Saturday, September 4, 2010

A Question About Gun Ranges

I received this message from a commenter. It wasn't clear if he wanted to remain anonymous, so I'll leave that up to him. Any opinions?

Although the two gun ranges were in the same state and the same county, there were different rules when it came to the kind of ammunition you were allowed to shoot. I thought it was a scam by one of the gun ranges not to allow me to shoot a brand new box of ammo I bought from another gun store the day before.

Gun Range A.

Gun range A allowed me to use a box of Winchester - Full Metal Jacket , Flat Nose 165 weight ammunition that I had in storage for over five years. While I am no expert on the storing of ammunition, the ammunition looked in good condition and I believe the range steward asked to see my ammunition before allowing me onto the range.

After firing my box of Winchester cartridges, I packed up my weapon and proceeded to the check out area to pay for my range time and ear protection rental. Before leaving I bought a box of PMC Bronze cartridges in order to have ammunition for my fire arm. Like I told my girlfriend, what is the use of having a gun if you don’t have ammunition for it. She does not like guns so she was not happy when I bought another box of 50 cartridges.

Gun Range B

Arriving at Gun Range B, I was given the same type of release form by the gun steward which says that if you die by another shooter at the gun range the gun range can not be held responsible.

After the range steward gave me the type of target I requested, he then asked what kind of ammunition I wanted. When I told him that I had my own ammo he said that I had to buy their range ammo and I could not use the ammo from the other gun store. Even after showing him the brand new box of PMC 165 grain Full metal jacket flat point cartridges, the steward said I still had to buy their own ammo due to insurance rules. I balked at having to buy their ammo and told them that the other gun range in the area allows you to use your ammo, he said to go to their range, and I said I would and walked out.

Analysis

Gun range B is protecting itself from people using ammunition they made themselves in what I believe is called hot loading. While I can understand the range trying to eliminate people from using illegal or improperly manufactured ammunition, I believe the refusal by the range to allow me to shoot a box of ammo I bought a day earlier was a bit excessive.

Perhaps you can ask your readers what brand of ammunition is the best and if gun ranges should make people use the ammo provided by the range.

2 comments:

  1. "Perhaps you can ask your readers what brand of ammunition is the best"

    No one really makes bad ammo these days. It all depends on how much you want to pay and what you're going to use it for.

    "and if gun ranges should make people use the ammo provided by the range."

    I never buy ammo at the range for the reason I never buy food at the movie theater. It's a rip off. Ranges have that policy to make money. There is no logical reason for them to prohibit factory ammo unless it's something that can damage the backstops.

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  2. I would not patronize a place where they forced me to use their ammo. I stocked piled when prices were cheap for a reason. The only restrictions I have come across are; no steel jackets (to avoid brushfires induced by spark), hollow point only (less ricochet in more urban areas), no steel casings (so they can recycle the brass without having to sort out the steel), and no steel core when using a steel backstop.

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