(ThyBlackMan.com) Many people like to go out and practice their gun-shooting skills on outdoor ranges, but safety is critical. If you’re new, or even a seasoned veteran, here are a few safety tips to keep in mind when you’re out on the range.
Know How Your Firearm Operates
One of the most obvious safety tips is to understand how your firearm works. Every manufacturer publishes basic safety and field stripping instructions concerning your firearm. Read them. Read everything you can about your firearm, study it, field strip and clean it often, and practice at home using snap caps – blanks that only snap when you pull the trigger (there’s no gun powder or bullet in the round).
Get a feel for how your gun behaves, how hard the trigger pulls, and the weight of your gun while firing. All of this will help you out on the range.
Use One Firearm and Ammo At A Time
Use only one firearm and set of ammo at a time. Why? Because you don’t want to be mixing up your ammo while you’re firing. If you load the wrong ammo into a firearm, it could jam or backfire and cause a serious problem. You may injure or kill yourself or someone else.
For example, let’s say you’re using a firearm with an Archangel Mosin Nagant Stock, which accepts one caliber, and another rifle which accepts a different round. Mixing rounds would likely cause the firearm to jam, potentially damage the firearm, or potentially cause a misfire.
Using one ammo and firearm at a time is also good range etiquette.
Never Drink And Shoot
It’s illegal in every state to shoot, or even carry a gun, while intoxicated. As a practical matter, drinking and firearms don’t mix. You are cognitively impaired and can’t think as clearly about what you’re doing when you drink, which could result in serious injury or death.
Obey All Range Commands
Range officers are there to protect you and everyone else. Always obey their commands. If they tell you to back away from the firing line, do it. Do not argue. Range officers sometimes have to move into the range for various reasons. When they do so, they will always clear the firing range first and move everyone off the line.
A range officer might also pull you from the firing line for what he or she deems unsafe conduct. You may not be aware of what you’re doing, but range officers are trained to spot potentially dangerous situations and diffuse them quickly.
Do Not Handle Other Peoples’ Firearms or Approach Others While At The Range
Never touch another person’s firearm, even if you’re familiar with how it works. You do not know whether it is loaded, or what special modifications have been made to it by the owner. Also, it’s poor etiquette to touch someone else’s property.
Also, never approach someone else at the range while they are firing. You could startle them, which might result in someone getting hurt or killed. Everyone at an outdoor range wears ear protection, despite being outdoors. Almost every range requires it. It’s likely the person won’t even hear you coming up behind them.
If you must interrupt someone, wait until they have finished firing and have set their firearm down.
Employ Smart Firearm Safety While Others Are Downrange
It’s unusual for an individual to be downrange but, when it does happen, you should not be on the firing line. Never handle a firearm when someone is downrange, and never stand at the firing line. Doing so can be confusing to the individual who is downrange, and it’s generally a bad habit to get into.
These types of rules are in place to create consistency across all range guests. It also sets a standard for range officers so that the risk of accidental discharge is reduced.
In some instances, the range officers will employ extra rules which aren’t specified in the core rules you agree to before shooting. For example, a core rule might require you to know where all shooters are at all times while you’re on the range and at the firing line shooting.
You may also be required to shoot only at authorized targets. But, a range officer may step in and announce that, due to some overriding circumstance, half of the range is being closed down and no one is to shoot at targets in specific lanes. Furthermore, individuals may be required to clear the range when they are not firing during this time, even though normal rules do not require this.
At the end of the day, it’s the range officer’s call.
Always Point The Muzzle At The Backstop or Bullet Trap
When you are standing on the firing line, always point the muzzle at the backstop or the bullet trap. Never turn the firearm to the side or aim it at another person’s target. When you must reload, be conscientious of where the muzzle is pointed.
Staff Writer; Jerry Jackson