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Old November 8, 2012, 01:35 AM   #26
FrankenMauser
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At the public range I used to go to before it was closed by bubba, I never went downrange without a loaded gun. It worried me to walk away from my things so I took my loaded handgun downrange too. Holstered, but the idea was that if someone started cleaning off my table, I could dissuade them from distance, lol.
On the exceedingly rare occasion that I go to a public range, I'm a bit paranoid about leaving my stuff on the bench. And, I won't go downrange without being armed, or with some one that is armed. I probably look a little ridiculous, looking back at the firing line every 10-15 seconds. But...

About 10-15 years ago, there was a rather violent incident at that range, where a shooter was killed by 2 "roaming" criminals on an "unsupervised" day (no range officers). The criminals walked onto the range during a cease-fire and started tossing any handguns, ammunition, magazines, spotting scopes, and other valuables they could reach, into the various range bags that were available to them, while cramming attractive rifles into duffle bags they had brought. When one of the pistol shooters on the 7 yard range ran back to stop the criminals, they killed him with a pistol they picked up from another shooter's bench. Then, they started firing down range, to keep the other shooters down. By the time anyone else made it back to the firing line, the criminals had loaded the range bags into their truck, with dozens of handguns and quite a few rifles.

Even worse than that... they came back about 3 weeks later. That time, they didn't manage to get much, but they still made off with a few bags and a couple handguns. The suspects were found in California, a few months later, but few of the weapons were recovered.

They targeted that particular range for the same reasons it makes me nervous:
1. It's RIGHT off the interstate, providing an easy high-speed escape route.
2. It's the ONLY thing on that exit. Once you're out of the parking lot, you have less than 1/4 mile of open road, with no one to stop you, and a perfectly-placed on ramp to the interstate (both directions).
3. The closest law enforcement officers are at least 12-15 miles away.
4. From the parking lot, you have a perfect view of the surrounding area and interstate (miles in each direction), the firing line, the office building, and the target stands. You can monitor everything from one location.
5. You can park a vehicle less than 25 feet from the firing line, but keep it out of sight of 90% of the shooters. (15 feet away, and out of sight of ALL shooters, if you're sneaky and park behind the range manager's shack.)
6. There's no surveillance system.
7. If they don't have a volunteer Range Officer for the day, it's simply a 'democratic' "unsupervised" range. The shooters control the line as they see fit. So, no one is left behind for most cease-fires.
8. There are no weapons allowed down range. Since most shooters don't OC or CC, they are unarmed.


Unfortunately, it's still the best range in the area, and the only one I'm willing to go to. ...I just look like a paranoid fool when I'm there.
But, I really don't know if my paranoia would even matter. Fifteen seconds can be more than enough time for some one to pocket a handgun, or grab a rifle and hide behind the bench. Even if they just grabbed it and took off... I may not even make it to the firing line, before they're half way across the parking lot in their vehicle.
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Old November 11, 2012, 08:07 PM   #27
Lawmaker
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I never go by myself. I normally have someone watch the guns while I am down range. However I have never really considered someone stealing one from the range. It is a good FYI.

Also, I wonder if the perpetrator realized if it is caught with that it will be big jail time.
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Old November 14, 2012, 04:43 PM   #28
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At my local range the same thing happened to a guy there. This was about 20 years ago when "silencers" where much less common. The guy had to talk to the police. I hear they questioned him on why he needed a silencer multiple times. Most of the police where surprised they where not banned in the USA.
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Old November 15, 2012, 03:44 PM   #29
Kimio
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I usually go to the range with a friend for this very reason, at least out door ones.

One of us goes down range while the other is back at the line. Fortunately, all the ranges I go to usually have a range officer there, so stuff like this would be extremely hard to pull off. No one is allowed to even approach the benches until everyone has been accounted for and back safely behind the "safety" lines.

A real scummy situation sadly, really kind of depressing that you have to be so paranoid that someone with sticky fingers will lift your stuff that you have to be on the swival at all times.
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Old November 15, 2012, 04:23 PM   #30
1 old 0311-1
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Keep someone to guard or take them with you. Taking a loaded gun downrange to protect the things you left behind? You are going to explain how you killed someone for stealing? Let me know how that works out.
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Old November 22, 2012, 12:55 AM   #31
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Bring 15lb dead weight, + 10 foot chain, + locks = lock it up!
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Old November 23, 2012, 07:00 PM   #32
dajowi
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The local range allows suppressed fire but not full auto. During cease fire and target checks all weapons are benched, and unloaded with actions open. It is not permitted to approach the bench and handle firearms nor go downrange with a weapon of any kind. There are two range officers on duty at all times.

In all the years that I've been a range officer or gone to this club I don't remember a single case of anything being stolen from a member.
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