The Range Report -- Winter 2012

1The Range Report Winter 2012

Vol. 15 No. 1 Winter 2012

What’s New in Gun Rests?

Q&A: What Sources Can Help You Get Started?

NSSF’s Magazine for Shooting Facilities

Lead Management:Lessons to Be Learned from Colt

Tips on Liability Waivers

2The Range Report Fall 2011WWW.NSSF.ORG/FIRSTSHOTS

Your First Shot at New Shooters

WWW.NSSF.ORG/FIRSTSHOTS

Finding new customers is always a challenge. If there ever was a sure shot at new business, this is it. Best of all, ranges that held seminars found a significant

increase in range activity, traffic and profits! Shooting range-hosted and -managed seminars are free to participants, easy to run by even small ranges and, best of all, low cost to facilities.

We have already done most of the work for you as an NSSF member and actually help fund advertising for your seminar, provide loaner equipment, ammunition, targets and safety literature. First Shots is a short, hands-on introduction to firearms covering safety, responsible ownership and shooting fundamentals.

Why is the program so successful? First Shots provides a system for bringing target shooting to the general public in one complete package that makes it simple for non-shooters to:

1) Gain awareness of target shooting.

2) Build interest in learning more about target shooting.

3) Evaluate and try target shooting before investment.

4) Access continued opportunities to participate.

The program’s elements of cooperative funding for advertising, a simple agenda, short time frames, limited trials and safe environment all result in an increase of new shooters and new customers to your range.

Here’s what range owners have to say:

“We started to do First Shots almost a year ago and continue

to run one class a month. We do this for two reasons, one is to get more shooters

involved in the shooting sport and the second being a great way for us to give back to the community. We have seen participants who have gone on to take almost every class we offer on personal protection and continue to want to learn more about shooting. We will continue to

participate in the First Shots program and look forward to the new classes that they are working on.”

Harry Misener, Special Events Coordinator,

Shooter’s World

An introduction to shooting

Many have seen remarkable results. To learn more go to www.nssf.org/firstshots or contact Tisma Juett ([email protected]) or call 203- 426-1320. Taking that first shot is always the toughest and the most memorable.

Scan this QR code with your Smartphone for more information on First Shots

http://www.nssf.org/firstshots

Many have seen remarkable results. To learn more go to www.nssf.org/firstshots or contact Tisma Juett ([email protected]) or call 203- 426-1320. Taking that first shot is always the toughest and the most memorable.

3The Range Report Winter 2012 33

8Features

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4 Letter from the EditorNSSF personified By Glenn Sapir

Sighting InScoping out news for the shooting range communityBy Glenn Sapir

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Q&ASources to get startedBy Ed Santos and A.G. Paul

The Undercover ShooterA lesson learned

The Undercover ShooterA long shot in the Northwest

Home on the RangeBeginning the next 50 yearsBy Steve Sanetti

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www.nssf.org • www.wheretoshoot.org • www.rangeinfo.org

On the cover:

Our Options & Innovations series looks at gun rests, beginning on page 14

Photo by Jeff Davis

Vol. 15 No. 1 Winter 2012

© 2012 National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Range ReportSM, SHOT Show® and all other trade names, trademarks and service marks of the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation’s prior express written permission. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Departments

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Eyeing a Super ModelThe Oregon Association of Shooting Ranges is a shining example of statewide range unity.By Brian McCombie

Liability WaiversImportant tips on these essential, but not bulletproof, aspects of your risk-management planBy Jeff Yue

What’s New in Gun Rests?Get up to speed on the latest aids for securing firearms on the bench.By Carolee Anita Boyles

Lessons to Be LearnedHow an industry giant manages lead at its rangesBy Douglas S. Malan

http://www.nssf.org

http://www.wheretoshoot.org

http://www.rangeinfo.org

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Letter from the EditorG l e n n S a p i r

Advisory CoMMiTTee

Don Turner - president of NSSF’s Association of Shooting RangesShooting park manager Clark County Shooting ParkNorth Las Vegas, Nev. [email protected]

Robin Ball, ownerSharp Shooting Indoor Range and Gun ShopSpokane, Wash. [email protected]

Brian Danielson, sales manager Meggitt Training SystemsSuwanee, Ga. [email protected]

Glenn Duncan, ownerDuncan’s Outdoor Shop, Inc.Bay City, Mich. [email protected]

Jon Green, director of education and training Gun Owners Action League (GOAL)Northborough, Mass. [email protected]

Bill Kempffer, presidentDeep River Sporting Clays, Inc.Sanford, N.C. [email protected]

Holden Kriss, directorIndian River County Public Shooting RangeSebastian, Fla. [email protected]

Barry Laws, CEOOpenrange Inc.Crestwood, Ky. [email protected]

Phil Murray, national sales managerWhite Flyer Houston, Texas [email protected]

Tim Pitzer, presidentOregon State Shooting AssociationAlbany, Ore. [email protected]

www.nssf.org

The Range Report, published four times per year by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, is dedicated to serving the needs and to helping meet the challenges of today’s shooting facilities.

The Range Report encourages letters, comments, suggestions, questions and tips. Material to be returned should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The Range Report does not assume responsibility for the loss of unsolicited graphic or written material. Correspondence should be sent to:

The Range Report c/o NSSF 11 Mile Hill Road Newtown, CT 06470-2359 Fax: 203-426-1245 E-mail: [email protected]

We reserve the right to edit for clarity and space.

Managing Director Mark ThomasEditor Glenn SapirAdvertising Director Ann SiladiArt Director Deb Moran

Letter from the Editor

G l e n n S a p i r

NSSF Personified

Do you remember the successful NRA advertising campaign in which a diversity of people were highlighted,

with the heading, “I’m the NRA, and I vote?” Standing before me at the “Product Showcase” at the business conference of the Professional Outdoor Media Associa-tion was an attractive young lady. She was co-“manning” the booth for the Scholas-tic Shooting Sports Foundation, and she may not have even heard of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Neverthe-less, through our discussion that day and a later conversation I discovered that in some ways Morgan Dulaney personifies NSSF’s programs to promote shooting and increase participation. She was the NSSF, and she was barely old enough to vote. This 18-year-old was on her way back from the Scholastic Clay Target Program’s “Last Person Standing” competition at which her expertise in trapshooting earned her the national title. The next day, the dozens of accomplished outdoor writers at the POMA gathering would attend the orga-nization’s shooting day, and Morgan would be taking on all shooters. “I’d say about 30 writers challenged me at trap,” she later reported, “and I beat all of them except one. In fact, that day I shot my first 50 straight, my first 75 straight and my first 100 straight.” Not bad for the June high-school gradu-ate who began her freshman year in college this past fall. At the POMA Business Confer-ence, I told her about NSSF’s Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative, through which the trade association for the shooting sports grants money to colleges to establish shoot-ing clubs and teams and to strengthen those that already exist. A couple of months into her first semester at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, Morgan and I caught up, and I learned that she had taken my mention of CSSI to heart. “The college has a riflery team,” she said, “but that’s all. I have begun looking into the possibility of starting a trapshoot-ing team, and the university has pledged its support.”

She said she knows that she needs to start applying for grants, which will fund ammunition and travel. But she has run into an important stumbling block. “We need to find someone who will serve as our coach and would help take on the job of starting a team,” Morgan said. This young lady thirsts to continue competitive shooting. It has been a part of her life since she was old enough to shoot. “All of my family on my dad’s side were shooters,” Morgan said. “When I got to high school, my brother was the captain of our scholastic trapshooting team. By my senior year, I was the captain.” Her high school team entered itself as an SCTP squad, and, of course, that program was founded by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to promote shooting while building character. Before it was handed over to the Scholastic Shoot-ing Sports Foundation, SCTP under NSSF administration had been embraced by more than 30,000 students. Today, NSSF continues to be a major financial supporter of the program, which has now expanded to include collegians. Morgan is also investigating starting an SCTP squad among her fellow students. Until trapshooting gets off the ground at her college, Morgan will continue to go home every other weekend or more frequently to shoot. SCTP has helped create an aspiring and accomplished shooter, and CSSI may help her to continue her competi-tive shooting while in school. In any case, her tremendous desire to get on the line and her intensity when she gets there shows real promise that a lifetime shooter has been created—and it’s good to know that programs that NSSF has administered have helped to make that happen. As an NSSF member and as a shooting facility, you can become part of many of the programs that NSSF offers—First Shots, CSSI, Range Partnership grants, WhereTo-Shoot.org and more. Morgan Dulaney is the NSSF. How about you?

Advisory CoMMiTTee

Bill Kempffer, president - chairman of NSSF’s Range DivisionDeep River Sporting Clays, Inc.Sanford, N.C. [email protected]

Don Turner, presidentDon Turner Consultant, LLCNorth Las Vegas, Nev. [email protected]

Robin Ball, ownerSharp Shooting Indoor Range and Gun ShopSpokane, Wash. [email protected]

Brian Danielson, sales manager Meggitt Training SystemsSuwanee, Ga. [email protected]

Glenn Duncan, ownerDuncan’s Outdoor Shop, Inc.Bay City, Mich. [email protected]

Jon Green, director of education and training Gun Owners Action League (GOAL)Northborough, Mass. [email protected]

Holden Kriss, directorIndian River County Public Shooting RangeSebastian, Fla. [email protected]

Barry Laws, CEOOpenrange Inc.Crestwood, Ky. [email protected]

Phil Murray, national sales managerWhite Flyer Houston, Texas [email protected]

Stan Pate, presidentOregon State Shooting AssociationAlbany, Ore. [email protected]

Doug VanderWoude, range program managerAcuSport CorporationBellefontaine, Ohio [email protected]

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4 The Range Report Winter 2012

mailto:[email protected]












5The Range Report Summer 2011 555

Scoping out news for the shooting range communitySighting In Sighting In

By Glenn Sapir, Editor

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The Range Report Winter 2012

TheNationalShootingSportsFounda-tionandeightshootingfacilitiesingreaterChicagoandMadison,Wis.,sponsoredFirstShotsseminarsSaturday,Nov.5,2011,tointroduceresidentstosafeandresponsiblehandgunownership.WithChicagoresidentsnowabletoexercisetheirSecondAmend-mentrightsfollowingtheSupremeCourt’sMcDonalddecisionandwithWisconsinbecomingthe49thstatetopermitconcealedcarry,thetwocitieswerenaturalstokickoffNSSF’sBigCityTourofFirstShots.FutureseminarsareslatedforMiamiandSacramento. “WiththeirindividualrighttokeepandbeararmsreaffirmedbytheU.S.SupremeCourt’sMcDonaldruling,Chica-golandresidentsaredisplayingtheirkeeninterestinowningfirearmsbyfillingFirstShotsseminarsatareashootingranges,”saidTismaJuett,NSSFmanagerofFirstShots.“Makingtheleapfromfreedom-to-owntoactualownershipcanbechallenging,however.Toprovidehelpfulanswerstothemanyques-tionsresidentsmayhaveabouttheprocessofhandgunownership,fiveshooting

rangesscheduledfreeFirstShotsseminarstoprovideasafeandsupervisedintroduc-tiontoownership.” NSSF,thetradeassociationforthefirearms,ammunition,huntingandshoot-ingsportsindustry,co-sponsoredtheseminarswiththeseChicago-arearanges:

MidwestSportingGoods,Lyons,Ill.;G.A.T.Guns,Dundee,Ill.;BassProShops,Gurnee,Ill.;MaxonShootersSupplies,Inc.,DesPlaines,Ill.;andH.P.ShootingCenter,Inc.,McHenry,Ill. Allfiverangesreportedthattheirclasses--uptothreeadayateachrange—werecompletelyfilled.Eachoftheranges,however,hasagreedtohostmoreFirstShotseventsinthefuture. Theprocessofobtain-ingaconcealedcarry

permitcanbechallengingand,tosome,evendaunting.TheFirstShotsseminarsintheMadison,Wis.,providedanswerstothemanyquestionsofWisconsinresidentsabouttheprocessofgainingaCCWpermitandhandgunownership. Offeringtheseminarswere:McMillerSportsCenter,Eagle,Wis.;NorthBristolSportsman’sClub,SunPrairie,Wis.;Colum-

busSportsman’sClub,Columbus,Wis. “FirstShotsseminarsprovideanintro-ductiontosafeandresponsiblehandgunshootingandfirearmsstorage,”saidJuett.“Eachseminarcoverslawsandregulations,emphasizesthevalueofpropertrainingandputsparticipantsonthefiringlinewithcertifiedinstructorssotheycanexpe-riencethefunoftargetshooting.” FormoreinformationaboutFirstShots,[email protected].

First Shots® Kicks Off Big City Tour

Newly Designed WhereToShoot Website

TheNationalShootingSportsFoundation(NSSF)haslaunchedanewlyredesignedWhereToShoot.org®,theweb’smostcomprehensiveandfrequentlyupdatedlistingofshootingranges. Thesiteallowsanyonetosearchforaplacetoshootintheirarea.Visitorssimplyentertheirstateorzipcodeandalistofshootingrangesiscreated.Searchescanbefurthernarrowedbyselectingwhichshootingdisciplinethevisitorisinterestedin. Inadditiontoitspopularsearchcapability,thesitenowoffersanumberofotherresourcesforshooters,includinglinksto:videotips;freeprintabletargets;newsaboutlocalshootingeventsandopportunities;safetyinformation;descriptionsofvariousshootingsports;howtofindaretailer;listingof5Star-ratedshootingfacilities;NSSF’s“PulltheTrig-gerSM”e-newsletterarchive;andshootingorganizations WhereToShoot.orgisthemostcomprehensivedirectoryofshootingrangesonline.ManagedbyNSSF,thetradeassociationforthefirearmsindustry,thesiteisupdatedfrequentlywithrangeinformationineverystate.NSSFencouragesallshootingrangestoenterorupdatetheirrangeinformationfreeofcharge.

Big Names Propel Success for Sporting Clays Event

TheDoverFurnaceShootingGrounds,inDoverPlains,N.Y.,andtheGlenArborGolfClubinBedfordHills,N.Y.,joinedforceswithdignitariesandcelebri-tiestoraisefundstorestoreAmerica’s193-millionacreNationalForestSystem.TheFridayandSaturdayNationalForestFoundation’s17thAnnualSportingClaysInvitational,sponsoredbytheRemingtonOutdoorFoundation,featuredanopeningreceptionatthegolfcluband158shoot-ersvyingfortophonorsatthe20-stationsportingclayscourseonSaturday. AmongtheattendeeswereTomBrokaw,whoservedasguestspeakeratthereception,andSSgts.JoshRichmondandMarkWeeksoftheU.S.ArmyMarks-manshipUnit. Runningasuccessfulbenefitshoottakesalotofplanning,organizationandpromotion.YoumaynotbeabletoincludeanationallytreasurednewsmanandanOlympicshooteronyourguestlist,butifyourfacilitywishestorunsuchaneventorstrengthenanalreadyannuallysched-uledshoot,you’dbewisetostudytwoguidespublishedbyNSSF:“CountdowntoSuccess;EventPlanningChecklist”and“GuidetoCommunityRelationsatShootingRanges.”BotharefreetoNSSFmembersand$15eachtononmembers. Toorder,clickonPublicationsatRangeResourcesattheNSSFwebsite,www.nssf.org.TolearnmoreaboutNSSFmembership,clickonIndustry,thenMembership,atthesamewebsite.

http://www.firstshots.org


http://www.nssf.org

http://www.wheretoshoot.org


Your questions answered

Q&AQ&A

In Q & A, The Range Report invites

NSSF’s Association of Shooting Ranges

advisory committee members past and

present, and others with special expertise,

to provide their answers to questions

of interest to our readers. If you have

a question you’d like to see addressed,

submit it to [email protected].

If you would like to comment on the

answers given in this edition’s Q&A, or if

you have related follow-up questions for

this expert, please share your thoughts

at the same e-mail address.

Sources to Get Started

Ed Santos

Owner/FounderCenter Target Sports, Inc.

Post Falls, Idaho

A.G. Paul

Owner/OperatorThe Sound of Freedom U.S.A.

Ozark, Mo.

66

Q. Where can you find help developing an indoor range?

A. Ed Santos, owner/founder, Center Target Sports, Inc.

Since opening my commercial indoor range almost seven years ago, I am often asked about the process of evaluating such a project. My initial response is always the same. I recommend potential range owners join two organizations as soon as possible. Membership in the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the National Rifle Association (NRA) are essen-tial in my opinion. The NSSF is an unmatched resource for market research, demographic analysis and many other categories of information that are critical to developing a busi-ness plan. The business plan is a critical component to the overall project. One very important asset of NSSF Research is its credibility. I have been involved in a number of commercial range business plan submissions. The information supplied by the NSSF has never been questioned. This is very important when you are faced with

the in-depth analysis conducted by most lending institutions today. The NRA, through its range services department and its range development seminars offered three times a year, will answer the majority of questions that are raised by potential range owners. I attended one of these seminars before I developed my project and can say that the tuition was money well spent. In addition to these two organiza-tions, range equipment manufacturers are well prepared to assist in the project development and analysis. They will put in perspective the analysis of equipment features and the associated costs involved in specific systems. They are also the best source for equipment footprint and weight requirements that are critical to the facil-ity’s structural design. All in all we as an industry are much better prepared today than ever before to assist a potential range owner with the entire process. Anyone interested in a commercial range project should contact both the NSSF and the NRA. There are many of us who work in this industry and share your passion for the shooting sports and are willing to help in any way we can.

A. A.G. Paul, owner/operator, The Sound of Freedom U.S.A.

Many resources are available to someone who is considering building his or her own indoor gun range, which is what I operate. The NRA holds a range development seminar typically three times a year. It is a week long, and, even though it is combined with outdoor range construc-tion, it covers most things that have to do with building and operating a success-ful indoor range. The NSSF also can provide prospec-

tive builders with mountains of information, from demographic studies to what to expect when dealing with OSHA and the EPA. Although these resources are extremely valuable and should not be overlooked, one of the very best things a person can do to prepare themselves is to visit other indoor ranges. In most cases the owner/operators of these ranges are very proud of what they have accomplished. As a result, most are usually happy to answer a few questions on the spot, and sometimes let you see parts of the facility where access might not normally be granted. The best ques-tion we found to ask was, “What would you have done differently, knowing what you know now?” Beyond that, your ques-tions will likely vary from range to range based on the point you are at during this journey. In the beginning you will most likely want to know everything about “bullet traps” and “ceiling baffles.” Toward the end it will be more along the lines of “Who are your distributors?” In our journey to build The Sound Of Freedom USA Indoor Gun Range in Ozark Mo., we visited 50 indoor ranges in 14 states. Each range we visited would give us ideas on what we liked, and also things we didn’t like. We talked to owners, employees and even customers. At some point toward the end, we ran out of questions and had a very good idea of what it was going to take to put together a successful indoor shooting facility.

Editor’s Note: Prospective range developers should visit www.nssf.org, click on “Shoot-ing” and then acquaint themselves with the many “Resources for Ranges” that the trade association for hunting and the shootings sports, firearms and ammunition industry offers. RR

A.G. Paul

Owner/OperatorThe Sound of Freedom U.S.A.

Ozark, Mo.

7The Range Report Summer 2011 7The Range Report Spring 2011

Together, Our Voice Is Strong

WWW.NSSFmembeRSHIp.cOm

The future of your business depends on it.

Help us make your voice louder and stronger where it counts. Now more than ever, it’s time to become a NSSF

member. To join contact Bettyjane Swann at (203) 426-1320 or [email protected].

For over 50 years, our mission has never wavered. Promote, protect and preserve our hunting and shooting sports. We are the National Shooting

Sports Foundation, the trade association of the firearms, ammunition and shooting industry. Whether it is in the field, on the range, in Washington, D.C. or 50 state capitals, we stand proudly as your voice.

National Shooting Sports Foundation®

Scan this QR code with your Smartphone for more information

on NSSF membership

http://www.nssfmembership.com


Call it a “Tale of Two Shoot-ing Ranges” —specifically, two shooting ranges in

Oregon that recently faced the all-too-common problem of neighbors making environmental charges against the ranges. In Oregon, as in many states, once the charges were made, a regulatory agency had to investigate. One range sought the help of the Oregon Association of Shoot-ing Ranges, or OASR. The other rejected that help. The outcomes? Night and day. In the case of the first range, the Oregon Department of Envi-ronmental Quality (DEQ) sent out an investigator who found no prob-

lems. Then, DEQ hit the range with a $3,000 bill for said investigation. “It’s a pretty small club, and it didn’t have $3,000,” says George Pitts, who helped co-found OASR in 2003 and today serves as its chairman. “So we went in and talked with DEQ, and mitigated the bill. We got it down to $1,000, and the club was glad to pay that and get this issue settled.” The other shooting range took

the position that it was there before the neighbors, so the range was protected. OASR offered to act as an intermediary with state regula-tors. OASR officers also suggested various ways the club could alter operations and, in so doing, better defend it from the complaints. “They decided they didn’t need any help, that they’d go it alone,” says Tim Pitzer, OASR co-founder. “Well, today? Alone only gets you so far.” In the legal battle that followed, this range lost several acres of its property and got socked with hefty legal bills. Though some limited shooting still occurs there, the facil-ity is a shadow of what it once was. Understanding that state ranges were increasingly under attack, Pitts and Pitzer came together over a decade ago to develop a state shooting range association. At the time, Pitts was vice president of the Tualatin Valley Sportsmen’s Club, Pitzer the vice president of the Oregon State Shooting Association (a title he still holds today, as well as being a member of OASR). They met with other range managers across the state, getting their ideas about how a state association might function. “At the time,” Pitzer remem-bers, “the anti-gunners were going after shooting ranges in the state. They were attacking ranges on development and environmental issues, and trying to use state regu-

latory agencies to shut them down.” OASR was formally organized late in 2003. A nonprofit 501(c)(4), OASR has a traditional organi-zational structure, with a chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and trea-surer. An executive

board helps keep OASR focused on its mission: to protect and promote Oregon’s shooting ranges, to educate range owners and opera-

Eyeing a Super Model The Oregon Association of Shooting Ranges may not star on the runway, but it is a shining example of statewide range unity

By Brian McCombie

“It is much easier—and much less

costly— for ranges to be proactive and to protect

themselves before problems start.”


tors and to provide the necessary resources when ranges find them-selves under attack. OASR meets formally four times a year. Meetings take places at vari-ous ranges, as well as at Oregon Fish and Wildlife headquarters in Salem. OASR dues are based on a shooting club or range’s total membership, with dues levied at $2 per range member. OASR began with just eight shooting ranges, but that quickly increased to a dozen. Today, OASR represents 24 ranges and shooting clubs, and four additional ranges have recently applied. In total, the OASR ranges and clubs represent more than 13,000 members, and those numbers are a source of real strength. “When we go into a situation, maybe a meeting with a state regula-tory agency, we go in representing over 13,000 members of our associa-tion ranges,” says Pitzer. “It gives us some real clout. They listen to us.” The National Shooting Sports

Foundation (NSSF) assisted the fledgling OASR, too. Rick Patter-son, at the time director of NSSF’s range division, traveled to Oregon and gave a presentation to shooting range owners and managers about the importance of ranges coming together. NSSF also paid to bring in speakers on environmental issues of concern to state ranges. “NSSF was really helpful,” says Pitzer. “When they brought in Rick

Patterson, and he talked to those other range operators about why we needed to organize, that really bought us a lot of credibility within the state.” It is a credibility that has been well earned. “OASR has really become the ambassador in the state for shoot-ing ranges and the shooting range industry,” says Zach Snow, NSSF’s manager of shooting promotions.

A Shooting Range Summit in 2012 TheNationalShootingSportsFouindationwillhostaShootingRangeSummitin2012thatwillbringtogetherrangeowners,operatorsandvolunteersfromaroundthenation.Thesummitwillbeagreatopportunityto,amongotherthings,networkonformingOASR-typeorganizations. “Thesummitwillbeallaboutwaystoincreaseshootingrangeparticipation,”saidZachSnow,NSSF’smanagerofshootingpromotions.“Theotherbigfocuswillbeoneducation—tosharethoseresourcesthatwillhelpuspromote,protect,andpreserveourshootingrangesforyearstocome.” Atthetimeofthiswriting,neitherdates,locationnoragendahadbeenfinal-ized.NSSFwillpostdetailsatwww.nssf.org/ranges.

http://www.nssf.org/ranges

http://www.coltsmfg.com


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“It’s a great cooperative effort, and it’s ensuring that the future of shooting ranges in Oregon is bright, for years and years to come.” Snow adds that Oregon was the first state to unify its ranges into a cohesive organization, and that OASR is truly a model for other states and their shooting ranges. Pitts, though, is very clear on one point: OASR is not looking for a fight. Just the opposite. “We’re not trying to beat DEQ or any other agency,” says Pitts. “We’re trying to work with DEQ.” When OASR got up and running, for example, one of its main efforts was to inform state ranges about the applicable envi-ronmental regulations. Later, OASR began putting together legal and engineering resources to help ranges defend themselves from complaints and investigations. As Pitts notes, it is much easier—and much less costly—

for ranges to be proactive and to protect themselves before problems start. One of the most important things ranges need to do is to develop Environmental Steward-ship Plans or ESPs. An ESP is a written document that lays out a range’s lead-management practices. OASR helps member and nonmem-ber ranges develop ESPs so that they incorporate Best Management Practices. Simply having an ESP on hand and being able to show state regulators that best management practices have been implemented has stopped many anti-range complaints right in their tracks. To understand just how far OASR has come as an organization, consider that the group recently began working on a publication that will explain state environmental laws, with range-specific examples, and detail the best management practices these ranges should be employing. OASR is working with

Oregon DEQ on the project, and should have the book-length publi-cation out sometime this year. “We hope to issue these books to all the ranges in the state, whether they are OASR members or not, so we’re all working on the same page,” says Pitts. Are you interested in the idea of a range association in your state? “First of all, contact us, and we’ll help in any way that we can,” Pitzer says. “We’re an open book. We’ll tell you all we can about what we did, if it worked, if it didn’t.” Contact a number of other ranges operators and mangers within your state and begin to discuss the idea of an association. Get feedback on what sorts of chal-lenges these ranges are facing. However, do not expect any one person to tackle such an undertak-ing alone. “We had a number of various ranges with enthusiastic members, notably Fred Ross of Siuslaw Rod & Gun Club in Florence, that were essential to making this organiza-tion get off the ground,” says Pitts. “They helped identify the needs and sell the concept.” NSSF’s Snow recommends a core group of three to five people to do the initial start-up work and will be willing to serve as association officers. “NSSF is all for assisting these kinds of efforts,” Snow adds. “For example, we’re able to plant seed money to implement the initial organizational structure, so that it can become a non-profit 501 corpo-ration and a new range association can move forward.” “You’ve got to have a few people really willing to grab the ball and run with it,” Pitts says. “It can take some real time, some significant hours. But, my gosh, the benefits are going to be so huge to your state’s clubs and shooting ranges. You won’t just be safe-guarding yourselves—you’ll be preserving shooting sports in your state for years to come.”

http://www.mfgservs.com

http://www.businesscontrol.com


In today’s litigious environ-ment, it is almost guaranteed that a business will be sued

if a customer is hurt while on its premises. Venues open for recre-ation, such as shooting ranges, are particularly vulnerable to lawsuits— frivolous or not— that can have devastating financial consequences. A single lawsuit, whether arising because one of your customers failed to heed the “Wet Floor” sign in the clubhouse or ignored a range safety officer’s instructions in loading and unloading his or her firearm, could put you out of business if your range is found legally responsible. Range owners and opera-tors must be vigilant of customer lawsuits “waiting to happen” and implement risk-management measures to protect their busi-

nesses. Together with procuring business-liability insurance and making range safety a priority (e.g., offering employee safety training, inspecting facilities and equipment, posting range safety rules, etc.), liability waivers are an important component in a successful range risk-management program. A liabil-ity waiver signed by a customer before he or she is permitted to engage in shooting or other activi-ties can eliminate, or at least reduce, the chance that your range will be sued in the unfortunate event the customer is injured. And if sued, the waiver can improve your range’s ability to defend the case. Let’s understand what liability waivers are, identify caveats associ-ated with waivers and offer some practical tips in using waivers to

protect your range.

What is a waiver? An exculpatory agreement, such as a liability waiver (some-times also referred to as a liability release or hold harmless agreement), is a contract relieving or limiting a party’s blame for harm another person may incur, such as bodily injury, as a result of participating in an activity. Other common types of exculpatory contracts include indemnification agreements and covenants not to sue. These terms are often used interchangeably with waivers, but they have completely different purposes and conse-quences. Though not covered here, an indemnification agreement, for the curious reader, is an arrange-ment where one person agrees to

Liability WaiversWhat to know about these essential, but not bulletproof, aspects of your risk-management plan

By Jeff Yue, NSSF Associate General Counsel


protect another from liability to third parties, and a covenant not to sue is an agreement entered into by an individual who has a valid legal claim against another but agrees not to pursue the claim. It has been said that waivers are not worth the paper they are written on. This claim can be chal-lenged with “It is better to have a waiver than not have one at all.” A well-drafted, clear and unambiguous waiver can be invaluable in estab-lishing that your range exercised reasonable care in educating custom-ers about the risks associated with shooting activities. Individuals may also hesitate in pursu-ing legal action against your range if they signed a waiver expressly stat-ing that they voluntarily and knowingly assumed these risks. Even if your waiver is not enforced and a lawsuit proceeds against you, a court may consider the waiver in evaluating the sufficiency of other legal defenses you may have and limit your damages.

Caveats Before rushing off to adopt a waiver for your range there are a few important caveats to keep in mind.

Is everyone in agreement? A waiver is a contract and, being a contract, it is subject to all of the standard rules of contract formation and construction. A waiver is not likely to be enforced if you are unable to demonstrate that a customer read and understood the nature of the document, was informed about the risks associated with shooting activities, voluntarily chose to assume those risks and intended to relieve the range from liability arising from his or her participation in the activ-ity. Customers should always be afforded time to read a waiver. Consider having customers initial each page or paragraph of your waiver to reflect their acknowledge-ment and agreement with the terms.

In the event a customer has any questions, range personnel should be readily available to answer them.

Watch your language States require waivers to include clear and unambiguous wording and will balk at waivers attempting to absolve a party from extreme forms of liability (i.e., gross negligence, intentional acts). Waivers that do not meet specific wordsmith require-ments or are overbroad are not likely going to be valid. Many court opinions can now be found on the Internet, and law firms publish summaries of court rulings

on their websites. A number of other online resources provide helpful guidance on waiver requirements in specific states. Range owners and operators should read these materi-als and familiarize themselves with state waiver laws. Before acting on this information, however, an attor-ney should be consulted to ensure that your waiver complies with your state’s particular legal requirements to be enforceable.

One size does not fit all Never assume that a waiver received from a friend at another range or one found on the Internet will protect your particular business. All waivers are not created equal. Every state interprets waivers differ-ently, and just because a waiver may pass muster in one state does not mean it will in another. Some states are lenient in interpreting waivers, and others strictly scrutinize them.

Some states only permit waivers in certain circumstances, and some do not enforce waivers at all. Though it is not advisable to recycle someone else’s waiver, it could be a helpful starting point in creating one of your own. Further-more, you may save money by having an attorney review a waiver that you have already prepared rather than having the attorney write one from scratch.

You still can be sued Waivers are not bulletproof. A customer that signs a waiver and is hurt on your range can still sue

your range no matter how well-written your waiver is. Whether the challenge has any merit is a different ques-tion. Regardless, the fact remains your range will still have to defend itself. Having a waiver is still better than not having one at all. Even if the waiver is not enforced, a court may consider it as strong evidence that a customer knew and assumed the risks of the activity. Be sure to keep and store all waivers signed by

your customers in a safe and readily accessible place. If you do not retain them or cannot find them, your abil-ity to defend against a lawsuit could be hindered.

What about the children? Laws dealing with waivers signed by minors or signed by parents/guardians on behalf of minors are a mixed bag. Waivers signed by minors have traditionally been found to be unenforceable because of a minor’s capacity to enter into contracts. Courts and legislatures in multiple states have enforced parental waiv-ers, however. A good practice is to create a waiver that is signed by both the minor and his or her parent/guardian and implement other precautions to limit your range’s liability (e.g., ask about the minor’s skill level, make sure facilities and equipment are safe, insist that a minor’s parent/guardian

A well-drafted, clear and unambiguous waiver can be

invaluable in establishing that your range exercised reasonable

care in educating customers about the risks associated with

shooting activities.


is present and close by at all times, provide range safety officer supervi-sion, etc.).

Checklist for waivers Below are a few tips to follow in creating your own waiver. This list is helpful but not comprehensive.

4 The waiver should be written in easy to understand language. If you have foreign language customers, have waivers trans-lated and make them available.

4 Warn of the full range of possible injuries that a customer could incur by participating in an activ-ity (e.g. bodily injury, permanent disability, death or property damage).

4 Identify risks assumed broadly (e.g. “known and unknown”); otherwise the waiver could be limited to known risks or risks inherent in the activity.

4 Exculpatory language waiving

the range’s liability should be conspicuous. Use bold font, large type, and SET APPART FROM OTHER LANGUAGE.

4 Expressly state that the waiver is seeking a release of your range’s negligence, including negli-gence of its directors, officers, employees and authorized repre-sentatives, to the fullest extent permitted by law. Use the word “negligence.”

4 Include language that your range is also seeking to be released from the negligent acts of event partici-pants or bystanders.

4 Waivers are not likely to protect a range against liability for acts of gross negligence or other outra-geous conduct.

4 Waivers should be separate docu-ments. Do not incorporate a waiver into another form like a membership application or regis-tration form.

4 Having multiple customers sign one waiver form is not recom-mended.

4 The statute of limitations for bringing personal injury, prop-erty damage and contractual claims vary from state to state. Waivers should be retained among your records for at least until such periods expire.

Contact a lawyer within your state It is highly recommended that ranges contact an attorney licensed in their state with experience writing and defending waivers before imple-menting their own. Range owners and operators should educate their attorneys about their business and the specific activities they conduct. Armed with this knowledge and the ins and outs of your state’s waiver requirements, your attorney can ensure that your waiver contains the proper wording to make it compli-ant and enforceable to protect your range. RR

http://www.arss.com

Options & Innovations

When it comes to gun rests, every shooter has an opin-ion. Options range from

simple sand bags to complex portable shooting benches, with everything in between; every shooter has his or her favorite. At H&H Gun Range in Okla-homa City, Okla., patrons can shoot either handguns or rifles on one of 55 indoor lanes. “The majority of our lanes are set up to handle high-powered rifles,” said owner Miles Hall. “Benchrest shooting really boils down to what you want to accomplish with the gun. What we’ve found is that there isn’t a cookie-cutter answer when it comes to what the customer wants; there isn’t one gun rest that works for everybody.” Hall said that what his customers use the most is sand-filled leather bags. “That’s also the simplest and easi-est gun rest for a range to have,” he said. “They work for both long guns and for handguns, and everybody ‘gets’ how to use them.”

Hall said he prefers leather to synthetic materials because the leather wears better. Brandon Butler, marketing manager of Battenfeld Technolo-gies, said many ranges don’t take as much advantage of manufacturers’ programs for purchasing gun rests as they could. Tim Brandt, public rela-tions manager for ATK, including Shooters Ridge and RCBS, agreed. “I don’t know if it’s logistics, if they think they can’t afford it or if

they don’t have the staff to put rests out or to be sure they get put away,” Brandt said. Butler said many companies have special pricing for ranges who buy shooting rests for customer use.

“We give discounts to ranges,” he said. “We usually provide products to ranges at an industry price of about half the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, which makes them very affordable.” Brant said Shooters Ridge offers a number of different types of bags that you can fill with sand, including those made of suede and regular leather. Shooter’s Ridge also offers the Gorilla Bag, which provides seven different rest options for a variety of firearms.

Battenfeld Technologies has a wide variety of bench-top rests in the Caldwell brand of shoot-ing accessories, including its own versions of the shooting bag. “The Tack Driver bag is an excellent choice for ranges,” Butler said. “The Dead Shot bag is another great bag for ranges.”

The Tack Driver has an H-shaped configuration that makes it suitable for rifles, shotguns and handguns; the Dead Shot is a two-bag system with front and rear components that make it versatile on the shooting bench.

What’s New in Gun Rests?Get up to speed on the latest aids for securing firearms on the bench

By Carolee Anita Boyles

“We give discounts to ranges. We usually provide products to

ranges at an industry price of about half the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, which makes them very affordable.”


Once you get past the basic sand-filled bag, there’s a broad range of other rests for use on ranges. “Personally, I particularly like the Zero-Max and the Pistolero Handgun Rest for ranges,” Butler said. The Caldwell Zero-Max Shoot-ing Rest is a full-length tube steel construction rest with elevation and windage adjustment, a front sandbag and micro adjustment for elevation corrections. The Caldwell Pistolero offers five inches of horizontally adjustable hand support and three inches of vertically adjustable barrel support, so it accommodates almost every handgun on the market. It’s designed for both indoor and outdoor use. Clark County Shooting Park in Las Vegas, Nev., has typical concrete benches on its outdoor range, but supplements those benches with gun rests. “We have rests that are easily adjustable,” said Park Manager Steve Carmichael. “They’re Delta rests made by Hornady. They can be posi-tioned so the shooter can put the butt stock of the gun on them in several positions. It’s a molded rest that’s tapered so you have several different heights.” The Delta gun rest offers nine different shooting heights, three on each of its three sides. It can be filled with sand to make it heavier than just the molded plastic of which it’s formed. Shooter’s Ridge has its Deluxe Rifle Rest, which is designed to mini-mize felt recoil. It’s built of tubular steel with windage and elevation adjustments, a vinyl-coated butt rest and a front sandbag for a solid shoot-ing platform. Both right-handed and left-handed shooters can use this shooting rest. If you’re looking for a simple pistol or rifle rest, the Allen Company has its Shot Saver Bench Rest. It’s a small bag mounted on a three-legged rest with removable pointed anchor pins. MTM Case-Gard has a new bench-top rest, the K-Zone Shooting Rest. Unlike many other rests, this one is plastic, which makes it lighter and easier to handle than heavier models;

The RASS Shooting Bench

The Deluxe Rifle Rest from Shooter’s Ridge

Photo courtesy of RCBS

Photo courtesy of Shooter’s Ridge

Shooter’s Ridge two-tone sand bags (above);Shooter’s Ridge suede sand bag (above left);and Shooter’s Ridge leather sand bags (left)


Photo courtesy of Shooter’s Ridge.

it has compartments you can fill with sand to add weight if your customers wish. It has a hand-wheel elevation system and will fit bolt-action rifles, modern sporting rifles, lever-action rifles, slug guns and handguns. The overall length can be adjusted as much as 7½ inches to fit different firearms. Also from MTM Case-Gard is a recoil-reducing rest, the Shoul-der Gard Rifle Rest. An integrated recoil-reduction sling lets shooters

with magnum and bigger bore rifles shoot with less felt recoil. You can remove the recoil reduction sling for use with lighter caliber rifles. The MTM Pistol Rest is for handguns only. It can be adjusted to hold everything from a 14-inch Thompson Center Contender to a little Derringer; it locks into posi-tion so it doesn’t shift from the recoil with each shot. The Pistol Rest can be used with or without a sand bag; the rest is made of poly-propylene. Vanguard’s Steady-Aim gun rest is made of heavy-duty steel and has a precise micro-elevation adjustment. The central elevation- adjustment dial provides a -5 to +20-degree angle range of move-ment; an anti-vibration bag securely holds a rifle’s forearm, and a leather sling holds the stock. The feet adjust from rubber to spiked metal, depending on what you need for the surface of the benches on your range. Some gun rests are built into stationary benches. “Meggitt Training Systems has built a bench with a barrel notch in it,” Hall said. “You can rest a rifle barrel or a handgun in it. But what we’ve found with that one is that people shoot the bench. They rest the barrel in that little notch, and when they fire the gun, the recoil makes the gun slip back. Then they fire again and shoot a hole in the front of the bench.” Battenfeld Technologies has two shooting benches, each with a couple of different models: the Stable Table and the BR Pivot. “The Stable Table’s claim to fame is that it’s easy to move,” Butler said. “The BR Pivot is more for a permanent shooting position. It comes with two tops: a wooden top and a synthetic top, both of which are suitable for outdoor and indoor use. The BR Pivot is adjust-able for length, so you can use is with any type of firearm; it adjusts for everything from a handgun to a long gun. The center console is removable so it will accept a tactical-style firearm or a lever-action gun.

You also can slide the rear portion off and leave the center portion in place, and you have a rest for a handgun.” From Shooter’s Ridge, the Deluxe Shooting Bench comes with a shooting yoke and spotting scope arm. The vertically adjustable gun yoke allows for a 20-degree shot swing; this means 35 yards of cover-age if the target is 100 yards from the shooter. The spotting scope mount swings in so your shooters can see their targets clearly without walking downrange. This bench has an adjustable seat, so it will fit almost anyone shooting on your range. Other shooting benches offer different types of gun rests, each one of which is slightly different and offers different advantages. For example, some shooting benches have a rotary “dial” feature—much like those on some bench-top rests—that allows the shooter to raise or lower either the stock or barrel to get the scope crosshairs at exactly the right height on the target. At the high end of the shooting bench spectrum is the RASS bench. “You sit down on it and put the firearm in the gun rest that’s on it,” Hall said. “The gun rest that’s on it serves a number of purposes. It’s bulky for use on an indoor range, but on an outdoor range it’s fantas-tic.” The RASS bench, manufac-tured by RCBS, has adjustments for elevation and gun-rest height, as well as seat height and distance adjustments, and has 360 degrees of movement. “The RASS bench has been a really popular product for shooters,” Brandt said. With so many options to choose from, it’s hard to decide which shooting rest is the “best.” Ulti-mately, that will depend on whether you have an indoor or outdoor range, what kind of shooting your customers do, and your budget. One thing is very clear, however; for every range situation, you can find a variety of options that will meet your customers’ needs.

AllenCompany525BurbankSt.,P.O.Box445Broomfield,CO80020303-469-1857www.allencompany.net

BattenfeldTechnologies(Caldwellbrand)5885WestVanHornTavernRd.Columbia,MO65203573-445-9200www.battenfeldtechnologies.com

HornadyManufacturingCompany3625OldPotashHwy.P.O.Box1848GrandIsland,NE68803308-382-1390www.hornady.com

MTMCase-GardCompanyP.O.Box13117Dayton,OH45413937-890-7461www.mtmcase-gard.com

ShootersRidge(partofATK)N5549CountyTrunkZOnalaska,WI54650800-635-7656www.shootersridge.com

VanguardUSA9157EastM-36WhitmoreLake,MI48189734-449-1200www.vanguardworld.com

RCBS(R.A.S.S.system;partofATK)605OroDamBlvd.Oroville,CA95965530-533-5191www.rcbs.com

RR


Resources for Gun Rests

http://www.allencompany.net

http://www.battenfeldtechnologies.com

http://www.hornady.com

http://www.mtmcase-gard.com

http://www.shootersridge.com

http://www.vanguardworld.com

http://www.rcbs.com

The firearms industry has always taken the criminal

acquisition and misuse of firearms very seriously. This

is why the National Shooting Sports Foundation®

(NSSF®), the trade association for the firearms industry,

has partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,

Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in a campaign to further

reduce the number of firearms illegally straw purchased

in the United States.

The program, called “Don’t Lie for the Other Guy,”

was developed to raise public awareness that it is a

serious crime to purchase a firearm for someone who

cannot legally do so or for someone who does not

otherwise want his or her name associated with the

transaction. The program is also designed to educate

firearms dealers on how to better detect and deter

potential straw purchases. This collective effort drives

home the message that anyone attempting an illegal

firearm purchase faces a stiff federal penalty: Buy a gun for someone who can’t and buy yourself 10 years in jail.

In areas where Don’t Lie is

launched, residents and visitors

see Don’t Lie for the Other Guy

billboards and

posters throughout

the city and hear

the campaign’s

strong message via

radio and

television public

service

announcements.

In reaching out to firearms retailers, NSSF distributes

Don’t Lie retailer-education kits. Each kit contains a

training video and brochure for the storeowner and staff

as well as point-of-purchase displays aimed to deter this

illegal activity.

For more information on don’t Lie for the other Guy, visit www.dontlie.org.

Scan this QR code with your Smartphone for

more information

Buy a gun for someone who can’t and buyyourself

TM

years10in jail.

www.nssf.org

http://www.dontlie.org

http://www.nssf.org

Everything about Colt’s Manu-facturing Company and Colt Defense is massive.

Housed together in a 263,000 square-foot facility, the West Hart-ford, Conn.-based operations comprise one of the largest gun factories in the world for the civilian, defense and law enforcement markets in the U.S. and worldwide. From pistols to machine guns, the Colt companies design, develop and manufacture some of the most technologically progressive firearms found anywhere. Of course, a vital component of their operations involves managing the lead generated by firing millions of rounds each year in their indoor military, commercial and research ranges. For example, Colt Defense alone fired more than six million rounds, predominantly 5.56mm NATO, in 300 days in 2009. With the accompanying handgun loads of various calibers and brass casings, the companies have implemented an aggressive and comprehensive plan for managing and recycling their respective waste from a fired round. Considering the scale of their operations, what can a typical indoor civilian range learn from these major gun manufacturers? Quite a bit actually. Though the volume of lead produced by any civilian range is a fraction of the Colt ranges’, the tech-niques and policies used by Colt are applicable to ranges of any size, just as OSHA regulations govern ranges of every size. “Even for the common range operator, it’s not just the ventila-tion, it’s the hygiene component as well,” said Henry Poulin, safety and environmental manager for the Colt companies. “A good lead-manage-ment program doesn’t have to break the bank. It’s education, soap and water.”

Lessons to Be Learned How an industry giant manages lead at its ranges

By Douglas S. Malan

18

Henry Poulin, safety and environmental manager for Colt companies, says a good lead-management program isn’t cost prohibitive.


By taking note of these points from Colt’s state-of-the-art opera-tions, range operators “can easily achieve compliance” with OSHA regulations, Poulin noted.

Conscientious sensitivity The overall key to maintaining a safe shooting range is to reduce exposure to lead and use responsible lead-disposal methods to prevent any adverse impact on the environ-ment. From the use of water traps to detailed cleaning policies and air- and water-filtration systems, the Colt companies employ several strate-gies that other range operators can emulate. “Colt has a culture of sensitiv-ity to the health and environmental issues involved with lead,” Poulin said. “We want people to understand what we do so they can improve their operations.”

Lead compliance program Beyond the OSHA require-ments (see sidebar on page 20 for more details), Colt’s policies include specifics for managing lead. First, all cleaning must be done wet using mops, towels and de-leading spray cleaner. Those materials should then be disposed of properly in receptacles approved to handle hazardous waste. It’s important to avoid using a broom or compressed air to clean surfaces because lead particles would be scattered. Range employees should be certified in lead training and should clean the range follow-ing a regular schedule and activity log. At every opportunity, range operators should make sure surfaces are smooth and flat for easier clean-up, and cloth upholstery should be avoided. “Surfaces that customers come in contact with can be easily cleaned at any time,” Poulin said. “Don’t allow

Real-Life Scenario

Water Down Your Rounds

Coltutilizes3,500-poundwatertrapsinitsrangesforfunctionandtargeting.Thesetrapsacceptroundsupto7.62mm,includingAProunds. RoundsenterthroughasquarefrontfunnelrangingfromtwotosixfeetwideandhitremovableAR500sacrificialplatesbeforedroppingintoabasketsubmergedinwater.Ahoistisusedtoraisethebasketandtoreplaceorrepairtheplatesinsideatrapthatmeasuresfourfeetwide,fourfeethighandfivefeetdeep. Thewatertraps,togetherwithdrytrapsforstaticandtacticalshootingatoutdoorandindoorranges,areavailableunderColt’sRapidRange®brand.Bothareportable,non-electricandpermiteasyroundreclamationandrecycling.

19

The exterior of Colt’s water trap. Bullets enter the square opening and then deflect off of heavy iron plates inside before coming to rest in a heavy-duty basket submerged in water.

A row of brass casings ready to be recycled



food and drinks anywhere near the operation [the actual shooting site]. That’s another pathway for ingestion.”

Range-equipment safety Regularly checking the condition of your range’s equipment is vital to controlling lead exposure. “I know that sounds simple, but it’s often overlooked,” Poulin said. “A shooting range is a destructive environment. Take time to do the maintenance. What you’re shooting into has to be looked at all the time.” Patrick Rittmon, the Colt Defense range master, explained the twice-daily process of monitor-ing the water traps’ large iron plates to ensure that none are breached during heavy-duty gun testing. “We hang our hat on our safety policies,” said Rittmon, a retired gunnery sergeant in the Marine Corps. “All of the safety processes are just as important as shooting the gun.” Also, sand barriers are posi-tioned behind water traps as an additional safeguard to protect from round penetration. Water runs through the shooting tubes to keep gunpowder from dispersing in the air or igniting. Range operators should ensure that backstops or other suitable materials are in place to prevent round penetration in unwanted areas. “Of course, fireproofing is a major consideration,” Poulin emphasized.

Lead recycling and reclamation The amount of lead waste and brass casings that Colt operations generate is staggering. Spent lead fills huge 55-gallon drums that are trucked away for recycling. Brass casings pile up several feet deep in cardboard boxes large enough for at least two adults to stand in without touching. Indoor commercial ranges don’t need to manage lead and brass on that scale, but they should make smart decisions about recycling the waste, Poulin notes. “Make sure the facility you hire [to haul away the lead] is using the lead responsibly,” he said. “For each shipment, we get back a certificate of recycling that indicates the lead has

been sent to a smelter.” Lead and brass can be sold and recycled just like scrap metal, so some shooting ranges could see a monetary benefit to their efforts, depending on their volume of waste.

Ventilation control OSHA requires some form of ventilation for all indoor shooting ranges. The Colt ranges use super high-efficiency HEPA filters that remove 99.999 percent of all lead particles from the air as their various guns are fired. Air-quality monitoring, in general, can pose significant costs to range operators, but Poulin said there are some ways to mitigate the expense. “If you’re running the same type of operations, performing the same type of cleaning procedures and such as nearby ranges, you may be able to share air-quality data monitoring with those ranges” to comply with OSHA regulations, Poulin said. The important thing is that the data is a match for your operation. He suggests checking with ranges in your area or going to www.whereto-shoot.org to locate similar ranges to inquire about data-sharing.

A Quick Look at OSHA Standards

TheOccupationalSafetyandHealthAdministration(OSHA)hasestablishedstrictrequirementsforemployerswhoseworkplacecontainsleadinanyquantity.Throughleadstandard1910.1025,theseemployersmustdeterminewhethertheactionlevelforairborneleadisexceededforanyemployee. Thisinitialdeterminationmustincludeairmonitoringforleadandmustcovertheexposureofarepresentativenumberofemployeeswhoarereasonablybelievedtohavethehighestlead-exposurelevels. Ifthismonitoringrevealsleadlevelsthatexceedtheactionlevel,employersarerequiredtofurtheraddresstheirworkplacesafetysituation.Moreinformationisavailableatwww.osha.gov.

Patrick Rittmon, Colt Defense range master, says, “We hang our hat on our safety policies.”

RR

http://www.osha.gov

The Range Report Winter 2012 21

http://www.winchester.com

http://www.rangesportsandfirearmsinsurance.com

RR

undercover shooter


A Lesson LearnedGetting basic pistol instruction at two Missouri ranges

A Lesson LearnedGetting basic pistol instruction at two Missouri ranges

When the editor asked me to go undercover as a novice shooter searching for a private pistol

lesson, I felt like I needed to call forth all my hidden high school Thespian quali-ties. As an NRA-certified instructor, I work with new shooters and have witnessed the gamut of emotions and skills associ-ated with the decision for a person to learn to shoot. I found two popular indoor ranges in St. Louis. One lay in a suburb south of the city and the other fell right between the ’Hood and the Hill. When I called to make an appoint-ment for a private shooting lesson, both establishments’ representatives asked me why I wanted to learn to shoot, and then, tried to get me to sign up either for an NSSF First Shots class or an NRA FIRST Steps course. I told them I was a property manager (I am), that I preferred a one-on-one session over a group lesson and that I wanted to learn to shoot for two reasons: recreation and in case I wanted to get a concealed carry permit.

Range A Hardly satisfying

I arrived early. My instructor intro-duced himself, apologized that Home-land Security had commandeered a classroom and that he would teach the classroom portion in the lounge area. After asking me a few more questions about what I knew about shooting (nothing) and why I wanted to shoot, he excused himself to find a gun-smith for a member. About 10 minutes later, he returned and immediately

went to the big jar of pretzels on the nearby table and took a handful. So, we bellied up to the bar in the lounge, and he went over safety rules and then uncased two .22s – a revolver and a semi-auto. He worked with me on grip, sight alignment and trigger squeeze. He also said, “Treat each gun as if it were pregnant.” I asked him what he meant. I didn’t understand his explanation, but it seemed odd – some-thing about one gun being pregnant so you had to get another one. I really didn’t want to know any more. He told me to cock the hammer on the revolver with my strong hand (right-handed). Before we entered the range, an em-ployee gave me ear protection, and be-cause I was wearing glasses, he told me I didn’t need additional eye protection. On the range, in Bay 18, he offered suggestions after every 10 rounds, pointing out my group. I looked over my shoulder at him at least four times as he stood at least six feet behind me, and every time, he was looking down to the left at the other shooters in bays 1 and 2. Maybe he was also the acting range safety officer? I shot both guns, and then he left me and brought back a .38 snubbie for me to try. At that point, I believe he was trying to sell me a gun, which wasn’t the point of the lesson. After an hour, it was over. Cost: $30 for instruction, $27.40 for ammo, two tar-gets and lane rental. Total cost: $57.40. Instructor’s parting comments: “You are good enough to pass Concealed Carry, but that level is very low. You might want to come back and take a pistol class.”

Range B One-on-one—in a private room

With trepidation, I pulled into the lot at this place—located among abandoned buildings and payday loan places. Inside, in the small shop, cigarette smoke filled the air and a lot of male bonding was going on. Worn-out carpets, water-stained ceilings, a tiny retail shop, but a clean lady’s room and very friendly fellows made for an interesting setting. My instructor seemed nervous. We went into a classroom, and he closed the door. In my opinion this is not a great idea when one is instructing a person of the opposite sex, but all the same, he began to get more confidence and went through the complete NRA FIRST Steps’ agenda in one hour, allowing me time to work with six different guns and dummy ammo and to learn all six fundamentals of shoot-ing—including stance, breath control and follow-through. After supplying me with ear protection and asking if I wanted eye protection, he stood off my left shoulder as I shot targets at seven yards and then at about 15 yards. I shot all six guns, loading them with his supervision, and he offered to get other rental guns for me to shoot if I wanted. We now were into a 90-minute lesson, and as much as I like to shoot, it wasn’t on my dime, and traf-fic leaving the city would be horrendous soon. So, I paid the $75 for everything and left. Instructor’s parting comments: “You just need to shoot now. Find a gun you like, and practice your fundamentals. Come back and shoot here. Take another lesson if you want.”

Location............................................................................. 2• Offthebeatenpath,itwasalittlescary,especiallytoawomanfrom

outoftown

Facility............................................................................... 2.• Arealmancave.Theshootinglanes,all10ofthem,wereshotup

(bulletholeseverywhere),andtheventilationsystemdidn’tseemasefficientasatRangeA.

Classroom.Instruction.......................................................... 4• OtherthanthatIfeltuncomfortableatfirst,thisguywouldgeta

10ifIcouldgiveit.Attentive,andmovedthroughtheentireFIRSTStepscourseefficiently,calmlyandmethodically.Heusedchartsandtheblackboardforsupport.

Instructor’s.Knowledge........................................................ 5.· Shootingsince12,obviouslyhepaidattentiontohisteachers.He

knewaboutweakhand,stronghand,grip,stances,etc.Itsoundedlikehelovedtheshootingsports.

Instructor’s.Demeanor......................................................... 4.• Hopefully,thisguywillgetconfidencerightfromthestartandnot

takesolongtowarmup.Oncehefoundhismojo,hereallyhunkereddownandledmefromstarttofinish—fromwhatisaguntohowtotakecareofajam.

Follow-Up.Options.Offered.................................................. 5• Basicpistol,CCW,moreone-on-one,advancedtraining,leagues.You

canprogressrapidlyhere.

Rental.Equipment............................................................... 5.• Widevarietyofpistolsavailable.Whenyourentone,yourentthem

all,andcanchangeoutoneforanother.Youmustbuyammohere,too.

Range A Customer Satisfaction Rating Range B Customer Satisfaction Rating

Preferred RangeI was skeptical when I walked in, but my preference, because of the instructor/instruction quality, was Range B:Bull’s Eye, L.L.C., 5100 Manchester Road, St. Louis, MO 63110314-781-4867 • http://www.bullseyestl.com/home.nxg.

Location............................................................................. 5• Locatedinthemetroarea,behindbig-boxstoresandstripmalls,

thisself-containedbuildingwithtwoseparateshootingrangeslookedinvitingandclean.MyGPStookmerighttoit.

Facility............................................................................... 5• Ifyouwantit,theyprobablycangetithere.Awell-lit,attractive

layoutfeaturednewguns,usedgunsandgunaccoutrements.Mem-bershaveaccesstoalounge,andagunsmithisonsite.Eighteenlanesinastate-of-the-artshootingarea.Youcanreadallabouttheventilationsystemonitssuperbwebsite.

Classroom.Instruction.......................................................... 2• Toomanydistractions,withmembersandinstructorsbuzzing

around.Instructorhadadifficulttimestayingfocused,ashewashungry.Friendly,buttoofriendly.Inthecourseofanhour,Ilearnedabouthismarriageandhispreviousjobs.Hedidanswerquestions.

Instructor’s.Knowledge........................................................ 2• IbasedhisknowledgeforteachinganewshooteronwhatIknew

theNRAdemandsofitsinstructors.Heconsistentlyhadmeusemystronghandtodropmagazines,cockthehammerandreleasetheslide,whichchangesthegrip.Hetaughtthreefundamentals.

Instructor’s.Demeanor......................................................... 2• Ineverrecommendthatinstructorseatonthejob.But,otherthan

that,heappearedconfident.

Follow-Up.Options.Offered.................................................. 5• Basicpistol,CCW,moreone-on-one,advancedtraining,leagues.You

canprogressrapidlyhere.

Rental.Equipment............................................................... 5• Widevarietyofpistolsavailable.Whenyourentone,yourentthem

all,andcanchangeoutoneforanother.Ofcourse,youhavetobuytheammoonsite.

undercover shooter scorecard

All reports, comments, impressions, opinions or advice expressed in the Undercover Shooter column are solely those of independent, recreational shooting range consumers and do not necessarily represent those of the National Shooting Sports Foundation or its affiliates. Neither the NSSF nor its affiliates make any warranty or assume any liability with respect to the accuracy or reliability of any information provided by Undercover Shooter contributors. Readers are encouraged to and should perform their own investigation of the information provided herein.

Each category is rated on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest score.

Editor’s note:TheUndercoverShooterisanexperiencedrecreationalshooterbutisnottrainedintechnicalaspectsofrangedesignandoperation.

The Range Report Winter 2012 23

http://www.bullseyestl.com/home.nxg

undercover shooter

A Long Shot in the NorthwestThe West has far horizons, but rifle ranges with real distance are scarce.

A Long Shot in the NorthwestThe West has far horizons, but rifle ranges with real distance are scarce.


Editor’s Note: If half of this article seems familiar, it is because the report on “Range A” appeared in the Fall 2011 edition of The Range Report. If you were reading that Fall edition really carefully, and you have been subscribing to the magazine for at least a few issues, our report on “Range B” might have seemed familiar as well. You see, the grem-lins that lurk in every magazine office, trying to rearrange copy, photos and captions when no one is minding the shop, pulled a fast one by reprinting the “Range B” informa-tion that had appeared in the Summer 2011 Range Report rather than the copy intended for the Fall edition. So red-faced, we are publishing that report in full, as it had been prepared by The Undercover Shooter, with apologies to the author, the ranges and, most of all, our readers.

Long shooting makes little sense on a hunt. You shoot better up close. Lethal hits not only define success; they’re

humane. Hunters who boast of long shots might well be consoled for not getting closer. That said, hitting at distance is fun. A perfect score on paper at 600 yards, or the hollow pop of a gong seconds after you open the bolt, affirms you as a rifleman. Alas, ranges for such play require cattle-ranch acreage. In the shadow of the Cascades, I can shoot 1,000 yards just minutes from my house. There’s no pit, though, and no framed target for a pal to safely pull and mark. And landing a bullet somewhere on a plate the size of a manhole cover is hardly instructive. I looked, recently, for better options – and found two an hour’s drive apart near Portland, Ore.

Range A Members-only club does offer opportunities to the public

“We have the only 1,000-yard range this side of the state,” said Kevin. My ears perked up. “Our club has produced fine long-range shooters too – three of the four on the Savage F-Class team that won an international title,” he added. F-Class competition, at 800, 900 and 1,000 yards, is luring lay shooters to shoot long. I had been to this park-like range before F-Class became a draw. It was time to revisit. “Short ranges” for high-power events means 200, 300 and 600 yards. “Long ranges” start at 800. As is common elsewhere, extended yardages can be used only during a match or when short ranges are closed. The pits serve all. A current schedule showed Thursday was “long range day.” From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., shoot-ers flail away at 800 to 1,000 yards; from 1 p.m. to sunset, they fire at 300 to 600.

“That schedule flip-flops every week; next Thursday it’s short first, then long,” Kevin said. He added that a relatively small membership is a club asset. “We number just over 1,000, so you won’t be crowded here. Some days, you’re the only one.” Match days do fill the line, and there are lots of matches, including an Oregon Sniper Challenge and a “Palma Plus 20” (Palma match plus 20 shots at 1,000 with any rifle, any sights). There’s a Hunter’s Sight-In series four weekends during fall, to which non-members are welcome. The Civilian Marks-manship Program lives here too; shooters fire M1 Garand and modern sporting rifles (MSRs) on the National Match course. “Nonmembers are ordinarily lim-ited to scheduled matches,” said Kevin. “But they can visit as member guests.” A member may host up to four guests per visit. Generous hours (8 a.m. to sunset weekdays, 9 a.m. to sunset weekends, with necessary exceptions for range main-tenance) make the $5 guest fee a bargain. Membership is the unavoidable next step: $150 per year in dues, after a $100 initiation fee. Miscellaneous fees hike total first-year cost to $330. Family packages encourage youth and spouses. A key-card gets you in the gate. Eight hours of volunteer labor annually are expected of every regular member. Volunteers can become Range Safety Officers. Some privileges accrue.

Range B Six-hundred yards is max here

Motoring west, you’re quickly immersed in metro-area traffic. The 205, a veritable river of steel, carries you past the I-5 spine toward the Coast Range and another shooting facility. It dates to 1940, when local riflemen anted up $3 each in annual dues. At the close of World War

II they bought the original 172 acres for $1,400! Subsequent additions have nudged total acreage to 230, paid for by timber cut and rock mined from the property. Those proceeds have funded improvements too, including an indoor range. The current indoor facility serves rimfire and air-gun shooters 24 hours a day, seven days a week! Four lighted trap ranges and two lighted skeet ranges tempt shotgunners. Benchrest and black-powder venues – plus 19 stations on the outdoor rimfire line – help make this the area’s most popular shooting complex. It hosts Vintage Rifle and Cowboy Action matches, Scheutzen, IPSC and Metallic Silhouette competitions. My focus, however, was on long-range options. They extend, I found, to 600 yards. That’s far enough for anyone tuning a big-game rifle. Far enough for National Match events. Far enough to embarrass any shooter on a windy day. But it’s not 1,000 yards. And as I expected, the 600-yard line comes open only on match days and when the 200- and 300-yard ranges are closed. Times for practice from out yonder are, by current schedule, limited to Tuesday evenings – albeit the 200- and 300-yard ranges, with a long string of covered, well-equipped firing stations, typically stay open 8 a.m. to sunset. Pit gear and targets are well maintained. Elevated walls fronting firing points snare bullets launched accidentally. The large “campus” separates the centerfire alley from other venues, to the delight of shooters who don’t revel in the blast of braked .338 Lapuas and short-barreled MSRs. Members can bring up to five guests, but only one guest at a time may shoot. Membership costs $120 a year, after a $175 initiation fee. As with its neighbor to the east, all members at this range must be NRA members, too. This club offers limited ammunition and food sales to shooters. It schedules an impressive list of classes in popular shooting disciplines.

25The Range Report Winter 2012 25

Signage/Visibility.............................................................. 5• Thisrangewasestablishedmorethan60yearsago;thePortland

metroareahasgrowntomeetit.ItisverycloseandeasytoreachforPortlanders,andwell-signed.

Layout/Setting.................................................................. 5• Topographicreliefandtimberhavebeenusedtogoodeffectto

makethisrangesafeandappealingtotheeye.Itssize(230acres)allowsforlongshootingandseparationofvenues.

Retail.Product.Availability............................................. NA• Unlikeshotgunners,long-rangeriflemendonotbuyammunitionon-site.

Rental.Availability.......................................................... NA• Long-rangeriflementypicallybringalltheirowngear.

Staff.Friendliness................................................................ 4• Thoughrangerepresentativesprovedabitdifficulttoreachfrom

websiteinformation,theywerecordialandinvitedmetoshootandtophonewithfurtherquestions.

Safety............................................................................... 4• Saferangepracticesareenforced.Overheadbafflesensureagainst

bullettravelbeyondthelong-rangebutts.Memberguestsmayshootonlywithmemberoversight.

Programs/Membership...................................................... 3• Awidevarietyofshootingprograms(classesandmatches)forshot-

gun,rifleandhandgundistinguishthisrange.Thereisno1,000-yardcourse,andpracticeat600islimitedtooneeveningweekly.Duesof$120ayear,plusa$175initiationfee,entitlememberstouseofa24-hourindoorrimfirerangesevendaysaweek,anddawn-to-duskshootingoncenterfireranges.

Cleanliness....................................................................... 4• Indoorandoutdoorrangesarediligentlyservicedandwellmaintained.

Activebuilding,withtimber-cuttingandminingtohelpunderwriterangeimprovements,cangivepartsofthisrangean“underconstruction”look.Allvenues,however,arecleanandshieldedfromunduedisturbance.

Comments/Impressions• Thisrangehasprogramsandfacilitiesforshootersofallinterests

andlieswithinafewminutes’driveofthousandsofshooters,abut-tingthelargestcitybetweenSeattleandSanFrancisco.Itoffersspecial-interestrifleevents,suchasScheutzen,MetallicSilhouetteandVintageRifle.ItdoesnotfeaturethedistancesforF-Classandotherextreme-rangeshooting.

Range A Customer Satisfaction Rating Range B Customer Satisfaction Rating

Preferred RangeThe Undercover Shooter’s experiences and observations led to his endorsement of both ranges, but if a shooter wants to reach out to 1,000 yards, the choice is Range A:Douglas Ridge Rifle Club, 27787 Hwy. 224, Eagle Creek, OR 97022503-637-3131 • www.douglasridge.org • [email protected]

Signage/Visibility.............................................................5• Long-rangeshootingrequiresspace,andthisrangeispredictably

rural.Thatsaid,it’seasytoreachfromthe205freewayandstateroutesjustoutsidethePortlandmetroarea.

Layout/Setting.................................................................5• Treedsurroundingsandintelligentlayoutmakethisanappealing

facility.

Retail.Product.Availability..............................................NA• Unlikeshotgunners,long-rangeriflemendonotbuyammunition

on-site.

Rental.Availability.........................................................NA• Long-rangeriflementypicallybringalltheirowngear.

Staff.Friendliness.............................................................5• Ispokewithseveralrangeofficers/administrators.Allwereex-

ceptionallyengagingandhelpful.Theyinvitedmetoshootagainontherangeandtophonewithfurtherquestions.

Safety..............................................................................5• Saferangepracticesareenforced;however,therulesarenot

onerous.

Programs/Membership.....................................................4• A“long-rangeday”isslatedeveryweekforpractice,andhigh-

powermatches,includingF-Classevents,occurregularlythroughouttheshootingseason.Membershipisopen;nonmembersmayvisitasguestsofmembers.Familypackagesencourageyouth.Memberspayannualduesof$150,plusa$100initiationfee,andcontributeeighthoursofvolunteerlabor.

Cleanliness......................................................................4• Regularservicedaysandarelativelysmallbutcommittedmember-

shipkeepthisrangecleanandwellmaintained.

Comments/Impressions• Specialmatcheslikethe“PalmaPlus20”and“OregonSniper”

encouragelong-rangepracticeanddrawnewshooters.NationalMatchandCivilianMarksmanshipProgrameventsmakethisclubworththeduesforarearifleenthusiasts.

undercover shooter scorecard

All reports, comments, impressions, opinions or advice expressed in the Undercover Shooter column are solely those of independent, recreational shooting range consumers and do not necessarily represent those of the National Shooting Sports Foundation or its affiliates. Neither the NSSF nor its affiliates make any warranty or assume any liability with respect to the accuracy or reliability of any information provided by Undercover Shooter contributors. Readers are encouraged to and should perform their own investigation of the information provided herein.

Each category is rated on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest score.

Editor’s note:TheUndercoverShooterisanexperiencedrecreationalshooterbutisnottrainedintechnicalaspectsofrangedesignandoperation.


http://www.douglasridge.org

It’s hard to list all the programs that the National Shooting Sports Foundation has created in the last

50 years that have specifically helped ranges, because just getting someone to go shooting almost certainly means that they will visit and use a range at some point! Our mission has been to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports—the latter being near and dear to me as both a competitive target shooter, reloader and collector who often commits the cardinal sin of actually shooting examples in his collection. So, in our world, getting people off their couches for a day of outdoor recreation at the range is the ultimate focus of most of what we do. Starting in 1971, National Hunting and Fishing Day always had ranges in mind, specifically including a “sight-in your hunting rifle” component. Later on, into the 1980s, the extremely popular Sportsmen’s Team Challenge added a new dimension of excitement in a nationally televised event that was specifically designed to get people to try action-shooting events at their local ranges, with the kinds of rifles, pistols and shotguns that sportsmen and women likely already owned. It also demonstrated that .22 semi-autos could easily be as accurate on the range as bolt-action rifles, thereby accelerating the trend to today’s modern sporting firearms, so much in evidence on today’s shooting ranges. In the 1990s, another NSSF program, Summer Biathlon, encouraged nontraditional users to

literally run to their local ranges. The NSSF also began its Five Star Rating program, in connection with the federal Environmental Protection Agency, to help with suggestions for range-facility improvement and environmental stewardship, and to recognize outstanding excellence in providing America’s shooters with quality ranges in which to practice our sports. Attacks on ranges from agenda-driven groups increased, and we were there to help fight back and make sure there were places to shoot. In the 2000s, STEP OUTSIDE was created in recognition of the fact that most people begin their participation in the shooting sports when asked by a friend to join them at the range for a day of fun. This was intensified later in the decade by our First Shots program, which encouraged newcomers without such trusted mentors to go to a local range and experience actual shooting for the first time under safe, controlled and nonintimidating conditions. That we have succeeded in returning the favor to participating ranges is shown by statistics that tell us the average First Shots participant returns to the host range at least twice during the next 12 months and spends over $400 on equipment and shooting supplies. That helps everybody in the industry, particularly if the new shooters become lifelong participants. So thanks to all the ranges who have helped to make NSSF’s First Shots so successful. Our Range Inventory program and electronic efforts such as “wheretoshoot.org” have helped

would-be shooters locate all the ranges open in their areas. This was in direct response to the off-heard lament that “Sure, I’d go shooting, if only I knew where I could do it safely.” This is particularly important in our mobile society, and I’d like to think that at least some of the influx of new faces at your ranges is due in some part to the efforts of our hard-working NSSF staff. And last, but certainly not least, our Range Partnership Grants have awarded millions of dollars to worthy ranges to help them enhance and improve their facilities and to make the range experience a genuine pleasure to their customers. We also offer detailed research that is tailored to help us, and you, the range operators, address the specific concerns of your range users. Literature, a new team of consultants called Range Action Specialists, this very magazine and so many more programs and resources have been created by NSSF in our first five decades. So as we enter our next 50 years, the NSSF stands in proud partnership with its shooting range members. These and many other programs aptly demonstrate the high esteem and importance with which we value America’s shooting ranges. They are truly where our members’ products meet the acid test of performance and meet the high expectations of America’s shooters. And they, in turn, sincerely appreciate all that you do to make their next trip to the range a quality, memorable and fun experience.

Home on the RangeHome on the RangeViews from NSSF staffers and guest contributors

Beginning the Next 50 YearsNSSF remains dedicated to ranges and the shooting sports

RR


Steve Sanetti is the president and chief executive officer of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. His responsibilities include overall supervision of all of the Foundation’s operations.

By Steve SanettiPresident & C.E.O.

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28 The Range Report Winter 201228 The Range Report Spring 201128 The Range Report Winter 201128 The Range Report Winter 2011

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The Range Report -- Winter 2012

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