RANT - gun club proposed rules changes = DUMB

[hollohas]

Time to vent.

I have been a member at Aurora Gun Club for nearly a decade. I have never had any beef with the rules there. That’s is, I didn’t until they issued proposed changes this month.

In a nutshell, they want dues paying members to pay an additional “registration” fee of between $150-250 for any specific full-auto, 50 BMG or slide-fire type stock firearms that they may want to use at the club. Annually. For each type.

Want to use your slide-fire? You’ll need to pay an additional $150 annually. Want to use your legally owned full-auto? Pay $150 additional. Want to use your 50? Pay another $250 on top of your dues. Want to use all three? Then you owe $550. (For comparison, dues are $200/year.)

What kind of dumb-ass idea is this?

Along with the registration fee, they want members to perform a safety demonstration for each type of firearm on this list. I may be crazy, but how does the safe operation of a 50 BMG differ from a 30-06 for example? Further, how does a $250 annual fee magically make it safer for a member to use a 50 BMG?

What about bump-fire stocks? I’d like to know which volunteer club official will be certifying members to use them. And where said official got their special slide-fire stock safety instructor qualification certificate. I haven’t seen that one on the NRA instructor list…

If the club thinks 50 BMG are unsafe due to the club’s location, then ban them. It’s that simple. I don’t see how $250/year can somehow change that opinion or mysteriously make you as safe with the 50 as you are when you use your 338 all willy nilly, free and uncertified.

If they don’t want the liability of people using slide-fire stocks, then ban them. Paying $150 each year so some FUDD who’s never used one can make sure you’re safe is nonsense.

If anyone here is a member there, I suggest you make your opinion known to the club board.

RESTRICTED DEVICES/FIREARMS

RD1. Full-auto firearms. Requires that there be appropriate paperwork showingFederal registration of the firearm and authorization for the operator of thefirearm to posses the firearm. Any operator of the firearm is required todemonstrate annually safe handling behavior of the specific firearm andpay a $150 annual registration fee for the specific firearm type. Approvedoperators of the firearm are restricted to berms 2-6 and the MagnumHandgun berm. Approved operators of the firearm are restricted to thefollowing cartridges: .22LR, 9mm Luger, .45 ACP, .223 Rem/5.56 NATO,300 Blackout, 308 Win/7.62 x 51, and 7.62 x 39. Full-Auto firearms maybe used without restriction on the property as long as the full-autocapability is not used (All other club rules apply as well as all NFA rulesapply).

RD2. Sure-fire, Slide-fire or other specific-rifle designed bump-fire stocksattached to the specific rifle type. The operator of the firearm is requiredto demonstrate annually safe handling behavior of the specific firearmtype and pay a $150 annual registration fee. Approved operators of thefirearm are restricted to berms 2-6 and the Magnum Handgun berm.Approved operators of the firearm are restricted to the followingcartridges: .22LR, 9mm Luger, .45 ACP, .223 Rem/5.56 NATO, 300Blackout, 308 Win/7.62 x 51, and 7.62 x 39. Rifles with bump-fire stocksmay be used on the property without restriction as long as the bump-firecapability is not used (all other club rules apply).

RD3. 50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun) firearms and all firearms utilizing the50 BMG Cartridge, i.e.: 416 Barrett. The shooter is required to pay a$250 annual registration fee. Registered shooters are restricted to theright-most side of the 200 yard range. The rifle may only be fired proneor from a bench rest position.

[WETWRKS]

Sounds like liberal tax laws...hmmm...where can we tax to make more money for whatever pet project we want.

Frankly I would start demanding that if they are charging extra for machine guns and .50bmg that all that money goes towards making new ranges (lanes) specific for them and non payers cannot use those lanes for anything but.

As for a demonstration of safe gun handling...I believe the 4 rules of safe gun handling doesn't differentiate between a single shot, a semi, or a full auto.

[MrAK]

I wouldn't be happy with these proposed changes either. If someone is bringing ANY kind of firearm to their range and being unsafe then they shouldn't be allowed there in the first place.

[Dave_L]

Wow...yeah, that'd irritate me too.

[BlasterBob]

Sounds like some former California type "dingbats" are coming up with some of their "sensible" rules for firearms handling.

[brutal]

Buncha FUDD's running the club?

WTF?

[MarkCO]

There is a chance (I have seen it elsewhere) that this could be coming from their insurance underwriter and they have no choice. If I was a member there and concerned about it, I would ask for the reasons/rationale behind it first. Then if it is not insurance mandated, work on educating those who have come up with the surcharges.

[hollohas]

There is a chance (I have seen it elsewhere) that this could be coming from their insurance underwriter and they have no choice. If I was a member there and concerned about it, I would ask for the reasons/rationale behind it first. Then if it is not insurance mandated, work on educating those who have come up with the surcharges.

This crossed my mind and it's entirely possible. However, it doesn't add up to me.

I'm no insurance expert, but if the underwriter required extra money to cover incidents with these sorts of firearms, wouldn't that be a fixed amount and not based on how many people used them?

[Dave_L]

This crossed my mind and it's entirely possible. However, it doesn't add up to me.

I'm no insurance expert, but if the underwriter required extra money to cover incidents with these sorts of firearms, wouldn't that be a fixed amount and not based on how many people used them?

Insurance wouldn't require a fee, per se. They *could* require extra safety measures which means money is needed to add those measures.

Or they would just increase the rate due to "high risk" activities and the range is trying to recoup what they can from those that have said items.

[ray1970]

I would guess the extra fees are less to do with safety and more likely to do with extra damage and repairs to the range caused by the 50BMG and/or full auto or simulated full auto fire.