I fully support the RSO:
Some of the comments were rather stupid:
You can trespass them, but you can’t take their property. Trying to take a gun out of someone’s hand is a great way to get shot. Again this was likely a rental. I’ve been to shooting ranges when people did careless things and they were just kicked out, at no point where their firearms taken.
He can definitely trespass them and tell them to never come back, but if it’s their personal firearm, he has no authority to confiscate it.
So you would shoot the RSO for grabbing your firearm because you were pointing it at your friend’s head so he could get a cool social media picture? What would you rather the RSO do?
Quite a few people in the comments are saying the range is private property, the range has rules, or some other reason for excusing what the RSO did. They are also all wrong.
What the RSO is seeing is what any reasonable person would conclude is a threat to the health and life of the person who is the target of this stupid gun handling. At the very least, this is brandishing a firearm, and more likely an imminent threat of manslaughter. Under the law, that RSO could just as easily shoot the moron waving the gun around to protect everyone in the range. Instead, that RSO took steps that are the least of his options- he took the firearms and escorted them out. If those guns are not rentals, you can have them back when you leave the property.
Owning a firearm carries with it a responsibility to not be an idiot with it. I would hope that the RSO at my local range would intervene with more than a strongly worded trespass warning while standing over my cooling body because some idiot was waving a loaded gun around for Tik Tok fame.
19 Comments
MiguelGFZ · August 9, 2026 at 3:38 am
RSO was right. PERIOD>
TCK · August 10, 2026 at 1:44 am
It’s less for the assholes and more for all the innocent people they were putting at risk becoming collateral damage.
Boneman · August 9, 2026 at 6:17 am
You know… I agree with the action taken but I wonder if this isn’t like putting seatbelts, airbags, etc. in automobiles. You’re not allowing the stupid people to remove themselves from the Gene Pool.
I get it though… It’s definitely in the interest of safety for all of the intelligent people there.
Elrod · August 9, 2026 at 7:15 am
Were I the RSO, and assuming it was the customer’s gun, I would have expended one of the multitude of cable-type gun locks that come with guns but are rarely used, remove the magazine, lock the slide back, install the cable lock, seal the magazine and key in an envelope and send them on their way with instructions to not open the envelope until they got home.
Those are the kind of people you do not want handling loaded firearms in your parking lot.
I’m guessing the customers have to agree to a “standards and practices” type of document to use the range, I’d be curious to see what’s in it.
JBB · August 9, 2026 at 8:08 am
The safety officer was right in stepping in and stopping the dumbassery. He likely returned their firearms outside the range after explaining what they did wrong and asking them to leave.
Himself · August 9, 2026 at 8:17 am
The RSO was in the right here.
It’s not like the rules aren’t posted on a huge sign on the range wall, that say the same thing on the release doc you signed to shoot. In the ranges around here, they would’ve seen a video demonstrating how they are expected to act as well.
J J · August 9, 2026 at 9:06 am
As a former RSO I totally agree he was right taking the guys firearms away. When you deliberately violate a major safety rule you give up your right to shoot at the facility.
Any of the commenters on that who disagree are as stupid as the offender.
Gerry · August 9, 2026 at 9:19 am
100% with the RSO.
It looked like the dumb shits didn’t even realize pointing firearms at someone was a bad thing.
Joe Blow · August 9, 2026 at 9:22 am
This is why I go back and forth on permitless carry… Some people just ain’t bright enough! Darwin’s supposed to weed them out, but we have so many things that break Darwin, that they’re roaming around like cockroaches. Like these two choads. Guarantee you the RSO picked them out the instant they walked in the range.
The Southern Nationalist · August 9, 2026 at 2:55 pm
Joe Blow, having a permit or not really doesn’t help that person’s intelligence.
As a retired police officer, I’ve seen fellow police officers thrown off the range for doing stupid stuff.
Toastrider · August 9, 2026 at 9:24 am
Considering the ethical and legal implications? Yeah, sorry, I’m with the RSO on this one.
Dimwit can have his pistol back when he leaves (and will probably be told not to come back).
OldToolFool · August 9, 2026 at 9:26 am
Yeah, the argument to not take it away seems to be one vocal fool in NY. Which is who you quoted. My normal response to that sort of post would be ‘I’ll take never been to a range for a $1000 Alex’
Firehand · August 9, 2026 at 9:49 am
Damn straight. You catch someone doing something unsafe, you warn them; they do something flat dangerous and stupid, you throw them out. And yes, I can see the RSO taking their arms in some cases.
That idiot looking like “What’s the big deal, why’s he upset?”…
Denis · August 9, 2026 at 10:58 am
I am an RSO. I have excluded club members for less egregious safety rule violations than that. Firearms are emphatically not toys or fashion accessories. Fools who treat them as such get to go away and not come back, and those two should be thanking that RSO and their guardian angels that one of them was not departing on a stretcher.
pcb_duffer · August 9, 2026 at 11:16 am
I agree with Elrod. Step 1 would be to secure the firearms. Step 2 would be to call the police and have them trespassed from the facility. Step 3 would be to take their photograph and publish it on the Wall of Shame at the range.
JimmyPx · August 9, 2026 at 12:03 pm
The RSO was 100% correct, if someone does something unsafe it is their job to correct the situation. I like this clip from the series the Pacific where the Gunny is the RSO and a young LT does something stupid on the range:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu51rszgotI
Phil B · August 9, 2026 at 5:51 pm
There is also the downstream problems to consider.
If he had shot his friend through the head, then:
1) It was the range operators fault for not doing … whatever (not explaining the rules, not having a first aid kit, not supervising correctly etc.)
2) He will attempt to sue the living daylights out of the range owner(s) and even if unsuccessful, the legal bill for the defence will be tremendous. The process IS the punishment.
3) The range would likely be closed down as it is “unsafe” with the loss of the operators livelihood and any staff that were employed there.
If I had been the RSO, then he’d have gotten a leather enema at the very least. (IYKWIMAITYD).
Treefarmer · August 9, 2026 at 6:37 pm
The RSO did the right thing. Chris Kyle was killed at a range. Better to act fast and over react.
Jeff · August 9, 2026 at 9:16 pm
I agree with you, the RSO did exactly what needed to be done.
OT – Have you seen this video? Came across this interview from the co-chair of the DSA? Interviewed by the New Yorker, so take that into account. This chic is completely delusional but this is they want to do.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6RWsHLvBntg&pp=iggCQAE%3D
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