Range Officer

[billgatese30]

Its fair to say that there are a few power mad eejits in the all walks of life, thankfully in the minority, RCOs included.

[Pete]

The majority are politicians..........

Pete

[bradaz11]

ok, so it's more touching mag near gun. but wow, some of you treat your members like children. If they aren't safe handling their firearms, train them better!

some of you would wet yourselves at BWSS matches. We run a hot range, so your walking around with loaded revolvers in your holsters and moving up to a loading table with your guns while other people are shooting. then move to the line with a rifle with 10 rounds loaded into it. difference is there is a strict set of clear rules for this, and we all police each other on safety aspects. Thats why no one has been hurt.

same as at practical matches, mags are loaded behind shooters, while you await your turn at the course of fire, then next shooter retrieves their gun and waits while the course is reset.

I'll say it again, if you can't trust thoseat the tables next to you, why are they allowed to still be on the table next to you!

I would say quite the opposite about peoples safety concerns at a BWSS or PSG match/range, as like you say everyone operates to a fixed set of 'stringent' rules and more importantly, there are specific and pre-ordained consequences for breaking the rules.
And then there's the actual wild west that is clay shooting grounds....

quite the opposite? as in safe or at risk? sorry, not clear to me.

but yes, claygrounds are a bit of a ruck

[IainWR]

I would say quite the opposite about peoples safety concerns at a BWSS or PSG match/range, as like you say everyone operates to a fixed set of 'stringent' rules and more importantly, there are specific and pre-ordained consequences for breaking the rules. Guns are also held vertically or are in secure holsters when not in use which makes it obvious to everyone that they are pointed in a safe direction. You can't do that on some rifle ranges (particularly MOD ranges) where the ubiquitous '70 mil' rule applies.

Please, what is it about the 70 mil rule that stops you holding an (unloaded & cleared) firearm vertically?

[Blackstuff]

I would say quite the opposite about peoples safety concerns at a BWSS or PSG match/range, as like you say everyone operates to a fixed set of 'stringent' rules and more importantly, there are specific and pre-ordained consequences for breaking the rules. Guns are also held vertically or are in secure holsters when not in use which makes it obvious to everyone that they are pointed in a safe direction. You can't do that on some rifle ranges (particularly MOD ranges) where the ubiquitous '70 mil' rule applies.

Please, what is it about the 70 mil rule that stops you holding an (unloaded & cleared) firearm vertically?

What stops me/anyone who can follow basic instruction without someone standing over them? Nothing.

But the fact that a significant minority of range rifle shooters seemingly can't even obey it properly in the context its supposed to be operated (loading, shooting etc), giving it as an option is a recipe for mortar fire

[channel12]

I recently came across a range officer who when clearing guns, removes the chamber flag to check if the gun is clear because "there might be a round in the chamber"

[dromia]

I do that when RCO'ing.

I have come across people who cut back the flags so they can have it looking clear when a round is chambered.

Don't ask me ask them as to the why, suffice to say such people no longer shot whilst I was RCOing.

All a breech flag means is that there is something sticking out of a gun, only by inspecting the chamber can you be certain it does not contain a round!

[Mattnall]

And magazine blocks which do not protrude into the chamber but lock the working parts to the rear can often be used, a round could still be in the chamber.

Flags/blocks are usually inserted after the rifles have been cleared, not before. If the shooter put them in before being cleared then the RO, or whoever is clearing the firearm, should take it out to check.

[shoppe]

I also ask shooters to remove the Breech Flag so I can check the chamber. I explain that over the years I have seen some flags that have been cut short for some reason.
Shoppe

[Jorden]

I once shot on a range where they used a length of strimmer line as a breech flags, hung out 6 inches front and rear, no chance of anything being stuck in chamber or bore.