An odd thing to see at a range...

[Gumbo]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I do believe that it is a misdemeanor in the PRK to fire any firearm at any target that represents a human image. Now, is that some scary stuff or what?

 

[Gorthaur]

Correct me if I am wrong

You're wrong. AFAIK, given that I've been in several indoor ranges and gun stores without seeing such a law mentioned. I've also perused the penal code pertaining to CA gun laws and not seen that.

 

[Ledbetter]

All is still not well

It is still illegal here to paint your gun orange or bright green.Assuming you qualify to buy one that has been approved by our bought-and-paid-for attorney general.

This is not America.

 

[DonP]

Boy, major overthinking on this one.

This is a classic case of "follow the money" for the simple answer.

I shoot at three different ranges in my area and all of them discourage head shots on profile targets. It has nothing to do with PC or looking like we are all vicious assassin types.

It just costs money to replace the shot up lines and cables that head shots inevitably generate. It makes them shut the range down and lose revenue while they try and splice the cables for the 10th time in a week (or a day!) because some bozo thought he/she was Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon and tried to shoot a smile on the profile. Even from a standing position at most ranges your round will be aimed slightly "uphill" for a head shot.

Add to all this the ricochet potential of a round hitting a metal carrier or clip to create a potential danger, especially at an indoor range.

No big mystery, no PC involved and the black helicopters aren't keeping track of anyone making headshots with their 10/22 as potential snipers.

Don P.

 

[coati]

In Ayoob's "In the Gravest Extreme," there's a quote that may be relevant here:

While the civilian is not eligible for most combat shoots--the NRA, which sponsors police combat matches, expressly forbids civilians to shoot at the human-shaped targets...

Bear in mind that the copy of this book that I have is a little long in the tooth now, dating back from 1980. Later on that same page, he goes on to say:

Even if you shoot at silhouette targets at a remote sandpit range, you face a unique social problem: people driving by will call the police and say, "There's a crazy person in the sandbank shooting a pictures of people." Legitimate as it is, it looks bad.

Weird, huh? I didn't think things had changed that much in 20 years. Seems to me that, at least according to Ayoob, some things were MORE pc back then.

 

[falconer]

I tend to think the reason the range that 3gun, thebluesman,hksigwalther, and I had the no head shot targets is due to target hangers being shot down. The day before the four of us went shooting there, I was up there with 3gun and we saw this couple not only shoot down the target hanger, but also shoot and break the guide wire. Both happened while attempting head shots with his super awesome 9mm Hi Point that he paraded around the range carrying in a shoulder holster.