9.9 Pucker Factor.....just throw safety to the wind

So I'm at Front Range Gun Club today as I had to try my new SKS-M, thank you KevDen its freaking awesome, I'll post photos in the 7.62 section later. had a great hour there. Put 50 rounds through her flawlessly. Had 6 rounds left in the magazine, put the safety on, and laid the rifle down on the platform. I turn and look to my right, there's a 70ish year old woman, what looks to be her son, and her grandson 2 lanes away from me. She has a little Beretta in a box and the son has a shooting bag. Grandma steps into the lane, I can see her through the glass, she takes the Beretta out of the box, points it at her stomach, and INSERTS A LOADED MAGAZINE!!! I'm about to leap over but her son realizes what she's doing and turns the gun around downrange. She now has a loaded Beretta without a round in the chamber, I'm nervous but at least it's pointed downrange. The son then turns his back on his mother to attend to his son in the lane to her right. Grandma now is going to attempt to pull the slide back to chamber a round but her shooting hand is so weak it start to point nearly upward then, my heart skipped, it looked like she almost covered her own head. I had to step in. I patted her on the shoulder and her son at the same time. I said I am very uncomfortable, you mother nearly covered her head and she needs assistance. He thanked me, I packed everything up and was out of there in 15 seconds. I let the manager know and my buddy and I left safe and sound.

errrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh

good for you BTW, more people need to step in.
safety is everyone's concern

that's why god made the S&W agent so mom's and grandmas to shoot themselves in the face while trying to rack the gun. A friend of mine a few years ago asked me to teach his mom how to run a Walther P-22 and that was too much for her and that sucker is the softest thing I can think of in an automatic. Had my buddy get her a tazer. Good for you not letting her become a headline (no pun intended)

Wow, I haven't had to deal with that since I would visit my dad when he was stationed in San Diego. The moment guns get turned sideways is the moment I walk out the door.

I wonder if she was related to the 80 yr old man who was swinging around the range w/ a loaded luger... Freaked the hell out of me..

Good for you dude. The only good nazi is a range nazi. Few years ago at rampart range a drunk mother effer was drinking a beer and slammed a locked and loaded garand on a table towards about 6 of us. We all left in unison. We as CO-ar members need to be on the fore front of gun safety lest the morons ruin the sport and our rights.

This is the main reason we let our annual membership to the local range lapse this time 'round. We LOVE the range and if you haven't been to the indoor range in Loveland it's an AMAZING facility. I just don't feel safe there and that's not a knock on their range specifically but ALL indoor ranges. I'm VERY particular on who I go out to shoot with because I'm a bit of a safety nazi and it came to my realization that when I go to the indoor range I'm basically shooting with dozens of strangers in a closed room who I know nothing about. On several occasions I've been made to feel in safe by blatant safety infractions and it's just not worth risking my life. I know incidents are rare but I'm still not gambling my life on it. If you see another human struck but an ND it tends to change your outlook on firearm safety.

Some things you can protect yourself from but, honestly the drive to and from the range is probably the most dangerous part of the adventure.

people do stupid stuff everyday I won't let it ruin my day at the range, nor will I allow it to keep me from going there.

Just my .02

Agree. Front Range is my favorite indoor range, just wish I lived closer!

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Originally Posted by Opie

Some things you can protect yourself from but, honestly the drive to and from the range is probably the most dangerous part of the adventure.

people do stupid stuff everyday I won't let it ruin my day at the range, nor will I allow it to keep me from going there.

Just my .02

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Just like driving is probably more dangerous than skydiving or swimming in the ocean but you can't argue the simple fact that sitting on the couch is safer than either of those activities.

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Originally Posted by Jer

Just like driving is probably more dangerous than skydiving or swimming in the ocean but you can't argue the simple fact that sitting on the couch is safer than either of those activities.

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If only my apartment was soundproof so I could shoot while sitting on my couch!

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Originally Posted by Ronin13

If only my apartment was soundproof so I could shoot while sitting on my couch!

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We should put that plan into motion!

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Originally Posted by Jer

We should put that plan into motion!

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Even if I could afford the backstop, soundproofing, and other optional equipment, I'm sure my landlord would shit kittens! But then again, we have good enough soundproofing what they don't know won't hurt me! [Beer]

I have always been very nervouse at public ranges. Good job saying something. You have to keep your eyes open to everything going on around you. I was able to join a private club a few months ago and the people are both knowledgable and safe.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Opie

Some things you can protect yourself from but, honestly the drive to and from the range is probably the most dangerous part of the adventure.

people do stupid stuff everyday I won't let it ruin my day at the range, nor will I allow it to keep me from going there.

Just my .02

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I mean no offense, but this is poor reasoning. Driving is statistically dangerous because you do it so often and for such long periods of time. The actual rate of accidents to time spent in a vehicle is pretty low. There's no actual data to compare to, but I'd bet that shooting two lanes over from a group of inexperienced shooters is much, much more likely to result in an accident if you did it for the same length of time.

The fact that we don't do if for long is probably what limits the actual number of incidents.

I think the reason we all get the creeps around unsafe gun handling is because our brains/gut/instinct tells us we are seconds away from being shot. It's a very real danger, and the less experienced the gun handler the higher the risk.

A few years ago I took the neighbor out to shoot. He's a doc, and a good one. One of the smartest people I know. Midway through his second magazine of missing the target completely (his gun), he turned to me with the weapon pointed at my navel and his finger on the trigger. He asked, "What am I doing wrong?". I stepped to the side while controlling his weapon and made the obvious reply, "you're pointing your gun at my gut". He was appropriately embarrassed and apologetic, but it was very, very close. That was the closest I've come to being shot, and it happened in the first 5 minutes of shooting with an inexperienced shooter. It's high risk.

Glad you said something and they didnt take it the wrong way.

This is one prime reason I do not like going to public ranges or even private ones for that matter.

I prefer my own land whit NO ONE around and only those I trust who I know have solid safety practices.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Opie

Some things you can protect yourself from but, honestly the drive to and from the range is probably the most dangerous part of the adventure.

people do stupid stuff everyday I won't let it ruin my day at the range, nor will I allow it to keep me from going there.

Just my .02

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The amount of safety put into modern vehicles gives you a fighting chance in a serious accident.

The inexperienced shooter that goes to the public range has no modern safety put into them nor do you unless your in a bomb squad suit the entire time. This reasoning is comparing apples to oranges.

I was a line gunner (range officer) in the Navy, one of jobs as a Gunner's Mate, and we wore the M9 with a round in the chamber. We basically had the authority of the Captain during qualifying with whatever small arms. I have had numerous Shipmates turn to me with either a jammed firearm or a round in the chamber with their nose picker on the trigger and want to ask a question. I barked orders for them to turn around and place the firearm on the bench with more authority then a USMC D.I. and I have pulled my pistol on a few of them and ready to hit center mass, because people are unpredictable and maybe barking at them while pulling into port and them screwing up on the mooring line detail sparked an interest in ending my life, I have no idea. I was lucky that I never got shot and that they all just had questions or jam problems.

Public ranges are far more dangerous then you give them credit for. On AR15.com some dude I think in Utah was at the range with his son and a guy and son a few lanes down, kid was shooting and slipped on the chair or slipped while sitting down and put a round of 45 ACP through his skull. That slip could have the round flying towards me or my family. A risk I will not take and have no desire to administer CPR or chest compressions with a kids brains hanging out of his head.

People who do not embrace the safety environment with firearms as we do, make life altering accidents. Those that have shot with me and my kids, know that we have embraced it and have been very proud when I receive compliments on their safety performance. 99% of the population older then my kids have no concept of firearms safety.

Best of luck at public ranges.