RaleighReloader
Well-Known Member
Early this afternoon I made my weekly pilgrimage to Sherburne to do some shooting. I've been going there every week for almost three years now, so I'd like to think that I've seen all of the good and bad to be seen at a public range.
Today really disappointed me. There was a guy there that I've seen before. I've learned to be wary of him because he doesn't strike me as having good gun handling skills; he often walks into the range with a gun in his hand, oblivious to who he might be muzzle sweeping.
Anyways, this afternoon he had something that he needed to do to one of his pistols, so he flipped open the hatch on his SUV and sat in the back of his truck fiddling with his handgun. The entire time he was doing this, the muzzle was pointed downrange ... at all of the other people shooting on the line.
I went up to him and politely told him that he shouldn't be handling weapons back there. He told me that the gun was unloaded. I told him that this was still unsafe, since he was muzzle sweeping everyone on the line. He mumbled something to me that probably wasn't all that kind. I'm not proud of the fact that I said "you're an idiot," but I simply could't believe that someone could be so ignorant of basic gun safety.
At this point I left, because I've learned that stupidity can be a dangerous thing and I didn't want to be around if something bad happened. Back in my truck, I really wondered what to do. I ended up calling LDWF law enforcement, and they told me to call the local sheriff. I turned my truck around to check and see if he was still there. When I got back, he wasn't. I decided to drop it at this point.
Anyways, I'm curious to think about how others would handle this. I've been an RSO for some years now ... and in most competitions, doing something like this would result in something between a DQ and expulsion from the organization. In my mind it shouldn't be any different at a public range.
Thoughts?
Mike
Today really disappointed me. There was a guy there that I've seen before. I've learned to be wary of him because he doesn't strike me as having good gun handling skills; he often walks into the range with a gun in his hand, oblivious to who he might be muzzle sweeping.
Anyways, this afternoon he had something that he needed to do to one of his pistols, so he flipped open the hatch on his SUV and sat in the back of his truck fiddling with his handgun. The entire time he was doing this, the muzzle was pointed downrange ... at all of the other people shooting on the line.
I went up to him and politely told him that he shouldn't be handling weapons back there. He told me that the gun was unloaded. I told him that this was still unsafe, since he was muzzle sweeping everyone on the line. He mumbled something to me that probably wasn't all that kind. I'm not proud of the fact that I said "you're an idiot," but I simply could't believe that someone could be so ignorant of basic gun safety.
At this point I left, because I've learned that stupidity can be a dangerous thing and I didn't want to be around if something bad happened. Back in my truck, I really wondered what to do. I ended up calling LDWF law enforcement, and they told me to call the local sheriff. I turned my truck around to check and see if he was still there. When I got back, he wasn't. I decided to drop it at this point.
Anyways, I'm curious to think about how others would handle this. I've been an RSO for some years now ... and in most competitions, doing something like this would result in something between a DQ and expulsion from the organization. In my mind it shouldn't be any different at a public range.
Thoughts?
Mike