[greenn17h]

Just curious if anyone else has experienced this, or if it's limited to this one range, or what:

I recently relocated for work. I decided to check out one of the local gun shops / indoor range. I walk in, see their very impressive selection of rental guns, and decide I'd like to try some of them out. I wait my turn, and the conversation goes something like this:

Him: Can I help you?
Me: Yeah, I'd like to try out that PPK on the range.
Him: (giving a funny look) Are you alone?
Me: Uh, yeah.
Him: Do you have a firearm on you?
Me: No.
Him: Well, then I can't let you rent a firearm.
Me: Um, excuse me?
Him: Our policy is that in order to rent one of our guns you need to be with another person, or you need to show me a firearm that you own. This is so that people do not rent a gun in order to commit suicide

(the reasoning, in case you can't figure it out, is that you won't kill yourself in front of a friend, and if you own a gun you wouldn't need to go to the range to do it)

Me: Are you being serious? What if I show you my CCW permit?
Him: Nope. CCW only proves that you're not a felon, not that you own a gun.


Everyone in there (customers included, probably 4-6 people) were looking at me like I was nuts for trying to rent a gun alone. One of the customers explained to me that there had been a couple of examples of people going to a public range, renting a gun, and putting it to their own heads.

I've never seen or heard of a policy like this before, but I'm fairly new to firearms. Is this common? By the end of the conversation I was getting pretty pissed at the guy, and I left vowing never to give them a cent of my business. Problem is, they're close, it's a pretty nice facility, and they seem nice otherwise (before trying to rent I spent a few minutes in the store part of the place).

BTW, I do own guns, I just didn't happen to have them with me at the time.

[Jpyle]

Originally Posted by greenn17h

Just curious if anyone else has experienced this, or if it's limited to this one range, or what:

I recently relocated for work. I decided to check out one of the local gun shops / indoor range. I walk in, see their very impressive selection of rental guns, and decide I'd like to try some of them out. I wait my turn, and the conversation goes something like this:

Him: Can I help you?
Me: Yeah, I'd like to try out that PPK on the range.
Him: (giving a funny look) Are you alone?
Me: Uh, yeah.
Him: Do you have a firearm on you?
Me: No.
Him: Well, then I can't let you rent a firearm.
Me: Um, excuse me?
Him: Our policy is that in order to rent one of our guns you need to be with another person, or you need to show me a firearm that you own. This is so that people do not rent a gun in order to commit suicide

(the reasoning, in case you can't figure it out, is that you won't kill yourself in front of a friend, and if you own a gun you wouldn't need to go to the range to do it)

Me: Are you being serious? What if I show you my CCW permit?
Him: Nope. CCW only proves that you're not a felon, not that you own a gun.


Everyone in there (customers included, probably 4-6 people) were looking at me like I was nuts for trying to rent a gun alone. One of the customers explained to me that there had been a couple of examples of people going to a public range, renting a gun, and putting it to their own heads.

I've never seen or heard of a policy like this before, but I'm fairly new to firearms. Is this common? By the end of the conversation I was getting pretty pissed at the guy, and I left vowing never to give them a cent of my business. Problem is, they're close, it's a pretty nice facility, and they seem nice otherwise (before trying to rent I spent a few minutes in the store part of the place).

BTW, I do own guns, I just didn't happen to have them with me at the time.

I have never experienced it first hand but have heard about it. I believe it is common in California...anybody confirm this?

[skullcrusher]

Get a Suicidal Tendancies tattoo. Show them that the next time you go and try to rent one. You did not ask if you could buy only one round, did you?

Seriously, that is a pretty stupid law. There are easier ways to kill yourself that are cheaper than renting a firearm and buying ammo at their prices.

To me, it seems like another misguided fear of guns law.

[Shade]

If someone wants to commit suicide; let them...
It is just another way of adding a little chlorine to the gene pool...

[dunerunner]

Customer: "So, you won't let me rent one...Can I buy one then?"
Range Dude: "Shure, what are you looking for?"
Customer: "Something to carry for self defense to carry when I'm, you know; by myself!"

How damned stupid can people get.

[winds-of-change]

I have heard of that policy, too, from a friend who lives in California.

[c3shooter]

If you want to end your life, that's one thing.

If you want to end your life on MY shooting range, which will result in my closing the range for days, dealing with cops, dealing with lawyers, getting a BIOHAZ crew in to clean up the mess you left on my range- no.

Besides, you endanger other people on the range, the gun you rented will be rusted by the time I get it back from the cops, and looking at the stains on the ceiling always makes me depressed.

Seriously- is the range going overboard? Yes. But there are likely reasons for it, and bottom line- it's THEIR range.

[orangello]

Seems silly, but kinda like was mentioned above, off yourself elsewhere please and thank you.

I don't think i would hold that against the range; show back up with a buddy and a target that you enjoy using.

[lonyaeger]

If it's their store/range, it's their prerogative to do so. Just go somewhere else I guess.

[steve666]

Had it happen a few months ago at a range here in Indianapolis. A guy went in rented a gun, went into the range area and shot himself. I can see them wanting to avoid dealing with that mess again.