Am I ignorant about this range rule or has range become too Jerseyfied ?

A couple of weeks ago I won a new toy in a raffle; a S&W 9mm Shield Ported.
Today was the first chance I had to take it to the range and fire it.

The local outdoor ranges to which I have a memberships; were both too congested for my liking and it was starting to rain.
So I went to the local indoor range; Heritage Guild.
Since obtaining a membership to the outdoor ranges a couple of years ago; I don't go to Heritage more than 2 or three times per year.
And the last two times I've gone to Heritage. I've had some interactions with the range officers that gave me the feeling it's becoming too (for lack of a better vocabulary) "Jerseyfied".

The last time; before today; I went there. I had a range officer begin to give me a talking to about laying down, on the bench, a Pietta 1873 SAA "without it's cylinder open".
It took a couple sentences of me correcting him that these Colt SAA clones; or the real thing; do not have cylinders that swing out.
All that can be done without disassembling the gun; is to open the little loading gate. Of which mine was open.

Today when I went there. I was opening carrying my Taurus revolver on my hip as usual. Which has never, ever been a problem before; at Heritage or any other range.
One of the range officers noticed it; and began giving me their usual speech about how to remove it from my holster; strong side facing down range and placing directly on the bench.
I said yes I'm aware, and that I was not going to be shooting that weapon.
At which point he immediately said he doesn't think that is allowed.
And then turned to the other range officers asking if I was allowed in the range, with a holstered weapon, that I was not going to be shooting.
They promptly said yes it was allowed.
After which I said to him "Really ?! That's a range policy ?".
His reply was "Yes, sometimes it is."

After getting back home, I looked at their website to verify their rules.
I could not find any rule stating that you must fire holstered weapons at the range.
The closest rules I could find; which have never changed for as long as I know; are:

• All guns must be cased or holstered when not in the shooting port.
• Only one gun uncased or unholstered at any time. If two people in port, only one shooter at a time. Pass gun by placing it on shooting bench, not hand to hand.

So; is it sometimes a range rule; at Heritage or any other range; that if you bring a holstered weapon into a range you MUST fire it ?
If yes; what is the reasoning behind it ?

Or are my last two interactions with range officers at Heritage simply a case of it growing, having more patrons from NJ than PA, and possibly having more NJ range officers ?

Thanks;

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Originally Posted by ett

Or are my last two interactions with range officers at Heritage simply a case of it growing, having more patrons from NJ than PA, and possibly having more NJ range officers ?
Thanks;

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In my experience, the worst thing you can do with small-minded people is give them a little bit of authority. They feel compelled to demonstrate it, ad nauseum.

Vote with your dollars. Leave and never go back. I think we, as responsible gun owners, have lost more possible new gun owners to over-bearing authority douchebags than we ever will to liberal politicians.

It's very much like the Christian Church. Some are open and welcoming. Others want to burn folks at the stake if they do not measure up to certain (non-Biblical) principles. Guess which ones are thriving.

So, yeah, move on and find a new range that doesn't find itself over-run by self-important, authoritarian asswipes.

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After which I said to him "Really ?! That's a range policy ?".
His reply was "Yes, sometimes it is."

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Well, that clarifies everything...

As for Jerseyfied, the have twice as many ranges in New Jersey as in Easton... so maybe they all learn those rules also... I don't know.

I think RSOs, especially in rental ranges, which tend to attract a lot of un-trained shooters, want to keep an eye on every loaded firearm on the line, and if someone has a second loaded gun, easily accessible, it freaks them out.

When I had to live in Albuquerque for a few months, I immediately joined the local, large indoor range that allowed you to draw and shoot from the holster. They made me go in some side office and 'demonstrate' safe handling and presentation techniques.

That was what the rules required, but, I then had to convince the manager at the main station behind the line that I was OK and he was giving me a really hard time until I yelled "duck" and crouched... he ducked and looked over his shoulder as a Septuagenarian with a nice tooled Western holster rig turned fully around, covering the entire range and every occupant with his six-shooter.

Nothing more had to be said, and he stamped my membership card with the 'holster OK' stamp.

Sometimes I think folks make up rules until they are comfortable with you or the situation.

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Originally Posted by RobW

In my experience, the worst thing you can do with small-minded people is give them a little bit of authority. They feel compelled to demonstrate it, ad nauseum.

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This.
Small minded RSOs drunk with authority and made up 'rules' are not a good mix for me. I'd never visit the Jerseyfied range again. I like my ranges - usually no crowds and only ever seen one RSO for all of ten minutes in the last three years.

The RSO was probably given little or poor training by management. He should have known the answer, but at least took the time to get clarification. Blame the manager who put him in the job without making certain that the RSO knew the rules.

It's what you get when you go to a place that only pays $10 hr for RSO's.

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Originally Posted by Manxdriver

Vote with your dollars. Leave and never go back. I think we, as responsible gun owners, have lost more possible new gun owners to over-bearing authority douchebags than we ever will to liberal politicians.

It's very much like the Christian Church. Some are open and welcoming. Others want to burn folks at the stake if they do not measure up to certain (non-Biblical) principles. Guess which ones are thriving.

So, yeah, move on and find a new range that doesn't find itself over-run by self-important, authoritarian asswipes.

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Play it safe, beat up on Christians. See how the libtard brainwashing permeates everything? We have to stop using their words.

http://vpnavy01.com/lgdare/oldman_01.gif ETT - You might consider jumping over to Heritage Guild of Easton (CONTACT US) website page and let management know what is going on - they may not have a clue. This way - you are helping the next person - just sayin'