Thank you! 

Thank you for participating in this poll and helping us gauge where everyone’s understanding of the facility rules is at.

Here are the correct responses to the questions and the relevant explanation.

Again, nobody was being graded but we felt it important to provide the correct information. This way, everyone has a chance to see whether with their knowledege level is sufficient or needs work.

The yellow line down the center of the concrete pad in range sheds is the cease fire line. When the safety curtain is UP, the range is in live fire. The cease fire line ‘deactivates’ and you’re free to be on either side of it. The cease fire line only exists within the range sheds themselves.

The red line at the front of the benches and the range shed pad is the firing line. When the safety curtain is UP, the range is in live fire and you must stay behind (i.e. on the parking lot side) of this line. In fact, no part of your body can extend past this line while the safety curtain is up. The firing line exists in a line extending virtually outward from the each range shed to the side berms.

When the safety curtain is in the UP position:

• the range is in LIVE FIRE
• firing is permitted
• you are able to handle magazines, ammo, and uncased firearms
• firearms, whether cased or uncased may be loaded into or unloaded from your vehicle
• you can be on either side of the cease fire line
• you must be BEHIND (i.e. on the parking lot side) the firing line

The last person departing from a range should leave the safety curtain UP. This is important for two reasons. First (and most important), it is a clear sign to the next member arriving later that the range is empty and no one is down range. Second, if left down the wind whips the safety curtain around and damages it.

When the safety curtain is in the DOWN position:

• the range is CLOSED
• NO firing is permitted
• you MUST NOT handle magazines, ammo, and uncased firearms
• firearms must be in the rack, in your holster, or on the bench with their muzzle pointed downrage
• firearms must be unloaded (i.e. no ammo in the magazine or breech, magazine removed where possible)
• actions, where possible, must be in the open position
• you must be BEHIND (i.e. on the parking lot side) the cease fire line
• you can be on either side of the firing line and can go downrage to place or remove targets
• only CASED firearms may be loaded into or unloaded from your vehicle

As mentioned above, the last person departing from a range should leave the safety curtain UP. It must not be left in the down position. Again, this is to ensure that no wind damage comes to the curtain but more importantly, if it is down it is a signal to the next arriving member that someone is downrange, requiring them to clearly determine whether or not someone is, in actual fact, downrange before raising it.

The Facility Rules state that the safe muzzle directions are:

• pointed up
• pointed down
• pointed downrange

Located on the bench with muzzles pointed downrange, unloaded and with their actions open, is safe. This is true, whether the safety curtain is up or down.

In the racks, or when carrying uncased firearms between vehicle, bench, or rack, having the muzzle pointed straight up is safe.

Straight down is also a safe direction. Shotguns with break actions may carried in this fashion. Similarly, a firearm in a holster on a belt is pointed down.

AT NO TIME is it permissible for the muzzle of an uncased firearm to be pointed at any body part of another member. This is a basic rule of firearms safety. Exercise care when moving uncased firearms between vehicle, bench, or rack that you do not ‘sweep’ or ‘muzzle’ (i.e. allow your firearm to be pointed at) another member, even inadvertently or momentarily.

This is the ‘C’ and ‘P’ in the ‘ACTS & PROVE’ of the Canadian Firearms Safety Course. And, again, is one of the most basic elements of firearms safety every SPFGA member is expected to practice without fail.

These sturdy red metal containers with flip-top lids are located in each of the rifle and handgun range sheds. They are used for the safe disposal of unsafe, unwanted, or misfired ammunition.

DO NOT loaded cartridges in the brass pails. Put them in here. The brass pails are for the disposal of unwanted fired cases, not loaded ammo.

As stated in the Facility Rules, in the event of a hang fire/misfire (i.e. you pull the trigger and get a ‘click’ but not a ‘bang’) the action must remain closed for a minimum of one minute, the firearm remaining under control and the muzzle being maintained in a safe downrange direction. After one minute has gone by, eject the cartridge and place it in one of these disposal containers.