BY
ORDER OF THE COMMITTEERANGE RULES
RANGE RULES AND REGULATIONS (Amended March 2004)
PREMISES
The Range premises comprise: The area allocated as per the current Ethekweni lease, excluding the road leading to the parking areas.
INDEMNITIES AND INSURANCES
All persons using the Premises shall only do so AFTER having duly completed and signed the appropriate indemnity form and PAID the relevant insurance fees for the type of shooting they are engaging into.
No person shall engage in any type of shooting unless they are fully acquainted with and are in possession of a copy of these Range Rules and Regulations, in the case of Club members; and an abridged copy thereof, in the case of visitors.
Visitors, except members of other Clubs that reciprocate the privileges of hospitality, may only shoot once they have paid the prescribed Range fee and Day insurance.
CHILDREN
Children will not be permitted on the Premises unless under the CONSTANT CONTROL AND CARE of an adult.
STATE OF FIREARMS
AT ALL TIMES, assembled firearms shall be deemed to be in a LOADED STATE and shall be handled with the respect and attention due to that state.
FIREARMS LICENCES - MEMBERSHIP CARDS
BY LAW, any person carrying a firearm or more must, at all times, carry the relevant licence(s) on their person and must be able to produce such document(s) on request. The same applies for Club membership cards. For your own protection, UNLICENCED firearms are FORBIDDEN on the premises.
TYPES OF FIREARMS AND CALIBRES
All types of HANDGUNS, SHOTGUNS AND .22LR RIFLES are allowed on the premises, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF handguns firing TRACERS and CENTRE FIRE RIFLE CALIBRES, and the use of SHOTGUN SLUGS. .22LR calibre rifles are only allowed on the Eighty(80) metre range which is fitted with .22LR shooting tunnels and bays, ONLY THROUGH WHICH these rifles may be fired. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL RIFLES HAVING A CALIBRE LARGER THAN .22LR BE ALLOW TO BE USED ON THE PREMISES.
EAR AND EYE PROTECTORS
No persons shall be allowed on the premises unless they are wearing proper ear and eye protection. All spectators and children must wear proper ear muffs.
LIQUOR AND DRUGS
No person who is obviously under the influence of liquor shall be allowed on the premises. Liquor will not be allowed to be consumed on the Premises during shooting sessions. After completion of a shooting session, alcoholic beverages may be consumed when all firearms are unloaded, declared safe and packed away in a carry bag or worn in a proper belt holster, without a magazine inserted, in the case of a pistol or without any ammunition in the cylinder, in the case of a revolver. No person shall carry a loaded firearm whilst consuming alcohol except, the nominated Range or Safety Officer.
RICOCHETS
It is forbidden to shoot at targets which upon impact may splinter, shatter and cause injury or cause the bullet to ricochet (glass, rocks, etc.). Only authorised impact reaction equipment such as 45 deg. impact plates or falling plates, impact pendulums, etc. are authorised on the Range.
SHOOTING PROCEDURES
1) The meeting is conducted under the control of the Section Secretary and is authorised to decide on all matters connected with the meetings or the conduct of any person ON the range as well as OFF the range.
2) All shooting sessions shall be under the absolute charge of a qualified Range Officer or designated Safety Officer.
WARNING FLAGS
3a) The main mast flag will be raised on all official shooting days when and if possible. However this flag must be raised on competition days and in the presence of a Visiting Club.
IN ADDITION THEREOF, AND AT ANY OTHER TIMES,
3b) A minimum of four (4) red flags shall be displayed at the following points when shooting;
a) at the entrance to the Range road, in the curve of the driveway.
b) at the top of the same driveway, visible from the bottom.
c) on top of the dividing wall, closest to the backstop.
d) on the road leading to the upper ranges, when these are being used.
e) on the road leading to the top range, at the fork to the middle range, when the top range is being used.
4) No firearms shall be carried onto the Premises in a loaded state, regardless of how carried, whether in a carry bag, holstered or wrapped up, etc., but may be unloaded at the safe area at the top of the driveway. If it is obvious that the premises are deserted, and if the member is alone on the premises, firearms will be allowed to be carried in a loaded state with the safety catch engaged, or hammer down on an empty cylinder in the case of a revolver.
EXEMPTIONS TO THE ABOVE
At all times, Range Officers and nominated officials will be allowed to carry one handgun in a belt holster and in a loaded safe state (safety catch engaged).
5) On arrival at the range, no firearm(s) shall be removed from the container without the prior consent of the Range Officer. If shooting is in progress, no person shall approach the firing line until the command RANGE CLEAR is given, after which they may enter a bay to install shooting equipment.
6) It is strictly forbidden, except in the case of a Range Officer, to touch another shooter’s firearm(s) without the prior consent of the Range or Safety Officer.
Any person who interferes or whose actions interferes with or annoys shooters, will be ordered off the Range.
7) Shooters shall at any time, if so requested, submit their firearms and/or ammunitions for inspection by any Range or Safety Officer. The same firearms or ammunitions could be declared unsafe for use on the orders of the above mentioned officials, must be locked away.
LOADING AND UNLOADING
8) After each shooting session and/or series, shooters shall make sure that no cartridges, spent or live, are left in his/her firearm. All firearms shall have the magazine out, breech block left open, slide locked back, cylinder swung out, safe for inspection and in the appropriate cases, vacate the shooting bays. Once the firing line has been declared safe, no shooters may enter a shooting bay, and in the case of belt holstered firearms, such firearms may not be touched for whatever reason unless or until permission to do so is granted by an Official.
9) No firearms shall be packed away into containers, holster and/or cases on completion of a shoot until such a time as they are declared safe by a Range Officer, thereafter they will not again be removed from their respective containers, holsters and/or cases without the Range Officer’s consent.
10) No firearm shall be loaded (Cylinder locked home, magazine inserted and slide or breech block released) until shooters have taken their places at the firing point and the command to LOAD has been issued by the Range Officer.
11) With the exception of persons actually shooting and of those as may be necessary to conduct the shooting in a safe manner with the specific permission from the Range Officer and/or Shooting Organisers, the firing line shall be kept clear of non-shooters at all times. If shooting is performed in front of the benches on the Range itself, non-shooters shall be at least five(5) to seven(7) metres behind the firing line until all firearms and the range itself have been declared safe.
POINTING OF FIREARMS
12) After loading, shooters shall keep their firearms pointing in the direction of targets, DOWN-RANGE. At no time shall loaded firearms be lowered below bench level or pointed towards either side or the rear. If a change of bay is required, any persons carrying a firearm shall only do so with the permission of the attending Officer and after having unloaded such firearm, when moving, the firearm shall be pointed vertically, held by the grip with the wrist at shoulder height, with the muzzle pointing skywards and the carrier will keep the trigger finger off the trigger and on the trigger guard.
IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
13) Whilst shooting is in progress, the signal to cease firing will be given either verbally and/or by a sharp blast of a whistle. In such a case, all shooting must cease immediately EVEN if pressure has been applied to the trigger. Shooters will immediately engage the safety catch, remove the magazine, place their firearms on the bench, pointing DOWN-RANGE and stand back outside their respective nays. No shooter will re-enter a bay until commanded to do so. If shooting is done from a belt holster, shooters will engage the safety catch, holster and place their hands on their head. Wait for the next command to unload or resume with the exercise.
14) Authorised reaction target such as 45deg. impact plates, falling plates, metallic silhouettes, pendulums, etc. may not be placed at less than ten (10) metres from the shooting position. EYE PROTECTORS must be worn by the shooters when using this equipment and non-shooters are to stay well clear to avoid bullet splinters. Soft reaction target such as clay pigeons, etc., are allowed on the range.
15) Damaged equipment shall be removed from the exercise grounds and set aside for repairs. The Stores and Equipment Officer or a Committee member shall be notified immediately. All defective equipment is forbidden on the exercise grounds.
CLEANLINESS OF THE PREMISES
16) The cleanliness of this Range is the respective responsibility of each member and it is therefore expected from everyone to remove all unwanted articles he/she may have used and take them home. It is also expected from everyone, whenever possible, to assist the Committee when a notice is published to that effect to help and clean the Range.
FIRST AID KIT
17) A FIRST AID KIT (safe) - is provided
in the main store room for your convenience in an emergency - don’t abuse it !
!.
The key will be stored in a “GLASS-BREAK-BOX” above the First Aid box.
OTHER SAFETY RULES
18) Members should endeavor to avoid coming alone to the range for safety and security reasons.
19) Members are not encouraged by the Committee to use the range after sunset and before dawn. However should a member or group of members have a very good reason to do so, he/they should address his/their request to the Committee and on receiving permission to do so, advise the Bellair Police Station(SAPS).
NOTE: The premises being situated close to private dwellings, members should endeavor to avoid disturbing these people’s privacy during dark hours.
TRESPASSES
21) Should any member of the Club arrive at the Range and be confronted with people using the premises illegally, such members must record the vehicle(s) plate number(s) and contact any member of the committee as soon as possible. On their way out such members should report intruders to the Bellair Police Station (SAPS). Lists of Club Members and Affiliated Clubs/Bodies are posted in the main store room for cross checking purposes.
It is therefore the responsibility of each member to ensure that Members and Affiliated members (Clubs and Bodies) only have the exclusive use of this OUR Range.
22) When using the range during any other days than official shooting days, members should endeavor to observe that shooting will immediately cease if any persons appear on the grounds behind the shooting range and a clear signal must be given then to these people to vacate the area.
KEYS
23) All Keys provided to members, who qualify to obtain them after one full completed year of membership, must be kept in a safe place and should be returned to the Stores and Equipment Officer or to any member of the Committee when they are no longer required and/or on resignation of such member.
BORROWING OF RANGE EQUIPMENT
24) Should any member of the Club wish to borrow any piece of equipment from the store room for the purpose of removing it from the premises for a certain time, such member must apply for permission to do so from the Stores and Equipment Officer and/or from a member of the Committee.
CONCLUSION
25) The responsibility rests with each shooter, without exception, to be conversant with these instructions and to consider himself or herself bound to observe and apply these rules rigidly. In the full realisation that,, although a firearm is used in our sport as a an instrument of precision and pleasure, it remains at all times a LETHAL instrument, and that these rules were not made to hamper or hinder your sport but to protect you.
26) Any person who infringes any instructions, wholly or in part, is guilty of an offence and shall be subjected to such disciplinary measures as may be considered necessary by the Committee.
BY
ORDER OF THE COMMITTEE
27 March 2004
signed Chairman Dave Gould