Pay day at the range

knuckledragger · February 16, 2014, 12:03:52 PM

Many have heard the mantra "Every Marine a Rifleman". Today I want to thank my fellow Marines at the range who tried their best to discredit that. The following events have taken place over my last few trips to the range, but most happened today in a 1.75 hr period. For those who don't know me, I am a retired Marine Infantryman who still leads and trains Marines as a civilian.
"Every Marine a Rifleman" is a mindset, it doesn't mean every Marine is actually an 0311 Infantryman. It means every Marine understands the basics of marksmanship, can handle their weapon in a safe fashion and understands how to employee it effectively. It is not something you switch off when you go on libo and turn back on when you report for duty.
Now, lets get started with the thank you's:
1. Thanks to the Marine that doesn't know what "a complete safe weapon" means. It doesn't mean bolt open with a full magazine inserted.
2. Thanks to the Marine who brings a loaded weapon onto the range. Yes, when in Helmand Province, you spent a lot of time with a Condition 1 weapon. You are very comfortable with it, but you cant do that back home, its actually illegal. (No sarcasm here: Thanks for going into harm's way, and congrats for making it back alive; now I want you to stay that way.)
3. Thanks to the Marine who doesn't understand how his new firearm functions, or whether or not you can even lock the bolt to the rear. The time to learn is before you come to the range so you are not labelled a safety violator after the range goes cold. When the Range Officer shows you how to use an expended case to as a chamber flag, its OK to say thanks.
4. Thanks to the Marine who sent his bolt home while we were all down range checking our targets. That is an unsettling noise coming from behind you. When the Range Officer says "no handling of weapons or ammo while cold and stay behind the red line", that means you too, not everyone but you.
5. When you shoot on the retired Master Gunnery Sergeant's target, expect him to get angry and yell at you the way a MGySgt does. He's right when he says "if you are too stupid to know which target is yours, then you don't belong on a live fire range". Its OK to be embarrassed, apologize and make sure you don't do it again. By the way, when you have done what he has done in his life and lived to 71, you'll have the right to walk slowly back from the 200 yd line and not care what a kid on his first enlistment thinks. Next month remember to ask him how his triathlon training is going.
6. Thanks to the Marine who clears a malfunction and flags the line.
7. Thanks to the Marine who uncased his loaded weapon and flagged the line. By the way, transporting a rifle in that condition is against the law in NC (yes, you could do it in OEF, but you aren't there anymore).
8. Thanks to the Marine who puts a scope on his AR/AK/Mosin/etc that doesn't t allow a solid stock/cheek weld and complains he cant hit the target. Your drill instructor taught you better than that at PI or Edson Range.
9. To the Marine who thinks its funny to shoot so badly that you hit the mud in front of my target and splatter it or ricochet rounds through it. By the way, your buddy called you Corporal; as an NCO you should actually be setting the example.
10. Thanks to the Marine who doesn't clean the cosmoline off his new Mosin Nagant and has it jam, holding up the line while the Range Officer fixes it.
11. Your DI started you off shooting at the 25 yd line to get a BZO and your Platoon Sergeant does it now. That same concept is still valid with a new rifle to get it zeroed. It also saves you a lot of money, time & frustration, and I don't have to listen to you complain about it.
Now just a few for the rude ones:
1. Swearing in front of someone's wife or kid is not cool. Don't get angry or surprised when someone says something. Don't argue, its you who'll be kicked off the range, not me.
2. When you show up after the line goes hot, don't just shoot at someone else's target until you can hang yours. Obama didn't come down and miraculously set it up for you, you actually need to do it yourself.
3. When you have a bench spot but all the target stands are taken (it happens on the 25 and 50 yardlines), don't randomly take down someone else's target and replace it with yours.
4. If you have a car alarm and it goes off from rifle fire, don't turn it on. Besides, some of your fellow shooters may have taken stupid pills but they probably won't steal your vehicle.
5. When I am shooting a rifle with a light barrel, I will let it cool between shots, especially when Im working up new loads. Don't keep asking me if I'm done yet; I'm not and, no I won't speed up my shooting. Next time you want to shoot without waiting, get there an hour early, set up and drink some coffee. It works for the rest of us.
For those reading this and asking did anyone say anything, yes. The Range Officer and most of the regulars/members are either retired or senior Marines/Corpsmen who have no problem applying corrective action or remediation. In fact, on a busy day like today, with people waiting for bench space, the members like me assist the RO in running the line to keep it moving.
Sorry for the rant, the RO was too busy today to listen to my frustration so I turned to you guys. Most shooters on the range are safe, focused and nice, helpful folks. Paydays, especially on long weekends, bring out the knuckleheads.
KD

davidlt89 · February 16, 2014, 04:50:25 PM

sounds like a trying time my friend!!! I shot my second clip on someone else's target once. between the two of us we only missed one shot!! They gave him the perfect score:sweatdrop: God Bless.

LvrLover · February 16, 2014, 08:17:10 PM

When I was a kid I watched my cousin get it at deer camp from my grandpa. After a literal kick in the rear, he was informed if he swept anybody with his muzzle again he'd carry it everywhere empty for the rest of the weekend. Muzzle control is the mantra I teach my kids and wife. #1 safety rule.

gitano · February 17, 2014, 08:35:03 AM

Except for very specific, and short-duration, applications, I do not go to public ranges any more. Half of the reasons are typical of the reasons you mention here. The other half have to do with nazi fascist RANGE OFFICERS that use "safety" as an excuse to be RUDE, self-important, complete and intolerable JERKS. (I chose the forum-tolerant "jerks" instead of the actual word I would normally use, and the word I would normally use is MUCH worse than the one that starts with "A".) Nary a one have I met that doesn't think they know EVERYTHING THERE EVER WAS OR IS TO KNOW ABOUT FIREARMS. They are the only people on the planet that are WORSE than gunsmiths as firearms "experts". (Hunting guides and cops being a close second.)

I "feel your pain", KD, but in my experience, RO's ATTITUDES and BEHAVIOR are at least half of the 'problem' with public ranges. Strangely enough - especially to one that HATES Kalifornia as much as I do - the best-behaved RO I have EVER come across was the RO at the Laguna Seca Range in Kalifornia. Of course I started off with a pretty low expectation.

Paul

knuckledragger · February 17, 2014, 12:58:14 PM

Concur on a lot of ROs, Paul. Many have come & gone here at this range, most for interpersonal skills or lack thereof. Less likely to help and more to just yell. The guy this weekend is the longest lasting here. Ive only seen him raise his voice once (and it wasn't this weekend believe it or not). He will pull someone aside unless it needs immediate action.

Ive cooled off a lot since yesterday. Sunday 12 to 2 is my window to shoot, due to my sched. I think I'll just start avoiding payday weekend now. I enjoy the range and don't want to make it something to dread. KD

davidlt89 · February 17, 2014, 04:20:08 PM

I take for granted that I have a range right beside my house I guess, can get out to 300 yards. If I want a 1,000 yards, I can go right up the road!!! I have not yelled at myself yet, and the bathroom is by the spruce trees to the right! God bless.

LvrLover · February 17, 2014, 05:10:49 PM

Sounds like my ranges too David.

gitano · February 17, 2014, 08:41:57 PM

I was going to mention an incident along the lines of your #4, and it's actually a lot worse.

I was down-range checking targets at the 300 yd range and it's a long - time-wise - walk to and fro at the 300 yd range, and no one is expected to run back and forth because of what that does to subsequent shooting. On my way back, some Equus assinus STARTED SHOOTING! I was about 1/2 the way back, and because I like to take the end spot, was able to literally 'dive for the bushes'. Of course there was great hue and cry by the others at the benches, and it was a REALLY good thing for both the shooter and me that I wasn't armed as I walked to the butts because I would have surely 'returned fire'.

Anyway, as bad as that was, the "best" was yet to come. One of the others at the benches ran off to tell the RO about the incident. He came running out to the 300 yd range 'all fired up'. By the time he got there, the 'perpetrator' had vacated the premises and the RO lit into ME! I let him rant for 30 seconds or so and then stepped 'a little closer' - our noses were about 6" apart - and commenced to let him and most of his ancestry know just what I thought of him and them, and not in a particularly 'friendly' way. When the others at the bench started to intervene, he started sputtering excuses and 'deflections' but nary an apology. As I started to gather my things to leave, he had the audacity to tell me I had "better go get that target". I'll leave it to your imagination what I told him HE could do with the target stand that was down range.

There are jerks in every walk of life, and it is not uncommon for them to 1) seek positions of authority (cops) so they can "set everyone else right", or 2) become jerks when put in positions of authority. The best ones are the ones that follow - knowingly or not - the old Chinese proverb that goes: "Give your enemy a golden bridge of retreat." Or the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would have them treat you.

I am reminded of Jay Edward's management style here at THL. He was a "zero tolerance" kind of guy, but he wasn't a jerk about it. As a matter of fact, I recall an incident with him when I was visiting him once.

We had gone to a private range near his place. It was public, and pretty nice, but there were only two benches and no RO or any other 'official' administration. You just drove up and used the place. Anyway, we had gone there so I could shoot some of Joseph's (Jay Edwards to those at THL - his actual name being Joseph Edward Rocheleau), "big bore" single-shot rifles.

When we arrived, there was another fellow there already shooting. After we got set up and I had fired a few rounds, I went down-range to check and change targets. While I was down there, the other fellow started 'playing' with his rifle. Joseph told the guy to "cease and desist" while I was down-range. The guy responded with "It's not loaded" or something along those lines. Joseph pulled his side-arm and at gun-point told the guy to "put the rifle down". All of this was essentially unknown to me because it happened while I was down range. When I returned, I remarked that the other guy had left "kinda suddenly". It was then that Joseph told me why. The point being, Joseph could be 'nice' when confronting stupidity, but was absolutely 'no nonsense' when the stupidity was unabated.

I think a small part of the 'problem' with guys behind gun counters at stores, ROs, gunsmiths, etc. is that weapons (like guns) are a male "thing". In our society today, there is so much pressure on males to NOT BE "male" that when men find places where it's "OK" to be "male", too many of them feel like they need to prove how "male" they are. ROs aren't really any bigger jerks than any of a number of other "types". Jerks are not an 'endangered species'.

Paul

j0e_bl0ggs (deceased) · February 17, 2014, 08:48:35 PM

Cavus Lat:hole

BTW there is a ''special' emote available...

sakorick · February 18, 2014, 03:27:23 AM

This thread is a good read for anyone and everyone that shoots at a public range. Then there was the POF(Privately Owned Firearms) range) at Fort Campbell, AKA Range 16, a 500 yard range. It was real handy to get to and was open during daylight hours 7 days a week and only not available when Range Central was closed which was not often! To use the range you took a one hour class on range safety which covered what you could shoot and not shoot down there and covered Army Regulations on gun registration at the Provost Marshall office. Simply you would report to range central and pick up the red flag and telephone. Once at the range you would raise the red flag, call range central and shoot until you were either sore of out of ammo. Then you would lower the flag, clean up your brass and targets dispose the trash in the dumpster and call range central and report the range closed. I'll never forget rule #1 and I'm paraphrasing.....Any individual, regardless of rank, reported to have violated any posted rule of this range will be banned from this facility for life, by order of the Commanding General, Ft Campbell, KY. There was no problems with discipline at Range 16!

I understand the MWR (family Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) has taken over all Army POF ranges and there are fees involved.

Just another of the reasons I moved out to the farm.:smiley: Regards, Rick.