Carrying handguns at the Range?

I guess it depends on where the club is located and to a lessor extent the history of the club. Where I am IDPA/IPSC events handguns are holstered empty with no magazine ie a cold range.

When I am at the range practicing my pistol is holstered, locked & loaded and safety applied if the gun has a safety. You only have to be 7' from the nose of a Black Bear once to know the degree of warmth a loaded handgun on the hip gives you.

When I am shooting my rifle it is left on the bench with the bolt open. I usually have a stapler, fresh target in my hands making rifle carry awkward. I do carry my handgun as above when shooting my rifles at our range.

Take Care

Bob
 
If you are alone then you must either put your guns back in your locked vehicle or carry them down range as leaving firearms unattended is way more dangerous, that's why we use slings and holsters...
I love my range and the people I shoot with there are awesome!
Always Safety first
 
When I'm at my outdoor range I always have a loaded handgun, eather holstersd or in a pocket. I normally have 2 or more rifles with me so i'm not taking every thing down to the 100 yd. target stand. I do secure my ammo before I change targets. I have no problem carrying or anyone else carrying a loaded handgun at the range as long as it is not TOUCHED!! untill you are at the fireing line and ready to shoot. We do have a lot of coyotes around here.
 
Think about this though:

Say you are along at the range and leave your rifle or handgun on the bench to change your targets. Someone comes along and steals said firearm(s).

Now we all know how innocent gun owners have been charged or at least threatened or treated like a criminal with usafe storage by simply not having a gun locked up and it gets stolen.

So what would happen to a gun owner that has it just lying there out in the open (even though it's on the range) and it gets stolen? You were not in direct control of the firearm and it certainly wasn't "in use". Thus everytime you have to change targets you would have to locked up guns inside your vehicle and inside proper cases (for restricted).
 
You only take one handgun to the range? At all action shooting competitions I have ever been to all the competitors carry their guns empty, hammer down, no mag, pretty much the entire day. You load the gun when you get to the line, show clear when you are done and holster. You only need to carry a loaded handgun around a range if there is a Real threat from bears or you are a wanna be [ cowboy, Rambo, whatever ]. If you take all seven of your handguns to the range are you going to holster them all?
 
drache said:
Think about this though:
Thus everytime you have to change targets you would have to locked up guns inside your vehicle and inside proper cases (for restricted).
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If we ask for a Mandatory holstering of handgun (for safety purpose), this will probably be their answer.
 
Canuck44 said:
When I am at the range practicing my pistol is holstered, locked & loaded and safety applied if the gun has a safety. You only have to be 7' from the nose of a Black Bear once to know the degree of warmth a loaded handgun on the hip gives you.
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I've been attacked by a grizzly bear, although this range carry subject wouldn't have any validity on that event, it sure would have if we were able to carry for recreational wilderness protection.
 
The new RSO course in Alberta states the a handgunshould be under your controle but must be clear and holstered when going down range to change targets
 
DEZ said:
The new RSO course in Alberta states the a handgunshould be under your controle but must be clear and holstered when going down range to change targets
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That is an IPSC rule. IDPA Sanctioned Matches are by rule all cold ranges. Some clubs in the US run hot club matches. We don't up here. Few do in the US,

Take Care

Bob
 
Going downrange on the rifle range I take the bolt out.

At the pistol range (outside with a small table for your stuff) I take all the mags for my pistol in my pocket and leave it on the table. Granted I'm only 10-25M from the bench at any time and can see anyone coming.

I've seen guys who the first thing they do when they show up at the range is strap on a belt with 2 holsters, one on their hip and one a bit back from there. They take a smallish 9mm pistol out, clear it, load a mag and put it in a pouch and put the unloaded pistol in their back holster. It stays there all day no matter what else they do, pistol, rifle, etc. I asked one day why they did that and got a reply...."many people leave un-supervised firearms and ammo behind when they go down to put up targets....there are people I don't know staying behind on the firing line, plus you never know who's going to jump the fence"

Had not honestly thought about the issue until that day......
 
Brambles said:
I've been attacked by a grizzly bear, although this range carry subject wouldn't have any validity on that event, it sure would have if we were able to carry for recreational wilderness protection.
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I think a little common sense mixed with self preservation should be your guide. ;)

Take Care

Bob
 
Years back when my buddy and I were doing a lot of serious bullseye shooting, we belonged to a couple of well structured clubs. For indoor and outdoor shooting we shot at the Naniamo club Monday nights and at the Cowichan facility Wednesday nights. Very basically the protocal when a call to cease fire was given the handguns were unloaded, left open and not touched until signaled to resume fire. Much the same, as I recall, on the rifle range, left open and usually placed in a rack. Again, not touched until safe to do so and a command along that line was given.

I've rejoined the Cowichan club, for range access when needed, and also belong to the smaller and somewhat less formal Chemainus club. At this smaller less formal club, with handguns, I usually take a holster and when I go down range to the target butt, the handgun is unloaded, holstered and comes with me. Fairly recently, I was questioned on this by who I believe was possibly a young RCMP officer. My explaination, as informal as the facility is, I'm not going to leave a firearm behind when I don't have a clue who some of the other shooters may be. Shooting rifle, I sling it on my shoulder and it comes with me as well.
 
holstered

I shoot at an outdoor range,my pistol gets unlocked,cleared and holstered as soon as I arrive. Shooting by oneself or with a buddy we always prove clear to each other and reholster(cold range). If other people show up after,some one takes charge of clearing all arms and they are reholstered. As common courtesy I would prove my pistol clear to other parties there and reholster.If everyone is not OK with this we ask them to move, or move to different part of range ourselves.
Before our range mandated locking the gate after entry someone always stayed with rifles or they were slung and taken with for target changes as lots of "scetchy" people would wander in and be looking at your gear while your 200yds. away. Not to comfy with that.
 
justsomeguy said:
Going downrange on the rifle range I take the bolt out.

At the pistol range (outside with a small table for your stuff) I take all the mags for my pistol in my pocket and leave it on the table. Granted I'm only 10-25M from the bench at any time and can see anyone coming.

I've seen guys who the first thing they do when they show up at the range is strap on a belt with 2 holsters, one on their hip and one a bit back from there. They take a smallish 9mm pistol out, clear it, load a mag and put it in a pouch and put the unloaded pistol in their back holster. It stays there all day no matter what else they do, pistol, rifle, etc. I asked one day why they did that and got a reply...."many people leave un-supervised firearms and ammo behind when they go down to put up targets....there are people I don't know staying behind on the firing line, plus you never know who's going to jump the fence"

Had not honestly thought about the issue until that day......
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I leave all my stuff on the bench, guns,mag and ammo. I never would wear a holster , i wanted some training first on how to draw from a holster safely, i may in the future wear my competition holster after i do the black badge course in Janurary. I never considered a nut comming up behind me or anything, they have to be a member just to get through the gate. I also thought your pistols had to be double locked once you left the pistol bays, i didnt think you could walk freely from one range to the other with a sidearm on. My understanding is no pistols period in the rifle range. However, thats just my two cents, i have never been told otherwise, i just go by the signs and the few rules ive read, anything im unsure of ill call Willy.
 
formerfarmer said:
You only take one handgun to the range? At all action shooting competitions I have ever been to all the competitors carry their guns empty, hammer down, no mag, pretty much the entire day. You load the gun when you get to the line, show clear when you are done and holster. You only need to carry a loaded handgun around a range if there is a Real threat from bears or you are a wanna be [ cowboy, Rambo, whatever ]. If you take all seven of your handguns to the range are you going to holster them all?
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If its loaded and stays in the holster..I don't see an issue.
 
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