A range with a dress code?

[just jk]

i was at the Bullet Trap yesterday afternoon

a very thugalicious looking dude was standing at the counter - fully engaged in mouth breathing - with shorts that went down to his ankles - the saggy look...the whole nine yards

call me biased but i didnt feel comfortable at all...my assumption is that he's there for a different reason than i am......i'm sure thats my own profiling going on and isnt fair as he may be an avid gun enthusiast


but i doubt it

 

[wakal]

The reasoning behind a lot those rules are plausable deniability for when the rabid leftist media (but I repeat myself) show up on a slow news day in order to get some pictures of "typical" shooters. They don't take pictures of the guy in chinos and a button down shirt, or the girl in jeans and a nice shirt, or 99.9999999% of the shooters just like them. No, oh no, they go trolling for the 350 pound unshaven greaseball in the "GAWD HATES DER JEWS" shirt, banging away with a Jennings or a Highpoint in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other.

At a beer can.

At 2 yards.

And missing.

With all 50 rounds.

Sigh.

I'm about as easy-going as they get, in that I only want ear and eye protection on a range that I am responsible for (although, with rare exceptions, I do prefer "clothed")...and even I understand and have enforced dress codes like that.

And have fetched targets and helped folks get set up to shoot who have more metal hanging off their faces than I do off the front of my pickup...and the flaming pair of very polite shooters, and the guy whose girlfriend WAY overdressed for what she thought of as a social occasion, and handed out hundreds of pairs of safety glasses to kids, and helped...well, lots of other perfectly normal Americans just like all those examples have a good time at the shooting range.

Hell, I even helped run "intro to 3-Gun" matches for local media types...and watched them give a well known local anchor a lot of grief for drilling a no-shoot, first shot out of the holster...heh...

But I have asked folks to change their shirts and put up their targets of...prominent political figures... The range didn't need that sort of publicity.



Alex

 

[benenglish]

a very thugalicious looking dude...the saggy look...

...i didnt feel comfortable at all...my assumption is that he's there for a different reason than i am...he may be an avid gun enthusiast

but i doubt it

You could always find out.

I've made a point of pulling out something flashy such as my Glock 21 with a Carver rail and a Holosight when I'm next door to those types. Invariably, they're curious. If I can catch them looking, I offer to let them shoot it. I'll load it up with 2 rounds, put a new target up close, and see what one of them (they're almost always in groups) can do.

Sometimes they surprise me. Sometimes they can shoot. Sometimes they're grateful for a little instruction. Sometimes they are amazingly polite (once you get over the vernacular in use) even if they're incompetent. And sometimes they give me an evil look and act like only a crazy old white man would dare talk to them.

I guess it all goes back to me reading Jeff Cooper decades ago when he wrote about running a program for juvenile delinquents where he taught them how to shoot pistols. His take on the situation was that delinquents had self-control and self-respect issues and that by putting them on a firing line, with a gun in their hand and providing proper instruction, he was creating a controlled environment in which the young person could exercise self-control, listen to instruction, and have some fun. Or they could shoot themselves in the foot. The choice was theirs. He said (and I have nothing more than my recollection of his writings on the subject) that, given that choice in those rather bleak terms, most kids who had gone astray would choose to exercise self-control, listen, and have fun.

Maybe it was only for an hour, but the lesson sunk in. They could actually be in control of themselves and accomplish something serious. For many of the saggy-pants crowd, that's an experience they've never had due to many factors (mostly absent fathers) but it's one I'm happy to provide when I get a chance.

One of these days one of those guys may follow me to the parking lot, put a bullet in my head, and walk away with my range bag. It's a chance I'm willing to take. In this life I firmly believe and often say "Someone has to trust first." I find I'm pleasantly surprised far more often than I'm disappointed.

 

[TheDan]

Everybody knows exactly what "sagging pants" is code for.

One midget riding another?

 

[stx kid]

One midget riding another?

I just stole this photo and sent it to all my LEO buddies

 

[just jk]

You could always find out.

I've made a point of pulling out something flashy such as my Glock 21 with a Carver rail and a Holosight when I'm next door to those types. Invariably, they're curious. If I can catch them looking, I offer to let them shoot it. I'll load it up with 2 rounds, put a new target up close, and see what one of them (they're almost always in groups) can do.

Sometimes they surprise me. Sometimes they can shoot. Sometimes they're grateful for a little instruction. Sometimes they are amazingly polite (once you get over the vernacular in use) even if they're incompetent. And sometimes they give me an evil look and act like only a crazy old white man would dare talk to them.

I guess it all goes back to me reading Jeff Cooper decades ago when he wrote about running a program for juvenile delinquents where he taught them how to shoot pistols. His take on the situation was that delinquents had self-control and self-respect issues and that by putting them on a firing line, with a gun in their hand and providing proper instruction, he was creating a controlled environment in which the young person could exercise self-control, listen to instruction, and have some fun. Or they could shoot themselves in the foot. The choice was theirs. He said (and I have nothing more than my recollection of his writings on the subject) that, given that choice in those rather bleak terms, most kids who had gone astray would choose to exercise self-control, listen, and have fun.

Maybe it was only for an hour, but the lesson sunk in. They could actually be in control of themselves and accomplish something serious. For many of the saggy-pants crowd, that's an experience they've never had due to many factors (mostly absent fathers) but it's one I'm happy to provide when I get a chance.

One of these days one of those guys may follow me to the parking lot, put a bullet in my head, and walk away with my range bag. It's a chance I'm willing to take. In this life I firmly believe and often say "Someone has to trust first." I find I'm pleasantly surprised far more often than I'm disappointed.

thats great that you do that

not something i care to spend my time on - but a big kudo to you!

 

[michael e]

The better half has worn a low cut shirt and flip flops to range before, I told her to change, she didn't want to listen. Let's just say it only happened once.
I have had brass go down my shirt with normal T on, no way in hell would I wear flip flops or wife beater to range. But I don't need rules to tell me that.

 

[hkusp1]

Most rules are the result of the behavior of knucklheads. I can tell from reading those exactly from where they came. I got zero problem with them.

+1

 

[zembonez]

Private property - you want to use it, you have to play by their rules.

This sums it up perfectly. Nobody is forced to attend.

 

[RstyShcklfrd]

Just wanted to add: Men should never wear flip flops to begin with.

 

[scap99]

Just wanted to add: Men should never wear flip flops to begin with.

I disagree. I love flip flops, chanklas, crocs, or whatever you want to call them.

 

[stx kid]

Just wanted to add: Men should never wear flip flops to begin with.

sounds like someone didn't shower after gym class! Remember that only you can prevent athletes foot.

 

[just jk]

not wear flip flops?

ok gramps - sometimes those wing tips get uncomfy and hot

i wear flip flops a lot during the summer


now crocs? totally gay

 

[michael e]

Just wanted to add: Men should never wear flip flops to begin with.

Have you ever had work boots on for 16 hours a day 5 days a week. Flip flops are all I wear on those days when I get off. You don't like my feet then don't look at them

 

[RstyShcklfrd]

Holy Hell. I don't recreationally wear flip flops. I wear flip flops when I shower at the gym, that's it - less than 10 minutes easily of flip flop wearing. There are plenty of other comfy alternatives to flip flops. It's not that I can see your feet, flip flops are for the ladies. Don't get so mad people. When I need to relax my feet, I wear my nice broken-in stanky ass Sperry's.

 

[stx kid]

Holy Hell. I don't recreationally wear flip flops. I wear flip flops when I shower at the gym, that's it - less than 10 minutes easily of flip flop wearing. There are plenty of other comfy alternatives to flip flops. It's not that I can see your feet, flip flops are for the ladies. Don't get so mad people. When I need to relax my feet, I wear my nice broken-in stanky ass Sperry's.

I agree, Sperrey makes a damn comfy shoe, I'm going to let you off easy...

 

[jocat54]

Some of it is common sense...some of it is common decency...none of it should be necessary...

That pretty much sums it up. Right on.

 

[jocat54]

not wear flip flops?

ok gramps - sometimes those wing tips get uncomfy and hot

i wear flip flops a lot during the summer


now crocs? totally gay

Man that is totally wrong.

I used to make fun of my kids and everyone else that wore them---but I somehow started wearing them and it's about all I wear anymore.
Of course I'm an old fart and retired though and could care less what anybody thinks.

 

[RstyShcklfrd]

Must be nice. I'm 21 and all I care about is what people think of me. I need to make sure everyone hates me a whole lot and thinks I'm an ass. At least that's what my ladyfriend says!

 

[just jk]

Man that is totally wrong.

I used to make fun of my kids and everyone else that wore them---but I somehow started wearing them and it's about all I wear anymore.
Of course I'm an old fart and retired though and could care less what anybody thinks.

did you see the part where you dont care anymore?

no - i'm not totally wrong about crocs......