Concealed Carry Question

[Alby]

I am a member and a director of a private indoor shooting club and I need some information from other clubs members. We are located in Illinois and it appears that IL has a very good chance of passing concealed carry this year. In anticipation of its passage we need to make a decision regarding concealed carry inside our club. What rules apply to the club you belong to? If allowed to carry in the facility what rules must be adhered to? I appreciate your help.
Alby

[Wots]

Don't ask.....
Don't tell......

.:rolleyes:

[Ohio Rusty]

.............. shut up, conceal that weapon deep and carry that gun !!
Ohio Rusty ><>

[Hurricane]

It would seem very inapproprate for a gun club to ban concealed cary on at the gun club.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I don't want this to sound wrong but I am going to TRY to explain what I feel.
Illinois has been under very strong gun control for many, many years. I understand the OP's question. We have not been able to carry a gun or think it is even right to do so. There has been incredible propoganda against guns and their owners. When we do get concealed carry in Illinois it will feel very strange to do so. That is sad. I have had guns all my life but I always have to be careful of where they are and how they are transported. If you don't have a FOID card, you can be arrested for having a single round of ammo. It will take some of us awhile to understand that it really IS our RIGHT to keep and bear arms. Don't ever let your state get control as Illinois has.

[Bulltipper]

I carry almost everywhere. I had a CCW in San Diego when I was there and the ranges had the "no loaded firearms " rules. I figured that did not apply to me as I was CCW and that rule is for general public bringing in firearms to shoot at the range. That carry gun should never even be seen. I always unloaded the "shooting guns" and followed range protocol with those. I didn't want to leave my carry gun in the truck or have to screw around with unloading it. A holstered handgun is about as safe as it gets...

[crabo]

Is it a hot range or a cold range? That is your answer in my opinion.

[smoked turkey]

If one truly believes that concealed carry is a good thing, and that folks who are licensed to carry are trustworthy, lawabiding, and their presence makes the good guys safer, then why would there be any problem with someone having a firearm on their person. I think the skies would be safer if they allowed the good guys to carry on board aircraft. I feel totally safe at a gun show where there are guns, ammo and good guys everywhere. Mike "Duke " Venturino did a wonderful article he titled something like "My Gun Culture" or something like that. The point being that most people associated with gun ownership are great people who can be counted on when needed. I think that is demonstrated here on this forum quite often when needs arise among the members. I am rambling and some off subject but IMO we are all safer today due to concealed carry. I should have said that a long time ago and not rambled so much.

[Blammer]

carry concealed is JUST EXACTLY THAT! It's NOT visible.

I would allow carry concealed, if it's not concealed it must be.

Not paritally concealed but fully concealed.

[klcarroll]

I don't want this to sound wrong but I am going to TRY to explain what I feel.
Illinois has been under very strong gun control for many, many years. I understand the OP's question. We have not been able to carry a gun or think it is even right to do so. There has been incredible propoganda against guns and their owners. When we do get concealed carry in Illinois it will feel very strange to do so. That is sad. I have had guns all my life but I always have to be careful of where they are and how they are transported. If you don't have a FOID card, you can be arrested for having a single round of ammo. It will take some of us awhile to understand that it really IS our RIGHT to keep and bear arms. Don't ever let your state get control as Illinois has.


Well stated Charlie! ......And to add to that, I hope some will forgive me for restating something I wrote in another thread:

"Legalizing CCW would be GREAT, and it would bring Illinois into conformity with the rest of the country: ......But Residents of Illinois have MUCH more immediate concerns!!

With State Representatives like "Eddie" Acevedo on the job, we are in danger of being saddled with a whole basket-full of new legislation: ....Including an "Assault Weapon Ban" that would include your old Browning Hi-Power!!!

Quite frankly, .....I will be delighted if, a year from now, I am NOT considered a criminal because of the weapons I currently own!!"


A CCW bill in Illinois would be GREAT! ......But with the mass of "Anti" legislation that gets proposed every year, and a Governor who has promised to sign each and every piece of "Anti" legislation that crosses his desk, .......I have to wonder if we aren't "Getting The Cart Before The Horse"!

KLC

[Simonpie]

Out in Oregon and Washington where concealed carry is pretty common, most ranges do not want you to pull your conceal gun and shoot it. The idea is everything on the range is cold when the range is cold and pointed downstream when the range is hot. Simple safety. I can understand that a concealed gun that wasn't deing used at the range could be left holstered without much concern.
Also, there are some shooting sports where a holstered gun is drawn and fired, but those are pretty specific and controlled conditions, not just someone's pocket gun.
At this point I should confess I'm pretty much a long gun guy.

[Smoke-um if you got-um]

In my club all long guns inside the facility must be unloaded at all times. Bolts are removed and/or actions open. Concealed carry firearms are exactly that, concealed. Loaded or unloaded while concealed is your decision. Anytime a firearm is removed from concealment it is unloaded. Pistols have the mags removed, slide open. Revolvers are unloaded with cylinder unlatched. No dry firing of any firearm inside the club house at any time. Very simple rules and easily adhered to.

Mike

[Johnch]

I am in part , in charge of our indoor pistol range at the club

If you have a CCW and want to carry on the grounds
Conceal it
Keep it that way
Flaunt it and get warned , 2 time and you get a time out from the range
As any weapon that is going to be used on the range must be cased and unloaded
When the fireing line is't hot

We went to the fine to carry , but keep it concealed
When we considered that many would want to show off and posibely cause a safty hassard


Even after reveiwing vidio of the range ( we have cameras and open to members 24/7)
We rarely see someone break the rules unless they are alone

John

[BulletFactory]

No gun, no money, PERIOD I open carry, and hold the same views with that. I wont forego, or curtail my rights for anyone.

[BulletFactory]

Open carry isnt a safety hazard.

I carry openly, draw, fire, reload, re-holster. and leave. If you cant be trusted with a loaded gun at the range, then where can you be trusted to handle one? Also, if gun stores, clubs, and ranges cant respect gun rights, who will? How can we expect anyone else to?

[Bret4207]

Agree with BF. I never saw the sense in having the right to carry endorsed and then a gun store or range limiting that right. Open or concealed, as long as the gun is used or carried SAFELY it's just another tool.

Heck of a lot more deaths are caused by cars, swimming pools, electricity and sports each year. It's the operator, not the tool.

[7br]

I help on a range that is open to the public on weekends. I do not have an issue with a club member carrying, but I am a little leery about some of the general public.

We do not allow carry when we are conducting hunters' ed classes.

It has been too cold to get the outdoor range, so I have had to pay to go to a range. Their policy is "No drawing from a holster and firing". Not a problem for me as I have a couple of places to go and do that, but for the general public, it is.

[bobthenailer]

I belong to a gun club with a indoor range and at times in the winter frequent a private indoor range open to the public for $35.00 a month, this one is heated or ac all the time and my clubs is only heated on tuesday evening.
Both ranges allow concelied carry just keep them holsterd or go to a safe gun handleing area to remove or unload the firearm.

[Wayne Smith]

I shoot at a professional private range and pay to do so. The house is a store and walk through with bathrooms. When I carry concealed I go through the walk through to the range when it is hot, take out my concealed weapon when the range is hot and lay it on the bench, unloaded with a flag in the chamber. This is how all weapons are treated on the range, no exceptions.

[beagle]

The club I belonged to previously (have my own range now) had a policy that it could be carried in a concealed manner as long as it was on the range. If you desired to shoot it, you unloaded and placed it on the bench so that you adhered to our range safety rules. If you wanted to practice getting it into action, you went to one of the IPSC pits where there was more room and you were away from the general range population.

This seemed like a sensible solution and everyone seemed to be happy with it./beagle

[spqrzilla]

There are issues with concealed loaded firearms in/on ranges that have practices regarding loading only at the firing point, showing empty when off the firing point, etc.

It can make sense to restrict concealed carry for the purpose of having a consistent enforceable safety regime. You don't want people to mix loaded firearms on their person with firearms that are being fired on the range and are required to be unloaded while being carried to and from firing points etc. Unless you go to a fully hot range, which is problematic when you have varying skill levels.

A lot of CCW advocates then cry foul about being banned from concealed carry on all or portions of the club property but don't seem to understand that the safety rules can require this for consistency purposes. You don't want people who are casually violating the ranges safety rules to use the CCW provision to hide their unsafe conduct behind.

[BulletFactory]

These senseless restrictions are why I use the public hunting areas to do my shooting. You need to train as you may need to act. Funny thing, you can't conceal at the public hunting areas, you have to open carry hahaha. As long as you have an artificially constructed target, (keeps people from shooting up the trees), are 450 feet from a road or building, and there is no attempt to take game, you can do pretty much what you want.

When you meet a BG in a live fire situation, dont you think that it might be a handy thing to have had some holster drawing practice?

Also saves club/range fees.

[shooterg]

Johnch's club about like ours. Cold range rules. Any gun to be used comes in unloaded and is made safe(unloaded,mag out, safety engaged/etc.) whenever the line is not hot. Carry concealed, keep it that way, no problem. No gun shows in the parking lot behind the line !
Some just can't wait to show off the new piece or play with the sights. While everyone we know may be trustworthy, I trust nobody handling a gun behind me or while I'm downrange. Every range we have is only one shot away from being closed - and everyone here has seen the 1% of range slobs that can make that happen.

[firefly1957]

IF THE GUN IS BEING USED ON THE RANGE IT SHOULD FOLLOW ALL THE RULES if being carried for protection then it should never leave the holster unless needed for that.

[BulletFactory]

If the gun is being carried in daily life, you should be training as you carry.

[4570guy]

Every range I've shot at in Texas since acquiring my CHL allows CHL holders to carry as they would anywhere else - and keep the weapon concealed. If you want to shoot your concealed carry weapon, we declare it just like we would any other firearm. I have not found a place other than the private club that I belong to that allows you to remove the firearm from concealment in order to declare it or begin shooting. My private club allows you to draw from the holster and practice self defense situations. This is not the case at any public range I'm aware of.

[TCLouis]

Club's Rules.

Whatever they may be.

"Concealed carry" law can be a bit of an issue depending on the wording. Concealed being the operative word that can cause issues

I like TN's law it is a carry permit law.

Some disagree with the 8 hour class but I think that should be a minimum for some folks.

[Alby]

Thank you for all the responses. We are looking at the same issues brought up here. We are currently a cold range with the exception of one area when IPSC matches are going on. The issues with having someone unload in a parking lot to enter the building or leave the gun in their car has questionable safety issues. We are open the to public two days per month and frankly some of those folks scare the **** out of me and I dont like the idea of some of them coming in with a concealed gun. In our classes we currently allow no guns or ammo in the room and have never had an issue with that. A lot of this will depend on how the laws will be written for us but we are trying to plan ahead.

Please keep the thoughts and comments coming.

Alby

[Char-Gar]

I have been to all sorts of ranges and follow the gun safety rules. I also figure that does not apply to your personal pistol carried secure and safe. If, you remove it from the holster than all rules apply.

[MtGun44]

I'm on the BOD for our range, and when CCW passed, an older BOD member who is NOT
a pistol shooter, asked how we were going to keep people from carrying concealed at
the range. He got a few long, hard looks and I asked if he was kidding. He just sort of
backed off and nothing much has ever been said since. A few BOD members at that
meeting made some comments like "It's not like people haven't been running around
here with guns before." Other comments were that "All range safety rules apply", so if
you take it out of the holster you had better be on the shooting line with the range hot
or you are in violation of safety rules.

Bill

[klcarroll]

.......... "All range safety rules apply", so if you take it out of the holster you had better be on the shooting line with the range hot or you are in violation of safety rules.........


I couldn't agree more! ......There is ONE outdoor public range within 100 miles of where I live; ...And I absolutely refuse to go there on a weekend!

Why?? ......Because the General Public scares the hell out of me! If Illinois ever does pass CCW legislation, the very LAST thing I want to see on a crowded public range is "Joe Public" trying to emulate the quick-draw moves he saw in Hollywoods most recent "Action Thriller"!!

Yes, it IS essential to practice drawing and firing your personal weapon: .....But do it in your own basement with glue boolits, or somewhere remote from others where the only person you might shoot by accident is yourself!


Kent

[NMBillB]

...It can make sense to restrict concealed carry for the purpose of having a consistent enforceable safety regime. You don't want people to mix loaded firearms on their person with firearms that are being fired on the range and are required to be unloaded while being carried to and from firing points etc. Unless you go to a fully hot range, which is problematic when you have varying skill levels.

A lot of CCW advocates then cry foul about being banned from concealed carry on all or portions of the club property but don't seem to understand that the safety rules can require this for consistency purposes. You don't want people who are casually violating the ranges safety rules to use the CCW provision to hide their unsafe conduct behind.

First, let me state that I do not belong to a club of any sort. But isn't the above thinking the same kind of thinking that Illinois uses in the first place to ban guns? If no one has them, then you'll all be safe?
Please realize that in no way am I trying to denegrate spqrzilla. My thinking would be "keep it hidden=no foul". My .02 worth.

[spqrzilla]

NMBillB, no it is not the "same kind of thinking". In developing the rules of a range, one must compromise somewhat to create a set of rules that can be communicated clearly to those using the range, channel behavior into safe directions and have the simplicity and clarity to be effectively enforced.