There are four generally accepted firearms safety rules. The most important one in my view is “never point the muzzle at anything you are not willing to destroy!” If gun owners always follow this critical rule, they will never draw innocent blood. I’m not saying that the other firearm safety rules are unimportant, or that one can violate them with impunity. If the muzzle of the firearm never points and an innocent person then a worst case scenario would involve only property damage. With that background, let’s talk a little bit about proper muzzle discipline at shooting ranges. Though this article focuses on shooting ranges, this safety protocol applies everywhere.
Club rules prohibit the handling of any firearms while a person is forward of the firing line. It doesn’t matter if we’re dealing with any of the rifle ranges, Range Number 3, the pistol cells, or the pistol Bays, the rule applies equally. As a practical matter, it is easier to exhibit poor muzzle discipline when shooting in the pistol cells or the pistol Bays by yourself, or with one or more friends or family members. It is also easier and to suffer a lapse in judgment when the firearm is empty because you may subconsciously be thinking an empty gun is not a danger to others. While technically true, all responsible gun owners must avoid falling into this mental trap. Safety protocols work only if they are followed all the time.
If you and your buddy are taking turns shooting, make sure no one steps forward of the firing line to take their turn until the actions of all the other guns are open and they are laying on the table are bench. Obviously, proper muzzle discipline demands that one not allow a muzzle to point up a range at any time. For example, you have a table set up at the 10 or 15 yard line in a pistol bay and you decide to practice close range defensive shooting at 3 yards. When you have finished shooting and want to return to the table at the 15 yard line, make sure your muzzle is always pointed in a safe direction. If you have a holster, then holster your pistol. If you do not have a holster, then make sure the muzzle is pointed towards the berm as you walk back to the table. Don’t fall into the “empty guns are not dangerous” trap.
Proper muzzle discipline demands not only that you make sure to avoid pointing the muzzle at other persons, you must not pointed at yourself either. Don’t sweep your leg when drawing or reholstering your pistol. Don’t let your hand or fingers get info the muzzle when you are loading, unloading or dealing with a malfunction. By all means, don’t “fish” for your holster with the muzzle of your pistol. Doing so means the business end of your firearm is pointed toward your pelvic girdle and other things you don’t want to get shot!
There are other examples we could address, but the theme of this article is clear. Do not point any gun at anyone at any time, unless you are using deadly force in compliance with Texas law.
The PSC shooting club has an excellent safety record and this is because our members act responsibly on the range. This article is meant simply as a reminder and there will be others that focus on specific club safety rules and safety protocols that all gun owners should follow.
Some questions have been raised about the purpose of the dividing wall on rifle Range No. 1. The wall was recently built to add flexibility to the firing line allowing people on either side of the wall to use different shooting positions. For example, people shooting on the left side of the wall can be firing from the benches while people on the right side of the wall could be shooting from a prone position on the grass.
The dividing wall does not create two different ranges. When the firing line has been called “safe,” that means all shooting must stop on both sides of the wall. The Club rule that prohibits the handling of any firearms or related equipment while the range is “cold” applies equally on both sides of the dividing wall. Again, the purpose of the wall is to provide flexibility in terms of shooting positions, not to change the applicability of any of the Club safety rules.
Another question deals with the number of Range Officers or acting Range Officers that are required for Range No. 1. Specifically, one member asked if it was necessary to have a Range Officer on both the left and right side of the dividing wall. Only one Range Officer is required for all of Range No. 1. When the firing line is going to be made safe so that targets can be set up or changed, the acting Range Officer must make certain that shooters on both sides of the dividing wall have been notified and that they are complying with all “cold” firing line rules.
The recently added dividing wall adds tremendous flexibility to Range No. 1. Be sure to enjoy it while following all Club safety and operations rules.
Firearm ammunition is not a one-size-fits-all commodity, even within a given caliber. The type of ammunition selected for a particular activity must be appropriate for that use. A great example of this is the ubiquitous 9mm cartridge for handguns, carbines and submachine guns.
Of all the ammunition fired at the club, the 9mm Luger is by far the most popular. While this particular cartridge is offered in various configurations, the most common is the 115 gr. full metal jacket (FMJ). This is an excellent round for practice, matches and informal “plinking.” However, it is a terrible choice for self-defense because of its penetration capability.
As part of the overall expansion program, ballistic penetration testing was performed at the Club. A particular style of barrier was tested with various types of ammunition ranging from 44 magnum to 22 long rifle cartridges. Surprisingly, the only round to fully penetrate the barrier was the 9mm 115 gr. FMJ. One would have expected the 44 magnum to have the greatest penetration capability, but that was not the case. That cartridge certainly did the most damage to the barrier, but it did not fully penetrate as did the 9mm 115 gr. FMJ.
The purpose of this article is not to discuss various types of self-defense ammunition, or to make recommendations. The goal is to point out that the 115 gr. FMJ 9mm round is a great choice for practice and for matches, but don’t load your self defense handgun with that same ammunition. We simply do not want that level penetration if we are forced to shoot in self-defense inside our homes , businesses or on the street. This is especially true for people living and condominiums or apartments where they may have neighbors above and below them and on either side. The safest choice for self-defense purposes is a hollow point round, regardless of the caliber. This is especially true with 9mm handguns and carbines.