funniest/scariest thing you have seen at the range

[M. Sage]

I am by no means saying that "catching" a loaded gun is a safe act, but the chances of inadvertently pulling a standard, unmodified DA revolver trigger through its entire stroke while doing so are extremely low. Which is why I wanted to hear the details of Mr. Sage's story.

San Rafael gun range owner shot by customer - Marin Independent Journal

Basically, a customer dropped a Ruger Mark II or III - I forget which - grabbed for it as it fell, and put a hole in the range owner's gut.

Think about how most people simply grab at something when they drop it. If they hook the trigger guard, even with a revolver's DA trigger, there's a good chance it'll go off. There's not a lot of restraint in that snatching motion, they just grab hold with a lot of strength.

I'm less worried about dropping a revolver with the hammer resting on a loaded chamber than I am about someone grabbing at a falling revolver. At least if you let it hit the ground, there are transfer bar and intercept notch safeties.

 

[40Arpent]

...they just grab hold with a lot of strength.

Not me, but maybe that's why 9 times out of 10, if I drop something it's gonna hit the floor..

Thanks for sharing the story. Scary stuff indeed.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Not me, but maybe that's why 9 times out of 10, if I drop something it's gonna hit the floor..

Now you tell me.......

 

[40Arpent]

Now you tell me.......

 

[XDMAR]

I did not see this but there was a story in 1988 while I was in Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood. I heard this story from several people. A recruit on the Grenade range grabbed his drill sargent, stuffed a live grenade minus the pin down the drill sargent's shirt and hugged him blowing both of them up.

 

[redfred]

Right after the election, a lot of people were buying guns for the first time. I went to a range in Ft Worth, and there was a 40 year old father with two teen age sons two seats away from me getting ready to shoot a brand new AR. First, they didn't know how to load it. After they jacked around with it for a few minutes, including swinging it in every direction including backwards, I stopped them and showed them how to load it. The dad stood up, placed the butt underneath his arm, and put his eye right up against the scope. I stopped him, and the range officer came over and very patiently showed him the proper position. The dad emptied the magazine, and I looked through my scope at his target, and there was not a single hole in it. One of the kids took over and every time he fired, he jumped like a jack-in-the-box. After 5 shots, he gave the gun to his brother who had been criticizing both of the others. We were shooting at the 50 yard range and the targets were just a few inches off the ground. The targets the guys had were the splatter targets that show very clearly where you hit. After the second son shot his five shots, I looked at the target through my scope and it looked like it had been hit with a shotgun. It turns out the bullets were hitting the ground in front of the target and splattering gravel into the target. When we walked downrange to retrieve our targets, I noted that even with all the splattering, there wasn't a single hole in their target, but somehow there was an extra hole in my target - and I was two stations away! Either the dad or one of the boys had hit my target by mistake.
I packed up my stuff to leave, and joked to the dad that they saved a bunch of money because they didn't shoot up their target. He grinned, and said that he was so concerned that the new president was going to ban the guns that he just had to have one. I recommended that he spend a lot more time practicing, and promptly started going to a different range.

 

[Hamour]

Working as a Trap Boy @ the White Wing Range in Pasadena Tx. Too many years ago.

Woman and Husband team @ station 5 shooting doubles, her .410 Rem. 1100 fires the first shot but not the second. She turns to Hubby saying "See it wont shoot!" as she repeatedly puls the trigger.

I see the bolt slowly slipping to battery from a gummed up gas system, get half the word "Stop!" out of my mouth when the bolt slips home, the load goes off and shoots the bill of the Husbands cap. Cap goes flying and Husband poops pants. Skeet shooting session is over.

It was not funny at the time but it is now!

 

[DCortez]

It was not funny at the time but it is now!

As Carol Burnett says, comedy is tragedy + time.

 

[CJS3]

I was at the "American Shooting Center" in west Houston a few years back, when during a cease fire, a new arrival walked up to the shooting bench and started to load his revolver. I walked up behind him and told him that during the cease fire, it was a real bad idea to handle his weapon. He looked up and seemed only then to realize that there were people just 5 yards in front of him. He put his pistol down and looked around as if to say "I hope no one else saw that". As the day progressed, a BETTER time was had by all.

 

[Flight954]

At Hot Wells pistol range a father and son handling a newly purchased Hi Point at the lane next to me. They just wouldn't keep the pistol pointed down range. I asked politely the first time for them to quit pointing the pistols muzzle in my direction. After they kept doing it I then was not so polite with my words and proceeded to pack my gear and leave.

 

[cowboy45]

I had two young men set up next to me sighting a rifle. I could overhear their conversation, discussing windage and elevation. I looked at the target and it didnt have any holes in it. They were arguing bout having to buy another box of ammo and which one was going to pay for it.
Trying not to be a buttinski I asked if might have a look at the gun. If you rotate a scope 90 degrees to the left it really messes up your project. Reset the scope, bore sighted it, loaned them a box of ammo. I fired three rounds at 100 and was under an inch. One of them looked at the other and told him, I told you that didnt look right. Hopefully those two you men passed on something they learned that day. That is my funny range story. I wont even talk about the most stupid things I have seen, but one of them had myself and two other individuals intervening in a good old Texas ass whooping.
Be safe and be accurate.

 

[shilohshooters]

If you are at any range and you observe unsafe behavior with, or, around firearms, please find someone involved with the operations of the establishment and let them know exaclty what you observed. Maybe you have the best view!atriot:

 

[Big country]

Or maybe I get accidentally shot by a dumb ass on my way to the office. No seriously Shiloh Shooters is right tho I have turned in one person for pointing guns at people and he was booted after the RO cleared my story with the others on the range at the time.

 

[Les George]

It's nothing compared to some of the stories here, but I saw someone try to holster a pistol on the firing line one day and drop it, right next too me. The thing that makes it kinda stand out is it was a USMC firing range and it was qualification day - and the shooter was a Gunny!

I looked at the pistol at my feet and she hadn't even put it on safe before it hit the ground.....

 

[DoubleActionCHL]

If you are at any range and you observe unsafe behavior with, or, around firearms, please find someone involved with the operations of the establishment and let them know exaclty what you observed. Maybe you have the best view!atriot:

Absolutely! And don't hesitate to call "CEASE FIRE" yourself if you see a dangerous situation. The RSOs and instructors can't be everywhere at all times. I'd rather have you call "cease fire" for nothing, than see an unsafe situation and keep your mouth shut. Obviously, upon calling cease fire, you'll want to get a range official out there to deal with the problem.

By the way, the next time some idiot points a gun at you, tell him next time he does it you'll have him charged with aggravated assault. See if that makes him think twice.

 

[Big country]

Or point yours at him and yell "DROP YOUR WEAPON, DROP YOUR WEAPON" J/K don't do that it might get you shot. I agree tho if you see a bone head doing something unsafe and stupid call a cease fire and let the RO deal with him. It is better to have a cease fire than a wounded/dead person on any range. IMHO

 

[DoubleActionCHL]

Or point yours at him and yell "DROP YOUR WEAPON, DROP YOUR WEAPON" J/K don't do that it might get you shot. I agree tho if you see a bone head doing something unsafe and stupid call a cease fire and let the RO deal with him. It is better to have a cease fire than a wounded/dead person on any range. IMHO

A story I read a few months back gave me an idea. I'll carry one of the big yellow mustard squirt bottles. When someone points their gun at me, I'll point the mustard at them. You'd be amazed how many people will be polite with the mustard, but not with a gun!!!

 

[Big country]

Yeah! because a big red hole is better than a yellow stain on your T shirt! Some people just don't get it. Dumb asses!

 

[DoubleActionCHL]

Yeah! because a big red hole is better than a yellow stain on your T shirt! Some people just don't get it. Dumb asses!

Don't believe me? Go to the gun shop. Watch a prospective buyer pointing the gun at the sales person. Then, walk up to them with a mustard bottle and watch them flinch.

 

[Big country]

O no I believe you. I was calling them dumb asses for thinking that way.