Maryland Small Arms Range - What an experience! (in a bad way)

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  • Wheelbrain

    Active Member
    Aug 15, 2011
    116
    Rockville, Maryland
    I dropped by the Maryland Small Arms Range (MSAR) today. What an experience, and I mean that in a bad way.

    I realize the facility doesn’t receive much love, but I utilize it as an inexpensive alternative to indoor ranges in price and outdoor ranges in unsuitable weather. That being said, I’m well aware of its flaws – most notably attracting gangsta wannabes who haven’t the slightest notion of how to operate a firearm safely (how many times they’ve muzzle swept with a rented handgun, we’ll never know) – but what I experienced today surpassed my expectations, and I likely won’t be returning.

    While a friend goes to rent, me and others are plinking away, when the range lights suddenly go wild and an obviously pissed off employee enters and calls for a ceasefire. I expected the problem to be a shot target cable, but I apparently underestimated MSAR’s clientele.

    Someone in the right-most lane shot a florescent lane light, sending it crashing to the floor. The staff retrieves and totes the light out, and everyone continues shooting – including, if I remember rightly and to my surprise, the shooter. Shortly thereafter, I rent a Smith & Wesson Model 64 – largely because of this thread. Immediately after I finish a cylinder (loved it!), déjà vu – staff cues the light show, and I see the Florescent Lane Light Assassin has struck again!

    After the second ceasefire ended, the shooters to my left packed their equipment and left almost immediately, presumably being fed up with the lane light assassin. I think I heard yelling – hopefully an RSO to the shooter – but didn’t overhear specifics (being hard of hearing with ear protection on makes for muffled language). Whether the incompetent shooter stayed and downed another light, I don’t know – I and friends returned the rental firearms, packed our gear, and left shortly afterward.

    This post isn’t intended as defamatory toward MSAR, but I certainly hope they’ll revamp their safety measures and their supervision of clearly inexperienced or confused shooters at their new facility. Considering this happened with presumably a rented handgun, the sky seems to be the limit as to what may happen if similar customers rent rifles and shotguns, if MSAR’s new location presents the opportunity.

    As for how it happened – my speculation is someone fired a shot which recoiled off the (for lack of better terminology) target’s “V-clip” (the clipboard-esque mechanism holding the target) I can’t imagine someone accidentally aiming the firearm in such a manner that it directly strikes the bulb. If he managed that, it’s impressive, albeit in a bad way.

    I realize MSAR isn't known for policing safety strictly with its clientele, but has anyone had similar experiences there? I've recently returned to the shooting sport and today was, without a doubt, the biggest customer eff-up I've ever personally experienced. Who knows, maybe I'd be better off at Select Fire in Glen Burnie. (Just kidding.)

    I can’t pinpoint a specific time as to when everything occurred, but we were there from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. My absolute guess is approximately 10:50 – 11:20. If fellow MDshooters were there then, I was a younger guy dressed in jeans and a gray plaid shirt.

    P.S. Please note this post isn't intended to be defamatory toward MSAR - my previous trips were largely positive. I’m simply sharing my best recollection of events which transpired today. If anyone has a better recollection or additional details to share or correct me with, please feel free to.

    Edit: In response to treehugger's post, this was at MSAR's old location at 9311 Old Marlboro Pike. They haven't yet relocated to their new facility.
     

    PapiBarcelona

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 1, 2011
    7,342
    Light assassins are funny. I seen it happen myself, except nothing happened and no one noticed but the people shooting. This happened somewhere else.

    Probably a frag from striking the metal target system sends something into the light.
     

    FrankOceanXray

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 29, 2008
    12,028
    Awful place. So many fragments that hit people there...lots of ambulance runs originated there. Awful service. Horrible prices. Questionable clientele.
     

    miller

    Member
    Jan 14, 2012
    7
    Wow, thats just sad. I live in ohio and we have a range with similiar customers. People who shoot pistols sideways and start arguements with loaded guns in hand. Figured it was an out of the blue happening the first time I went, but second time a simiar group was in. Its just dissapionting, and the fact that the owners could blatently see what was happening was even more frustrating. To say the leaste Ive found a new range. However these people need some kind of direction form the range owners. Because if they dont get it, they will make a nice CNN storry that wont have good results.
     

    Martian

    MSI Executive Member
    Mar 15, 2007
    517
    PG Co.
    I've been there on ladies day quite a few times over the years, and nothing really bad ever happened, except once an instructor practicing by himself was going too far forward into his lane so ladies were getting stung in the face. We alerted him to the problem, and he ignored us, so we had to complain to management, and they told him not to (which he mostly did).

    I got a great deal on a used firearm there, and they have been outstanding with minor gunsmithing on the fly, too.

    I'm not crazy about indoor ranges, even those with clean air that are well-managed. I always get next to someone with a firearm that gives me a headache.
     

    BlueHeeler

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 28, 2010
    7,086
    Washington, DC
    I understand your concern. Unfortunately if someone is doing head shots close up (7 yards or less) and not paying attention to what is beyond their target, a high headshot will send a bullet into the baffles or lights further down range. Not that I know anyone that has ever done that.:innocent0

    It could also be as you say, someone had a fragment go into the lights or someone acting irresponsibly.
     

    Drmsparks

    Old School Rifleman
    Jun 26, 2007
    8,441
    PG county
    nah. its those security peeps shooting from hip.

    This, or at least something very similar. The last time I was there (and the second visit I made) some security guards were shooting at 3-5 yard targets from the draw and every round was hitting the ceiling in my lane or my 10 yard target. It was a mess.
     

    MudRhino

    Active Member
    Jul 8, 2011
    219
    I go there alot and have definitely seen some stuff that makes me worry. I was in there a few months ago and caught a pretty large fragment in the chest that I had to shake out of my shirt after I realized what happened (I still have the scar). If you look at the fluorescencents behind the shooting lanes you'll notice an array of bullet holes in them so I am guessing that ricochets/fragments coming back toward shooters isn't terribly uncommon. I just make sure ALWAYS to keep my eye protection on and if I need to take them off for any reason I turn around.

    The guys and gals that work there are good people though which keeps me coming back (and I bought a membership earlier in the year). I am looking forward to the new range; hopefully they wil have some decent ventilation and figure out a way to reduce ricochets.
     

    MessedUpMike

    Active Member
    Jan 29, 2011
    214
    My biggest gripe about MSAR is that they don't have an RSO actively walking the line. I could care less who is shooting or what they look like so long at they're safe, but when the chunky redneck swept me with a hot M&P15 the other night I made sure the whole damn range knew I wasn't happy.
     

    atreeves

    Member
    Apr 6, 2011
    60
    I would say that's really sad, but I had probably my most embarrassing experience at a range ever the other day. I was at... umm a very nice indoor range (:D) and trying some different shooting positions with my new AR and had the target too high on the cardboard hangar. It was well within their backdrop (middle of the dummy hanger at max range), but alas as I'm sitting low and plinking away an RSO comes up to me yelling that I'm shooting the ceiling. I had a WTF moment, but of course complied and dropped the target.

    The incident bugged me a lot. Not that I had be scolded, but that I had let it happen in the first place. I could account for every round on the target... so how was I hitting the !CEILING! at max range? It wasn't until the next day (as I said, this bugged me a lot) that it occured to me, rounds were going high into the "down plate" on the backstop, ricocheting at too much of angle, hitting the "up plate" at the bottom of the backstop, and finally hitting the ceiling. Needless to say I was mortified. :sad20:

    It reinforced the idea of considering more than just 1st impact of a round. Oh and to the RSO and others on the line.. sorry for being a complete TARD. :o
     

    olebess

    Active Member
    Jan 11, 2011
    360
    MontCo
    I was there in mid-December. It was my first time to MSAR. Overall, not a bad experience. There were a bunch of folks there who don't shoot on a regular basis, apparently because of a groupon or livingsocial deal. They didn't worry me so much as the armed security guys. I understand those guys probably only have to qualify once a year and don't get their range time covered, but the security guy in the lane next to me was doing all kinds of draw-and-shoot, duck-and-shoot, and shooting from one knee that it kind of made me uncomfortable. My time didn't overlap with his too much (he left about 10 minutes after I started) but he didn't strike me as professional (read safety conscious) as the LEOs I know and have shot with. Later during my hour there another security guy came up to me and asked me what kind of gun I was shooting. It was a Glock 19. He told me the gun was really accurate. I joked that it was indeed an accurate gun but that I also had a little something to do with the accuracy. He didn't laugh. I'm not sure he "got it." All that said, I thought the MSAR staff was very helpful and accommodating. I'd probably go back if it were closer.
     

    Flipz

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 11, 2010
    3,193
    My biggest gripe about MSAR is that they don't have an RSO actively walking the line. I could care less who is shooting or what they look like so long at they're safe,

    This!

    I don't understand why they don't have an RSO on the line full time. You would think it would be mandatory. After my membership expires I won't be renewing it. That is unless there is a big change at their new range. If they don't start having an RSO on the line full time, I won't be going back. Instead I'll just join the IWL.
     

    bnich82

    African American w/a Gun!
    Dec 8, 2011
    362
    Was there tonight breaking in a new firearm....the 2 gents next to me assassinated the guide lines for the target carrier and just left without saying anything LOL....I was collecting my brass and noticed all these wires laying in the lane next to me and was like WTF??? Next 2 shooters rolled in who appeared to be qualifying for a branch of the Maryland police (trainer/applicant) and they had to wait for another lane to open.

    Amazing they don't have a RSO on the lanes or someone atleast checking things out to ensure everything is running smooth....other than that..its a great place to collect a ton of brass as no one who visits seems to reload and are happy that you are getting the brass out of their way lol.....
     

    -Z/28-

    I wanna go fast
    Dec 6, 2011
    10,647
    Harford Co
    I've never been to msar, but I've witnessed stupid people at other ranges. As much as I hate creating new anti-gun laws, I think all ranges should be required to have a safety officer on the line. Beyond the idiots, there are also a lot of good people who make innocent mistakes.
    I've also been witness to a light assassin and it scared the crap out of me. It was maybe 2 years ago at H&M in Bel air. Some kid who'd rented an AR-15 decided to let loose and see how fast he could pull the trigger. Needless to say he lost control of the recoil and the light went boom and fell to the floor.
     

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