New shooters

[abunaitoo]

Happens every Sunday I go to the range.
Guys walk up with an AR with all kinds of attachments on it.
Shoots the cheapest, steal case ammo available.
Target looks like it was shot with a shotgun. At 50yds.
Talk like they know everything about AR's.
During the cease fire, range rules, magazine out, bolt locked open.
Never fails. Guys don't know how to hold the bolt open.
Seen one guy pushing on the bolt assist.
Another guy stuck an empty shell in, to hold the bolt open.
Heard another guy tell the range officer, he had the mag in because it holds the bolt open. It's either one or the other.
I always try to help these guy's.
Some take offense when you help them.
We laugh at it, but these guys don't take the time to know their firearm. They treat it like a toy.
That makes it scary.

[country gent]

On a lot of our ranges an Open bolt indicator is also mandatory now. We cut heavy string trimmer line into 8" lengths and put a handful of them in holders on the posts. I have seen the guys you talk about also. Most here welcome the help and information. Most empty AR mags engage the bolt catch, and for some that's theeasiest way insert empty mag and pull charging handle then remove the mag. One guy asked me once why I gave out free information at the club. My answer to him was, I'm only as safe as the firearms skills around me. My personal level no longer matters when others are around with less.

[DW475]

Ditto!

[JBinMN]

Why would it be so hard for them to figure out what the bolt catch is for? I reckon I just don't see how anyone would own a firearm & not know it's parts, how they function & why...

Plumb evades me...

Good on those who would try to help out, though. Now a days, I would likely just try once & if they gave me any ****, I'd just shake my head & walk away...

[Rcmaveric]

First thing i do with every fire arm is read the manual and practice stripping the fire arm. We were all naïve once. Someone taught us all. Haven't yet met a person at the range that wasn't coachable or engaging.

[Thin Man]

The gun shop where I work has an indoor range in the lower level. We are seeing a high number of "new" and "first time" gun buyers coming in the door. A lot of these buyers want to test out their new prize as soon as they make a purchase. A short time ago 2 ladies, age late 30's to mid 40's, came in together and each bought the same make/model of .380 acp pistol, then went to the range to try them out. Shortly after that one of the salesmen brought both pistols to me. Same story with each - the slide was forward, hammer down, safety off, magazine inserted and locked in place, and I was told both were loaded. The problem was the mags would not exit the frames, and the slides would not move. First I engaged the manual safety, then confirmed the chambers were empty (they were). The mags were oriented correctly. I removed the grips on one pistol but saw no ammo in the mag. While one clerk held the pistol (pointed in a safe direction) and kept the mag release button depressed, I inserted a pin punch through the witness holes of the magazine and pulled on it like crazy. "SNAP" sounded and the magazine released and came out. What we found was that the owner had inserted one round of ammo backward in the mag. This backward cartridge had locked the slide from moving as soon as the mag was locked in the frame. We almost fell to the floor from laughing about this. The second pistol was found to be loaded exactly like the first. When the salesman regained his composure he returned the pistols to their owners. The ladies left the shop very soon after that. The salesman claimed he had offered to show these buyers how to load and function their new prizes but they were too embarrassed to stay on the line. They left the shop without knowing any more than when they arrived. That's scary. Now those two are in circulation with firearms and have no idea how to operate them.

[Kraschenbirn]

Happens every Sunday I go to the range.
Guys walk up with an AR with all kinds of attachments on it.
Shoots the cheapest, steel case ammo available.
Target looks like it was shot with a shotgun. At 50yds.
Talk like they know everything about AR's.
During the cease fire, range rules, magazine out, bolt locked open.
Never fails. Guys don't know how to hold the bolt open....etc.

Sounds like some guys from the club where I shoot have been vacationing in Hawaii.

Bill

[Tom W.]

I've fired maybe 4 magazines in AR rifles. I do not own one, nor do I see myself owning one. My oldest son has a vault full of them. I make sure if offered a chance to shoot one that he is there to show me what to do. I'll not pretend to be a know-it-all when it comes to unfamiliar
( to me ) firearms.

[runfiverun]

these are all SJW's your helping.

[Scorpion8]

Happens every Sunday I go to the range.
Guys walk up with an AR with all kinds of attachments on it.
Shoots the cheapest, steal case ammo available.
Target looks like it was shot with a shotgun. At 50yds.
Talk like they know everything about AR's.
During the cease fire, range rules, magazine out, bolt locked open.
Never fails. Guys don't know how to hold the bolt open.
Seen one guy pushing on the bolt assist.
Another guy stuck an empty shell in, to hold the bolt open.
Heard another guy tell the range officer, he had the mag in because it holds the bolt open. It's either one or the other.
I always try to help these guy's.
Some take offense when you help them.
We laugh at it, but these guys don't take the time to know their firearm. They treat it like a toy.
That makes it scary.

Your scene is repeated daily at our range, an un-monitored public range. Ever since AR's became as common as loaves of white bread (is that rascist?) the "Watch this!"-fraction of society has glom'ed onto them like badges of office. They are the new toy in the Cracker Jack.

[RGrosz]

AR 15's are not so hard to figure out. The one I got (a Ruger AR clone) was just like my M 16 I used in the USAR for 22 years out of my 23 years+. Could field strip it in the dark if I had to. The only difference was the switch that said Safe - fire only had two positions, and the BCG could be put together wrong if you weren't two careful. But they are right, A lot of people don't know how to shoot or even take care of a weapon.
Rob

[dagger dog]

When all else fails, read the instructions !

[Knightflyer]

Why would it be so hard for them to figure out what the bolt catch is for? I reckon I just don't see how anyone would own a firearm & not know it's parts, how they function & why...

Plumb evades me...

Good on those who would try to help out, though. Now a days, I would likely just try once & if they gave me any ****, I'd just shake my head & walk away...

This got me to thinking that I ought to tell/remind my kids that if anyone ever offers polite advice, they should accept it and remember to thank them. I'll have to make sure that they remember where the lock back is on the different guns we have. I know that I've showed them, but I couldn't swear that they remember it... It's usually just us by ourselves and we fire until the mag is empty. But I really do need to drill more safety into their heads for when it isn't just me and them.
-KF

[Thumbcocker]

I had a sort of similar situation at the range on Saturday. Shooter with his first handgun (Glock 17). I was at the other end of the firing line. As things progressed we started talking during breaks. The new guy was with another shooter. I had observed some rookie mistakes the new shooter was making (feet too close together, back bent back, etc.). I was trying to figure out how to offer advice without butting in. (he was very safety conscious ). Finally I asked if he would like to shoot my CZ75 BD. He was thrilled. After a few shots I asked him if he would like a few pointers. He said he would appreciate any advice. I instructed him on stance, leaning into the gun a bit, pushing the front sight through the bull etc. He then proceeded to chew up the bull at 10 yards with the CZ and boolits.

I might have gotten a different reaction if I had gone over with a "know it all" attitude.