# Range Crazyness



## nvdesert (Dec 20, 2010)

I've seen less than safe handling at the range on more than one occasion. Nothing out of the typical until this evening though. Normally I would not say anything to another person regarding handling of a gun on the range unless it in some way jeopardized my own safety. I like to mind my own business. I had to say something.

There were two guys sharing the lane next to me. They were both taking turns shooting a Kimber Carry II. The one guy would take a shot and then pull the gun up close to his body, fore arms touching his chest, barrel of the gun pointed upward at the tip of his chin, finger on trigger, pausing while contemplating his next shot. This happened every single time between shots, for every round in the magazine. 

His buddy was directly behind him. I guess he did not realize what his partner was doing, but I'm not sure how he could have missed it. The gun had a laser on it.

I had to say something. Wow.


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## EliWolfe (Nov 20, 2010)

How bout' "Yo dude, that's a good way to blow your freekin' head off you know!" Muzzle awareness not like it used to be. Too many untrained newbies afloat.
Eli


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## clockworkjon (Dec 2, 2010)

Wow, I'm also a newb, but how hard is it to follow the 4 rules? I believe #2 is to not point the gun at anything you're not prepared to destroy. Wouldn't your own head qualify as something you wouldn't want to destroy? Natural selection tends to remove those folks from the gene pool from time to time. Hopefully he doesn't take anyone else with him if/when it happens.


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## recoilguy (Apr 30, 2009)

Unsafe handling of a gun is something you have to say something about. It is hard to do CPR to a body when the bottom of the head is missing and no one wants to be in that position. 

I would have just said " excuse me buddy, nice gun, muzzle down range please....thanks"

RCG


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## EliWolfe (Nov 20, 2010)

recoilguy said:


> Unsafe handling of a gun is something you have to say something about. It is hard to do CPR to a body when the bottom of the head is missing and no one wants to be in that position.
> 
> I would have just said " excuse me buddy, nice gun, muzzle down range please....thanks"
> 
> RCG


Well put, no need to go off on an armed numbnuts with a chambered round, you just never know. I might have made a bad situation worse!
My apologies. Eli :smt083


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I gotta add:
...And maybe walk up from behind, before you say anything, and be ready to stop the guy from turning toward you with his loaded gun in hand.
New shooters tend to turn toward the person speaking to them, but almost always forget to keep the gun pointing downrange during the conversation.
When I'm giving instruction to a new shooter, I position myself either directly behind the person, or just to the rear of his/her strong-hand side. While addressing him/her, I keep my arms spread to catch and stop the inevitable turn, and to control the gun.


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## nvdesert (Dec 20, 2010)

recoilguy said:


> Unsafe handling of a gun is something you have to say something about. It is hard to do CPR to a body when the bottom of the head is missing and no one wants to be in that position.
> 
> I would have just said " excuse me buddy, nice gun, muzzle down range please....thanks"
> 
> RCG


I actually mentioned it to his shooting partner, as it appear from their conversation that he was the owner of the guns and helping the guy that was incorrectly handling the gun. My impression based on both of their target skills (all over, no grouping) was that they were both probably rather new to the sport, maybe first time for the guy mishandling. He did quickly pay attention and straighten out his friend. I think he was just not paying enough attention and did not have control of the situation. If I'm correct and he was the gun owner, he should have been aware what the other guy was doing, especially if it was his first time at a range.


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## nvdesert (Dec 20, 2010)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> I gotta add:
> ...And maybe walk up from behind, before you say anything, and be ready to stop the guy from turning toward you with his loaded gun in hand.
> New shooters tend to turn toward the person speaking to them, but almost always forget to keep the gun pointing downrange during the conversation.
> When I'm giving instruction to a new shooter, I position myself either directly behind the person, or just to the rear of his/her strong-hand side. While addressing him/her, I keep my arms spread to catch and stop the inevitable turn, and to control the gun.


Very good advice.

I wonder if a persons predisposition on safety and awareness has something to do with their tendencies toward safe handling of a gun - if they move their gun from downrange or not. I think of myself as an example. Those safety questions that one signs when taking a lane at the range are all commonsense to me and for the most part are immediately apparent. While on the overhand, some folks would move their gun from downrange when approached, or do any number of unsafe things like the guy in the original post. Instinctively I would never move my gun from downrange or something I intend to hit, regardless of warning or not. I think the survival instinct is greater for some than for others.


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