From: bobd@marune.acs.ohio-state.edu (Bob DeBula)
Newsgroups: rec.guns,talk.politics.guns
Subject: PC and a place to shoot
Date: 9 Oct 92 17:20:25 GMT
Article-I.D.: magnus.1992Oct9.012948.23376
Followup-To: talk.politics.guns
Organization: The Ohio State University

Apologies in advance to the rec.guns moderator (I will understand
if you consign this to t.p.g. only). However, I think some regulars
here in r.g. might want this information and I am genuinely interested
in alternatives. I'll leave it up to the moderator to decide whether
this is appropriate for rec.guns.

[MODERATOR:  Hmmmm.   Well, I've thought about this one and timidly
choose to post it in r.g. too ... the positive question that Bob asks
at the end won't really be answered in t.p.g., and I think there is
some "heads up" value in relating this situation to r.g. readers. But
I don't think extensive debate about the semi-auto and how it is to
be perceived for legislative purposes has any real place in r.g., so
I hope we keep such things either off line or over in t.p.g., in which
I am cross posting.  Thanks for understanding, one and all....]

I am bitterly disappointed. The local "pay per hour" range in
Powell Ohio, known as the "Powder Room" has apparently adopted 
a rather loathsome (in my opinion) policy. Some background:

I have been looking forward to being able to make use of the 
"Powder Room's" indoor underground rifle range for some time
now. I have been checking on it periodically (I was given to
understand that it was closed down due to the necessity of
replacing an exhaust fan (it also suffers periodic flooding)).

Thus, wanting to test out a recent acquisition, I called last
night and asked about range hours. I was told noon to
8 PM Tuesday through Sunday for the rifle range. End of
conversation.

This evening, we basically rushed to get home, I loaded
my equipment in the car and departed for Powell. I arrived 
at 7:15, gun case (a US military surplus paratroop drop case
big and bulky enough to hold virtually anything (indeed it
works quite well for scoped rifles)), ammunition box, and
"save the earth - cloth recycle bag", in hand. Traveling to Powell
takes approximately half an hour from our home.

What eventuated:

When I arrived, the folks working behind the counter
(two employees and the apparent owner -- whom I've chatted
with quite amiably in the past), asked what caliber
I had brought. I begin to get a queasy feeling.
I replied ".223". Question number two "is it a semi-auto?".
My reply was "yes, it is". The response was "I'm sorry,
but we don't allow semi-autos on the rifle range". 

My immediate question was "why?, obviously you sell them here
in the store portion of the business". The response (and
now I am defintely paraphrasing) was something along the lines
of "people who come in here with semi-autos tend to be
irresponsible and shoot the place up". Mumbled additional
ramblings to the effect that some damage had just been
repaired which had been caused by a semi-auto shooter.
A statement was made to the effect that a lot or most
of the people who shoot semi-auto rifle are careless,
lack training, and can't control the rifles (spraying
shots everywhere). I may not have the wording exactly correct
on this, but it pretty well summarizes the diatribe.

My second question was "why in the world didn't you folks tell
me of this policy on the phone before I wasted half an hour
driving here"? The response was "we would have had you asked".
My response "why in the world would I have any reason to suspect
you had such an outrageous policy"? I also pointed out that
in my  "save the earth" recycling bag, I had sandbags for
benching the rifle, and several different handloads I wished
to test. Hardly standard equipment for "Ramboizing" their
range. At this point, the two employees were looking very
questioningly at the (presumed) owner. Said individual
then restated the "sorry no exceptions" policy.

I decided to at least remove my stuff back to the car,
gather my thoughts, and come back to continue this
discussion. I did so. When I returned, I took the opportunity
(as lucidly as I was capable) to point out the hypocracy of
advocating that guns are not to blame for the deeds of people,
and then basically supporting the "evil semi-auto" theory by 
practicing discrimination as a range policy (semi-auto pistols
are apparently *not* evil as they are allowed on the pistol range).
Guns are inanimate objects possessing neither good nor evil attributes.

I basically tried to convey that the individuals who shoot up
the range should be held accountable for their actions, *not*
the type of firearm (or indeed other blameless shooters). 
All of this did no good. 

Said propriator then pointed out that several new acquisitions from someones
collection had been added to the shop stock. My basic take was
something along the line that, indeed, several specimens
of interest to me were present and perhaps I might have bought
one, but in good conscience I could not do business given
the enumerated stance on semi-auto rifles.

I know a lot of folks in the Columbus area frequent this range
(and several who post to rec.guns have mentioned it). I thought
they might want to know about this particular policy so that
they might make an informed decision regarding doing business
with these folks. It might also be helpful if folks who stop
through the "Powder Room" ask about this policy and express 
their opinion of it.

I am now left wondering if the "evil baby killing semi-automatic
rifle" will be obsoleted by lack of a place to shoot. Note that 
according to this policy, it wouldn't have mattered had I a Ruger .44 Mag.
carbine.  So, "political correctness" has arrived at the range 
in my neighborhood. How soon will it arrive in yours if it hasn't
already?. I guess the anti-RKBAers would be tickled pink to learn
that the "divide and conquer" stategy is working so well....

Now to the proactive side of this post:

Does anyone know of a range (membership or "pay per hour" based)
in the Columbus area (I'm willing to drive for an hour) which does
not have "semi-auto rifle" restrictions? I would certainly
like to contribute my shooting dollars elsewhere.

Sorry to ramble, but I am still somewhat perturbed (the technical
term is "cheesed off" :-).
-- 
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              Disclaimer: These are my views, not the U's

        "If it's in the paper it must be true!" --- D. Doright