Poor instruction for first time shooters?

[JimmyS1985]

Ever been giving advice to a first-time shooter and something didn't go right? Usually with clear and concise instructions I would think that there would be minimal chance of accident but Im not exactly sure.

I remember my brother was showing this woman how to fire a gun for her very first time. She fired one bullet (.22) and then started waving it around asking if anyone wanted to use it. Everyone hit the dirt at that point. She didn't shoot anyone but man is that scary to have a gun in an inexperienced persons hands pointed in your general direction. Can't imagine how scary it is to have it pointed at you and the person is actually trying to kill you.

I got yelled at, at a range that I will never go to because of it. It was the first time I took my handgun out shooting, bear in mind I hadn't really fired a gun since I was 13 at the time and this is about 10 years later. Well I didn't have a case for it, because Beretta sends you the gun in a crappy little cardboard box, so I had to have the ammunition in one hand, and the gun in the other. Trying to be as conscious of gun safety, I had the gun pointed down range, magazine out, unloaded, safety on, and open action. I get up to the range, pay my $3 and they briefly go over the rules, and I start walking out to the shooting booths. Immediately one of the employees is on the loud speaker shouting at one of the people on the range. I had no idea it was me until he mentioned the color of my shirt.

At that point I was kind of pissed off because I had made the most conscious effort I knew how on gun safety and was getting humiliated by the gun range which stopped all the shooting over me. Come to find out, they got pissed off because I had a non-trigger finger in the trigger guard, in my open action, down range, safety on, magazine out, unloaded firearm. I told them they should make atleast a half-assed attempt at customer service before they humiliate new shooters at the range, inwhich case they gave me my $3 and I left pretty pissed off.

I told them I'd be more afraid of a purposeful discharge at your range than an accidental discharge with the way you piss off people with firearms over the loud speaker.

I've never gone to that range since, I still make the most conscious efforts at gun safety when I do bring my firearm, but since that guy had humiliated, not to mention my brother brought an bubblegum friend along who gave me a hard time about it for years, I left a very negative review of the range on yelp.com and recommended people go to a different range down the highway. Im willing to pay 8x as much money as that range since they have strict rules in place like spacing your shots out every 3 seconds and other things and they will get on a loud speaker if you disobey them.

For some reason, I've wanted to take a FiveseveN to the range and empty a 30 round magazine as fast as I can just to piss the buzz cut guy on the loudspeaker off, and then til him I had no intention of staying at his range other than to break a rule and leave.

Anyways this video for me was a good reminder to give clear and concise instructions prior to allowing a new shooter to shoot.


glock accident - YouTube

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[Ironbar]

Man, I don't know what to say to all that actually!

 

[bruzer]

Please do not go and break range rules "just to piss the buzz cut guy on the loudspeaker off".
Stay safe,
Mike

 

[skywag]

You're mad because they called you for running around with your finger on the trigger?

 

[Norm0931]

I guess I don't see why you are all up in arms. You had your finger on the trigger while you were not intending to fire. That pretty much breaks one of the most important safety rules at any range anywhere. And when you got called out you were pissed because he embarrassed you? Id' consider yourself lucky they didn't throw you off the range right there and tell you not to ever come back.

 

[Jammer Six]

You have a lot to learn about guns and ranges.

Like a lot of other people, you think you know a lot more than you do, and your ego is in your way.

What you do now depends on what you want to accomplish.

If you want to learn how to safely handle weapons and become a safe, respected member of a range, there's one course of action that you need to pursue.

If you want to be pissed off, insulted and eventually banned from one range after another, keep doing what you're doing.

 

[mjbskwim]

I had a girl in the next lane point a 1911 cocked * NOT LOCKED* at my foot
Yes her finger was still on the trigger. I just stepped back and slowly grabbed her elbow and raised her hand towards the targets.
Her boyfriend looks at me as I told her to keep the gun down range and her finger off the trigger.
He was all Yeah yeah keep the gun pointing down range dear,after he realized he hadn't done his job at instruction.

I always tell new shooters to keep your finger off the trigger unless you are going to shoot and keep the gun pointing toward the targets,the floor or the ceiling when you aren't shooting.
Or just put it down on the bench and I'll take care of it.
That guy should have stayed right behind her to stop her from doing that.Then you can push her arms forward as to not look like an jack hat.

BTW that wasn't her gun going off.

 

[ericb]

When I take someone out shooting who isn't savvy, I only load a single round at a time, and if I load any more than that, I definitely overemphasize that the gun is not to be pointed at anything you don't want to destroy. Also make sure to teach people how to check if the gun is actually empty, even some "experienced" guys I know just pull the trigger until it goes click and start waving it around willy-nilly.

 

[bikejunkie]

That Glock video terrifies me. Don't get bent that a range safety officer called you out for walking around with your finger on the trigger. I'd rather you be embarrassed for everyone's safety than get shot accidentally. I know you knew the weapon was clear, but nobody else knew that! Always treat every weapon as if it were loaded! I know it's basic, but never point the weapon anywhere you don't intend to shoot, and that includes the ceiling- you don't know where that bullet may come down and you're responsible for every one

 

[Norm0931]

"Treat Never Keep Keep" was the Marine Corps diddy for remembering weapons safety rules.

Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.
Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
Keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire.

 

[bikejunkie]

"Treat Never Keep Keep" was the Marine Corps diddy for remembering weapons safety rules.

Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.
Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
Keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire.

That's exactly what they taught me and I remember it to this day

 

[Norm0931]

That's exactly what they taught me and I remember it to this day

Bike I don't think any Marine forgets those.

 

[bikejunkie]

Semper Fi brother!

 

[Redcap]

"Treat Never Keep Keep" was the Marine Corps diddy for remembering weapons safety rules.

Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.
Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
Keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire.

I wasn't in the Corps, but my dad was and that is exactly what he taught me as a boy.

 

[bikejunkie]

And that's exactly what I taught my wife and younger brother

 

[Phillyfan]

Bike I don't think any Marine forgets those.

It's everthing else that they have trouble remebering! Silly jarheads!

Just messing with you guys, I was Air Force.

 

[bikejunkie]

You know what they say: MusclesAreRequiredIntelligenceNotEssential...It's a little different deal than the Air Scouts!

 

[JimmyS1985]

Owell, its not like I didn't expect to get a lot of criticism from this story I let loose. I guess what pissed me off was my brothers friend was still giving me a hard time over it more than 3 years after the fact.

I don't plan on going to the range because they won't let a person practicing triple tap, 2 in the body, 1 in the head due to their policy on no shots under 3 seconds.

I would like to practice quick drawing and it is really hard to find a range that allows that.

Atleast I am better than the Navy SEAL who died, trying to show off gun safety and shot himself through and through, through his head. Thats not really saying much since he died, but atleast he was highly trained.

I am going to Arizona with a holster this Spring Break so I expect to be able to be able to practice quick drawing with a barren desert for my shooting background.

 

[pioneer461]

Don't blame the range for your brother's friend's attitude. That is strictly between you and him.

The range officers have more to worry about than damaging someone's self esteem and ego. Learn from it, and go on. Also, you can buy plastic pistol cases fairly cheaply at most sporting goods stores.

 

[Norm0931]

Owell, its not like I didn't expect to get a lot of criticism from this story I let loose. I guess what pissed me off was my brothers friend was still giving me a hard time over it more than 3 years after the fact.

I don't plan on going to the range because they won't let a person practicing triple tap, 2 in the body, 1 in the head due to their policy on no shots under 3 seconds.

I would like to practice quick drawing and it is really hard to find a range that allows that.

Atleast I am better than the Navy SEAL who died, trying to show off gun safety and shot himself through and through, through his head. Thats not really saying much since he died, but atleast he was highly trained.

I am going to Arizona with a holster this Spring Break so I expect to be able to be able to practice quick drawing with a barren desert for my shooting background.

First off, it's called a "Mozambique" or "Failure" Drill. The Mozambique is basically a failure drill performed faster, you use the recoil of the rifle to allow the aim of the weapon to naturally transition to the head.

Second, claiming you are better than a SEAL shows that your ego is still far too over-inflated to be safely handling a weapon. Grow up or stop handling firearms because you will kill someone else with your stupidity.