"You can't have that here"

[smithwessn]

As the title says, I heard those words. Not at a grocery store, not at an electronics store, a home repair store, or a restaurant. I heard those words..... at a gun club. This happened Saturday and I have thought about it ever since. I finally decided to vent. Let me back up and start at the beginning.

A good friend of mine decided to start hunting with me. We both signed up for the hunter safety class. I don't need the class but told my friend I would go with him so he didn't have to go alone. He said it was no big deal to go alone but thanked me for signing up with him.

That morning we meet for breakfast. I was OC in the diner and had no issues. We then go to the sportsman's club where the class was being held. I had debated OC or CC before going. I happened across a member here who is also a member at the club in question. A few days before the class I asked him via PM if they were OC friendly. He said he OC's there all the time and never had an issue. He just said they require you to check your weapon while at the bar.

After that conversation I decided to OC. We arrive and see they have the class set up under an outdoor pavilion. I figure I'm golden and expect no issue. Boy was I wrong. My HK was spied right away by an old fart with nothing better to do than hang around and watch the grass grow. He immediately brings it to the attention of the instructor. (not the WCO)

The following is the conversation we had-

Instructor- "You can't have that here. You need to put it in your car"

Me-* ???? I just shake my head in disbelief as I turn around to go back to the car.* "No guns at a gun club?? Unbelievable"

Inst- "There's going to be kids here, man"

Me-*I stop, turn around, and look at the man like he has two heads.* "What do you thing they're going to be hunting with?"

Inst- "Wha....... Well, what do you hunt with?"

Me- "I hunt with a gun. What do you hunt with?"

Inst- "I hunt with a gun."

Me-*shakes head, walks to car, place Hk in glove box, lock glove box, lock car, walk back. At this point I'm baffled by his logic, but ready to forget the whole thing. Apparently he isn't as ready to drop the subject as I am.*

Inst-"I see your point but you need to remember they don't have the experience or training that you do."

Me- "It isn't going to jump out of the holster into their hands. I'm not going to argue with you"
*At this point, he abandons his 'think of the children' logic. Maybe he realized it didn't make sense. Maybe he just felt he had to 'win the argument' I don't know.*

Inst- I'm going to have 80 people in this class. I can't have you sitting here with a gun."

Me- "I told you I'm not going to argue with you"

Inst- "I have a gun permit too, but you don't see me with one. Your friend isn't carrying. No one else here will have a gun except the WCO and he has his because he is working."

Me-"That's your choice, and his choice (while pointing to my friend). I choose to carry where I can."

Inst- "You don't need a gun here. Nothings going to happen. What makes you think you need that here?"

I just look over at my friend and he can tell I'm tired of this toothless d'bags nonsense. At this point my head is ready to explode. My buddy knows that is not an easy point to get me to so he just looks at me and thanks me for coming and tells me to just go. I tell him I'm not going to bail on him. He insists it's ok, tells me to go do something useful with my day, and says he wants to go shoot the next day. We argue back and forth a minute. I finally agree with my friend and just walk away.

Sorry for the long post. I had to vent.

The good thing to come out of this was being able to make the picnic in Limerick. Met a few great people and glad I was able to attend.

[bogey1]

i couldn't read the whole thread, it made me sick! talk about being PC at a gun club, its like going to take a drivers test "with a car" I've been reading more and more of these types of stories, im very confused. we are our own worst enemies.

[Curmudgeon]

i couldn't read the whole thread, it made me sick! talk about being PC at a gun club, its like going to take a drivers test "with a car" I've been reading more and more of these types of stories, im very confused. we are our own worst enemies.

^This.

We have such a long way to go. Fortunately, we can have fun with our hobby along the way!

[Munky]

Rep for keeping your cool. I probably would have went to he his higher up and made a stink about it at the very least.

[bullet]

wow what a fucking dipshit. was the instrucors head up his ass,maybe he was just jelose cuz u had urs and he left his at home. ive never heard such nonsense cant have ur gun at a hs class at a range.

[nateebobo]

my club is oc only when you sign up they ask if you have a ltcf and if reply is yes they tell you no cc on property it has to be out in the open, even in the clubhouse.( yes theres boos there, boo hoo)

[AxiTech]

Oh crap, I cannot believe I am about to do this!!
I kind of see his point. Side story first: I took the Utah CCW class that Jason gave to benefit SFN after her shindig with the Sheriff. Jason required EVERY gun in the room to be cleared, and re-cleared EVERY time the holder left the room we were in. The reasoning was, and I concur, that there were enough guns in the room, and enough people, and nobody knew the training level of EVERYONE in the room, that safety needed to take the front seat.

It might be that the instructor was thinking along these lines, even though he didn't articulate them very well. As for the old fart, well, he was just practicing up on what old farts do.
I hope this helps, but I am now going to crawl under the desk to take cover.

[rwilson452]

Way back when we had the hunter safety course at my local club I always open carried at the event. It was a non issue.

[riverpirate]

AXI ,
Im not going to beat you up for your post. I will say this. A gun just does not jump out of a secured holster and start shooting people. There is more of a chance of someone being hurt having to draw and clear the weapon over and over again to prove it is not loaded.

I would have have made a point of asking for a return of my membership dues to that club and let everyone I know what occured and to not patronize that club ever again.

[smithwessn]

Rep for keeping your cool. I probably would have went to he his higher up and made a stink about it at the very least.

The member here that I PM'd about OC there is aware of what happened. He says he is going to bring it up at the next meeting. I told him I wasn't looking to make waves or start any trouble. He says no worries about starting trouble.

Oh crap, I cannot believe I am about to do this!!
I kind of see his point. Side story first: I took the Utah CCW class that Jason gave to benefit SFN after her shindig with the Sheriff. Jason required EVERY gun in the room to be cleared, and re-cleared EVERY time the holder left the room we were in. The reasoning was, and I concur, that there were enough guns in the room, and enough people, and nobody knew the training level of EVERYONE in the room, that safety needed to take the front seat.

I'm not going to beat you up over your post. I just think the training level of everyone in the room is completely irrelevant if the gun isn't going to be handled. Just my opinion.