Indoor Gun Range Rant

Squib.22

Squib.22

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Hit up a local indoor range today and got reminded why I usually steer clear of them. There I was, firing away my Python, my beautiful $1500 investment, in single-action, when an RO taps me on the shoulder. Tells me in a stern voice I gotta take my finger out of the trigger guard every time I cock the hammer. It's the safest method, I get it. But that's just not how I shoot, throws me off, I slip up and makes me lose my sight picture.

Just for context, I'm a former Army Cav Scout, with a tour down range. What the hell does that matter? The point I’m trying to make with that comment is, no, not claiming to be an expert, but I know a thing or two about gun safety and where the muzzle should be pointing.

Anyway, I nod and say okay, sure thing man. But after 20-30 rounds, old habits die hard, and I slip up. He comes over again, this time with a bit of bass in his voice, threatening to kick me out if it happens again. I said back that I'm not gonna change my muscle memory on the spot. He proceeds to tell me if I want to argue about it, I can leave. To dodge further hassle, I switched to my Glock.

Yes, I fully comprehend and understood the concern, especially if I was pulling the gun back every time I cocked the hammer, like I’ve seen some revolver shooters do, but that's not me. I always keep it pointed down range.

So, do you think I was in the wrong here? I don’t think I was personally. In the Army, we train as we fight. And that’s how I shoot.
 
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Dirtydirtysouf said:
If the range rules state to take your finger out of the trigger guard area to cock the gun then yes you are in the wrong. But if not it's a RO who thinks he is an SF Navy Walrus.
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Yes sir, rules are rules. Even the lame ones 😕
 
Dirtydirtysouf said:
It's a real written rule it the range?
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Not sure, probably not because it's super specific lol. I guess they'd argue the RO gets the final word on what's safe.
 
Me. said:
And yet… you don’t have to remove your booger hook when a 1911 is cocking itself in single-action ;)

Double standard.


RO’s gonna be bummed when I roll up.

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Great looking kolb baby hammerless you got there. I'm still trying to track down a few parts for my project kolb so I can bring her back to life. 20230824_102027.jpg20230824_102046.jpg20230824_110102.jpgand to stay on topic I'm glad I've never had to use a "range" in my life. I'm sure while I stay safe it probably wouldn't allways follow no rule book. And I'm not a big fan of someone in my space barking rules and orders.
 
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HandyDave said:
Great looking kolb baby hammerless you got there. I'm still trying to track down a few parts for my project kolb so I can bring her back to life. View attachment 752131View attachment 752132View attachment 752133and to stay on topic I'm glad I've never had to use a "range" in my life. I'm sure while I stay safe it probably wouldn't allways follow no rule book. And I'm not a big fan of someone in my space barking rules and orders.
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It was a total buzz kill. I agree; why are you making conversation with me, while I’m focused on my target, in single-action?
 
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Post the name of that crap hole, they won’t see any money from me. The range in Biscoe told me, no, I couldn’t shoot my own ammo. Insurance regulations. Lies.
Said I had to buy their high-priced ammo. Ok, sell me some ammo then? Guy grins, and says what caliber?
.38 Special 148gr Wadcutter. Guy goes off, comes back empty-handed. They don’t carry wadcutters. Tells me to use JHP. They won’t work. I gave him my empty mag, told him if he got one round loaded, I would buy a case of them.
Too bad, too sad. He was ashamed. He also lost any future gun sales, not to mention range rental cash.
This happened one month after I spent $3,000 in the store on new Colts.
Place oughta be bankrupt in under 2 years. Sad.
 
Amanda4461 said:
The range in Biscoe told me, no, I couldn’t shoot my own ammo. Insurance regulations. Lies.
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Is that the big, new store called Southern Variety? I have been in there twice, when I visited @chromerunner. Lotsa inventory, little appeal.

rodell said:
And what is the name of the range I’m not going to?
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Trouble Ranch is the little 10 acre place on Troublesome Creek where I live under a rock. Range by invitation only, just hafta ask. Insurance regs, ya know? ;)
 
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MacEntyre said:
Is that the big, new store called Southern Variety? I have been in there twice, when I visited Chromerunner. Lotsa inventory, little appeal.


Trouble Ranch is the little 10 acre place on Troublesome Creek where I live under a rock. Range by invitation only, just hafta ask. Insurance regs, ya know? ;)
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Yep.
 
it’s a shame but ROs have to adjust rules for the lowest common denominator to maintain a safe range. I might have tried having a quick conversation to explain. Part of the issue is by your own admission you hardly ever shoot there. I work as a RO every weekend and I can recognize “regulars” and generally know what to expect from the people that show up often. I won’t say I let them slide on anything major, but I’d probably have let you slide on that issue if I had witnessed you shoot and not sling rounds all over the range.
 
BrettB said:
it’s a shame but ROs have to adjust rules for the lowest common denominator to maintain a safe range. I might have tried having a quick conversation to explain. Part of the issue is by your own admission you hardly ever shoot there. I work as a RO every weekend and I can recognize “regulars” and generally know what to expect from the people that show up often. I won’t say I let them slide on anything major, but I’d probably have let you slide on that issue if I had witnessed you shoot and not sling rounds all over the range.
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Considering the circumstances, which I've come to view as nonsense and petty, they should pretty much expect that I won't be showing up again from now on.
 
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Never put your finger on the trigger until your ready to shoot. When you cock the hammer are you tilting the gun up towards the ceiling a bit? Ill bet that RO has seen some crazy stupid stuff. Best way to avoid a ND is keep your damn finger off the trigger until your ready to shoot. Whats the chances of you touching that crisp 2.5 trigger when your massive manly digit is inside the trigger guard? Probably MUCH higher than if it was not. I have seen all manner of ex military/LEO/Mall Ninjas have their fingers inside the trigger guard and on the trigger during a class when we were in between drills. When i would teach CCH and we are doing a shoot, all i do is watch hands. Some of you folks are scary. It's usually the guys who say they have "been shooting all their lives" and they still have terrible habits. I have it on good authority that getting shot sucks. We should all endeavor to have safe habits.
 
Variable said:
Never put your finger on the trigger until your ready to shoot. When you cock the hammer are you tilting the gun up towards the ceiling a bit? Ill bet that RO has seen some crazy stupid stuff. Best way to avoid a ND is keep your damn finger off the trigger until your ready to shoot. Whats the chances of you touching that crisp 2.5 trigger when your massive manly digit is inside the trigger guard? Probably MUCH higher than if it was not. I have seen all manner of ex military/LEO/Mall Ninjas have their fingers inside the trigger guard and on the trigger during a class when we were in between drills. When i would teach CCH and we are doing a shoot, all i do is watch hands. Some of you folks are scary. It's usually the guys who say they have "been shooting all their lives" and they still have terrible habits. I have it on good authority that getting shot sucks. We should all endeavor to have safe habits.
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No, I don't point the gun up. That's for folks who shoot one-handed or aren't used to the ergonomics of revolvers. When I pull back the hammer, I'm ready to shoot, aiming dead on at my sight picture. I don’t pussy foot fart around, I fully acknowledge the probably of bullet projection has went up significantly in SA. I thought it was petty. “Train as you fight.”And honestly, who's going to take their finger out the trigger guard in a real shootout?
 
Variable said:
Never put your finger on the trigger until your ready to shoot. When you cock the hammer are you tilting the gun up towards the ceiling a bit? Ill bet that RO has seen some crazy stupid stuff. Best way to avoid a ND is keep your damn finger off the trigger until your ready to shoot. Whats the chances of you touching that crisp 2.5 trigger when your massive manly digit is inside the trigger guard? Probably MUCH higher than if it was not. I have seen all manner of ex military/LEO/Mall Ninjas have their fingers inside the trigger guard and on the trigger during a class when we were in between drills. When i would teach CCH and we are doing a shoot, all i do is watch hands. Some of you folks are scary. It's usually the guys who say they have "been shooting all their lives" and they still have terrible habits. I have it on good authority that getting shot sucks. We should all endeavor to have safe habits.
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I gotta side with you on this one, despite how much i hate stupid rules
I was a regular at a few different indoor ranges up by detroit. they all had special stupid rules. No drawing from a holster to fire, only one shot per second, only one shot per 3 seconds, no mags loaded more than 2 shots, no hanging your rifle by the sling, etc.
A new one opened up that didn't have any of those restrictions, and It quickly became my go-to even though it was a good deal further away. well, it slowly went from "do what you want as long as it's safe" to "we must have all the same rules and even more".

I had employees/RSOs specifically tell me "I'm really sorry, but you can't do that here anymore. I saw you did everything right and you're no danger, but these other people see you and want to try the same thing without actually understanding what you did, and that's how we end up with bullet holes in the floor, ceiling, and back wall". yes, bullet holes in the back wall... because somebody tried to drop their rifle to the sling without ensuring the gun was empty, without, putting the safety on, without taking their finger off the trigger...
 
Squib.22 said:
I thought it was petty
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Definitely, but I agree with the RSO because it's his range. I'm not going to comment on your revolver techniques because I'm not qualified. Again - I am not telling you what to do with your booger hook. 'Train how you fight' is great, and you should, but you can't do that everywhere.

Go find a new range, and stop badmouthing the RSO. I've BTDT and had to do the same thing.
 
Teodoro said:
It's absolutely their right to have their rules.

But it's everyone else's right point out that they are dumber than a sack of hammers.
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Exactly. Their house, their rules. Fair point.

Doesn’t mean I don’t have the right to let you know the recommendation was petty.
 
Catfish said:
Definitely, but I agree with the RSO because it's his range. I'm not going to comment on your revolver techniques because I'm not qualified. Again - I am not telling you what to do with your booger hook. 'Train how you fight' is great, and you should, but you can't do that everywhere.

Go find a new range, and stop badmouthing the RSO. I've BTDT and had to do the same thing.
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I’m not badmouthing anyone, simply discussing their recommendation and listed my opinion on it.
 
DrScaryGuy said:
I gotta side with you on this one, despite how much i hate stupid rules
I was a regular at a few different indoor ranges up by detroit. they all had special stupid rules. No drawing from a holster to fire, only one shot per second, only one shot per 3 seconds, no mags loaded more than 2 shots, no hanging your rifle by the sling, etc.
A new one opened up that didn't have any of those restrictions, and It quickly became my go-to even though it was a good deal further away. well, it slowly went from "do what you want as long as it's safe" to "we must have all the same rules and even more".

I had employees/RSOs specifically tell me "I'm really sorry, but you can't do that here anymore. I saw you did everything right and you're no danger, but these other people see you and want to try the same thing without actually understanding what you did, and that's how we end up with bullet holes in the floor, ceiling, and back wall". yes, bullet holes in the back wall... because somebody tried to drop their rifle to the sling without ensuring the gun was empty, without, putting the safety on, without taking their finger off the trigger...
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That’s a lot of rules 😑
 
Squib.22 said:
Considering the circumstances, which I've come to view as nonsense and petty, they should pretty much expect that I won't be showing up again from now on.
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While I understand and agree with your perspective. I think you could find some common ground in the middle if you show up more than once and awhile.
Your other option is to find a different range
 
Squib.22 said:
Didn’t make much sense. I wouldn’t remove my finger from the trigger guard if I was shooting DA 🤷🏻‍♂️
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Apples & oranges. Shooting DA you're not having to reach your thumb up to grab the hammer, changing your grip and potentially the muzzle direction.
 
Chooting DA is so worth mastering, I rarely cock the hammer on me revolvers. Still, I would rather a RO teach me instead of enforce rules.
 
BrettB said:
While I understand and agree with your perspective. I think you could find some common ground in the middle if you show up more than once and awhile.
Your other option is to find a different range
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Back when I was a regular at Triangle Shooting Academy and the RSO's got to know me, I could get away with drawing from the hip and some other things that they sometimes corrected others for doing.

I haven't shot there in a few years because I have access to some private land, but ironically, I was going to go today because it's coming up on turkey season (don't want to ruin it out there), and it's raining, so I packed a few pistols and was about ready to head out to TSA for half price Senior Wednesday when this thread popped up.
 
Flashpoint said:
Apples & oranges. Shooting DA you're not having to reach your thumb up to grab the hammer, changing your grip and potentially the muzzle direction.
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IPrecisely why I don’t remove it, that’s too much work to regain my sight picture. I’m dead at that point. I think people probably think when the trigger rides back; my finger follows it. It doesn’t.
 
When I read about some of the range rules at places, which impose restrictions that are severe enough to make the practice all but pointless, it makes me think about how some of the ways some friends and I have trained would make them apoplectic. I am talking about things like draw from concealment, fire from behind cover, using a shot timer with the intent of minimizing time, multiple targets (both go and no go), move and shoot, reload in the middle of the drill, etc.

Granted, those aren’t things a newbie shooter is likely to be ready for, but they are excellent practice for what is possible in a real world encounter.
 
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