Why do ranges not want you loading mags on shelves on back wall?

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Okie1907

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So at indoor ranges, most of them anyway, you have to leave your gun at the firing line and walk to the wall behind you in order to load your mags? You cannot load your mags on the firing line?
Yeah that is what I dont get, why cant people just load in their lane? or why not buy another lane. I dont know a single indoor range that doesnt charge something for a second shooter so why not spend the few extra bucks and buy a second lane if one is available of course? Just seems like there is a problem and there isnt really great solutions so the range just puts up with the never ending task of enforcing the rules. Like I said in my original post in theory magazine loading would be fine but its the guys who dont follow rules to begin with or guys who dont know why you dont move guns around in range that are going to be breaking them. I havent shot in H&H in a while (so if this is still applies) but one thing I will congratulate them on is they have a big space behind the shooter for people to stand or sit and there is plenty of space to stack guns or bags behind them and they even have a wooden gun rack in each lane and no shelving units to load on.
 

Okie1907

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Good for you. I saw a guy at our range trying to sight in his optic while guys were down at the berm collecting targets. We have a loud buzzer and flashing lights that let people know when someone is going downrange. He should have known better, but someone went up to him and let him know you aren't supposed to be at the bench when people are downrange. He acted kinda pissy about it (the guy in the wrong), but there's just no other way around it - safety is first.
What range is this? One reason I wont go back to Banner or have a hard time going to any busy outdoor range is the firing line isnt managed by anyone, wasnt when I went there before that guy got shot last year. That may of changed after that incident. I do go to Camo Corner in stillwater but I only shoot when there are very few people there. I didnt ever not plan on going back to Banner although I dont care for how the rifle range is set up and I always thought it was unsafe how the line managed its self so I never went back. After the shooting incident there I decided to never go back.
 

okierider

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So if you leave your gun on the line and load the mags on the back wall, what is the issue?? I take my kids and we will get a couple of lanes and I generally load for the girls while they shoot. Let me say that my kids are 23 to 29 in age. Please educate me on the safety issue ....
 

beastep

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Honestly, I've never shot at an indoor, so I would have been one of the idiots loading mags on the line. I wouldnt leave the line with an upholstered or unbagged gun but thats a rule that makes sense. The no filling mags on the line does not.

What about the one in Ardmore? Do you remember steelfingers?
 

okierider

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Steel I said the guns never leave the line while I am loading for my kids ........... If I go by myself I load on the line. But when the kids come I load and train, they shoot , gun never leaves the line .
What you just described is something completely different. My guns don't leave the line until I clear them and load mags in the carry all and bag the guns.
Have been doing this since my kids started shooting.
Have had the range officer in the next lane while I was doing this and he watched what we were doing and never said a word.
You are right though it is not a perfect world, I have seen a couple of folks at the range that have carried the pistol back to the counter with out dropping the mag and clearing the weapon. Brought it to their attention and they corrected themselves.
 

okierider

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Just because you do it safely every time, doesn't mean everyone will do it safely every time.

OK that line there makes me stop and think!! I am anal to the point of OCD about how I go about doing this. But you are right . If someone sees me doing it and isn't .................
 

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