Duty Day at the Range

[usabaker]

Sometimes, I wonder why I volunteer as a Range Safety Officer at my local range. Most of the time, it's uneventful; it's especially nice when the regulars and I are there, and I get to have great conversations. But then there are those days. you know what I'm talking about.

Yesterday was COLD so we didn't have more than 20 folks +/- 3 pop show up for the day. I met a new shooter to the range who had quite a nice collection of MILSURPs with him: a 1903A3, Type 99 Arasaka, M.91 Carcano, and an SVT-40. He is a Type 3 holder, so it looks like he and I may do some trading.

Then there was "Joe_b" my factious name for him of course, only because it's the first name to pop in my head. I was standing in the doorway of the connex box we use and the office looking out over the line, and Joe_b walked up and asked me and one of the other RSOs for some Vise Grips.

Vise Grips? I asked in a questioning manner.. Yeah, Vise Grips, I need them to work on my rifle he said. Of course.. ME without thinking.. responded.. Never heard of anyone needing Vise Grips to work on a rifle.. and before I could get another word out, he looked at me with a perturbed look on his face and snarled back "WELL, YOU DON"T KNOW WHAT I"M WORKING ON!"

In my brain I thought; Well of course I don't, but a pair of Vice Grips is not normally an item kept in a range bag.. Well, I guess Joe_b knows the range care takes and went off to borrow one from him.

I did see what he needed them for later; he used them to crank down on the large screws the mount the M1A/M14 2 SCREW SCOPE MOUNT to his Springfield M1A. yeah hmmm.. Don't know what to say about that, not sure that would be my first choice of tools.




In other news, I am, and I will quote and censor, "Another dumb old man has his feelings hurt because ... because why? Grandpa, who gives. [BEEP] uuuuck what you think. I own this farm and ilk do whatever I want on it. You're a disgrace to that uniform. You're clearly an ignorant Democrat."

You see, I saw a video of a young [respectful] man shooting a handgun at targets where his backstop was a very large pond, on the opposite shore were bushes that obstructed any view of what was behind them os, yes ME again, you know my comments.. always get me in trouble. wrote "Nice Backstop." Hmmm...

[browningautorifle]

Yes..I have a few stories too. There was a man came out to our range, very secluded and not well attended. RSO has to be self appointed when several folk are there. This one day a man lays out his shootin' irons and gets to work until one shot detonates his rifle. Pieces everywhere. A bystander was hit and seriously injured but one shooter was a MD so his life was saved. Off to the hospital. Seems the offender had done this at least three times, one revolver cylinder had split and gone through the shed walls years earlier. Holes are still there. The bystander? A guest that hadn't been paid for or registered... The offender? Had his membership lifted by the committee forthwith. Yes, he was an experimental reloader.

That's just one...

[Sapper740]

We had a dyslexic handloader destroy a brand new 700 BDL at The Port Coquitlam and District Hunting and Fishing Club in B.C. Canada. 54 grains instead of 45 grains. Awesome muzzle flashes until the action was set back and locked up solid. To add insult to injury he broke the bolt handle off trying to open the action with a hammer.

[browningautorifle]

Awesome muzzle flashes

Like I said...just one of many. I'll bet we all got lots.