his probation period with the comment from the club executive that his handling is perfect but he does have one of the best instructors. It is ironic he is advising new shooters who are often more than double his age.
Gun ownership seems to have skipped several generations since the 1950s. I have noticed a lot of older people, grandma’s and grandfather’s, taking gun classes.
They may have had guns as children. But they never thought they would need them as adults. Until very recently.
I suspect that’s primarily due to the urban/rural split which has been in favor of “urban” since the 1920’s but massively accelerated in that direction in the post-war period.
By the 1950’s there was a 60/40 split in favor of urban. The 2010’s saw that move to 81/19. (Data’s not yet very good for the 2020’s.)
While it’s true that the Census Department has changed definitions over time (and openly admits this) it’s also true that urban/suburban areas have pushed the idea of relying on LE since the early 1900’s, and along with that they’ve pushed, or at least allowed, misconceptions that promote reliance on government to continue. Guns are part of that. Rural people just see things differently, and for obvious reasons. Also, no one’s gaslighting them about firearms either, as happens in urban areas.
I was kinda surprised in college not just how many young people had never actually seen a gun IRL except on the hip of a cop but also how many of the kids and parents believed that buying/owning a firearm required some sort of license. The most interesting facet being the number of parents who suddenly were interested in potentially acquiring a firearm once they found out that most states (theirs included) didn’t actually operate like Illinois in terms of a FOID card-like licensing system.
The misconception that it wasn’t worth trying to buy a gun because there was a byzantine licensing system (that didn’t actually exist) was shockingly common and, quite clearly, nothing in urban/suburban “education” had even tried to dispel that notion since, at least, the 1970’s.
Such misconceptions are also constantly reinforced by the media as well, referring to a gun as “unlicensed” as a mechanism to suggest “illegal” on the TV news was common (when I watched any TV years back) even in reference to states that had no licensing requirement. That’s not terribly shocking given the urban thing, since TV stations are mostly located in cities.
“The misconception that it wasn’t worth trying to buy a gun because there was a byzantine licensing system (that didn’t actually exist) was shockingly common and, quite clearly, nothing in urban/suburban “education” had even tried to dispel that notion since, at least, the 1970’s.”
Well, look at NYC and LA, California to get an idea of where that impression came from. In the very near future, that’s gonna be changing…
Are you referring to the impression or the reality?
I shoot alone, or with long time, experienced friends. On private ranges. I no longer teach, but the things I saw on military, LE and public ranges would make your hair stand up. I wish I had a $100 bill for everytime I shouted, “Stop! Do not move! Surrender your weapon to me!” After me clearing the weapon. “Get off my range. Now.”
The one I really remember well from a range years ago was in the Houston area… guy showed up and accidentally killed himself with his .30/06. He had the rifle in the trunk of his car under a pile of junk. He yanked it out of the trunk by the muzzle end, something in his pile of trash pulled the trigger, the bullet hit him point blank in the face.
And don’t forget all the people who walk into a gun shop and ask to see a gun out of the display case and then immediately point it at someone else and pull the trigger and start laughing.
I wish I had a $1 bill for every stupid message or fairy tale you post on TTAG.
Now, that’s a rude reply. You don’t even have the courage to have your own screen name? You have to abort mine? Tell you what. Call me. 850-694-9405. I will accommodate you at a hotel in Tallahassee. I will arrange a a tour of the N. FL. Institute of Public Safety. With range time. We’ll also visit Talon Range. They’re only a couple of miles apart. We can even visit the public range off Springfield Rd in the Appalachicola National Forrest. If your brave enough. If not, I’ll offer you the same option I offered someone else not long ago. Call me, if you want to have a conversation, or leave me the fuck alone. Is that plain enough English for you 24 cents?
24 cents. My reply is awaiting moderation. I hope it goes through. I can’t wait to hear back from you.
850-694-9405. Call/text anytime. There’s a couple of guys here that will tell you that I will answer and engage.
Assuming the number is right I will shoot you a text next time the wife and I go through North Florida
One more thing. If you won’t call me? Sit down and shut up. Your a waist of every ones time
You have to be a special kind of clown and keyboard warrior tier 1 ninja to put a phone number on a forum. He/she got you so emotional you can’t even type, it’s hilarious, “your a waist…”
This person was probably long gone by the time you decided to act like the tough guy who will “answer and engage.” You’re so clueless, it’s sad. Go kiss MLee’s butt one more time instead of trying to prove yourself on an anonymous forum.
TL;DR,
You read it liar. There’s been an uptick in idiots like you here lately. Must be the solar flares messing with you and your fellow basement dwellers tin foil
“This person was probably long gone by the time you decided to act like the tough guy who will “answer and engage.”
You are that person…guaranteed.
Loser…
24 cents. I haven’t heard back from you and 0100 hours. I’m going to hit the rack. Tell you what. Come on down here. I’ll set you up with a ride along. The deputy will drop you off at Gadsden Arms Apts. Maybe, Havana Heights. Maybe another select neighborhood. We’ll see how you fare. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Merry Chrismas to you Troll Grinch! (Try having balls and using your name/call sign next time wuzzy! Happy Cristmas Gadsen
Gadsden, you are so full of it.
Amen to you, if you told me to surrender anything to you.
You have been lucky each time you pulled that stunt. You’ve been lucky enough to deal with a bunch of eunuchs your whole life.
I’m not sure where your misfounded sense of authority comes from.
I’ve reported unsafe behavior at my local range. There are security cameras everywhere there. I’ve seen them get on others in the past.
I dislike ranges and is the reason I have a target and range in my basement. I’ve been shooting down there for over 40 years as needed. My longtime chum from high school who I’ve known since 1975 was never a gun-guy but I was. In the last few years, he recently embraced gun ownership…as have millions of Americans. And just like many of those millions of Americans, he doesn’t know diddly squat about firearms.
One day he informs me that he wants to take his new AR-9 pistol that some LGS around here slapped together for him and go to Sharp Shooting here in Spokane and shoot the thing. I was rather busy and wasn’t the least bit intrigued at that prospect and as previously mentioned, I don’t like gun-ranges and knowing full well that my buddy is a knob with guns, I graciously declined to participate in his new adventure.
The day comes and he goes to the range and I happen to be in the area anyway so I stop in to watch through the glass. Immediately, that monstrosity AR-9 is failing to function. Since I’m on the other side of the glass, I was unsure what exact failure was occurring but I think it was incorrect spring and buffer issues and it wasn’t cycling correctly. My buddy being the “gun-knob” didn’t know the procedure for clearing the weapon or the proper procedures for a malfunction let alone proper range safety rules such as KEEP the weapon POINTED DOWNRANGE. He was totally clueless! More disturbing was watching him handle that jammed / malfunctioning weapon. He was pointing it at the occupied stall to his left with his finger on the trigger, then dangling it at his side, again with his finger on the trigger!
I really didn’t know what to do at that point. Many thoughts raced through my mind as I stood there and that was to run. (Marty Robbins El Paso) Okay, I didn’t run but I got out of there. I figured it was just a matter of moments before he shot himself in the leg, foot or the guy standing next to him and I couldn’t watch. I didn’t want to be a participant or even a witness. Running to the front and informing employees would have gone over like a fart in church. On retrospection, I should have run up front and got some hearing protection and went in an intervened. I’ve had decades of experience and multiple professional training classes, so my ability to safely interject would have been the prudent action, but I didn’t. That was a mistake in my judgment.
Later I casually mentioned to him that his weapon safety handling skills were lacking. He said he later realized that. The interesting thing, you have to take an online education class to buy a weapon in Washington State (I-1639) and it covers all the areas he was deficient on.
It illustrates how important proper in-person instruction is and because of the lack of such in-person class and instruction is exactly why I dislike ranges. If my buddy is such a gun-ignorant mess, how many more firearm-ignorant folks will be standing next to you at the range?
No thanks, not unless I have to.
MLee, that sounds like a nightmare. However, you did say it was an AR derivative. The malfunction should have been anticipated.
The LGS was mighty embarrassed of that failure as the guy prides himself on his builds.
I’m not terribly impressed.
Do you think you’re a journalist at TTAG to write all that sh*t? Most of us aren’t reading all this garbage.
yes I know, for people like you, words get to be a bit much.
Maybe if you weren’t an 8th grade dropout, you’d have a greater appreciation for literary expression.
“literary expression” lol!
First sentence, “I dislike ranges and is the reason…” sh*t grammar already. Settle down Shakespeare!
@ TL;DR
That sentence is incorrect? Explain why. You can’t!
Give me your address and I’ll send you a coloring book and a copy of English For Dummies 101
It will be a late Christmas Gift.
8th grade? You are too kind MLee…
TL:DR, Sounds like you read it. lol
I didn’t. But I have read many of your stupid comments and b.s if that makes you feel better. I can’t wait for the next adventure!
“It illustrates how important proper in-person instruction“
Exactly, it is my position that one should be required to have classroom instruction time, plus skill proficiency demonstration on the live fire range adjudicated by a trained instructor, before being permitted to carry lethal weapons in public spaces.
And there are dangers with rural ranges as well. Here in West Virginia several years back, we had a local pastor at the range with his AR 15 and Beretta 92.
A couple AWOL deserters from Fort drum showed up with an SKS.
They murdered the pastor and took his guns.
MINOR Miner49er. What is your point? Would any of your “suggestions(SIC)” have done a lick of good?
Please do everyone a favor? STFU!
He’s comfortable with putting poll taxes and literacy tests on human and civil rights. His ‘logic’ made the recent scotus decision on abortion legit and he fails to see the connection.
We used to get such good trolls around here. Now we’re stuck with 3rd raters like miner and dacian.
jethro the janitor, You are right. Unfortunately, he just irks me with his stupid off the wall commentary. Neither of them has enough common sense to understand what “critical thinking” really is.
I wouldn’t want to hang out at a rural range.
Miner49er,
Here’s a tidbit that’s unrelated to the topic at hand, but I thought you might find it interesting since we’ve discussed it.
“I mean, the notion that you could cut respiratory infections – there is no study in the world that shows masks work that well.” -White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, Dr. Ashish Jha
Where was this guy a year or two ago? I suppose they’re allowed to admit that now that the ‘100 days of masking’ plan is in the distant past and Fauci is gone.
Of course, you leave out the context in order to support your false narrative.
The doctor made the statement that indoor air quality is a better place to focus.
“Indoor air quality can cut respiratory infections by 30, 60, as much as 80%. I mean, the notion that you could cut respiratory infections – there is no study in the world that shows masks work that well.“
The doctor was making a comparison between the possible 80% reduction in respiratory infections possible with improved indoor air quality versus the reduction available by simply masking.
Here’s the actual video with clear audio, I suggest you start listening at about 18 minutes.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F8MiQRx_GKA&t=1102s
I saw the context. There was no underhanded intent in leaving it out, as you know. It wasn’t necessary to understand what he was saying. He literally said what I quoted above in bold. People were censored for saying that very recently because it was counter to the narrative being pushed. It turns out the “conspiracy theorists” were correct. It’s very telling that you pick the authoritarian regime over the citizen questioning the government. Here you are still trying to run cover for them. What do you get out of that? They don’t care about you.
How to get better at admitting you’re wrong
Struggling to admit our own fault can harm our relationships and our personal growth. Here’s how to get better at keeping your ego in check.
https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/how-get-better-admitting-you-re-wrong-ncna1003356
MinorLiar,
“Exactly, it is my position that one should be required to have classroom instruction time, plus skill proficiency demonstration on the live fire range adjudicated by a trained instructor, before being permitted to carry lethal weapons in public spaces.”
Point me to the part of the 2A that would require, or even PERMIT, such a restriction? Oh, that’s right, you can’t. Is it physically painful to be that stupid?
My position(s) are:
1. Responsible people undertake to get the training THEY feel is required, and your idiot opinion doesn’t mean s***;
2. Irresponsible people would ignore whatever law/requirement you put in place (and they are the only ones we need to worry about); and
3. You’re a babbling moron.
Have a nice day, s***head.
Never go alone. One shoots one watches. One gun is always loaded. Trust no one. You can still enjoy the session but you gotta watch out for yourself because no one else is (yes that includes the RSOs some of which are just as bad as the shooters)
Just the way it is.
“Never go alone. One shoots one watches.”
Especially at outdoor ranges, even more so at rifle ranges. Guns tend to disappear when walking far downrange to set or replace targets.
Reactive targets are good for avoiding trips downrange…
“Never go alone. One shoots one watches” That’s second nature at the swingers’ cub. You don’t even have to think about it, my husband watches while I’m cucking him.
“my husband watches while I’m cucking him“
So your husband is either Roger Stone, Jerry Falwell Jr. or some other religious conservative?
MINOR Miner49er Does your mother have any children that lived? You are one very sick puppy.
I’m not even sure why I’m responding to your attacks on Christians. There are evil people in the church and why wouldn’t there be? satan is always at work and where better to be? I’ve prayed for you before and I will again I’m sure. Get a clue before it’s too late.
MinorLiar,
Does the name “Paul Pelosi” ring any bells, you lying piece of dog excrement??? Take your anti-Christian bigotry, fold it up until it is all corners, and stick it where the sun don’t shine, you lying, Leftist/fascist propagandist.
It’s tempting to say “Just don’t go to public ranges” but that’s not a realistic solution for most people.
If you must go to one, I’d call up and see if they allow rifle-caliber pistols and rifles. If so, I rock plates. I don’t give a fuck what people think about it. At all. Having some old guy who was obviously new to guns in general point a Draco at my chest twice within minutes because he kept getting overexcited and turning with the gun.
Call it “mall ninja” if you like. I’m not getting hole-punched by some noob because fashion, nor do I really want to see what happens with a poorly designed range that slingshots bullets back at people when the rounds are rifle rounds. I’ve already seen what a .40 will do in that circumstance.
Well for comfort the “special threat” for various intermediate rifles or all poly lightweight (sucks if they have greentip for most options) would work out well enough for most likely issues. If you need lv4 or various upgraded level 3 I would have questions about what you are doing.
strych9,
And that is ABSOLUTELY a problem for many of us (and was particularly bad when I still lived in the People’s Soviet Socialist Republic of KKKalifornia, where they would outlaw ANY gun range, if they could). There was only one range within reasonable driving distance of my house when I was there. Because it was the only option, it got a VERY mixed crowd in terms of skill level, safety practices, etc. I tried to go in on weekday mornings, check out who was shooting and what their skill level looked like before I set up.
If I saw (as I frequently did) poor safety practices, I would quietly report it to the RSO. If he didn’t fix the problem immediately, I packed up and left. Made it tough to get enough range time, that’s for sure. And for anyone in SoCal, finding outdoor property to shoot on is a major challenge – local laws forbid “discharging firearms” pretty much anywhere west of Indio, or south of Ventura. I found a place east of Indio that had a nice dry wash (natural backstop), but it was a 2-3 hour drive away.
Since some of us have to live with public ranges, I guess we need to learn to deal with it.
I’ve been shooting on public ranges, mostly either indoor at gun stores or outdoor with RSOs for over 30 years. I had to go get a store employee once when someone was shooting holes in the ceiling on purpose. I’ve also had to backup and flag a RSO when a boyfriend left his clueless girlfriend alone on the range while he bought more ammo after spraying holes all over the target. I was already on the lookout because he had 3 AR15 rifles piled on the shooting bench and all were equipped with Barska lights and lasers with tangled coils of wire for the multiple tape switches and garbage tier optics along with several handguns. I was kinda worried he was going to knock a loaded gun onto the floor.
But I can count on one hand the times I’ve truly been worried and I shoot almost every week.
Police and armed security qualifications usually provided more entertainment value than civilian ranges. For instance you might not know this, but many .40 handguns will fire 9mm, they just won’t cycle. It was funny watching both RSOs trying to help the hapless guard get his gun running. The clue is the sideways bullet hole in the target and the blown out cases on the ground.
I also had a guy trying to sight in his scope on a rifle range ask for help. Unfortunately he installed his scope canted so the cross hairs made an ‘X’ instead of the normal ‘+’. But hey, he thought it looked cooler.
I’ve found most people are open to helpful suggestions, but the only time I’ll usually interfere is if I see people doing something that is dangerous, or I can tell they are a noob and have no idea what they are doing.
A less obvious but fairly common issue is scope mounts that aren’t tightened down to spec. People come to sight in their rifles and can’t figure out why their optics won’t hold zero, then I take my torque driver to them and discover the mounts and screws were only hand snug. Cheap quick-detach mounts are the worst for this.
There is no more dangerous place than a public gun range. Don’t go
Moral of the story: average gun guy is dangerous
No that’s not the moral of the story. Average gun guy is no more dangerous than any other average person. The moral of the story is, like with anything, there are situations that are not average, that are extraordinary, that are outside the norm, and like most of any society group there are simply those idiots that happen sometimes.
On average, considering other sources of harm in society from many different things …. for example…
An average of 168,000 children are treated in the emergency department each year for toy-related injuries (SafeKids.org).
Each year, an average of 29.5 million injuries and deaths are caused by defective products ( Consumer Product Safety Commission).
Defective products kill more than 22,000 people every year in the United States (Consumer Product Safety Commission ).
Over 2,000,000 (collectively) seriously injured or killed annually in car accidents and over 90,000 of them are kids under the age of 12. (CDC) (a combined total of about 1.2 million will die later as a result of complications from car accident injury – these are not included in car accident deaths stats)
Cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. (NSC)
Stairs, Ramps, Landings, Floors result (collectively) in serious injury or death to over 2,700,000 million annually. (NSC)
Beds, Pillows, Mattresses result in (collectively) serious injury or death to over 824,000 annually. (NSC)
Chairs, Sofas, Sofa Beds result in (collectively) serious injury or death to over 558,000 annually. (NSC)
Faulty glass table tops result in millions of (collective) injuries and deaths annually – about 2.5 million. Mostly kids under age 7 and young adults in their early 20’s. Injuries range from minor abrasions and damage to major organs and vessels, to death. 50% of the injured suffer injuries to their deep organs, upper torso, abdomen or joint cavities and require surgery; 8% of the injured die within a month of injury (about 100,000, deaths from complications due to injury).
Just injury alone, normal household non-firearm consumer product injuries totaled ~12,000,000 in 2021.
Drug overdoses result in over 100,000 suicide deaths annually.
More than 250,000 people in the U.S. die annually due to medical errors (AKA malpractice). ~27% of hospital deaths attributed to gun shot are actually a result of medical errors (AKA malpractice).
Nationwide; 1 out of 4 educational institution staff members (public or private schools k-12 and universities) have a history of sexual molestation or grooming of students and conducting sexual violence either against students or other school staff members.
Annually, over 22,000 people in educational institutions are intentionally assaulted and injured by use of a #2 pencil.
… and the list goes on and on for thousands of things…
Considering daily life non-firearm ‘things’ that can result in injury or death – society is literally over 1,500 times safer around average gun guy.
For accidentally shot by police vs. ordinary law abiding armed citizens:
* Handguns: Less than a 0.0004% probability a person will be shot accidentally by an ordinary law abiding armed citizen, a little more than a 6% probability a person will be shot accidentally by law enforcement.
* Rifles: A 0.0005% probability a person will be shot accidentally by an ordinary law abiding armed citizen, a 4.7% probability a person will be shot accidentally by law enforcement.
When near misses (‘others’ not actually hit) and personal injury ‘negligent discharge’ types are factored in …
* Handgun: law enforcement slightly over 7% probability – ordinary law abiding armed citizen a little over 0.0004% probability.
* Rifle : law enforcement – 5.2% probability – ordinary law abiding armed citizen a little over 0.0003% probability.
he largest on going people generated physical threat to life and health and safety in the United States today is medical malpractice by physicians and the medical community. Over 250,000 people die annually, and millions more suffer some form of permanent injury, as a result of medical malpractice by physicians and the medical community.
Injury or illness caused by physicians and the medical community is called “iatrogenic harm”. And unlike a plane crash or a shooting in the very public media, it rarely makes the headlines and the vast majority of iatrogenic harm is kept under wraps very easily by a host of liberal and financial interest sources such as media, politicians, medical community, corporate interests, and legal teams dedicated to ensuring quiet ‘out of court non-disclosure settlements’ happen. It is so widespread, so frequent, so massive, and so continuous in the U.S. that it dwarfs ‘firearm use’ accident and death and injury and error combined by more than 1,800 times greater.
I never do the selfie thing but my friend has videotaped me with my phone to capture muzzle rise on my 300BLK.
The RSO also videoed me with my 1911 so I could see what I was doing incorrectly with grip control.
I admit that I would not want to be near someone with a selfie stick in one hand and a loaded gun in the other. No thanks.
I’m also left handed and I thought it was very nice of the RSO to eat a mag of 45cal cartridges! 😁
I avoid indoor ranges. Too many young people doing the selfie thing of “look at me.” If the range has a rental I’m interested in I’ll consider it, but it’s rare these days.
Yeah, that selfie and cell phone use thing is a problem. Its why the ranges around here (in door and out door) don’t allow cell phones on the line either on the person on in ‘equipment’ (e.g. range bags). You get caught with or using a cell phone you leave. The only person who has a cell phone is the RSO and that’s in case of emergency. You need to use the phone you leave the line and go get your phone from the cubby locker or your car or from your gear bag or stuff pile left off the line and use your phone then off the line. Also, no guns in hands or shouldered or held when phone in hand off the line and still on the property.
An example of cell phone selfie idiots (banned for life from range)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4Rlr9ffmxo
Some university did a study a while back, been a few years and I can’t find it right now. But they explored why shooting accidents happen on public firing ranges. The short version is that more accidents seemed to happen on ranges where either the rules were few/lax or were not strictly enforced or people were allowed to use ‘unsafe’ handling despite the RSO seeing it happen but not stopping it.
Joe Biden’s Recent Gun Control Tweet Is The Most Hypocritical Tweet Of The Year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGOUG86XkNo
like any other gun fight, don’t be there.
stupid places and all that.
I don’t like public ranges especially indoor.
To many idiots. Same with most public hunting areas.
I am an RSO at a modern indoor range, and a firearms instructor. We get many, many inexperienced shooters. In NYS, without a CCP, people cannot even handle a handgun. They do, however, like to rent the big rifles… AK47, AR’s, etc.. I do not tolerate safety violations, however, when monitoring 8 to possibly 16 people on the range (8 bays – three ranges). it can be dicey at times. I do wear body armor. I have had enough ‘experiences’ to fill a book. I can quickly spot the dangerous ones (well, the most likely ones), and keep careful tabs on them. If several need attention, I call for another RSO to assist. For the most part, I am glad they come to learn. And most of them do pay attention and follow the rules – even the ones with poor linguistic skills.
MLee, why not have the guy over and help him out a little bit. Guess we were all newbs at some point. (Some of us did research safety and firearms a bit more than others before we jumped in though).
Not your responsibility and i can see reasons you wouldnt want to have him over, but could be something that might help if possible.
Also How can i make a range in my basement too, that sounds about perfect
I bring handem gemaides, the first sound of gunfire and I just start chucking, open up with full auto , empty belt and get on the horn. Get me some fast movers tossing siver fish and the next thing you know the shooting range is all yours.
couple flash bangs and a FA mag dump of .308 clears the place right out.
Rule 1 – Don’t go.
This is exactly the case when you should really seriously adhere to all security measures and listen to your instructor. Whether you want to try this type of activity for fun or serious training, it is important to find a competent instructor for yourself. At one time, I found everything I needed here https://ginkluklubas.lt/en
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