Range Rules and Target Information

range rules and target information

Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc

Patapsco Ranges
11518 Marriottsville Road
Marriottsville, Maryland 21104

2011 Range Rules and Regulations
www.associatedgunclubs.org

Events	Office	Trap	Fax
410-461-9855	410-461-8532	410-461-9864	410-461-8534

(Download the PDF Version of our Range Rules)

Administrative

Outdoor Range Hours and Operations:
1. Weekdays - 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM or Sunset
  Weekends - 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM or Sunset
2. The Ranges will be open every day except the following Holidays:
  1. Thanksgiving Day Closed 2:00 PM
  2. Christmas Day Closed All Day
  3. New Year’s Day Closed All Day
3. Trap ranges may remain open until 9:00 PM on Wednesdays.
4. Pistol Range may remain open until 9:00 PM on Thursdays for .22 rimfire Bullseye Matches.
5. Published U.S. Naval Observatory sunset times will determine daily final ceasefire by the Staff Range Safety Officer (Staff RSO).
6. The use of any range is prohibited, if weather or other condition prevents full visibility on any range.
7. Officers and Staff RSO’s may close the range if lightning or other conditions pose a danger.
Any range may be closed to non-competitors during a scheduled AGC sanctioned event. Ranges will not be closed during the Hunter Sight-in weekends.
Range badges shall be worn in a visible position at all times and forbidden to be loaned or transferred. The AGC reserves the right to request photo identification to confirm identity, membership and match member with assigned range badge.
Parking guidelines are strictly enforced.

General Range Safety Rules

When handling firearms, keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction, keep your finger off the trigger, keep your firearm unloaded until ready to shoot, and always know what’s beyond your target.
No loaded firearms may be brought to or carried on AGC property. Exception: On duty Law Enforcement, AGC Employees, and AGC members may transport and carry according to applicable Maryland Law.
On the AGC ranges firearms are considered loaded if:

Actions or cylinders are closed (loading gate and cap and ball revolvers are the exception).
Cartridges or empty cases are contained in the chamber, cylinder, or when the magazine is attached.
Black powder firearms that contain propellant, projectile, percussion cap, or powder in the pan of a flintlock.

It is strongly recommended that all shooters and observers wear ear and eye protection. Individuals assume all responsibility for any injury that occurs by not wearing ear and eye protection.
Firing Line Procedure:

Muzzles shall be pointed downrange at all times, when on the firing line.
Cased and uncased firearms with Empty Chamber Indicators (ECI) in place may be carried upright to or from the rear of the concrete pad rack area at any time. When on the concrete pad firearms shall remain pointed downrange while being cased or uncased.
All firearm cases shall remain pointed downrange while on concrete pad.
When the line is “hot” firearms cased or have ECI’s in place may be taken in the upright position to or from the firing line.
Off-hand shooters shall stand between the front edge of the concrete pad and the yellow line with the firearm muzzle at or past the front edge of the pad. Shooters using other shooting positions shall place the muzzles of their firearms as close as possible to the front edge of the pad. Under no circumstances will a firearm be discharged if the muzzle is behind anyone on the firing line.
Shots fired shall strike the designated impact area in line with shooters position.
No tracer or incendiary ammunition may be fired on AGC ranges.
Placing targets on range impact areas is prohibited.
Targets must not be capable of deflecting a projectile. Projectiles must be able to easily pass through targets and no glass or non-biodegradable frangible targets may be used.
When not in use cartridge firearms must be unloaded, magazines out, actions open, and with ECI in place.
Muzzle loading firearms must be positioned upright for cease-fires, cleaning, and loading.
Shooting Paper silhouettes are allowed, but pictures, caricatures, and illustrations depicting real people are not.
If a muzzle loading firearm fails to fire, the muzzle shall remain pointed at the impact area for at least 2 minutes before remedial action is taken and 30 seconds minimum for all other firearms.
All shooters shall clean up their area when finished shooting.
Shooters experiencing chronic misfires, hangfires, and squib fires should evaluate their firearms and ammunition within designated safe areas.
Semiautomatic strings may be fired on any range at a rate that allows the aiming of each shot. All shots fired must be controlled and strike within the designated impact area for the shooters position.

Cease Fire Procedure:
1. During the cease-fire firearms on the firing line shall not be handled.
2. A mandatory cease-fire normally occurs on the hour and half-hour or at any other time agreed to by everyone on the firing line.
3. During a cease-fire all firearms shall be pointed downrange or racked in an upright position with actions open and ECIs in place as applicable.
4. When a cease-fire is called, shooters shall adhere to the commands as stated by the Staff RSO or Match Director.
5. When multiple shooters are self governing on the line they shall follow the same cease fire commands and procedures as Staff RSO’s. Upon mutual agreement they may call for more or less cease fires.
6. All shooters with muzzle loaders or cap and ball revolvers shall discharge their firearm into the impact area before the command is given to go forward.

Steel Target Procedure:
1. Flat plate steel targets of any configuration may be placed at 100 yards and fired upon with .22 caliber or smaller rimfire ammunition and black powder lead balls.
2. The maximum black powder charge allowed is 70 grains of 2FG granulation.
3. Commercial Biathlon targets may be fired upon at 50 yards with .22 caliber rimfire ammunition only.
4. No personal target frames or targets may be made of material likely to cause deflection of projectiles except as described above.
5. All steel targets except those used for air rifles shall be positioned so that missed shots will strike the impact area.
6. Steel targets may be fired upon with air rifles between 25 and 100 yards.
Muzzle loading Procedure:
1. No smoking within 15 feet of anyone shooting with black powder or black powder substitutes.
2. Prior to loading, shooters using muzzle loading rifles, pistols, and cap and ball revolvers shall fire caps on all nipples of percussion firearms or a pan full of powder in a flintlock while pointing the firearm downrange. Muzzle loading firearms using granulated propellant shall have the propellant poured into the muzzle from a powder measure not from a bulk container. Powder containers shall be closed after charging the powder measure. Containers of propellant pellets shall be kept closed when not being used.
3. Shooters using muzzle loading rifles shall place their rifle upright in a v-notch in the loading bench or some other device to prevent the rifle from falling over during a cease-fire or during loading. Hand formed cartridges, propellants, and sabots may be loaded at the firing line with the firearm held in the upright position.
4. Percussion and flintlock firearms shall be forward of the yellow line and pointed down range when a percussion cap is affixed to a nipple or when ignition powder is put into a flintlock pan.
Cleaning of firearms may be done on the firing line with barrels of cartridge firearms pointed downrange and barrels of muzzle loading firearms pointed in the upright position. Firearm cleaning off the firing line shall not have live ammunition or components present.
Shotgun patterning may be done only on the Barnes and Shotgun Patterning Range.
Staff RSO’s are authorized to relocate the firing points on the firing line of members whose shooting activity cause multiple complaints from adjacent shooters.
Staff RSO may stop firing against any target if such firing represents a danger to shooters on the line or our range neighbors. In case of a dispute of any kind the decision of the Staff RSO is final. The Staff RSO’s decision may be appealed to the AGC Executive Committee and Board of Trustees.
Firearms, powder, caps, primers, and fixed ammunition shall not be stored on AGC property. Exception: Shotgun ammunition to be sold to trap shooters shall be stored securely.
Pets on AGC property:
1. Shall be accompanied by owner, leashed and controlled at all times.
2. Not allowed on the firing line.
3. Antisocial pets may be required to be muzzled or crated.
Alcohol consumption is not permitted in the vicinity of an active range. Alcohol may be consumed only after shooting is completed and firearms have been secured and then not in areas visible from public roads. Anyone who appears to be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs will not be allowed on AGC property.
Fully automatic fire and the shooting from holsters are permitted under the direct supervision of the Full Auto Committee and the Action Shooting Committee.
Badge holders may bring guests but shall supervise their guests at all times. A badge holder with guests may occupy only one firing point and have only one person shooting at a time. The badge holder is responsible for explaining all pertinent rules and regulations to their guests. Exception: Wobble Trap may be occupied by a range badge holder and 4 shooting guests on the line.
Sanctioned Matches
1. During AGC sanctioned matches the Match Director controls the range.
2. During junior events the Board of Trustees reserves the right to restrict shooters to rimfire calibers. Junior’s restrictions will be posted on the AGC Calendar.
3. Some AGC sanctioned events require a preparation time prior to starting competition. The Match Director for that event will announce to all shooters that a preparation period will precede the start of the next relay. During this preparation period no one will go forward of the firing line and firearms may be uncased and handled. Shooters arriving after the start of the preparation period shall wait for the next relay to post their targets.
These rules shall be followed by all persons on AGC Patapsco Ranges and associated facilities. Range Rules may be specifically modified, reduced, or expanded only by majority vote of the Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc. Board of Trustees.

Range Specific Rules

50 Yard Pistol Range
1. This range is designated for the shooting of revolvers and semiautomatic pistols only, and any special shooting events approved by AGC Sanctioned Committees, Executive Committee or the Board of Trustees.
2. Pistols configured to shoot shotgun shells only may not be fired on the Pistol Range; they may be fired only on the Barnes and Shotgun Patterning Range.
3. Firing from a prone or Creedmoor position is prohibited.
4. When metal frames are used only a single centered target is allowed.
100 Yard Barnes Range
1. Positions to the left of the orange overhead support pole are opened at the discretion of the Staff Range Safety officer on duty.
2. The permanent benches to the right of the range are for benchrest shooting only.
3. In the benchrest only area, everyone must be behind the red zone while the line is hot.
4. Pistols may be fired on the Barnes Range if the shooter is able to strike the impact area regardless of the position of the target at intermediate ranges.
200 Yard Range
1. The 50, 100, and 150 meter impact areas are for shooting silhouettes with silhouette/hunting handguns.
2. Practice silhouettes, clangers, and spinners may be used for practice and shall be positioned directly in front of the silhouette impact areas.
3. If you provide your own target frame it may be placed in receptacles forward of the edge of the pits or behind the pits.
4. An orange flag shall be displayed forward of the firing positions when the range is clear to go forward of firing line.
5. People may stay in the pits only if one person has been designated Match Director.
6. People in the pits must be able to electronically communicate by voice with the Match Director from within the pit.
7. When using the AGC target frames the center of the target bulls cannot be less than 24 inches from the frame members.
Trap Range
1. No slugs may be fired on this range.
2. Only shotguns firing a maximum powder load of 3 dram equivalent, shot size 7 1/2, 8 or 9 shot, and a maximum muzzle velocity of 1200 fps are allowed.
3. No shooting is permitted in front of the 16 yard line.
4. Portable traps and other clay pigeon throwing devices may be used when positioned on or behind the 16 yard line.
5. It is permitted to walk forward of the 16 yard line, to the trap house only, as long as the field is “clear”, i.e., shooters may be on the line with unloaded guns and open actions.
6. Trap fields are run independently of each other. No one may walk beyond the trap house when other fields are being used.
7. Actions shall be open and unloaded when moving from post to post or anywhere else on the range.
8. When a person is in a trap house an orange safety cone shall be placed in a visible position.
9. When shooting handicaps, shooters may shoot from a staggered position not to exceed 2.0 yards.
10. Firearms used in all trap events shall be fired from the shoulder. Folding stocks must be in the fully extended position.
Shotgun Patterning Range
1. No slugs may be fired on this range.
2. When approaching the Patterning Range always be aware of the shooting activity on the adjacent Archery Range.
3. Prior to shooting, position an orange cone and flag in a visible location to indicate that the patterning range is being used.
4. Shooter supplied paper or paper purchased from the AGC may be used on the patterning frame.
Archery Range
1. All relevant range rules are applicable, by substituting archery terminology.
2. Only field point or target arrows may be shot at AGC targets.
3. Prior to shooting, position an orange cone and flag in a visible location to indicate that the Archery Range is being used.
4. Shooters shall designate a common firing line.
5. Sky drawing is forbidden.
Indoor Pellet Range
1. Indoor pellet range is available for club use from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM on any day the ranges are open as indicated in Rule 1.
2. Only compressed air, carbon dioxide, and spring powered guns firing .177 or .22 caliber blunt nose lead pellets weighing less than 25 grains may be fired on this range.
3. The maximum allowable velocity is 1000 fps for .177 pellets and 800 fps for .22 pellets.
4. Only paper targets or RSSOP Committee approved metal or metal-clad targets may be used on this range.
5. Shooters shall be aligned properly with their pellet traps.
6. Pellet guns shall be pointed downrange when they are loaded.

RULES ENFORCEMENT

Persons witnessing an infraction should first and politely bring it to the attention of offender. If the infraction is not corrected, the witness should then inform the AGC Staff Range Safety Officer (Staff RSO). Enforcement of the range rules is granted to members of the AGC’s Executive Committee, Staff RSO’s, and Sanctioned Match Director’s. They have the right to stop any action they feel is unsafe or violates the range rules until the matter can be ruled upon by the AGC Executive Committee. AGC Range Badge privileges may be temporarily revoked until the infraction is reviewed by the AGC Executive Committee.
With a preponderance of the evidence, a simple majority vote of the AGC Executive Committee may impose disciplinary actions upon any offenders. If imposed, disciplinary actions may range from a warning to permanent expulsion from AGC ranges and associated facilities. Appeals will be heard by the AGC Board of Trustees, and disciplinary actions may be modified by a simple majority vote.
By authority of the AGC Board of Trustees, these range rules govern the actions of all people on AGC property. Any rule may be modified or temporarily suspended by a simple majority vote of the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees.

Target Frame Information