Before CCW came to NJ there was a blanket prohibition on holster draw at most ranges. I get it, no range needs a Barney pretending they are Dirty Harry, especially when they have no real reason to practice a technique they can’t legally use.
Now that NJ has CCW, many ranges are allowing holster draw. HOWEVER, there seems to be a “Pay-to-Play” scheme that has emerged.
Not going to call out the ranges by name but suggest you check the range’s rules on their website before you go shoot to see how much it will cost you to holster draw.
As a CCW holder, you already passed a qual that included holster draw. So, why are these ranges demanding you take their course, instead of accepting your qual? It seems the range trusts CCW holders LESS THAN THE STATE…
It’s like them making you take their own drivers test before they let you drive in their parking lot.
Lets say you CCW holders shoot at a bunch of different ranges, are you gong to go and pay to take a course at EVERY range. That is time consuming and can be as expensive as everything you paid JUST to get your CCW.
Making qualified CCW holders pay extra, everywhere they want to practice self defense, seems exploitive and predatory.
It’s not the ranges it’s their insurance companies that want to see documentation that the person drawing from the holster has received training before they will cover a potential loss.
The only thing the range is responsible for is the cost of the holster draw class.
The holster draw course I took at GFH was WAY more than just drawing from your holster. Almost none of what I learned was needed to qualify for the CCW. The holster draw course I took I would recommend to anyone wanted to carry and God forbid you ever had to draw and use Lethal Force, you would know how to do it. If you are going to carry, I would HIGHLY recommend taking this course. You will not regret learning what I did.
The NRA in almost all cases is the Insurance co… They are double, triple, quadruple dipping. Do you not see how this works. It is literally designed to force shooters to take the same NRA course over and over and over again. A profit mill.
At GFH, I had already done a lot of training, so the holster draw certification was no problem.
Since moving to the shore, I have been shooting at Shore Shot. I paid around $10-15, had an RSO watch me draw and shoot a few times, made a few suggestions (I guess so I would feel like I got my money’s worth), and I was GTG. Seemed reasonable to me. So I guess it depends on the range.
For everyone that has a CCW, that’s all it should take. Just do 5 empty gun draws, then maybe a couple three live fires, and that’s it. Also, dunno why u had to pay extra to have the RSO observe you, that’s hs/her job. You already paid for the RSO to be there in your lane rental fee.
Have to agree here, if it’s a range you are a member at, they know your first name and you practice regularly there, seems like a pretty crappy money grab.
Holster draw can absolutely done at home. With an unloaded pistol. Yes it sucks that ranges are doing this. But most high end comp shooters spend alot of time drawing and dry firing at home.
I would bet in time we’ll see it allowed more. Like anything new it takes time for people adjust. I spend my time between Florida and New Jersey. Two different worlds when it comes to firearms. I try to avoid ranges on the weekends. I’m just not at a good comfort level with the renters. Last week a group two stalls down rented a full auto HK MP5. I never heard a full auto weapon in person. It got my attention. When I was leaving I was glad to see another RO standing next to the shooter.
This is an interesting topic. On one hand I 100% agree. I have been shooting a long time, many classes with holsters and lived in states that did not look down apon a right like CCW. That said something like 70% of ND’s happen in and out of a holster and I have seen plenty of people buy a gun and think they are magically JohnWick. I also took the original CCW class when this first dropped and the instructor did little to nothing to qualify the process. So in some ways, since the instruction is not consistent across all who perform it, I can see a range question the skill set.
I don’t go to public ranges as a habit because of the terrible gun handling often seen. If someone is likely to muzzle sweep me standing still in a port firing from a bench, I don’t want to be anywhere near if they are whipping guns in and out of holsters, especially at a bench. The chances of some dimwit catching their muzzle on the bench and dropping the gun is more risk than I want to take.
Also, there is no consistency with the qualifications. I have witnessed enough variation of what an ‘instructor’ deems safe holster use that I’m not going to take it on trust that anybody with a carry permit knows what they are doing. NB. It is not until you get to the Personal Protection Outside The Home Instructor course that the NRA teaches you anything about using a holster, but NRA Basic Pistol Instructor is sufficient to sign off on a qual.
I don’t think there should even be a qual for carrying. If you choose to carry, you accept the responsibility for everything you do with that gun. If you choose to not get training and you hurt someone through your own ineptitude, you should be punished accordingly.
Range operators have to balance the risk of a numpty walking in the door vs their liability and insurance coverage. I fully understand why they want to vet each and every person they allow to use a holster in their facility.
I agree with you that this can seem like a scam, but I also agree that ranges are free to set their own policies. The range I have been frequenting of late, Range 129 in Absecon, does require their course be taken before allowing holster draw, but it is relatively cheap at $50. It is part of their 3-part CCW qualification that they have broken out on its own. I used to be a member of a range that made NRA membership a prerequisite. Fortunately they were not diligent about follow-up at renewal time, so I was able to drop my NRA after the first of the 4 years I was there… Hey, at least the money the NRA grubs is no longer destined for Wayne LaPierre’s pocket…
Cumberland Riflemen requires you to take an orientation to holster draw on the practical (police) pistol range, which is the only range you’re allowed to do so. They don’t charge for it, though. Like others have said, I think it has to do with insurance purposes. You can’t bring guests on that range, though, which makes it decidedly less “practical,” but I understand why.