If an outdoor range allows its members----carrying a concealed carry handgun----to fire that concealed carry handgun, is there a general consensus about range etiquette? The outdoor range does not permit concealed carry members to use a cross draw or shoulder holster. Shooting from the holster is not permitted.
That is, the Range Safety Officer (RSO) knows I’d like to shoot my concealed carry pistol, the range is “hot” and the RSO directs me to a firing point on the handgun range. Is there a consensus about how the firearm is to be moved to the firing bench in front of the shooter?
The only guidance I’ve been able to find is this: treat the holster as a case and remove the holster from the belt keeping the firearm inside and keeping the muzzle pointed down range. Once the firearm is on the bench with the muzzle down range remove the handgun from the holster, lock the slide back, safety on, visually / physically check that the chamber is empty, drop the magazine and bench the handgun. And at the end of range time, a loaded magazine is placed into the pistol, the pistol is charged, placed back into the holster and the holster clipped back into the belt.
Why not just have your pistol in the holster and in a range bag? How do one put the firearm back on the belt? On the firing line or in your car/truck/electric/hybrid
Interesting post Anthony335. With all the various range rules, I’ve wondered about entering the store with Vs without my CCW, loaded.
I feel naked if I enter the store without a holstered loaded arm. No matter that staff and patrons are fully CCW.
In my state, open carry is not allowed.
Once upon getting ready to leave the range, “holstered”, while in the range I walked three feet outside the bench are to throw something into the trash bin, I forgot to cover my CCW with my over shirt. So I literally was “open carry” for those two seconds. The Range Safety Worker asked me not to do that.
I want to clarify- I do not have a loaded pistol holstered in my range bag. That is breaking my protocol. I have two EDC I rotate. I carry one on me at the rage and practice with the other one.
I wouldn’t want a loaded gun in a bag, either. Safest and best places for loaded guns are on your person or in a locked safe, some exceptions made in your locked home or locked vehicle depending on circumstances. JMO
Depending on which range I go to, and our state does have open carry, we can pull from our holster to the firing line as if we were pulling it out of our range bag, and re holster when we are finished, as long as it is all done on the firing line. Our regional outdoor range will not allow anything brought to the firing line unless it is cased.
At our indoor ranges, I unholster the pistol at the firing line, turned so the muzzle only covers downrange. I then drop the mag and eject the one in the chamber.
I honestly don’t know if there are rules about this or not.
We are always on camera and I’ve never had an RSO come tell me anything.
They did come up when I accidentally uncased one of their rental shotguns behind the firing line. So I know they watch.
When I am done with the handgun, I put my defensive mag back in, chamber a round, and holster turned to minimize anything that would happen should there be an ND.
Most indoor ranges here in VA don’t let you work from the holster. I would unholster my firearm from my shooting point and place it on the bench making sure my muzzle is pointing down range.
This is how I use the indoor range I go to. If there is a “new to me” Range Officer on duty, I disclose I am about to remove my EDC at the firing line, shoot at targets with it, reload and re-holster at the firing line before I leave. So far it has never been a problem, but I think it always best to discuss with the RO(s). If I ever have an RO tell me it is not acceptable, then I will shoot whatever else I brought and keep the EDC concealed in the holster.
The outdoor range I use has a special area designated for drawing from the holster practice. It is a steel target only gallery with the closest targets 11 yards away, i.e., no one goes out to set or reset targets.
They have individual bays made out of AR500 steel you step into that protect you from other shooters and them from you
Cool. At one range, I noticed that they do notice a lot and “call us out” on it. Sometimes they either miss an infraction or ignore it, but they sure do catch many issues. To me, that’s good that they teach the safety!
To your point friend, so many CCW holders, I’m just guessing they walk in the range fully loaded, but use tact when finally reaching the bench.
Here’s a question for the group:
Do some, most or all ranges have “bullet resistant” partitions in between each lane (at the bench area)? Glass, cement, or wood? I really don’t know, but am curious.
IME I would rate it as “some” for a bullet resistant divider between lanes. For indoors “nearly-all” have dividers sufficient for brass and outdoors “almost none” IME have anything for brass other than naturally wider spacing
I’m a member of a sportsman club in northern Kentucky.I have a gate code and can go anytime I want.The good thing is 99% of the time I’m alone there.So as you can imagine I get to practice a ton of stuff you couldn’t get away with at a structured range.I also compete in their two gun and trap shooting competition.
