I am so disappointed in my fellow shooters?

Question

I was at the range on Saturday. The rules say no military style clothing, unless you are ACTUALLY in the military. This includes camo. No police style clothing, unless you ACTUALLY are a police officer. It's called respect for those in uniform. I have to agree, I hate the "men" who "play soldier" with guns and fatigues, but wouldn't dare step into a recruiting office.
Several times at the range, those types tried to gain entry and were denied. A fist fight actually broke out and a gun was drawn by one of them. Ridiculous. You'd shoot someone over dress codes that respect those who serve.
There is a "no smoking" policy that was cause for ejection of several. It's very hard to concentrate with smoke all around you.
I never saw such an unruly crowd as this weekend. Do you think this is the "typical" shooter or did we just happen to get all the jerks this weekend? Thanks.

Answer 1

Good God! What a bunch of freakin control freaks! Let me guess, San Fran gun club? Quite often I wear my fatigue shirt when I go shooting, I like the pockets and the comfort. I figure with the amount of time I've served I can wear it if I want. Nor do I care if the posers put on cammys, it doens't bother me a bit.

No smoking on a OUTDOOR range?? How about no belching, farting, sneezing, or nose blowing!! Hard to concentrate with smoke?? What a crock! Have you ever seen the amount of smoke from a black powder gun?? I suppose those aren't allowed either. Personally this is not a shooting range, it sounds more like some sort of group think club.

Answer 2

There is a pistol range across the street from my workplace.. Occasionally there is a group of people that show up there and I finish my clip and leave. If people are loud or intoxicated, our rangemaster won't let them in, period. If they come in intoxicated they are asked to not return.

Worst is the fact they'd draw a gun in anger on someone. That is WAY out of line. This person probably has some psychological issues and could well present a problem.. I do hope the police were called. Our range requires us to sign in and leave our drivers license at the desk while we on the range.
I've been around quite a while, I'd seen a lot of people who truly should never have a firearm in their hands. Instead they should be attending anger management courses.. There have been times when I look back on my life it was a good thing I had my weapon stowed.

it's not about the camos for me, It's about the disrespectful way people deal with anger. Anger and guns are a poor mix. If a person cannot contain themselves in a gun range, God forbid what they are like on the street. I wear camos when I am deer hunting or when our militia group is having a field exercise. When at the range I where flannel and blue jeans.
Not that I couldn't wear camos, but I don't.. Camos serve a purpose in the field. But they only serve a purpose there. I prefer not to soak my Scentlok up with sweat and gun powder.

I like JD's post. These "phony soldiers" aren't our friends.. They defame all law bidding gun owners and real vets..

Answer 3

The range I shoot at only allows pellet guns and .22's, due to limited space. Sometimes they have "skeet day" when others aren't using the range. They also have 4 indoor lanes.
They have very strict rules about SAFETY. They have a dress code. They don't allow smoking.
It is a very enjoyable experience. 99% of the people there are members and competitive shooters. One of my fellow shooters has a Bronze medal from Empire State Games for Air Rifle from the late 1990's. He's done well with Air Pistol too. He was practicing for Air Rifle running target until recently, but it has been dropped from the Olympic program. He was very close to making the USA Shooting team that went to Athens. He will probably not make Beijing, but again it was close. He'll probably be too old for 2012 in London.
But he's good. He like to shoot where I shoot because he can concentrate on his sport. Nothing wrong with that.

Answer 4

This particular type of behavior is not common but their is an increasing number of general idiots at the ranges. This is why I perfer to shoot on private land.

The violent types like you saw should have just had the cops called on them. That is truly a bunch of retards, especially for fighting and pulling a gun over clothes.

The proof in more idiots at public ranges is easy to find. Just look at how many bullet holes are in the roofs and shooting benches on the firing line. Look how much shot up junk is left down range, there are always tv's, computers, microwaves and that sort of rubbish left down range at the ranges I used to visit. Then I had trouble with punk teenagers running down range when people were still shooting, or they would shoot clays on a rifle range and hunt down and pick up the unbroken clays while everyone waited for them to return to the line.
Lastly that "no smoking" rule is a concerning thing. People complain because their is too much smoke when someone lights up a cigarette, are they going to kick a guy out for shooting a black powder rifle because of the smoke? I can tell you that if I am shooting my muzzle loader, I will make far more smoke than any smoker could.

Answer 5

This should really be a NON issue!

If one is going to shoot at a public or private range then they are subjected to ALL of the regulations of that facility. If they do not like it-do not go there!

I belong to a member’s only range. We do have numerous regulations. All are geared towards safety. None are even remotely concerned about clothing type. With the exception of not permitting any type of disrespect for our military uniforms. Or the flag.

Some of us older types are vets from the Nam era. Others are younger and have never been in the military. Some are in fact on active duty. And some come as a guest of another member.

Members can also bring younger children to the range. And yes they can shoot. IF closely supervised.

I have belonged for numerous years. Never experienced any issues like the ones described here.

I have also never seen such actions at any NRA sanctioned ranges. Embarrassing for us sportsmen when one hears of this.

Answer 6

Unruly behavior has no place at a firing range. But, telling someone they can't take part in the range because they are wearing a camo tshirt, or camo shorts etc is ridiculous. I wear brand name clothing, some of it in "urban camo colors" or an old fatigue jacket or camo bdu's because they are comfy, durable, rugged, and I don't care if I get them ruined at the range. I also wear my hunting jacket etc sometimes to the range, you mean to say that I can't attend your range because of that? I think that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. They don't need to know that I am ex military or that I am a retired cop. In America, it's supposed to be the land of the free. Now, if a bunch of skin heads showed up wearing nazi uniforms and looking for trouble, or if a bunch of MS-13 ganbangers, or Hells angels showed up in colors looking for trouble, I would say it was time to call the cops and bar entry from a family oriented shooting range. And as for some idiot pulling a gun on a bunch of armed citizens at a public range, I'd say he had suicidal tendencies and again, would have turned him over to the cops for assault with a deadly weapon, if he lived long enough for the cops to get there.
In closing, I'd say that no, this isn't usual for a public range, and that if I were you, I'd either sit down with the owners to get things worked out, or find a new range, and let them know why they were losing your business, and your money.

Answer 7

Ok to clarify the clothing issue for those that do not know. The respect for uniformed officers is only part of the reason you can not wear this type of clothing at a range. Anti-gun people see a bunch of men dressed in military style clothing with guns and they freak out, they think that it's a terrorist group or someone that is up to no good. Think about it if you hated guns and you don't know the benefit of bdu's or combat oriented clothing (I believe in practice in what you wear normally but that's because I carry concealed) then all your going to see is some madmen. Now the police clothing issue is that could and probably will be considered impersonating an officer of the law which is a felony in most places if not a misdemeanor. Now the unruly crowd is not the norm but they are out there I'm pro-gun and I defend my right to carry and I've talked to several people to discuss my way of life and beliefs. But then you have guys like the ones you've listed that mess it up for the rest of us. You could spend a lifetime promoting firearms and their use and start winning people to your cause but all it takes is some dumb ignorant jerks to screw all of that up. I think you just got the jerks that weekend and I hope that they all were locked up and will lose their right to own firearms if they're that irresponsible with firearms then they don't deserve them. If they can't respect a dress code then how can you expect them to respect the basic rules of handling firearms. I wouldn't want to take the chance that they'd ignore "never point your gun at anything that you do not intend to destroy".

Answer 8

Your story is surprising, although you can find a few bad apples in every bunch. Pulling a gun on someone at a gun range is just bonehead. Sad.

Now, I really have issue with the dress code, though.

I have always worn fatigue pants for casual and around the house work wear, even before they were fashionable. I like the European camo patterns and have more than a few trousers or cutoffs that I've gotten from surplus houses....cheap, well made, comfortable and lots of pockets, what's not to like? I'm not a weekend G.I. Joe and you can tell because the shirt is probably a faded AC/DC t-shirt.

I do not wear shirts or jackets and would never wear the badges of a unit. I fail to see how I'm disrespecting the fine marksmen of the Swiss Army by wearing their discarded trousers.

I used to belong to one of those shooting clubs that was trying to "upscale" their image and draw more professional yuppies and their wives. Despite serious protest they enacted a "no camo, no smoking" policy and lost 2/3 of their membership, myself included. What they failed to consider is that this is a huge military retirement town and dammit, I like to puff on a stogie when shooting.

Answer 9

Clothing, has nothing to do with shooting.
THAT'S, ....DISCRIMINATION!!!!

Does your liberal little range allow BLACKS?
What if they're wearing RED? Or BLUE?
Those are GANG COLORS!
Why, they could be GANG-BANGERS!

Does your little range allow ARABS?
What if they're wearing ROBES?
Why they could be TERRORISTS?

My point is, If you disallow one of these groups,
Primarally because of appearances,
You are violating their civil rights.

-Just like you violated the rights of the HUNTERS
Who wore their PERFECTLY LEGAL hunting clothing to the shooting range!
You HATE people who wear fatigues?

Wearing military clothing in a time of war is a common way of saying you SUPPORT the troops....even though age or physical disability may prevent you from JOINING them.

So, You ADMIT your discriminatory policy is a HATE CRIME?
I know if I was one of the Hunters you refused service to for a discriminitory reason, I, would SUE.

...And I'd WIN, TOO.

There IS NO excuse for drawing a gun in such an argument, no.
Buisnesses have the RIGHT to regulate smoking, as well.

But beyond "no shoes - no shirt- no service" laws regarding the food service industry, public buisnesses have NO buisness telling their PATRONS how they can dress! Such discrimination of ANY kind is a civil rights violation.

...A violation of FEDERAL law.

You can't disallow blacks,
-even if they are dressed as gangsta's,

You can't disallow Arabs,
-even if they're wearing traditional dress that makes them look like possible terrorists,

And you can't disallow people because they wear clothing that doesn't suit your fancy,
-for WHATEVER stereotypical reason.

I suggest your range suspend it's "dress code", and seek legal consul.
I suspect your range is gonna NEED it.

Punitive damage in such discrimination cases is set at a level intended to bankrupt the buisness in question and shut it down. Legal defense in such cases can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Not to mention that there is virtually no defense in discrimination cases. They prosecute them sucessfully almost every time. Stating that you HATE people because of such appearances seals the Prosecution's case.
You are in a no-win situation.

You didn't get all the jerks last weekend...
...You WERE the jerks.
I suspect you'll get what's comming to you.
...THEN where will you shoot?

"Judge Ye NOT, lest Ye SURELY be Judged."
...in this case, by a FEDERAL judge.

Answer 10

Why would you want to dress like your in the military to go shoot your guns at the range?? Im in the Army, when i go to the local range on the weekend I go in comfy civilians..... but dress however you want..... but fist fighting and pointing weapons at each other is not acceptable at all, ever...... on a gun range..... sounds like you just got some idiots, hope they dont return for your sakes, so you can enjoy your self the next time.