I've belonged to four gun clubs in my life. In 3 or the 4 the rule was that all firearms were to have actions opened and no rounds in the chamber before people were allowed to go down range. There's one place where all you do is hit a light switch which sounds buzzer and the red lights over head flash. The people do not check with other shooters to see if it is a good place to stop shooting for them, they just hit the switch and go.
People walk out to their targets immediately after hitting the switch so there is no time to clear your weapon, people's guns are loaded and ready to fire.
Am I being overly nervous about this rule? If I am please tell me. I would like to know other people's experiences at their gun clubs and if you think leaving loaded guns on the firing line is fine while people are down range. I appreciate your feedback. Thanks
I would say you're being justifiably nervous. It sounds like a poorly-supervised range.
I agree.
It's not a supervised range and the rules are being broken regularly. We have many new members with little to virtually no experience which is what concerns me.
It is incumbent on everyone at an unsupervised range to call out unsafe behavior or rule violations. If the violator wants to be argumentative, notify your club officers, or even the local law enforcement, since you're dealing with people who have loaded guns and no self restraint.. Club members should have a badge in view that identifies them as such. Members are responsible for the behavior of their visitors, too.
Is this a private club? If so, you need to immediately bring up the subject with the club's Board of Directors. Even with rules in place for safety, the club would have some liability issues if someone gets shot. Range rules should be etched in stone, with no leeway as to how they are interpreted or followed.
This is how our club works, with our range rules. We have range officers at club events, but not on a day-to-day basis. On those days, if you need to go to the target stands, you ask everyone along the firing line first. Policy is a break every 30 minutes maximum, to "go green/safe", but if a new person comes in, courtesy says to allow them to set up a target when they get ready..
When the range light is turned to green, a horn sounds to alert everyone to cease fire and make the range safe. There are no firearms allowed on the firing line when the range is safe. All rifles go in a rack and the actions must be open or have a flag in them to indicate empty; no muzzles may be pointing downrange. This rule can be inconvenient if you're sandbagged or in a fixed rest, but it ensures the highest level of safety, because it means no one is on the firing line.
Once everyone has been to the target line that needs to and is back in the gun house. everyone verifies they are ready to "go hot", and the red light is turned on, green goes off. You are not allowed to load magazines or the gun itself unless you are on the firing line. This ensures no loaded guns off the line. All the rules are clearly posted on all our ranges, so no one has the excuse "I didn't know...."
We also have cameras on our rifle and pistol ranges that record every day. If there is a report of rule violations the range manager can go to the day and time of the infraction and pull up the video. We've had a few members banned from the ranges, as well as quite a few visitors, who are only allowed along with a member, and then no more than three per member. Everyone, members and guests, have to sign in and out and members are required to have their badges on at all times when on club property. Our club was established in 1939 and we have a waiting list for memberships. Our current membership is around 300. We have a 300 yard rifle range, a 50 yard pistol range, a skeet range, 5-stand range and a 30-position clays range, and an archery range. Our safety record is excellent, I don't think we've ever had a negligent shooting there. I've been a member for 8 years, and am a NRA-certified CRSO. Before I became a member at this club, I had to drive 45 minutes to a municipal police range, which was open to the public on Saturdays only. They had three RSO's there, and if you farted from upwind, they'd throw you out. They were stricter than any of the military ranges I have been on; I suppose it was because of the unknown quantity of civilians they didn't know and how qualified or unqualified they might be.