Kindness at the Range

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I've recieved a blessing from a few guys at the range, and I hope I've managed to pay forward in my dealings with others. Just the other day, I somehow managed to leave the house without my range pass (Ohio has state run ranges, you need a one-day or yearly pass). I got to the range, couldn't find it, and the RO was kind enough to call the store I got it from rather than turn me away.
I've donated tons of target frames for people over the years, that seems to be the big "D'oh" item. The easy way to get free target frames is to request the "BIG" campaign signs from various anti ORGs, then use the metal frames for a better purpose.....hahaha! Realtor sized sign frames are what you ask for.
I've always got foamie-plugs with me, my job requires them, and it's part of my morning routine to toss a coupla bags in my pocket. I've given out of bunch of them, mostly at NHRA and NASCAR races though.
 
If anybody asks me what I'm shooting, I offer it to them to shoot. A Chaplain at the Marine Corps range the other day burned up 150 my of rounds because he asked about everything. :D

I had a nice old guy offer me a 5g bucket of brass out at the outdoor range the other day, since he saw me picking brass up. :thumbsup:
 
I've had several people come to the range without earplugs. Unfortunately I normally have my 'entourage' (i say this jokingly) with me and they use up all my ear muffs and eye protection. Most of the earplugless people either leave or improvise. I've seen people use empty cartridges or even old used earplugs :/

Anyways, I should probably pick up a bulk pack of earplugs, but I keep forgetting.

I've let people shoot my firearms, and will let people use my 'targets' if I bring anything cool to shoot to the range :)
 
I always ask the parent of the teenager at the range who stares wide-eyed at my WASR if their kid can light off a mag through it.

Teenagers love scary rifles. :)
 
Good on you! One can't put a price on hearing. A lot of people don't know just how badly, and how quickly the damage can occur.

Doc2005
 
I have never had the opportunity to loan eyes or ears as they are mandatory to just walk onto the private range. However the biggest hits of my year was helping an 8 yo who did not want to fire his dads 44 mag. I pulled out a Ruger MKI and a couple boxes of .22 and he was ear to ear when his dad said that was a better pistol to start with. I couldn't resist letting him have the time of his life with his dad, so I went back to the truck for the rest of the brick. When his dad pulled out his wallet I just said thank you but no. I have got to repeat this a couple of times since, but none where as memorable.
 
I keep a screwdriver set in my range box and carry a Leatherman tool
and Minimaglite of my belt. Lost track of how many shooters I have helped, whether it's tightening a loose screw, prying a stuck case out of a chamber
or finding the small part that took off for parts unknown. In one case I used my Leatherman tool to adjust the feed lips on a .22 magazine, it went from cranky and undependable to 100% reliable. My reward had usually been to fire guns I might not experience otherwise.
 
I given away lots of the foamy earplugs to people who have forgetten theirs.
I loaned out safety glasses also.
My stapler has been frequently loaned out.
I given bags of ballons (the $1 at the dollar store brand) and a stack or three of clay pigeons to dads who have brought their kids out to the range with nothing but paper targets to shoot at.
I've also give boxes of .22 to the same dads for the kids to shoot.
My guns have been shot by tens, if not hundreds of people.
I bought what I thought was a box of al 9-1/2 rifle primers, but there were 2 sleeves of 9-1/2 MAGNUM rifle primers in the box. Those went to a guy who was shooting and reloading at the range one day.

I've shot shotguns worth a college education.
I've shot a couple different .50 BMG's, In addition to just about every other type of rifle/handgun.
I've borrowed staplers and staples.
 
I've gone ahead and given away tons of ammo of different calibers, free targets, cleaning supplies, and plenty of trigger time.
I have to say the most satisfying thing to do was help my neighbor from school learn the ropes of his AR15 even though I give him a good ribbing every once in a while for spending 750 on a 'toy'. :p
 
My wife and I had arrived at our local indoor range. While I was in the head, she struck up a conversation with a fellow who was asking about a Kel-Tec P-11. She said I had one and liked it. About that time I came out, and he asked if he could fire it a few times. Sure, no problem at all.

After he ran a couple of mags through the P-11, he asked if I'd like to shoot what he had with him. Sure, why not?

He reached under the bench and pulled an MP-5 from his bag. :what: Would I like to shoot it? Would a hobo eat a ham sandwich? :D He said, "Don't worry about the ammo. I've got a couple thousand rounds with me." Even with that I was reluctant to take too much advantage of his generosity, and only fired one mag, but man it was fun. :)

The only time I've ever fired a full auto weapon.
 
I often show up at the range with an eclectic mix of firearms...Garands, FALs, G3s, Sharps, 03A3s, Swedes, Finn M39s, SMLEs, Win 92s, etc. Most of the other folks showing up are either shooting bolt action hunting rifles or, at most, ARs.

I'll often get "the guy with the shiny new synthetic package hunting rifle from the discount store" and his son looking over what I'm shooting. Sometimes they work up the courage to ask what "that gun is". When they do that, I routinely ask them if they'd like to shoot some of the rifles and try to give them an intro to the rifle and it's history.

They usually smile afterwards and thank me profusely. I just hope I'm opening their eyes to a broader world of shooting.
 
I was at the range one day lighting off uber number of rounds with the M4. There was a family there watching me and a woman from Denmark who watched me shoot, she was here for a wedding. On the M4 I have and Eotech site so it is really easy to aim and shoot. I offered her the chance to fire it. With close supervision I bet she put 80% of the shots from a 30 round mag on the paper at 25 yards. She was absolutely joyed and said this gun is not allowed in Denmark and would get you many years in prison. Is this a great country or what:D
 
I used to travel a great deal for work and had two hobbies - shooting and golf. Always found a good deal more fellowship at the range than at the links...... >MW
 
Me and my wife shoot at a local National park outdoor range. On this particular occasion this little boy maybe 8 or 9 kept looking at me and my wife shooting My Ar-15, he kept bugging his father over and over "look look dad an army gun thats cool" he was shooting a little .22 or something close and doing pretty good with it. After feeling his eyes trailing me for a little while I told him if his dad said ok I would let him shoot it. I had to explain the sights were a little different than his being an apature (spelling I know) sight and that it did not kick hard being the same size bullet he was already shooting in a bigger case. I let him go through a couple 10 rd mags and take his targets home with him. His father was comical saying he (the boy) wasn't going to stop talking about that for a year.

I created a future gun nut.
 
I always carry a wide assortment to the range. From an airpistol to a Barrett type 99. The most curosity I got was with a real Thompson and with the Barrett. Both, as you know, are kinda expensive to run. I do let people shoot them from time to time (i don't have the Thompson anymore). For pistol range work, I think I get alot of inquisitive stares from the CZ-52 and its giant fireball! Other than that I always have extra eyes and ears as well as extra shirts (my wife has done the hot shell boobie dance before). Good luck and have fun... karma is always good
-bix
 
What goes 'round, comes 'round.

I'm one of the anal types that always has to be prepared with tools and extras of everything. So I almost always have something with me that can help another shooter out. Half the fun of going to the range is the chance to meet other shooters.
 
At my club (See my sig line, I gotta give ‘em a plug) half the reason for going is to visit and chat. Shooting is nice too.
There are plenty of people there who just want to shoot their guns and split, but the majority of (including me) folks enjoy some conversation and such.

Today, when I went to dial in the new BSA red dot I put on my Ruger 22/45, I spent a good 30 minutes chatting with two older couples shooting a variety of handguns. They got me to try out their (I don’t know the maker) .22 target pistol with a Hakko red dot that I was really impressed with. (Same price I paid for my BSA, damn…)

On my visit three weeks ago, I let some old-timer spend a cylinder through my Ruger (Bisley grip) Blackhawk .45LC, probably reminded him of when he first started shooting. (Man, that guy was old.) The smile on his face was priceless.

A couple months ago, I ran straight from the gun shop to the range with my new Ruger P345. I got all set up before I realized I had no ear protection. Not to worry, I simply stepped over to the guy in the next lane and asked for some foamies……

Lafayette Gun Club, VA….home is where the heart is
 
I've given and gotten over and over again. The people of the gun are my brotherhood, why would we do anything else. I usually bring along 12 to 15 pistols ans will always let another try anything I have. Today I got the ideal response, one I have gotten a number of times before. "I liked that gun you let me try and went out and bought one myself. Here it is and I really like it." What could be better?
 
I sat down at the 100 yard line next to a couple other .22lr shooters who all had the same rifle as me (marlin 60). They were having problems feeding Winchester Super-X through their rifles so they asked if I wouldn't mind. I filled a full tube and shot them all downrange. They gave me the several hundred they had in a little plastic baggie and in return I gave them each a box of subsonic .22lr. They were ecstatic and apprehensive thinking that it was somehow illegal (in Florida no less) and they loved how it fired off as quietly as could be.
 
I try to give better than I receive, thankfully my shooting trips have made this a challenging goal. the friendliest people i've met for the most part are at my local range.

where else can you go, and have a stranger offer you use of their new 1500$ toy without even knowing your name? its a great culture.
 
I own some somewhat interesting, out of the ordinary firearms. I am always willing to let anyone give them a try. Sometimes people will walk over and ask about the guns, and during our conversation, I'll pick it up, hand it to them, and say "here take it for a spin". They are always very surprised.

Makes me feel good. I'd appreciate the offer if the tables were turned.
 
When I worked at a gun store we had a pretty wide variety of rentals, including almost every XD. The one we lacked was the 5" 9mm, which just happened to be my fungun. Often we would get people who were trying determine the difference between the 3" and 4" models, when I offered the opportunity to try my full size it would make their day. I know for a fact I sold one 5" XD because of this. I'm guessing the round count on that gun is in the 5,000 range, less than half of those are from me.

Other than that I've given/ received foamies, targets, ammo, advice, help, tools, parts and countless other things.

The gun community as a whole is the largest group of decent and responsible people that I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with.

Ek :)
 
I always carry lots of foamies, gun oil, screwdrivers, etc. and when I am at the range, I loan my staplegun, thumbtacks, etc to all who need it.
I spent a half a day spotting for a guy in a wheelchair sighting in a new gun, then let him use my jeweler's screwdrivers for adjustments. I give out bandaids when booboos happen. Bottles of water for those folks that get overheated in the August sun in the outdoor range.
A dad and his teenaged son were there one day shooting a Makarov then had just bought, they only brought 100 rounds with them. I had my P22 I always have at the range, slid it and a box of 550- .22's over to them when they asked about it, and they thought the P22 was the thing to buy next.
I also scout up the brass and I have so far found 2 cell phones, 3 pairs of glasses, unknown how many scope adjuster caps or scope covers, and lots of magazines people drop and forget. All get turned in with a note (the RO knows me).

I have gotten to meet a lot of people and be a positive ambassador to shooting. I have gotten to shoot guns I would never be able to own. It's kind of like an obligation for us gunnies.
 
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