Are you going to a gun range, but unsure of what the rules are? Perhaps this will be your very first time. Maybe it’s been a few years since the last time that you went.
Either way, knowing the proper rules and guidelines for an indoor gun range can help you prioritize safety. That way, everyone in the gun range is practicing safe habits.
Take the time to learn what these safety tips are before you visit the range. See below for several indoor gun range safety rules you’ll want to keep in mind. Be sure to prioritize these before you go!
1. Point Your Gun Away from You
This is one of the most crucial gun range safety rules. It doesn’t matter whether you’re pulling the gun out of its case, loading it, or beginning to fire it, your gun should always be pointed away from you.
More importantly, it needs to be facing the one area where no one will be standing: the range itself. When you go to place more ammo inside, make sure the muzzle is still pointing towards the shooting range.
For the sake of remembering, there’s something called the 180-degree rule. You give yourself 180-degrees to point your gun, not allowing it to exceed that range on either side. As long as you do that, you’ll remain safe.
Don’t ever point the gun at anyone or anything that you aren’t intending to damage or destroy.
2. Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger
As long as you have your finger in the vicinity of the trigger, there’s a potential for disaster.
You might forget to put the safety on your gun while reloading. If you were to accidentally brush your finger on the trigger, the gun might fire and cause damage to something or someone around you.
After you’re done with each round, always remember to first put the safety on, then remove your finger from the trigger. Keep the gun pointed towards the shooting range as you reload, just in case something flukey were to occur.
Once you’ve reloaded the gun, place both your hands on the gun while keeping the finger off the trigger. Keep the muzzle pointed towards the range, turn off the safety, then place your finger back on the trigger.
3. Wear Eye Protection
It doesn’t matter whether you’re visiting an indoor gun range, outdoor gun range, shotgun range, or anything else, you always need eye protection.
Not only does it give you a more visible line of sight while shooting, but it guards your eyes against several things.
Things like discharged cartridges and gun powder can easily irritate your eyes. Without them, your eyes will get more and more irritated by them over a repeated amount of shots.
There are also things like dust and dirt that might get into your eyes, even in an indoor gun range.
While sunglasses would typically count as eye protection, they’ll affect your vision in an indoor range. For that reason, you should either wear prescription glasses or other forms of acceptable eyewear.
4. No Drinking or Smoking
As fun and rewarding as shooting a gun is, it will always have a few risks involved with it. To reduce the odds of those risks, every shooter at the range should be of sound mind.
For that reason, you’re not allowed to visit a gun range if you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs of any kind. That includes snuff, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, and so on.
If a gun range employee detects anything such as the signs of intoxication, they can deny you entry inside. Make sure that you and everyone in your party are in a sober state before you make the trip out.
Not only is shooting under the influence dangerous for yourself, but it’s also extremely dangerous for those around you.
5. Keep the Gun Unloaded
Far too many people make the mistake of keeping a gun loaded as they pack it away or before they visit the gun range. They might do this to maximize their time at the range, make more room for storing ammo, etc.
However, a general rule for any shooting range is to have the gun unloaded until you’re assigned your shooting position and ready to fire.
To properly exercise this, be sure to keep your ammo in a separate case or bag from the case that holds your gun(s). Even if you’re 100-percent confident the gun has no ammo in it, treat it as if it’s loaded and point the gun away from yourself.
6. Clean the Gun Before and After Visiting the Range
Simply put, you’re not allowed to clean your gun while you’re at the range. Something as little as cleaning it without the safety on can be a danger to you and everyone else in the range at that time.
For that reason, you’ll want to clean your gun before you head over to the range (if need be) and after you get home from the range.
If you want to clean it while you’re at the range to ensure you don’t forget, then take advantage of our Gunsmith Shop to clean your firearm.
Practice Proper Indoor Gun Range Safety
By knowing the indoor gun range safety tips ahead of time, you’ll be able to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for you and the rest of your group.
If this is your first time, be sure to read this article for 7 shooting range tips for beginners in Houston, Texas.
For more inquiries, please be sure to reach out via our contact us page and we’ll be happy to assist you further!
