Range sleazes

K

Khornet

New member
My range has a locked gate with combination lock. Whenever I shoot there, I lock the gate behind me after entering, so that whoever comes in after me is definitely a member. If I arrive to find the gate open I lock it.

A month ago I was there with a buddy and two gus came to the firing line and said "Did you guys have any trouble with the lock today? We couldn't get it open." I was preoccupied, pressed for time to get several rifles sighted in, and just grunted "No" without giving it much thought. My buddy remarked afer they left without shooting that I had been rude, but I just hadn't been thinking about it. Later, on the way home, we realized that they probalby weren't members but parasites, hoping that I'd just say
"Well, I just dialed in 123456 and it worked fine."

Lock up behind yourself, so you know who's coming in after you.
 
J

J. Williams

New member
Our club rule states to lock yourself in (exceptions are made with those who have health problems who may need to call for assistance).

A similar situation happen with me. I pulled up to the gate, unlocked with key, pulled the vehicle through and was relocking the gate when a guy and gal pulled up. He said "can you just let me in or do I need to get my key." I replied "I'd like to see your key." I went ahead and locked the lock got in my vehicle and let him deal with it.

I thought about it later and felt like I might have been rude, but we have more than 100 club members and although I am secretary to the club - I don't know them all on site.

After thinking about it - I did the right thing.
 
D

David Scott

New member
Refinitely the right thing. If you have a private club, members only, it's every member's responsibility to uphold security. For all you know, a stranger without a key is there trying to steal guns.
 
K

Kharn

New member
How'd they get in if they had a problem with the lock? Did they walk up to the firing line or drive a car in?
One more reason for clubs to issue ID cards of some form. A computer, digital camera (even a cheapo web cam, if you use a laptop), printer and a laminating machine is all you need.

Kharn
 
W

WyldOne

New member
am i not understanding something here (keep in mind i've never been to a range in my life. yet.)....

are ranges exclusive for certain people? i thought the general public could go to a range? :confused:
 
W

WilderBill

New member
Wyldone.
That depends on if it is a public range or a private club.
You would want to start by trying a public range in your area and getting in a little practice. That may be all the range you ever need, but some people prefer private gun clubs.
 
K

Kharn

New member
WyldOne:
Public ranges allow anybody with a gun to shoot.
Private ranges usually require that someone who is already a member of the range sponsor you to allow you to apply for membership. Private ranges are typically locked, with every member having a key (or know the combination), to keep the gangbangers and other non-members out.

Of course, because of this, private ranges are typically more expensive than public ranges (usually $100-200 vs $10-50 per year, if the public range even charges)

Kharn
 
B

Bogie

New member
Yeah, WyldOne... We _really_ hate it when someone comes in, and trashes the place... Members know not to shoot the target stands, flagpoles, etc., and to behave in a safe manner... but occasionally we'll get non-members coming in...

We spent good money on our clubhouse and loading houses (showers & flush toilets!), and like 'em to say nice.

Like I volunteered before, if you're ever in St. Louis, drop me a line, and I'll take you to...

http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/8960/

as my guest...
 
J

Jason Demond

New member
I am a member of a private club and we have the same rule, always lock the gate behind you. It makes me mad that I pay for membership and then have to be bothered by freeloaders. One time last year a non member snuck in to the club and blew his head off. I guess he didn't want his family to find him at home. It's only to bad that he was found by a Father taking his two young kids for the first lesson in gun safety. That kind of ruined his day and frightened the kids in to shock.
 
E

Ed Dixon

New member
I belong to a club/private range that is largely self-policed as far as having an honor box for guest fees, etc. Up-to-date membership cards must be displayed at all times. I lucked into finding out about it at a nearby public range I'd used for about a year. Went to one of the monthly meetings and got sponsored by the lady selling snacks after talking to her for about 10 minutes! A saftey course and a voice vote got me full membership a month later. Been happily paying very reasonable dues for five years now. Compare this to the only outdoor range back in the city I knew of, where from what I'd been told you practically had to inherit a membership from your grandfather to get in. Sorry, this isn't really a response to "security" but more about getting in at all.
 
Last edited:
N

Nanaimo Barr

New member
we've been having that problem around here with our range, we're talking about membership cards ever since we found out the locksmith will make copies of the keys without asking questions. (when I went in to get a bunch of new keys made he cut me 10 jeys without asking who I was.. and it says right on the key "do not copy")

now if only we can find the A**holes who are shooting up our pistol targets with 7.62.
 
B

Bruce in West Oz

New member
It's not just confined to the northern hemisphere, people. Problems with yobboes and yahoos are obviously worldwide.

My Club (200 members) is part of a shooting complex of 10 contiguous clubs, all of different shooting disciplines ("styles"). The entire complex is "private" -- membership of both the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia and the appropriate Club is mandatory. (AFAIK, there is no such thing as a public range in Western Australia -- the police won't allow it. Even ranges open to members of the public require you to take out a token "associate membership" to satisfy legal requirements. And no, even if you own a h-u-g-e farm, you can not build your own range even for informal target work --- it's illegal without police permits -- but that's another story.)

There is a board inside the complex's front gates with slots into which fit strips of metal engraved with the Clubs' names. If you enter the range, you make sure your club's strip is slid across from "Out" to "In". If you're the last to leave from your club, you slide the strip back to "Out". If yours is the final strip to go across to "Out", indicating the complex is empty, you padlock the gate behind you. Anyone left inside inadvertently will have a key if they're legit; if not --- well, that's their problem.

Additionally, any member of any club can "challenge" unknown shooters on any of the ranges to produce Club membership/ID. (Ummmm, if there's six of them and one of you, you do this very circumspectly!)

Club members tend to be pretty good about not doing anything that could lead to expulsion because -- in many instances -- expulsion would lead to them having their firearms licences revoked by the police, particularly so for handguns, for which club membership is mandatory.

Bruce
 
B

Bruce in West Oz

New member
It's not just confined to the northern hemisphere, people. Problems with yobboes and yahoos are obviously worldwide.

My Club (200 members) is part of a shooting complex of 10 contiguous clubs, all of different shooting disciplines ("styles"). The entire complex is "private" -- membership of both the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia and the appropriate Club is mandatory. (AFAIK, there is no such thing as a public range in Western Australia -- the police won't allow it. Even ranges open to members of the public require you to take out a token "associate membership" to satisfy legal requirements. And no, even if you own a h-u-g-e farm, you can not build your own range even for informal target work --- it's illegal without police permits -- but that's another story.)

There is a board inside the complex's front gates with slots into which fit strips of metal engraved with the Clubs' names. If you enter the range, you make sure your club's strip is slid across from "Out" to "In". If you're the last to leave from your club, you slide the strip back to "Out". If yours is the final strip to go across to "Out", indicating the complex is empty, you padlock the gate behind you. Anyone left inside inadvertently will have a key if they're legit; if not --- well, that's their problem.

Additionally, any member of any club can "challenge" unknown shooters on any of the ranges to produce Club membership/ID. (Ummmm, if there's six of them and one of you, you do this very circumspectly!)

Club members tend to be pretty good about not doing anything that could lead to expulsion because -- in many instances -- expulsion would lead to them having their firearms licences revoked by the police, particularly so for handguns, for which club membership is mandatory.

Bruce
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top