Safe Area

[WaJim]

So I drove/rode 150 miles one way yesterday to shoot a USPSA match at a range I had never been to before.

I'm an all about the rules guy and know 99 % of the important ones. I have a Gun Rug and never take ammo to a Safe Area in a mag in my pocket or range bag. I also know better than placing my range bag during a match on a Safe Area bench.

So I get to this new to me Range yesterday do the important early walk throughs trying to familiarize myself with all the stages.....

The ALL important (to me) Classifier is Stage Bay #2 Strong Hand Weak Hand El Pres. Welp, this is my second year USPSA and first shooting Major PF Limited. Dammitt,,,,, a weak hand Classifier???

I want my Pro Custom 9.........Ill be lucky to get all shots on paper.

Its ok though, because I've got 5 stages to get my confidence up....more trigger time with the 40. So first stage for me is bay #3.

Roll call shooting order and order for the match is called out....I'm the 6 th shooter.

Great!

The match goes well I shoot at and above my usual / normal performance am having a great time as usual. All with this Classifier, me the first shooter in the back of my mind. Not nervous but I want to shoot it and possibly move up in class. Heck I already know what HF I need to make this happen.

I shoot Bay 1 which was an interesting stage that included shooting strong hand only carrying a bowling ball in the weak...Right on ...I needed that. I was second shooter. After I shot I started peeking at the Classifier......without shirking taping dutys of course.

Well my Squad finishes Bay1 and I'm up for My Classifier I'm First Shooter so I round the corner and drop my bag on the first available dry flat table I see.

Bays are deep,

I'm up, I have plenty of Ammo, El Pres isn't a mystery to me.....lets go.

I shoot and get the score HF I need. Great....woo hoo for me. I of course help shoot/tape the rest of the Squad. We finish, everyone is saying their farewells etc and I go to retrieve my bag.

Ohhhhh Heeeeellll Noooooooo.

Its on a Safe Area table.

After a very light scolding from a Range owner from another Range that I frequent about rules I explained myself....and was let go with just the explanation.

Man, I felt small.

Sooooooooo Very close to a DQ and would have taken it graciously.

Dumb Move and I know better.

Edited March 7, 2016 by WaJim

[lcs]

Putting your range bag on a safe table is not a DQ.

[revoman]

How would you bag or un-bag in a safe area if you cannot take your bag into the safe area? As long as you do not handle ammo in a safe area you should be okay.

If it is a local rule I would still question how would you bag or un-bag unless you do it on the line.

[WaJim]

How would you bag or un-bag in a safe area if you cannot take your bag into the safe area? As long as you do not handle ammo in a safe area you should be okay.

If it is a local rule I would still question how would you bag or un-bag unless you do it on the line.

I take the gun in a Gun rug, leaving my range bag either in the bay I'm starting in or my truck.

I said I knew 99% of the rules....maybe this is a Range rule exclusively and not an IDPA, USPSA, rule?????

I'm here to learn.

[WaJim]

How would you bag or un-bag in a safe area if you cannot take your bag into the safe area? As long as you do not handle ammo in a safe area you should be okay.

If it is a local rule I would still question how would you bag or un-bag unless you do it on the line.

I take the gun in a Gun rug, leaving my range bag either in the bay I'm starting in or my truck.

I said I knew 99% of the rules....maybe this is a Range rule exclusively and not an IDPA, USPSA, rule?????

I'm here to learn.

10.5.12

I guess it's in the book......But Shooters with more years under their belt have told me different.

[Sarge]

Two things at play here.

It's not a USPSA VIOLATION to lay a range bag on a safe area table.

And, local rules don't apply to a sanctioned USPSA match

[Husker95]

What lcs said. I mostly just take a rug into the SA as well, but taking a bag in is not a DQ. Its only handling live/dummy ammo in a SA, in any manner, that will get you the DQ.

[fishsticks]

Two things at play here.

It's not a USPSA VIOLATION to lay a range bag on a safe area table.

And, local rules don't apply to a sanctioned USPSA match

Correct, and the rule was cited above.

It almost sounds like the op was unknowingly storing his bag on the safe table. That a little different and I can see where someone could have cautioned them. Pretty easy in that case to not remember the bag is sitting in a safe area and grab or put away ammo or mags on your way to Dairy Queen.

Which is different then setting a bag on a safe table to only bag/unbag.

And, even though there are no local rules, as much as none of us want to admit different ranges do things a little different. I know I tend to keep a closer eye on folks I don't recognize and might say something whereas I might not if the person was familiar.

[WaJim]

Ok ive been thinking about this since it happened.

I realize now that the DQ doesn't happen unless I handled ammo at the Area.

I was extremely lucky that I stowed both partial mags in my back pockets and helped tape the remainder shooters. That was all because the bay was so deep otherwise I would have gone back to my bag with partial mags in my hand to download all my ammo or toss the partial mags in the bag it was my last stage.......The infraction would have occurred if I picked the bag off the table with mags still in hand or just the act of tossing the mags in.

I was too busy saying farewell to the other shooters to retrieve the mags from my pockets and hadn't before I noticed where the bag was.

I was lucky.

How many times after you shoot a stage do you go back to your bag with a mag in your hand...........

I'd say Pretty much 100%.

[Corey]

Yes, putting your range bag on the safe table is ok. But if you don't know its a safe table and you grab a mag out of it, now its a DQ. You def got lucky and learned a little something: always ask where the safe tables are at a new range. even if you see one clearly labeled and marked, ask if there are any others around the corners, just to be sure.

Chin up and onward!

[CZinSC]

As others have said, not a DQ unless you had a mag ( with bullets in it ) in your hand.

On a side note/question - Was it clearly marked? Did it say "Safe Area"? Did you just miss the sign as you said you came around the corner and dropped bag on the first table? What I'm getting at is, was it a local knowledge sort of thing like "oh, we use that as a safe area" and no one not from the range would know that? If that was the case, I'd call BS. Safe areas need to be marked as such. ( I know there is a rule, but i need to get to work ).

If it was clearly marked, and you just dropped the ball, well then...you learned a valuable lesson! At least you know for next time.

[WaJim]

As others have said, not a DQ unless you had a mag ( with bullets in it ) in your hand.

On a side note/question - Was it clearly marked? Did it say "Safe Area"? Did you just miss the sign as you said you came around the corner and dropped bag on the first table?

If it was clearly marked, and you just dropped the ball, well then...you learned a valuable lesson! At least you know for next time.

Yes it was clearly marked. ....I dropped the bag on the table as I went past it. It was 5 feet in the bay along the left side but the bay was 50 feet or probably more deep.

My Bag was to the right but in front of the sign....it was a little moldy but clearly marked Safe Area No Ammo.

Edited March 8, 2016 by WaJim

[Sarge]

I ran a stage last year that had two tables in the bay. One was a safety area and was marked but it was in the center rear of the bay where typically we all load bags etc.

I took it upon myself to mention it in the stage briefing and clearly pointed it out. Actually saved a couple of shooters that weekend

[Audioman]

Thanks for the info.

[imeyers78]

great to know! I've been shooting USPSA for 2 years now, mostly local matches and I'm always skeptical about the safe areas and rules associated. As a CYA I only take my gun sleeve/rug with a sterile belt rig. Now, I know the exact rules but will always air on the safe side..

[Ultimo-Hombre]

Safe areas must have fault lines also. Standing inside them and handling ammo regardless of bags on the table or not will get you.

Also make sure that when handling your pistol you stay within these fault lines. At a crowded match I have seen at least one occasion where a guy was at the edge of the safety table, strapping up but he was stepping outside the fault line.

FYI.

[teros135]

Actually, safety areas are required to have a table and fault lines at Level II and up (although these would be a good idea at LI also, of course).

[barebones1]

I regularly shoot at 3 ranges uspsa and idpa. 2 match directors stated " range bag was ok as long as you don't handle ammo. one of the ranges wants you to remove all mags and ammo from belt and person if you go to the table to check your gun. I now make it a point to locate the match director and ask for instruction. I added the gun rug to my bag just to be sure

[Shadyscott999]

I regularly shoot at 3 ranges uspsa and idpa. 2 match directors stated " range bag was ok as long as you don't handle ammo. one of the ranges wants you to remove all mags and ammo from belt and person if you go to the table to check your gun. I now make it a point to locate the match director and ask for instruction. I added the gun rug to my bag just to be sure

At a USPSA match, it doesn't matter what they "want".

[CZinSC]

Hopefully it was the IDPA matches that told you that, because if it was the USPSA match, tell them to start playing by the USPSA rules or give up their affiliation.

[barebones1]

I regularly shoot at 3 ranges uspsa and idpa. 2 match directors stated " range bag was ok as long as you don't handle ammo. one of the ranges wants you to remove all mags and ammo from belt and person if you go to the table to check your gun. I now make it a point to locate the match director and ask for instruction. I added the gun rug to my bag just to be sure

At a USPSA match, it doesn't matter what they "want".

Fathersday will be my 1 year practical shooting. I'm still in " puppy" mode. Asking as many questions as i can, trying to safely get thru without a dq. But....in the top 5 " most accurate " last 4 matches. The stages have "slowed down". When I miss I know it the second I break the shot. Of late been finishing middle of the pac....won't be long, this puppy will soon be a wolf too

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[Shadyscott999]

I regularly shoot at 3 ranges uspsa and idpa. 2 match directors stated " range bag was ok as long as you don't handle ammo. one of the ranges wants you to remove all mags and ammo from belt and person if you go to the table to check your gun. I now make it a point to locate the match director and ask for instruction. I added the gun rug to my bag just to be sure

At a USPSA match, it doesn't matter what they "want".

Fathersday will be my 1 year practical shooting. I'm still in " puppy" mode. Asking as many questions as i can, trying to safely get thru without a dq. But....in the top 5 " most accurate " last 4 matches. The stages have "slowed down". When I miss I know it the second I break the shot. Of late been finishing middle of the pac....won't be long, this puppy will soon be a wolf too

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Awesome. Keep at it.

[WaJim]

I guess Ill never learn...

Today we had a pendulum swinging Texas Star stage. Resetting this contraption was difficult and a 2 to 3 man deal. It was cool though.

I helped set it up a couple times today then was talking to a buddy of mine, (topic forgotten)..And I see the other guys struggling with resetting this Star. So I run up to help. On the way past a bench I drop the full mag I had in my hand...........I was sitting so I had it out of my back pocket.

I help with the set up and another shooter walks up to me @ the Star and says...

"This your mag? It was on a Safe Bench..."

He saved my bacon...again.

[Sarge]

I guess Ill never learn...

Today we had a pendulum swinging Texas Star stage. Resetting this contraption was difficult and a 2 to 3 man deal. It was cool though.

I helped set it up a couple times today then was talking to a buddy of mine, (topic forgotten)..And I see the other guys struggling with resetting this Star. So I run up to help. On the way past a bench I drop the full mag I had in my hand...........I was sitting so I had it out of my back pocket.

I help with the set up and another shooter walks up to me @ the Star and says...

"This your mag? It was on a Safe Bench..."

He saved my bacon...again.

You won't ever learn as long as people keep giving you breaks!

[WaJim]

I guess Ill never learn...

Today we had a pendulum swinging Texas Star stage. Resetting this contraption was difficult and a 2 to 3 man deal. It was cool though.

I helped set it up a couple times today then was talking to a buddy of mine, (topic forgotten)..And I see the other guys struggling with resetting this Star. So I run up to help. On the way past a bench I drop the full mag I had in my hand...........I was sitting so I had it out of my back pocket.

I help with the set up and another shooter walks up to me @ the Star and says...

"This your mag? It was on a Safe Bench..."

He saved my bacon...again.

You won't ever learn as long as people keep giving you breaks!

This particular range has more Safe Areas than normal.

These are sometimes between the covered area where you'd drop your gear and the shooting area of the bay. The bays are deep. There are also racks for wall barriers, Bianchi barriers, Cowboy Shooting and other props in the same area. Not trying to make excuses buttttttttt.........

And yes it was the same range as the one in my original post.

I swear I wont do it again.............